Joe Girardi was full of great stories Monday in his introductory press conference with the Philadelphia Phillies. Perhaps the best one included Phillies icon Ryan Howard.
In 2006, Girardi’s lone season as manager of the then-Florida Marlins, he got a front-row seat for Ryan Howard’s National League MVP season. In his first full major league season, Howard slashed .313/.425/.659 with a staggering 58 home runs, 149 RBIs, 108 walks and a 5.9 fWAR.
During said season, Howard gained a bunch of fans, including Girardi’s son, Dante. Dante hoped that his dad would be able to get him Howard’s autograph, something Howard was willing to do under one condition – the Marlins stop walking him.