Cover of MLB 08: The Show goes to Ryan Howard
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SCEA has announced that Philadelphia Phillies 1B Ryan Howard has been selected to be the cover athlete for MLB 08: The Show.
Known for his prolific power and ability to drive in runs, Howard is just the second player in Major League Baseball(TM) history to win the Rookie of the Year honors and a Most Valuable Player award in successive seasons. During his 2006 MVP season, Howard led the Major Leagues in home runs (58), which broke the record for most home runs in a sophomore season set in 1947 by Ralph Kiner (51), won the All-Star Game(TM) Home Run Derby(R) with a total of 23 blasts, and was the 2006 National League(TM) Hank Aaron Award recipient, the award given to the top hitter in each league.
Last season, while helping lead the Phillies to the 2007 National League Division Series(TM) against the Colorado Rockies(TM) by muscling out 47 home runs and driving in 136 runs, Howard became the fastest player in MLB(R) history to hit 100 home runs. The record-breaking accomplishment was achieved in only 325 games, 60 less than the 385 games that Ralph Kiner needed to hit his first 100 home runs from 1946 to 1948.
“Ryan Howard’s personality and work ethic exemplify what our baseball franchise is all about and we are thrilled he has chosen to represent MLB 08 THE SHOW,” said Scott Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. “Howard has worked hard to establish himself as one of the most exciting players in the game and we look forward to him continuing the tradition of MLB THE SHOW athletes having amazing years while being featured on the cover of our game.”
Howard is a very good choice here. He is a young, personable and marketable player which is similar to last year’s cover athlete David Wright. He definitely makes for a better cover than MLB 2K8’s Jose Reyes. Ironically, Howard’s Phillies are the team that charged from behind at the end of the season passing Reyes’ Mets to win the division and leaving the Mets with one of the biggest collapses in sports history. SCEA could almost use that slyly in their marketing of The Show.
January 9, 2008 at 10:20 am
I’ll make my own cover. I don’t want to look at this ugly mug when I play the game.
David Wright is a much more marketable player than Howard, and this is a step backwards. They should have went for Holliday (the real NL MVP).
January 9, 2008 at 10:29 am
ugg, we want some MLB 2k8 News!!!!!!!!
January 9, 2008 at 10:32 am
“David Wright is a much more marketable player than Howard, and this is a step backwards. They should have went for Holliday (the real NL MVP).”
Howard was the NL MVP last year. Jimmy Rollins was the NL MVP this year.
January 9, 2008 at 10:48 am
[quote comment="8987"]ugg, we want some MLB 2k8 News!!!!!!!![/quote]
couldn’t agree more
January 9, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Ryan Howard not ‘marketable’? You really wouldn’t refuse to buy a game because of who the Cover Guy is? That would be pretty bias.
The game features, A.I., and the gaming experience will be key as to whether the game truly becomes a hit — not the Cover Guy.
January 9, 2008 at 1:11 pm
David Wright may or may not be more marketable, but Ryan Howard is just better. I would have liked for Matt Holliday to get the cover, but Howard is definitely deserving of the honor as well.
January 9, 2008 at 3:10 pm
this game looks like crap. cant wait til 2k8
January 9, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Looks like crap? I don’t even like baseball and I watched IGN’s video and was impressed by how good it looked. Perhaps your screen-name is representative of your brain as well.
January 9, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I would rather play a game that plays great and looks decent than a game that looks great and plays like crap. After playing and actually liking both games last year, the Show made me retire MLB2K even with the first year PS3 edition. It just plays so much better like the old High Heat games used to do. This version should be a leap forward from it as well.
January 9, 2008 at 9:36 pm
The fact that two Phillies won the NL MVP tells you a little something about the bandbox home ballpark and the East coast bias. Hell, the HOF voting (Yankee Gossage) can tell you the same thing. I know more about baseball than the anonymous poster seven posts up. Sorry, kid, but I do.
I wouldn’t judge a game on the cover, but some do, particularly parents buying for a child. Howard’s big ugly mug is a turn-off to those consumers in comparison to David Wright. If you disagree, you need lessons in marketing.
January 10, 2008 at 8:37 am
[quote comment="9002"]David Wright may or may not be more marketable, but Ryan Howard is just better. I would have liked for Matt Holliday to get the cover, but Howard is definitely deserving of the honor as well.[/quote]
Howard is “better” than Wright? David Wright had an OPS+ of 150, while Ryan Howard had an OPS+ of 144. David Wright also steals bases (34) and won a Gold Glove. Howard hits more homeruns than Wright, but that’s negated by the low BA and high strikeout totals. They’re both excellent players; I might argue that a slugging, Gold Glove 3B who hits for average is more valuable than a slugging, K-prone 1B.
January 11, 2008 at 6:16 am
Looks like crap – Are you crazy !! The game play is light years ahead of the 2k series
January 13, 2008 at 10:02 pm
david wright is a bum. . he and his team gaurnteed to win the dvision but the philles beat them and they lost to the marlins i think like 7 to 1. an hegot beatby howrd in the home run derby. and howard did win an mvp.
January 21, 2008 at 9:56 am
Ryan Braun should have gotton on the cover or prince fielder not ryan howard. Ryan Howard shoudn’t even get anything because he didn’t do anything
January 28, 2008 at 9:50 pm
who cares about the cover athlete, the show is much better than 2k8 neway, 2k8 sucks ass compared to the show, prince shudda been on the cover tho neway, go brew crew, and screw all of u that said 2k8 was better
February 8, 2008 at 7:29 am
So what you’re basically saying Joe Ryan, is that because Ryan Howard is black and David Wright is this clean cut white guy, wright is so much better..and man, they really make howard look like a “big ugly mug” in that picture they use for the cover.