As ’s long Phillies career comes to an end this weekend against the New York Mets, the Big Piece will depart as the only member of the 2008 World F#@%!^& Champions to reach the finish line of his final contract in Philadelphia.
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The final lap wasn’t always easy, and truth be told, the entire final last of Howard’s tenure in Philly wasn’t marked by much success at all, at the individual or team levels. Let’s forget about all that for now and think back to Howard’s peak, when the Phillies were winning games and he was hitting bomb after bomb.
Howard didn’t just hit baseballs, he obliterated them. He didn’t just hit balls high, it actually felt like some of his moonshots touched the sky. Howard didn’t just get fans on their feet, he had the ability to electrify Citizens Banks Park.
Here are some of Howard’s greatest hits:
First career homer
First career grand slam
Two homers in Cincy
Seven RBIs vs. Yankees (including an upper-deck homer):
2006 Home Run Derby win
No. 49 at RFK Stadium
Three dingers off Tim Hudson (50, 51, 52)
Back-to-back with Utley, Game 3 of the 2008 World Series
Two homers, Game 4 of the 2008 World Series
“Get me to the plate, boys”
Three-run playoff homer off Kyle Lohse
Go-ahead blast in Queens
Walk-off vs. Cincinnati caps huge comeback
Go-ahead grand slam against Houston
Three-run shot, Cole Hamels no-hitter
Walk-off against Cleveland
Grand slam earlier this week
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann