The Phillies, who haven't reached the postseason since 1993, were eliminated from playoff contention on the final day of last season. Without Howard, they probably wouldn't have finished that close. On July 2, 2005, the Phillies summoned Howard from their Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A affiliate to fill in for ailing first baseman Jim Thome—another guy looking every bit the "colossus slugger" role. Philadelphia fans had heard talk about the hot prospect who had been shattering home-run marks in the minors. His name, regularly bandied about on sports-talk radio, was often associated with trade rumors. Howard had other ideas, and while Thome struggled to stay healthy, Howard emerged as an offensive force. Nearly a month after Howard's arrival, Thome called it quits for the season. Howard responded by setting a Major League rookie record with 11 home runs in September and keeping the team's playoff hopes alive.

The home runs were titanic; some left opposing managers slack-jawed. With every at-bat, the long ball felt imminent. And then, just when you needed it, Howard delivered—almost as if it was scripted. In only 88 games, just more than half a season, he swatted 22 home runs and rang up 63 RBIs with a solid .288 batting average. His show-stopping performance won him NL Rookie of the Year.

His clutch power hitting endeared him to the tough-love fans of Philadelphia and with Thome traded to the Chicago White Sox, first base is now Howard's domain. Today, Howard's name tends to erase the cynicism from the most hardened Phillies fans. They don't question whether the kid who's known to hit the bowling alleys from time to time is for real. They insist he is. (Well, they're pretty sure).

But can this slugger-in-the-making revive the losingest franchise in sports history? Luckily, he's not beholden to the Phillies' ancient history; he says he doesn't pay any mind to the shameful atmosphere that made the career of fellow power-hitting first baseman Dick Allen so hellish.

When I caught up with Howard on his cell phone as he was driving home from a preseason game in Clearwater, Fla., last week, he'd already hit eight in a mere 13 games (For you stat-heads out there, that pace translates into more than 99 dingers in the 162-game season, which is 26 more than Barry Bonds' single-season record.) But is he ready for what awaits him for a full season in Philadelphia? Is he prepared to assume the mantle of "star" in this town, with all the rights and responsibilities (and grief) pertaining thereto? He's just going to keep doing what he's doing. Or so he says.

City Paper: Where and when did you acquire your love of bowling?

Ryan Howard: Back home, I bowled in a league for a little bit and I bowled recreationally with some of my boys.

CP: How good are you?

RH: I'm all right. I'm still kind of learning. I haven't been bowling, like, recently. But when I bowl a lot of games in a row, then I'm usually all right. I mean, I can get up anywhere between 160 and 200-something.

CP: For now, it looks like you can stick with baseball. Why are you so much of a better hitter when the pressure is on?

RH: I'm just trying to come up with a hit that will help spark the team at the right time and get it going. I guess it just kind of happened that way.

CP: Last year, there was talk of putting you in the outfield if Jim Thome could get off the DL. Why were you so against playing anywhere but first base?

RH: Well, I wasn't against playing anywhere but first base. I actually did go out and worked on playing the outfield. It wasn't my decision. But last year with all that happened I guess I didn't have to make that choice.

CP: Thome made the choice on Aug. 10, 2005, electing to have season-ending elbow surgery. That day, you promptly jacked a clutch, ninth-inning first-pitch grand slam into the blue seats at Dodger Stadium. What did that day mean to your state of mind?

RH: First off, it was my first big-league grand slam so that meant a lot. It put the team up and we won the game. But it was a relief, like, "OK, I don't have to worry or wonder about when am I gonna be sent down or when is he gonna come back," or anything like that. But I never really looked at it like that anyway. I just looked at it as I'm gonna enjoy my time, whatever time I have up here and just play and be the best I can. When I found out he was going to have surgery it was one of those things where you're just like, "Keep doing what you're doing."

CP: Comparisons have been made between you and former long-ball-slugging Phillies first baseman Dick Allen, who won Rookie of Year honors in 1964. At the 102nd Philadelphia Sports Writers Association banquet in February honoring the two of you, Allen publicly acknowledged you in his speech. What private conversations have you had with Dick Allen?

RH: I haven't had too many. I talked to him while I was at the event, and I've seen him a couple times here then there at spring training. He basically told me to "keep doing it." To have fun, keep after it and stay with what I'm doing.

CP: In 1969, the Phillies suspended Allen for 26 days. He returned to hostile hometown fans who pelted him with fruit, ice, garbage and batteries in addition to obscenities and racial epithets. Philadelphia sports fans can be tough on their stars even in good times. What advice did "Crash" Allen give you about dealing with Philly fans and media?

RH: Can we hold on just one second? I'm gonna order some food real quick and then I'm gonna kill that answer.

