Laurels strictly are academic

Howard is a textbook example of following the family tradition

Gerry Fraley, Special to The Rocky

Friday, July 6, 2007

There is a void in Ryan Howard's life that the trophies for National League Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player cannot fill.

That Howard last week reached 100 home runs in the fewest games in major league history will make for a converstaion item at family gatherings, but that does not make up for a glaring failing.

Ryan Howard has not earned a college degree.

In the driven-to-success Howard family, that is not a trifling matter.

"The expectations clearly laid down by our parents were that we were all to have our degrees," older brother Chris said. "Our parents placed high expectations on us. There were no ifs about it. They stressed education and that we shouldn't let anything get in our way.

"We were taught that we could do anything as long as we set our mind to it and worked."

So Chris Howard earned three degrees and is on the fast track in the world of college sports as an associate athletic director at Kansas.

Ryan Howard's twin brother, Corey, got a degree in information technology and works for AT&T in Springfield, Mo.

Sister Karen Howard earned a degree in social services and works with juveniles in St. Louis County in Missouri.

Ryan Howard needs about one more semester to receive a degree in communications from Missouri State. During the Philadelphia Phillies' recent series against St. Louis at Busch Stadium, Howard was asked if he "anticipates" completing the work.

"There is no anticipation about it," said Howard, whose club begins a three-game series against the Rockies tonight at Coors Field. "I'm going to do it. Education is big in our family.

"I got to see my father graduate, and that always stuck with me. It was special. I hope my son will have that same feeling when he watches me graduate."

Darian Alexander Howard will have a family legacy to uphold. The Howards, of Wildwood, Mo., are not deterred.

Life-changing events

Ron and Cheryl Howard grew up in Birmingham, Ala., during the era of strict segregation.

They know what it was like to attend blacks-only schools and drink water from blacks-only fountains. They participated in civil- rights marches.

Teenagers often walked in the lead of the marches because those in the lead were more likely to be arrested. Parents could not support families from jail, so they followed a few rows behind.

Ron Howard was thrown into jail after a few of those marches. It was the same lockup from which Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail," calling for an end to segregation.

Ron and Cheryl Howard found success away from Birmingham. He has a high-level technical position with IBM; she is an accountant. Life is good.

In their minds, they never are far from Birmingham and those life-shaping experiences.

Each child has been taken back to Birmingham for a history lesson. The Howard children learned about what life was like for their parents. They began to understand why being OK was never good enough for their parents. They grasped the concept of striving to be the best.

They could not throw away the chance given them through the blood, sweat and tears of others.

"I've always said that because of Ryan's family background, he's mentally tough," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He was raised right. As long as he keeps the same demeanor, he's going to be good for a long time. And I haven't seen any sign that he's going to change. He's going to get better."

Howard's parents did not respond to interview requests. In 2006, Ron Howard told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the children were taught "don't focus on the blockers, the challenges. If you have a chance to be what you want to be, be the best. The door opens a little bit, you push it all the way open."

That resonates with the children who are now adults.

Some pro athletes say they have no interest in being role models. Ryan Howard embraces the concept.

Whether it is filming a spot for the Boys & Girls Clubs during the season or just talking to a covey of children, Howard will do whatever he can to spread his parents' message.

"Maybe you can change a kid," Howard said. "That's what our parents did for us. They set a tone. Our whole family has been blessed."

Knocking down the door

The strong background has served Ryan Howard well. It gave him the fortitude to handle a career that has been a struggle every step of the way.

He languished in the minors longer than expected because the Phillies had an entrenched power- hitting first baseman in Jim Tho- me. Instead of becoming a disruption, Howard keep pushing.

The door opened in 2005, when Thome's season ended early because of an injured elbow. As the father taught him, Howard kicked in the opened door.

