WITH A CHANCE to rebuild his Big Piece, Charlie Manuel got that Dr. Frankenstein glint in his eye.
"We're just going to tinker with his swing," Manuel said.
Manuel refrained from laughing ghoulishly.
But just barely.
At the Phillies' final stop of their Winter Caravan, Manuel last night spoke about Ryan Howard, whose long and lyrical lefthanded stroke helped Manuel and the Phillies become perennial postseason favorites.
However, since Howard won the 2005 Rookie of the Year award and the 2006 MVP, National League teams have built pitching staffs and philosophies to minimize Howard's devastating power.
Manuel and his staff consistently preached certain tenets to Howard as his production dropped off the past two seasons. Now, coming off a ruptured Achilles' tendon, Howard is a captive audience, if not fully committed.
"He'll be receptive," Manuel vowed.
Manuel said he does not expect Howard to be ready for Opening Day, though his rehab is going well. Which means Howard will be spending lots of time practicing his hitting the next 3 months.
Manuel said he and hitting coach Greg Gross spent 45 minutes earlier this week speaking with Howard at the club's facility in Clearwater, Fla., where Howard is rehabilitating.
Once again, Manuel, Gross and the rest of the organization's hitting instructors will attempt to get Howard to stand closer to the plate; to trust his hand speed to catch up to inside pitches; to not swing at offspeed pitches both down and away and down.
With a steady diet of breaking balls - more than any other hitter in baseball - Howard's slugging percentage dipped to .505 in 2010 and .488 last season, both career lows. All along, Howard was asked to increase his plate coverage, to maintain better balance - to follow the advice of Barry Bonds, from whom Howard sought advice in 2007 and in 2010.
Manuel loved Bonds' patient, compact hitting approach. Manuel also coached Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel and Roberto Alomar while with the Indians.
The Phillies signed Thome for this season as a bench player. Thome's role will be part-time first baseman, pinch hitter and one of Howard's six hitting coaches.
As a Phillies adviser, Manuel helped Howard explode in the minors. Manuel, except for 19 games during a September callup in 2004, has been Howard's only manager in the majors. Still, Howard's swing is not where Manuel wants it.
Maybe, at 32, Howard can be taught some new tricks that can make him the game's premier power hitter again.
