On Tuesday night, the reigning NL MVP did something offensively that he had never accomplished. The big guy stole his first base.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, with a 5-4 lead, Ryan Howard hit a 2-out single up the middle. As Aaron Rowand took the second pitch (a ball) from the Dodgers reliever Rudy Seanez, the speedy Howard saw an opportunity to get into scoring position and took off for second. Catcher Russell Martin, obviously perplexed from the speed of the plump First Baseman, didn’t even bother throwing down to second base. Howard slid anyway, and succeeded in swiping the first base of his MLB career.

“I didn’t think he was going to run, so I didn’t throw over there,” Seanez said. “Next time, I will.”

You might as well send that memo out to the rest of the National League.

Ryan Howard never even tried to steal a base prior to Tuesday evening. He does, however, have one Caught Stealing blemish on his stats from a 2005 game when then-Astro pitcher Andy Pettite used his nasty pickoff move to catch Howard napping before he had a chance to take off.

Howard also caught the attention of fellow Philthie-speedsters Shane Victorino & Jimmy Rollins. Shane put a message on Ryan’s locker prior to Wednesday’s game reading, “I am the greatest,” referring to the all-time SB King, Rickey Henderson’s quote after passing Lou Brock.

Ryan Howard kept the base as a reminder of his prowess on the base paths:

“That’s going in the trophy room,” Howard said. “It may be the centerpiece. This is more for Jimmy [Rollins], Shane and Mike Bourn, the fast guys. They can’t talk anymore.”

With that theft, Ryan Howard moved into a tie for 259th place for the Major League lead in steals.

Notes: Howard relishes first steal [Phillies.com]

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