BIG STICKING

SAN FRANCISCO - There were times when a day like yesterday seemed out of the realm of possibility. Whether it was the trade rumors that percolated throughout his long and storied minor league career (emphasis, of course, on "long"), or the renewed contracts during his first couple of years in the big leagues, or the arbitration filings that left him and the organization millions of dollars apart, Ryan Howard's career as a Phillie always seemed to be measured by a ticking clock.