Ryan Howard Returrns As Did Bill White in ’67

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard returned to the field this week much as Bill White did for the club in 1967. What they have in common is that both were trying to make comebacks from torn Achilles tendons suffered the previous year.

To understand what Howard is going through one need only look at White’s 1967 season and the rest of his career. From 1959 to 1966 White was an all-star and Gold Glove winner. From 1967 to 1969 he was a shell of himself, unable to hit, run or field.

Bill White tore his Achilles while playing racquetball in December of 1966. He was 32 years old (Ryan Howard turned 32 in November). White was coming off of his first season with Philadelphia after having been acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals. He had a solid ’66 season in which he batted. 276 with 22 home runs and 103 runs batted in (RBI). He played in all but three games that season while helping the Phillies to a fourth place finish in the National League. By the end of the campaign he was still considered the best first baseman in the league as he won his seventh straight Gold Glove.

Like Ryan Howard, Bill White returned to the field in spring training. After surgery, a month in a cast and against the advice of his doctors White tried to return too soon and tore the tendon again. He was told not to play again until August, but felt an obligation to play.

So White limped through the 1967 season playing in 110 games, mostly as a pinch hitter. He did play 95 games at first base starting in 90 of them. But he was far from the player that he was before the injury. Bill White finished 1967 with a .250 average, 8 home runs and 33 RBI. Ryan Howard could be headed for similar numbers.

White decided to give it a go again in 1968. The limp was gone, but the pre-1967 ability never returned. Still hampered by the injury he batted .239 with 9 home runs and 40 RBI in 129 games. In his autobiography ‘Uppity’ White wrote that he felt he was embarrassing himself and the team. If not for Phillies general manager John Quinn, White would have retired after that season. After playing 49 games in 1969, Bill White called it quits.

If Ryan Howard looks at the statistics of White after the Achilles injury he will see that they were not good. White never hit above .250 again. In his last three seasons he hit a combined total of 17 home runs and drove in 78. The injury all but ended his career and may have cost him a shot at the baseball hall of fame.

Forty-five years later, things have changed. Modern medicine gives players advantages that player’s of the 1960’s never had.

So if Ryan Howard is lucky, he will bounce back from his injury and his career will not end like that of Bill White.

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