Why isn't Ryan Howard batting third?

Written by Mike Mariano | 26 July 2010

It's no secret that Ryan Howard is the best hitter on the Phillies right now.  Granted, the stats show that overall he isn't the best player on the squad at most times and was drastically overpaid, however you can't take away the cold-hard fact that when Ryan Howard get hot, he's one of the top players in the game.  Once a year, the switch flips and Ryan Howard literally puts the team on his back for a month or two and carries the team.  Right now, we're in the middle of one of those stretches.

So why then does Charlie Manuel have a carousel of players rotating in the third spot of the batting order?  Chase Utley is out injured and the Jayson Werth/Raul Ibanez combo is struggling.  Ryan Howard has hit fourth in every single game this season and for the large majority of his career.  The reason I ask now is because moving him up that one spot will afford Ryan Howard of more at-bats over the duration of weeks, months, a season and he's the only guy hitting the ball.  Make that, killing the ball.  Doesn't having him at-bat more help the team?

Instead of putting Polanco or Ibanez in the role and creating an addition spot ahead of him in the lineup, let him bat third and take advantage of the fact that he's an extra base hit and RBI machine right now.  How often have we scored lately without his direct contribution?  So I'll take the potentially extra guy off base once or twice to try and get the big man an extra at-bat late in the game.  Game on the line, two outs and two on in the ninth -- our three hitters coming up.   Do we want Ryan Howard hitting?  Or Placido Polanco? Obviously you can spin that fnial scenario however you'd like, but I don't like the possibility Polanco or Ibanez making the final out with Ryan Howard on deck, when we should be maximizing his at-bats within all realistic boundaries (for example, he should never bat lead-off)

Just a thinking point while you're watching the Phillies/Rockies today.  It's 3-2 Phillies in the third as of now and Joe Blanton's got some settling in to do before I can get comfortable.  You've got to love the bottom of the order stepping up and plating some runs though.  Stay tuned, five straight is on the line today and Atlanta doesn't play.  Let's gain that half game.