"Basically, he told me to pretend that no one else was out there, that it was just Ramon and myself," Howard said, referring to batting practice pitcher Ramon Henderson. "Just get locked in that way. Just take pitches and try not to tire yourself out too early."

"I really didn't have to do a whole lot," Howard said. "It was really Ramon. He put it pretty much to where I could try to hit it to right-center. Some of them, I just kind of got out in front of and was able to hit."

"I liked it," Howard said of the rule change. "It allows you to have one good round and one bad round and not necessarily be punished for that bad round."