Ryan Howard
A slugging force who terrorized pitchers for a decade, delivering a World Series title to Philadelphia with his mighty swing.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American baseball player·Birthday: November 19·Generation X
Biography
Ryan Howard didn't just hit home runs; he authored seismic events. Bursting onto the scene in Philadelphia, the hulking first baseman known as 'The Big Piece' quickly became the most feared power hitter in the game. His 2006 MVP season was a masterpiece of destruction—58 home runs, 149 RBI—a display of pure, awe-inspiring force. Howard was the engine of the Phillies' golden era, his late-inning heroics a regular feature as he led the team to five consecutive division titles and, in 2008, a World Series championship. While injuries later slowed his prodigious output, his early-career milestones were staggering; he reached 100 and 200 homers faster than anyone in history. More than statistics, Howard embodied the joy and might of the era, his bat providing the thunder for a city that craved a winner.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ryan was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ryan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Ryan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Named National League MVP in 2006 after leading the majors with 58 home runs and 149 runs batted in.
- Won the 2008 World Series as a central figure for the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Set the record as the fastest player in MLB history to reach both 100 and 200 career home runs.
- Won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2005.
Did You Know?
He was a college teammate of Albert Pujols at Missouri State University (then Southwest Missouri State).
He struck out 199 times in his MVP season, then a single-season record.
He won the MLB Home Run Derby in 2006.
He is the Phillies' all-time leader in home runs by a left-handed batter.
“I try to look for a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it. That's my approach.”
