Philadelphia columnist asks Ryan Howard to retire in open letter

(AP) With the Philadelphia Phillies now in complete rebuild mode, only two players from their 2008 World Series championship team remain: First baseman Ryan Howard and catcher Carlos Ruiz.

Those two links to Philadelphia’s success under former general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. remain for similar reasons. Both are near the end of their careers with Howard and Ruiz entering their age 36 and 37 seasons respectively. And both are making more money than they’re worth at this point, with Howard due $25 million and Ruiz due $8.5 million during the 2016 season.

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That combination usually makes a player difficult to trade, though some do believe new GM Matt Klentak could still find a taker for Ruiz if he plays his cards right. As for Howard, his salary and the fact he’s never been close to the same player since rupturing his Achilles’ tendon in 2011 make a potential trade virtually impossible. He’ll be riding out his deal — which includes a $23 million team option or $10 million buyout in 2017 — in Philadelphia.

For all intents and purposes, that means the Phillies still owe Howard no less than $35 million, and the only way out now would be if Howard takes himself out of the game by retiring. That reality isn’t foreign to anyone familiar with the Phillies or the five-year, $125 million deal Howard signed shortly after his injury, but it became the premise of Philadelphia Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky’s latest work published on Friday.

In his column, Bykofsky pens a startling “open letter” to Howard asking the former franchise player to do himself and Phillies fans a favor by retiring. Here’s a small sample.

You’ve gone from the Big Piece to the Big Load.

Since blowing up your Achilles’ tendon in 2011, you haven’t been the same. The comeback year you and we expected never came.

Don’t do this to us, Ryan. Don’t make us hate you. Don’t make the Phillies cut you.

Retire at season’s end. Please.

Bykofsky cut to the heart of the matter and didn’t leave any openings for backpedalling should Howard surprise this season. It’s a strong message, although parts of it seem harsh considering the role Howard played in bringing the Phillies back to prominence, and also the fact that his personal decline isn’t the sole or even biggest reason Philadelphia has had to resort to a complete rebuild.

That blame goes to Amaro for not recognizing or acknowledging soon enough that the Phillies run was over, but Bykofsky continued unloading on Howard anyway.

Despite what you say, and probably believe, you can’t hit lefthanders. You chase low and away pitches with the enthusiasm I chase a cold beer. The difference is, I get the cold one.

Every successful athlete must have a solid core of confidence. I get that. But believing that at 36 you can capture the magic of 26 is delusional. Reflexes slow. Age is kryptonite to the Supermen of Summer.

You’re getting $25 million for this year, and have collected much more than $100 million from the Phillies over your 13 years of service. You don’t need the money.

If you don’t retire, the Phillies will have to pay you $10 million to make you go away next season. If forced to, they will. What happens then?

There’s a lot more to Bykofsky’s letter, but you get the gist.

Bykofsky’s desperate plea probably won’t register at all at Phillies camp. And certainly not with Howard. He’s already said he still sees himself as an everyday player, meaning he’s going to continue fighting for his job. The Phillies will probably see things differently though. With a youth movement abound, finding playing time for younger players will be a priority, so that could make for an interesting dynamic. One that might influence how both sides feel about each other moving forward.

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With that in mind, Bykofsky’s desire for Howard to retire is understandable, and he won’t be alone in that feeling either. Heck, even Amaro was once quoted as saying the Phillies would be better off without Howard. There’s little-to-no upside for the Phillies to have him around, but downside does clearly exist. Still, he’s earned the right to go out on his own terms in Philadelphia thanks to Amaro’s dealings, and it’s clear that what he intends to do.

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