Ryan Howard Says He Still Has More in the Tank, Discusses Comeback
Former Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard isn't ready to call it quits on his baseball career.
"There's more in the tank," he said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN). "If you walk away, don't walk away with something still left in the tank. Then you're wondering like, 'Man, what could I have done?' When I'm done playing, I want to leave it all out on the field."
The 37-year-old is currently competing for the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves as part of the Atlanta Braves organization.
Through nine games, Howard has a .188 batting average and just one home run. It's also his longest stretch in the minor leagues since 2005.
"Once you leave the minor leagues, you want to not come back," he added. "But it's the path that I'm on, the journey that I'm on."
Howard was one of the top hitters in the majors at one point, winning Rookie of the Year in 2005 before following that up with MVP in 2006. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting every season from 2006-11, hitting 262 home runs in that stretch.
Unfortunately, the first baseman tore his Achilles in the 2011 postseason and has struggled since. He did hit 25 home runs this past season with the Phillies but also produced a career-low .196 batting average. The team bought out the final year of his contract to make him a free agent.
The Braves signed the veteran to a minor league deal at the start of April, and he is now doing what he can to return to the majors.
"All you can do is just make the most of what you've got," Howard said. "You try to make the most of where you are to get back to where it is that you want to be."