CP: Sure.

RH: [To the attendant at the drive-in window.] Can I get some large fries, crispy. And can I get two bacon, beef and cheddar sandwiches. Um … and some Minute Maid lemonade. [To CP.] Sorry about that. Now about how much advice he gave me about the fans and the media? Not too much. I mean, I don't know the entire story of whatever went on [with Allen] but I've learned a lot being up with the team last year and seeing how the fans are. So far I have had a pretty good reception, but the fans are tough. They expect a lot out of their teams, and rightfully so. Still, it's been good for me and I'm happy that they welcomed me. I've seen nothing but good things from them so far. Hopefully I can stay on their good side.

CP: After Dick Allen had hit a home run over the left- centerfield roof of Philadelphia's old Connie Mack Stadium, Willie Stargell said, "Now I know why they boo Richie all the time. When he hits a home run, there's no souvenir." After some of your signature tape-measure jobs last year, has anyone asked to check your bat?

RH: Ummm … no.

CP: How about checking your urine?

RH: I think everybody has to do that.

CP: Your father, Ron Howard, has been a major influence on your personal and professional development. How often does he get confused with the Hollywood film director of the same name?

RH: Not at all.

CP: Some religious groups have come out squarely against Ron Howard's new film, a big-screen adaptation of the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. How far should free speech go when so many people are offended?

RH: That's what makes it free speech. Not everybody is going to like what you have to say about things. If it's going to be the case where people will get upset I think there's certain situations where you might want to exercise a little restraint. But any movie about religion is going to stir some things up. It's pretty much expected. When they had that Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of Christ, it was the same way. You start offending people's beliefs, they're going to get upset.

CP: [A friend of mine from] Fairmount, a terminal Phillies fan, says your defensive skills are overlooked. Is he right about that?

RH: I hope he's right. I try to pride myself on everything I do, offensively and defensively. I work just as hard on my defense as I do on my offense. My defense is very important to me.

CP: Baseball is in your blood. Your maternal grandfather, the late James Black, was a left-handed-hitting first baseman and outfielder in the sandlot leagues around Birmingham, Alabama. What did his stories mean to you growing up?

RH: He's in me. It's a part of him that is actually out here now living the dream as well. Obviously without my grandfather I wouldn't be here. But my mom told me about him playing and I think about how proud he would be to see me and see what I'm doing.

CP: When you came up from the minors last season you slept on shortstop Jimmy Rollins' couch. What kind of a housemate was Rollins?

RH: He was cool. I came up last season and it was difficult to get a place because they would only have certain types of leasing options. Jimmy told me I could come over and crash at his place because he has some extra rooms. He was great. He took me in under his wing and taught me stuff—told me what's up and what to look for. He schooled me.

CP: Who controlled the remote?

RH: It was his house so it was his power to give up. You've got to respect a man in his house. He was a great housemate. It was totally "Mi casa es su casa." I didn't wash the dishes, but that's because I never used them. I only used plastic.

CP: How often did you guys play practical jokes on each other, like putting his hand in a cup of warm water while he was sleeping?

RH: Oh no, nobody did anything like that! We just hung out and had a good time and just, you know, chilled.

CP: This year, you've got your own bachelor pad in Philadelphia. If you could place a personal ad on Match.com describing the right woman for you, what would it say?

RH: Wow, the ideal woman for me? She'd have to be beautiful. Be like 5'6" to 5'7", maybe 5'8". Smart. Talented. She's got to be into sports and have a sense of humor.

CP: Does she have to get Minute Maid with her bacon, beef and cheddar sandwich?

RH: No, she can have whatever.

CP: The National League East didn't get any easier this year. Now that he's with the Mets, how will you handle an at-bat against Billy Wagner?

RH: You got to look at it the same way as any other at-bat. You got to go in there and be ready. When you've got a guy throwing from the left side at 100 miles per hour, you got to be ready to hit. He's a very intense competitor so you have to be just as intense. Otherwise, he'll beat you.

CP: Are there any teams you're looking at this year that might be particularly tough?

RH: I think everybody's tough. The Braves always find a way to stay in it. The Mets made the moves that they made. Washington made some key moves. And everybody is counting out the Marlins because they're going to be young, but you never know. They could surprise some people. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day. It might be a tight race this year. It'll be fun to watch.

CP: Last question: Will there be a spring training game this year where you don't hit a home run?

RH: Shoot, I don't know. I'm just trying to get ready. Just trying to get all the kinks out. If it goes, it goes.

Dave Hollander is the author of 52 Weeks: Interviews with Champions! (Lyons Press), a collection of his interviews with famous sports figures. For more: www.davehollander.com.