Ryan Howard – Bio, Wife, Children, Family, Height, Net Worth

Quick Facts

It is evident that the rank an athlete gets during a draft does not often determine how successful or influential that athlete would become in the future. An example of an athlete who ranked low when drafted but has achieved enormous success is our cynosure celebrity, Ryan Howard.

Ryan is one heck of amazing professional baseball player who has had a fantastic record-breaking career so far. He is addicted to making new records and earning himself multiple awards. Currently, Ryan Howard is a free agent having run out of contract with his sole MLB team Philadelphia Phillies. The Big Piece throws and bats with his left and plays as a first baseman on the pitch. He has so far accumulated MLB statistics of .258 batting average, 1475 hits, 382 home runs, and 1194 runs batted in.

Ryan Howard Biography

Ryan Howard is a professional baseball player, born on November 19, 1979, in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in Missouri and also schooled in the state. Like most athletes, before going pro he played his loved sport in high school. Howard played baseball while in Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri. After he finished high school, he attended Missouri State University. In the process of attending college, he played for Missouri State Bears baseball team between 1998 and 2001. During his playing time at his college baseball team, he was named as Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year back in 1999. He ended his college baseball career having played 172 games, getting 50 home runs, 183 RBIs, and a .335 batting average.

In 2001, Philadelphia Phillies picked Ryan Howard in the fifth round of the national drafting, making him the 140^th overall drafted player. After he was picked by the Phillies, he was then allowed to join NY-Penn league side, Batavia Muckdogs. The Big Piece as he is nicknamed rose above expectations in the minor league. He won consecutive awards in the Florida State League and the Eastern League in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Howard became only the fifth minor league player since 1956 to hit at least 46 home runs. His run of form in the minor league was very impressive that it alerted scouts from other major league teams, who then tried to sign Howard from his parent team Philadelphia Phillies. However, the Philadelphia Phillies rejected every offer of a trade that came for young Howard.

His dream of playing in the major league finally came to be when he was called up by his parent team Philadelphia Phillies on September 1, 2004. His major league debut came against Atlanta Braves and unfortunately for Howard, he recorded his first taste of defeat on his debut, the Phillies lost 7-2 to the Atlanta side. In the year he debuted in the MLB, he managed to make a 19 games appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies, managing a .282 batting average, 5 RBIs, and 2 home runs; in between hitting 5 doubles, drawing 2 walks and getting hit by a pitch.

In 2005, Ryan Howard was named Rookie of the Year. He became only the fourth Philadelphia Phillies player to have won the award. The award, however, didn’t come as a surprise, owing to his sublime form in the said year. Other awards he won include Rookie of the month in September, Baseball Prospectus Internet Baseball Awards and more. In the same year, he earned his place as the team’s regular first baseman, following Thomes’ out of season injury blow. At the end of the season, Philadelphia Phillies were in an angle every team would dream to be. They were in a mixed zone to pick who would be the team’s first baseman between the experienced Thome and the promising young talent, Ryan Howard. Before the start of the next season, the Philadelphia Phillies chose to stick with the reigning Rookie of the Year.

Howard’s following season wasn’t going to be short of the success he got in his previous season. He won multiple player of the Month in 2006 and became only the second player to win the award in consecutive months, winning it in August and September. He finished the 2016 campaign with a .313 average batting, 58 home runs and 149 runs batted in. Howard along with Ortiz were the only players to hit 50 or more home runs in that season. His 58 home runs were the most any player had gotten in the second season in the major league. It also helped him become MLB home run leader, which made him only the first to do so as a Philadelphia Phillies player since Thome did in 2003. Howard emerged as the National League MVP in the same year. The season was considered to be one of his most successful seasons in the MLB. That year he also made his first All-Star debut.

Ryan’s following seasons continued to be successful until July 8, 2013, when his name went into the disabled list as a result of a torn left meniscus, it was the beginning of the slump in his form and also his appearance for the Philadelphia Phillies. And on November 2, 2016, Philadelphia Phillies decided not to renew Howard’s contract, making him a free agent. Since he became a free agent he has not made an appearance in the major league but has only made appearances in the minor league.

 Net Worth

At the end of each year, after he last signed a renewal with the Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan earn 25million USD. His net worth as of this day stands at an estimate of $140 million.

Ryan Howard Wife, Children

On December 1, 2012, Ryan Howard became the husband of former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, Krystle Campbell. The couple got married in Maui, Hawaii. The pair first met in 2010 and dated eight months prior to their wedding. They have a kid together, a son named Darian Alexander Howard.

Howard’s Family

His immediate family consists of his wife, Krystle Campbell and their son Darian Alexander Howard.

His first family comprises of his mum, Cheryl Howard, his dad, Ron Howard and his three siblings, Corey Howard his twin brother, Chris Howard his other brother and his only sister, Toni Karen Cowley.

Ryan had a fallout with his twin brother Corey Howard and his dad Ron Howard. He got sued for $2.8million by his twin brother and his dad demanded $10million from him. The fallout between Ryan and his family members who Ryan claimed tried to bankrupt him has since been settled.

How Tall is the Big Piece?

He is called the Big Piece because if his body size. Howard is huge and tall. He stands at a height of 6’4” (1.93m) tall and weighs 240pounds (110kg).

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.