We still don’t like Schmidt and we know that he’s the best third baseman of all time. You can’t be an ass and expect the city to love you, no matter how many home runs you hit. We appreciate and admire the numbers that he put up but he’s not likeable. Howard is likeable but we have seen the inconsistency in his swing and that makes us nervous. As the big man approaches 30, history is not on his side and we know that. The older he gets, the more difficult it will be for him to reach those balls low and away (and he has not proven that he can lay off of anything). The older he gets, the less likely he’ll be able to keep up with the physical demands of being an everyday 1B. I will be the first to admit that he has been worth every penny so far and, if he can continue to produce, I have no problem paying him whatever it takes to keep him but that’s a big IF and it should not be overlooked.

Also Mike Schmidt was a d-bag who refused to sign autographs or take pictures on a regular basis… including for children and stadium employees at the Vet.

He thought he was God’s gift to baseball, and shows this again by saying he wanted to be a Manager, then calling it quits after he was placed in Clearwater A-ball… unlike say, Ryne Sandberg who is working his way up the ranks with the Cubs system.

I will agree that MOST fans, and especially in Philadelphia… you often don’t know what ya got until its gone. People calling for Howard trades, McNabb trades, etc… these guys are the best we’ve ever seen in this city, and people want them gone..

Obviously, he wont be traded before the season starts unless a shocker comes along. This year before the trade deadline gives his new team a year and a half or so to sign him to an extension – plenty of time, which gives him peak value in my opinion. That allows the Yankees offseason acquisitions time to implode on them, the Red Sox time to figure out what to do with David Ortiz down the line, the Angels time to get VERY desperate, and a few sleeper teams to pop up.

Now if the Phillies are in teh race or leading it theyd demand someone off a major league roster in return for howard as opposed to prospects, because itd take more to give him up in that cas.e

Don’t you think he has more value with an in-season trade, when teams have fewer options as to what pieces they can add to their team… and the player that leads the league in HRs and RBIs is sure to be the main draw for anyteam looking for a bat..?

I get so confused sometimes

On a purely personal note, I had the pleasure of having a baseball idol as I grew up in Scmidt. I would like for my 4 year old son to have someone like that. Kids choose who they like and although I pump up Utley and Hamels…..my 4 year old mainly loves Ryan Howard. Am I alone in thinking that its still kinda important to have someone stick around long enough to be an idol? Granted he better keep putting up those numbers or it doesnt matter…..

Ryan wins we loose and he’s gone, Ryan looses and we loose because he’s gone.

Mike Schmidt is a prime example, was he a likeable, fan -friendly type? No, but does that mean his wife has to put up with people at games calling her nasty names and such, that is just classless and ignorant, but nevertheless it happened, and to me it’s inexcusable.

And besides, this is Philly sports. Something always has to be wrong enough to overshadow what is going well.

People are going to boo Howard regardless.. and he’s bound to start slowly, because he always does… anyone that boo’s anything except a lack of hustle, sucks at life