"This is a game where you don't hit every day," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said before a recent Grapefruit League game. "Babe Ruth didn't hit every day."
As good as Howard has been and as much as he has accomplished during his five big-league seasons, the sense that he can get better is not lost on Manuel or Howard.
The quest has continued at this spring training with an adjustment that could easily go unnoticed to the naked eye.
"Right now, I like where he's standing in the [batter's] box," Manuel said. "That's all we talk about when we talk about his hitting. Ever since I first met him, I've talked to him about standing closer to the plate and, at times, he has, but he's never stuck with it. Right now, he's probably standing the closest he ever stood. He's got good plate coverage, and he's cutting down the area the guy can throw the ball in.
"By cutting down the area the pitcher can throw the ball in, you're also cutting down the area for mistakes like chasing bad [pitches]. I like exactly where he's standing right now."
Howard is trying to like it, too.
"I'm just trying to find a spot where I can feel comfortable covering both sides of the plate," he said. "I want to be in a place where I don't tie myself up on an inside pitch, but I can still get my arms extended to reach the outside part of the plate. I've always been pretty far off the plate to make sure my arms were extended. There's an adjustment in my vision and depth perception because of where you are in your stance and where your head is."
Recently, it was brought to Howard's attention by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci that the Phillies' slugging first baseman was being force-fed more breaking balls than any other hitter in the major leagues. The numbers came courtesy of the remarkable number-crunching people at Stats Inc.
Some of the highlights:
