Inductees

He was the longshot who didn’t just make it but made it big. Who drew only mild interest from an NCAA Division I Power 5 school. Who ended up being a scholarship-less walk-on at Missouri State University. And yet who smashed his way straight to the top of the big leagues.

Of course sports fans, especially in southwest Missouri, pulled for Ryan Howard. How could you not? It’s the stuff of storybooks.

“My mindset (out of high school) was that I was going to a school where I could play as a true freshman,” Howard said. “I wanted to see how good I was. I wanted it.”

That hunger powered the Lafayette High School graduate into starring roles as a lefthanded-hitting slugger for Missouri State and then 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies – which is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Howard with the Class of 2019.

A 2000 Team USA member and a fifth-round draft pick in 2001, Howard led the Phillies to World Series in 2008 and 2009, with the 2008 team winning it all.

He earned the 2005 National League Rookie of the Year, leading the Phillies to trade future Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome. In 2006, Howard earned NL Most Valuable Player, the NL Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger Award. He later was voted MVP of the 2009 NL Championship Series.

Six times he finished among the Top 10 in NL MVP voting. Twice he led the NL in home runs (58 in 2006, 48 in 2008) and also led the circuit in runs batted in three times (149 in 2006, 146 in 2008, 141 in 2009). Overall, he finished with 1,475 hits, 382 home runs and 1,194 RBI. He also was a three-time All-Star.

This from a player who had arrived to Missouri State late in the summer of 1999 and was told by coach Keith Guttin (MSHOF 2015) that no available scholarships were available. Instead, he could play as a walk-on.

“I kind of took that as a challenge,” Howard said.

From 1999 to 2001, he put on a show. Howard earned Missouri Valley Conference Rookie of the Year honors and later finished among the Bears’ all-time Top 10 in seven offensive categories, including home runs and RBI. MSU has since retired his No. 6 jersey, only the second one retired in program history.

“I got to Missouri State and, with coach (Brent) Thomas and coach (Paul) Evans, everything was great,” Howard said, adding that teammates took him under their collective wing, too. “That’s where I learned to hit to the opposite field. … They helped me a lot, and I tried to rise to the occasion.”

What few realize is that Howard literally climbed from the bottom of the totem pole.

“As a freshman, you’ve got to pay your dues. But from Day 1, it was all about the spirit of the team,” Howard said. “I had to rake base lines and do everything. But we saw it as a rite of passage.”

Howard counts many for his success. The include: Parents Ron and Cheryl; summer coach Deron Spink for working with Howard as a college basketball future appeared unlikely, and Bears teammates Matt Cepicky and Jon Hale as well as the Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd taking him under their “wings.”

Howard was a September call-up in 2004 and then enjoyed a 22-homer, 63-RBI season to win Rookie of the Year, leading to him unseating Thome.

“Once I got my second chance, I was like, ‘OK, this is my shot.’ I had to force their hand,” Howard said.

Howard soldiered on. In 2006, he topped St. Louis’ Albert Pujols 388-347 in NL MVP voting.

In the 2008 World Series, Howard had three hits and five RBI in Game 4, swatting two home runs – including a go-ahead, three-run shot in the fourth inning of a 10-2 win. The Phillies won it all the next game.

What a run it was for Howard, now raising son Darian, Ana and Alexandria with wife Krystle. He is now a partner in SeventySix Capital and Chairman of the Athlete Venture Group, connecting entrepreneurial athletes with emerging startups.

“How did I do so much of the stuff I did? It’s really crazy,” Howard said. “When you’re in the rush of (a career), you are so focused on keeping it moving. But when you look back on the body of work and what you were able to accomplish, it’s pretty special.”