Ryan Howard has been a staple of the Philadelphia Phillies since his debut in 2004, but things have hit a low point 13 years later and fans have had no problem expressing their frustration over the once-beloved first baseman.
However, one fan took out that frustration in a very unacceptable way — launching a beer bottle at the player following a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night. With Howard bottoming out at a .151 batting average so far in 2016, it is easy to see the fans frustration.
It is also easy to see that Howard is a fellow human being and there is more to life than a game of baseball.
Let’s just say Howard has had enough of that treatment and voiced his displeasure with the treatment from that fan and others throughout this year.
“I’ve done too much in this town to have that kind of stuff,” Howard said, via Matt Breen of Philly.com. “If you want to yell out ‘You suck,’ that’s whatever. But when you start throwing stuff, that’s when stuff gets personal.”
Howard then went on to express his displeasure with how this guy has so far been allowed to get away with the action.
“We have to be held accountable,” Howard said. “If someone throws something, we’re just supposed to sit there and wear it and get hit. Nah man, we’re human beings first and foremost. People get it twisted. They see the baseball stuff and they don’t see you as a human being. They see you as someone that just plays baseball.
“If I would’ve done something, if I would’ve went into the stands and tried to beat this dude up, I would’ve gotten in trouble by Major League Baseball. He probably would’ve tried to sue me. But it’s OK for him to throw a bottle and then go home and be on his merry way? Nah, that doesn’t work.”
As for the perpertrator of said bottle throwing? The Phillies and police are still working to identify the man. However, Ryan Lawrence, the Phillies beat writer for they Philly Voice has identified at least a picture of the person responsible for the action:
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) June 5, 2016