He responded to the pressure of replacing a hitter who had four consecutive seasons of more than 40 home runs by hitting 22 homers and driving in 63 runs in 88 games to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

After that season, new Phillies general manager Pat Gillick cast his lot with Howard by trading

Thome to the Chicago White Sox. Howard responded by leading the NL in home runs (58) and RBI (149) to win the MVP award.

This season brought new obstacles to go with the great expectations that come with the MVP honor. Howard was in demand the entire offseason. There was a trip to Japan, banquets, appearances, commercials.

Howard's inability to say "No" cost him. January, when he usually begins preparations in earnest, was a lost month.

It showed when Howard was out of sorts during spring training and struggled early. He could not find his opposite-field swing and was getting himself out by pulling too many pitches. Through May 9, he was hitting .204 with six homers and 23 RBI in 98 at-bats.

The pressure was eating at him.

When the Phillies put Howard on the disabled list at that point, it was for mental reasons as much as physical ones. Howard needed a swing-disrupting strained left quadriceps to heal and his mind to clear.

Howard drew upon his parents' teachings. He is an emerging force in baseball, but he still draws strength from his parents.

"Aren't we all still learning from what our parents taught us?" Howard asked. "Those are life lessons you'll always take with you.

"Without my family and my support system, I wouldn't be here."

An invigorated Howard returned in late May. He enters the series batting .289 with 14 home runs, 39 RBI and a .648 slugging percentage since coming off the disabled list.

"There are a lot of different pressures that fans don't realize these guys go through," said Jerry Lafferty, the Phillies scout who was the first to see Howard's possibilities. "The way Ryan conducts himself makes me very proud. His family laid the foundation but had to carry through on it. He's done that, and he'll never change."

To be complete, all Ryan Howard needs is a diploma.

Making the grade

Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, the National League Most Valuable Player last season, plans to complete work on a college degree while playing. Some other major leaguers who performed that feat.

• BRAD AUSMUS

The New York Yankees took Ausmus in the 1987 draft and wanted him so badly, they agreed to an unusual arrangement. For his first four professional seasons, Ausmus was a full-time student at Dartmouth and a part-time minor league catcher. After getting a degree in government, Ausmus devoted himself to baseball and has spent 15 seasons in the majors.

• DR. BOBBY BROWN

During eight seasons as a second baseman with the Yankees, Brown often roomed with Yogi Berra. They made a mismatched pair, Berra reading comic books, Brown reading Gray's Anatomy as part of his medical school studies. Brown became a cardiologist after his playing career before returning to the game and he became American League president in 1984.

• DOUG GLANVILLE

Some teams were turned off before the 1991 draft when Glanville skipped a game with the University of Pennsylvania to study for a final. Glanville had told all teams he wanted to play professionally but wanted a contract that would allow him to return to Penn to complete a degree in civil engineering. The Chicago Cubs complied, starting Glanville toward a nine-year major league career during which he hit .277.

• ERIC KARROS

The end of the Los Angeles Dodgers' seasons in the early 1990s meant the start of the academic year at UCLA for Karros. His parents were college graduates and it was expected Karros would do the same. He went to UCLA on an academic scholarship and walked on to the baseball team. He received a degree in economics in 1994.

• DR. RON TAYLOR

Taylor was a late arrival in each of his first five seasons in the Cleveland minor league system. While everyone else was in spring training, he was completing his final year of high school and pursing a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Toronto. After a successful career, which included 72 saves and World Series appearances with St. Louis and the New York Mets, Taylor earned a medical degree.

Sudden impact

With a drive of an estimated 505 feet June 27 against Cincinnati's Aaron Harang, Philadelphia's Ryan Howard reached 100 home runs in the fewest games in major league history. The all-time fewest games needed to reach 100 home runs.

Player, team Year Games

Ryan Howard, Phila. 2007 325

Ralph Kiner, Pitt. 1948 385

Chuck Klein, Phila. 1931 390

Bob Horner, Atlanta 1981 390

Mark McGwire, Oak. 1989 393

Albert Pujols, StL 2003 415