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What the Phillies did on May 3 when Thome went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury was recall Howard from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. At the time of his promotion Howard was hitting .316 with four homers, 14 RBI and a .570 slugging percentage in 23 games.
He also wasn't letting the long shadow cast by Thome play games with his mind.
"It's a tough situation but (Philadelphia) isn't the only organization that has this kind of situation," said Howard, "The only thing you can do is play. You can't sit there and worry about it. It's a front office decision in terms of who goes where.
'You just show up and go out there and play regardless of what level you're at. You've got to play up to the best of your ability whether it's here or it's there."
"There" could be with another organization should the Phillies opt to trade Howard. If that scenario transpires, the Phillies might be in an enviable position.
"They're in last place in the National League East with a big payroll and high expectations," he said. "That chip (i.e. Howard) will buy you an awful lot. I would think that if they can identify a deficiency that's keeping them in the cellar, then this is a heck of a chip to have. Goodness, he's got a dozen to 15 years in front of him. He has power and his power is real, and power is hard to find.
"There's one absolute in this game. You hit the ball over the fence and you get to put one up on the scoreboard."
What isn't hard to find is the number of strikeouts on Howard's stat sheet. In 524 combined at-bats last season, he whiffed 179 times and walked 62.
The flip side is that he has foul pole-to-foul-pole power and his four-year minor-league average is a respectable .290 - a result of his learning how to hit breaking pitches.
"When I was younger, say in Little League, I used to be a pull hitter," said Howard. "It wasn't until (he played for Southwest Missouri State) that I started hitting the ball the other way. My college coach had me open things up so I could hit to the opposite field."
Howard also brings a calm approach to the plate and generates power with a compact swing. Moreover he's shown an ability to hang in against left-handed pitching.
"I can see his strikeouts diminishing as the kid gains experience," said the scout. "They wouldn't be a red flag for me. And if you want to look at strikeouts, look at Thome."
Thome isn't exactly a classic contact hitter, nor is he the second coming of Don Mattingly when it comes to defense. For that matter neither is Howard, but his range is better than average, he's surprisingly light on his feet, and he catches virtually everything thrown his way.
"His defense is at least adequate," said the scout. "But with each hard-hit ball, you become a better defensive player. It's an automatic."
Many players in Howard's shoes struggle to keep the same work ethic and focus. Whether the club or his agent have told him so or not, he can take some comfort in being the Phillies no. 1 bargaining chip at the moment.
"He's in the big leagues on 25 other clubs and I'm sure he knows that," said the scout. "The tendency would be to pout and mope around and I haven't seen any of that in the time I've watched him."
Pouting and moping aren't in Howard’s vocabulary. That's a testament to his parents, Ron and Cheryl, and to his maternal grandfather, James Black, who played against Negro League teams in Alabama.
"My dad always taught us to go after what it is you want and don't let anybody stop you," said Howard. "You've got to fight and scratch and claw to do whatever it is you have to do to get where you want to get.
"Don't let anybody get you down and just keep going about your business and do what you have to do to get there. You've got to do whatever is necessary to survive in this game."
Especially when the situation indicates a lot would be necessary to dislodge a multi-million dollar All-Star first baseman whose contract runs nearly to the end of this decade.
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