one of four players in baseball history to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in consecutive seasons, joining Cal Ripken Jr. and later joined by Dustin Pedroia and Kris Bryant. Howard received the Babe Ruth Home Run Award for leading MLB in home runs. He also received the Pride of Philadelphia Award from the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Howard received the NLBM Oscar Charleston Legacy Award (NL MVP) and the NLBM Josh Gibson Legacy Award (NL home-run leader). The Philadelphia Baseball Writers' Association of America awarded him the third annual Mike Schmidt Most Valuable Player honor. 2007 On March 2, 2007, the Phillies renewed Howard's contract in a one-year deal for $900,000, the highest salary ever offered to a player not eligible for salary arbitration. On May 9, Howard hit his fourth career grand slam, against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Medders, when he came into the game as a pinch hitter for Wes Helms. On May 13, Howard was placed on the disabled list with a left quadriceps strain after missing five straight games. Howard fielded grounders for about 45 minutes before the Phillies game with the Toronto Blue Jays on May 20. Howard returned to the lineup on May 25, after a rehabilitation assignment with the class A Lakewood team as a designated hitter. He hit a home run in his first at-bat there. On May 27, he hit two home runs in a win that helped the Phillies sweep the Braves. On June 27, Howard hit a home run, and became the fastest player in Major League Baseball history to hit 100 home runs. The accomplishment was achieved in only 325 games, 60 games fewer than the 385 games that Ralph Kiner needed to hit his first 100 home runs from 1946 to 1948. Though Howard did not compete in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game, he was chosen to compete in the 2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby for the second straight year in order to defend his title. However, Howard only hit three home runs in the first round and did not advance. After coming back from the DL, Howard had a "power surge", as he quickly climbed to second on the home run leaders list in the National League. On July 25, Howard hit a walk-off home run in the 14th inning to give the Phillies a victory over the Washington