What takes place away from the baseball diamond affects what takes place on the baseball diamond. Over the last two seasons Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Howard’s performance has dropped off considerably and I’ve often wondered what the problem might have been. The “problem” recently became public knowledge when Howard reached a legal settlement with his family. According to the Associated Press: “Phillies slugger Ryan Howard has settled a legal battle with his family over its management of his finances and business affairs.” There are still some lingering problems since his father, Ron Howard, maintains that he should receive $5 million himself and that Cheryl Howard, Ryan’s mother, should receive $5 million also. Too bad Ryan didn’t hire Bobby Brett, George Brett’s brother, when he first began making those big bucks. Bobby is not only totally honest but is also a financial genius. No wonder George was so successful at the plate. He was never worried about his personal finances the way Ryan has been.