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Ryan Howard
When even the most casual baseball fan envisions a first baseman, they conjure an image that looks a lot like Ryan Howard. In other words, a surprisingly athletic, imposing 6-foot-4, 250-pound frame that looks more natural at defensive tackle than on the baseball diamond. For a time, Howard’s production was the pinnacle of that prototypical first baseman: tape-measure homers and rocket line drives invoking terror in the center of potent offenses. But Howard could never shake the flip side of that archetype. He struck out in nearly a third of his at-bats and walked significantly less. He lumbered on the basepaths and, once a freak injury sapped his power, he became a high-paid albatross for a team needing to rebuild.
Through the first half of his career, Howard seemed headed to Cooperstown. But by the time Howard came onto the Hall of Fame ballot in 2021, he received only eight votes, falling out of consideration after just one year. In the second half of his career, unfairly or not, his legacy became a cautionary tale about overvaluing home runs and RBIs. For Phillies fans, his arrival sparked a near-decade long run of success in the City of Brotherly Love that included five division titles, two pennants, and a World Series ring. For six seasons, Howard was one of the most feared hitters in baseball and the love he gets from Philadelphia speaks to him being the heart of their dynasty. - SABR
Redid the facegen by request. The old one seemed relatively fine. To my eye, it had a red tint and was a bit dark against the background, so I tried to moderate that a touch. This is one where the before fg suffers on a mac for sure. Mine may too as it's the same source file.
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