"His nickname is "The Big Piece," a moniker Ryan Howard earned through years of immense production in the middle of the Phillies' lineup.

But while Howard has always been the biggest slugger among a bevy of heavy hitters, things could be a bit different this year. He's still the centerpiece, but with Jayson Werth gone and Chase Utley out indefinitely, Howard may be the only piece when it comes to serious run producers in the middle of the order.

And so the question has been posed, just how will Howard handle the lack of protection in the lineup?

"Teams are going to throw how they're going to throw," Howard said. "It's up to me to get the pitch, hit it, and hit it hard."

Howard's simplistic approach is perhaps the only answer he can give, but the problem remains.

Without another established run producer in the middle of the lineup, teams are likely to see Howard as the one member of the Phillies' offense who can do serious damage, and odds are, they'll do all they can to prevent that.

"A lot of teams don't want me to beat them," Howard said."