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Howard wins NL MVP award in second pro season

Less than a year and a half ago, Ryan Howard, now 27, was still at Class AAA. Then, following an injury to first baseman Jim Thome, the Philadelphia Phillies invited Howard to start. Howard won the 2005 Rookie of the Year Award. The 2006 season proved even more exceptional for the slugger who, it was announced Monday, won the National League`s Most Valuable Player Award, edging last year`s MVP Albert Pujols 388 points to 347, and 20 first place votes to 12.

Howard led all major league baseball with 58 home runs and 149 RBI (to Pujols` 49 and 137). He batted .313 and his slugging percentage was .659. Perhaps more decisive in winning the award was his role in pushing the Phillies into playoff contention, a race that lasted until the very end of the season. Pujols, on the other hand, helped his team, the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series.

The second half of the season, following the trade that sent Bobby Abreu to the Yankees on July 30, brought out the best of Howard. In august he hit .348 with 14 homers and 48 RBIs. ?If you would have ever said that this would happen in my first full season and second year in the big leagues, it would have been kind of hard to swallow,? Howard said.