In March 2005, Ryan Howard was preparing to begin his year in Triple-A with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. The same month saw the premiere of the Scranton, Pa.-set The Office, which included a character named Ryan Howard (played by B.J. Novak). Eight years later, the former Howard is a Rookie of the Year and MVP winner, and the latter has remained on The Office (eight seasons as a main character and one as recurring) for its entire celebrated run, which is ending this year.
The two Howards' worlds will collide on March 28, when the Phillies slugger makes a guest appearance on the show as a potential client for Jim and Darryl's sports marketing agency. But how do the two namesakes stack up? Here's a tale of the tape:
