Ryan Howard is a big dude. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, his nickname in the bigs was "The Big Piece" for good reason. Baseball fans know Howard used that frame to hammer 382 career home runs and become one of MLB's top sluggers during his prime.
But back in 2005, Howard's rookie year with the Phillies, he was still a relative unknown to some around Philadelphia. And to at least one person in the city, Howard didn't look like a baseball player. He appeared to be Jimmy Rollins' bodyguard.
In the latest episode of the 6-1-1 podcast, Rollins and Howard recall the time one local fan who was excited to run into Rollins at a bar near Citizens Bank Park thought Howard, who was standing behind his teammate, was actually Rollins' security detail.
"We just look at each other and start busting out laughing," Howard said. "... I clearly hadn't made it yet. I was that guy."
Said Rollins: "He'll never live that down because he goes out, wins Rookie of the Year. Then the next season wins the MVP. So going back to that moment where he wasn't Ryan Howard, he was possibly Jimmy's security."
Although Howard physically looked the part, Howard and Rollins agreed that there was a key ingredient missing if he wanted to commit to the bodyguard bit.
"I needed an earpiece," Howard said.
"That would have been official," Rollins said.
Be sure to check out the latest 6-1-1 podcast episode to hear the full story as well as Rollins and Howard's conversation with special guest Lauren Shehadi about baseball, broadcasting and much more.