A few notes that didn't make their way into my stories on Ryan Howard in Tuesday's paper.* Jimmy Rollins got the biggest laugh at the Citizens Bank Park press conference -- and he wasn't even there. J-Roll, in a taped message to his former roommate, told Howard, "With all the awards and the big paychecks, can I get some rent money, man?" But Howard won't get rich yet. He made $335,000 last season and isn't eligible for salary arbitration until at least after next year.
* During the national teleconference with members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, Howard was asked what element of his MVP season -- the 58 home runs, the 149 RBIs, the .313 batting average -- he's most proud of. Howard responded, "The walks. I don't think I've ever had that many walks in one season before." In fact, Howard's 108 walks (including a majors-leading 37 intentional passes) eclipsed his previous career-high of 72 set between Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Phillies in 2005.
* As expected, the MVP came down to Howard vs. Albert Pujols. That was notable since Howard is a St. Louis-area native and Pujols plays for the Cardinals. Howard, who recently bought a house near St. Louis, was asked if the locals were rooting for him or Pujols to bring home the award, and gave an answer that made us wonder if he has a future in Missouri politics. "They're great baseball fans there, and they love the Cardinals," he said. "But I think it was a win-win situation for them."
* Turns out, Howard and Pujols work out at the same facility in St. Louis during the off-season. Howard revealed that, a few years ago, some Cardinals players invited him to train there. "I would watch Albert taking batting practice in the cage, look at his technique and try to learn from him," Howard said. "Any time I'd have a question, he'd give me an answer or some advice."
* Howard and manager Charlie Manuel formed a good comedy tandem during the press conference at Citizens Bank Park. Howard said he could've swiped some bases last season if Manuel had only given him the steal sign. Manuel retorted, "We've got Davey Lopes in here now. He can help you with that."
* Sweet music to any Phillies fans' ears: Howard insists he isn't about to become complacent while staring at his MVP trophy. Asked what he needs to work on to get even better, Howard said, "Offense, defense, speed, agility. I'm always working on everything, to get as close to perfect as possible. I'll be working on that forever."
* Quote of the day: "He'll take all the credit, but I was the one who got him rolling in Pittsburgh." -- Phillies bullpen coach Ramon Henderson, who pitched to Howard during the All-Star Home Run Derby.
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