Given the point of his career that he's at, off-seasons are expected to be relatively quiet for Ryan Howard.
Instead, this off-season Howard was accused of using the banned substance Delta-2 in a documentary that aired on Al Jazeera America. Howard's lawyer filed a lawsuit against the company, and he referred to the allegations as 'garbage'.
Philadelphia Phillies' manager Pete Mackanin — who is entering his first season as the team's manager but has coached Howard in some capacity for six of his 11 seasons with the team — doesn't believe that the potential distraction of the lawsuit that Howard is part of will hinder his performance. He said as much to Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice.
“I don’t worry about it,” Mackanin said of the lawsuit as a distraction for Howard as the baseball season nears. “He doesn’t seem to be worried about it. If you’re innocent you’re innocent and you shouldn’t have to worry about it. I don’t have any other answer; I don’t know anything about the issue.”
Whether Howard is involved with the lawsuit for a short or long time, or whether it affects his performance, Mackanin really shouldn't be particularly concerned. Mackanin is only under contract for the 2016 season, but whether he is extended beyond this year will hinge much more on how players like Aaron Nola, Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera develop under his tutelage.
However, him coming out with a relatively defensive quote like this in regards to Howard's issue not only earns him points from Howard, but it also looks good to some of the younger, longer-term pieces in the clubhouse. Mackanin's likability in the clubhouse won't be the sole determining-factor in whether he's the team's manager past this season, but it doomed his predecessor's tenure and he seems to take seriously how important it is to connect with today's players.
Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) is the Managing Editor of Philliedelphia.com, focusing on news and features.
