The Philadelphia Phillies are having a surprisingly successful year after many analysts predicted them to be stuck in the bottom of the National League, but 36-year-old Ryan Howard, a former league MVP, has endured a miserable start to his 13th MLB season and was benched last week. With the Phillies trailing the Brewers 6-3 at home Saturday, Howard entered the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning and grounded out to end the game.
As Howard was walking toward the dugout, a fan threw a beer bottle at Howard, which landed near his feet according to Philly.com. Howard said Sunday that he wants action to be taken against the fan, and the Phillies are investigating the issue.
Via Philly.com:
"I've done too much in this town to have that kind of stuff. If you want to yell out 'You suck,' that's whatever. But when you start throwing stuff, that's when stuff gets personal.
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 you're in the street and you do that to somebody, you might get hauled off on," Howard said. "But we're supposed to hold ourselves to a different standard and what not. Somebody has to do something. Somebody should get reprimanded for it. Because 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?"
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