Ryan Howard Injured in Loss to Cardinals

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard believes he may have torn his left Achilles tendon when he swung and tried to run out a ground out that ended Philadelphia’s season, stunning towel waving fans at Citizens Bank Park Friday night.

If losing Game 5 of the NLDS 1-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals wasn’t bad enough, Phillies fans had to witness Howard grab his left ankle and go to the turf, while the victorious Cardinals celebrated on the field. The 31-year-old St. Louis native fell to the ground right after leaving the batters box, stumbled, then fell again. He had to be helped off the field.

He was scheduled to have an MRI on Saturday. If Howard did indeed tear his Achilles, it could mean plenty of rehab during the offseason.

During the second half of the season, Howard has fought through bursitis near the tendon, and had cortisone shot prior to the playoffs.

Armed with one of the best starting rotations in baseball, the Phillies were expected by many to reach the World Series. But the addition of Cliff Lee wasn’t enough to push the favorites to the championship series. Instead, the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers will matchup in the NLCS, with the winner advancing to where Philly was expected to be—the World Series.

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......And this one.

Oh, and these. Happy August!

Athletes Don't Make Shit

Believe it or not, there are thousands of people on this planet who would kill themselves if they earned the paltry scraps that America's professional athletes receive. These people are called billionaires, and they live in the (presumably luxurious) shadows of society. They walk among us -- faceness, nameless, and unappreciated. They don't get the benefit of hearing 50,000 fans chant their name or the thrill of screaming at the sky in championship ecstasy. No, they get none of this recognition and still manage to be the driving force behind many things we take for granted. They have the tough jobs: they sell our oil, they control our governments, they manage our hedge funds. And what do these poor men (and Oprah) get in return? Four billion dollars in a single year? HIGHWAY ROBBERY!

So, in honor of the tireless service of these undervalued overlords, I've plugged the 2009 earnings of the world's highest paid CEO into ESPN's Salary Crunch to see how he stacks up against everyone's favorite overpaid first baseman. This one's for you, Ray Irani of Occidental Petroleum Corporation! Maybe one day you'll be on the richest people in the world list. Probably not, though.

And good luck hitting those 267 HRs this year, Ryan.

No Black People Work For The Reading Phillies

This is the semi-racist giveaway of the family-friendly Reading Phillies.  I'm not sure who signed off on this, or thought a Ryan Howard lawn jockey garden gnome was a good idea, but you can have your own at their August 3rd game.  [philly.com]


Regardless, all gnomes are creepy little buggers.  And yes, I'm looking at you David.  Without Swift, you were NOTHING.