Brendan Ryan (baseball)
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Brendan Wood Ryan (born March 26, 1982) is an American former
professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...
infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
. He played 10 seasons in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) for the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
,
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
,
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
and
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
. Ryan was a
shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
but was a versatile enough defender that he made professional appearances at every position but catcher. The 2012 winner of the
Fielding Bible Award A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...
, Ryan had a reputation as one of the best defensive players in baseball.


Early and personal life

Ryan was born in Los Angeles on March 26, 1982, to Katie and Jim Ryan. He is the youngest of their four children. Ryan attended Notre Dame High School in
Sherman Oaks, California Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California located in the San Fernando Valley, founded in 1927. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density than ...
. His father was an infielder for
Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...
and holds the school's single-season record for the most hits with a wooden bat. One of his uncles, Willie Ryan, was a National Champion First Team All-American first baseman for the
USC Trojans baseball The USC Trojans baseball program represents the University of Southern California in college baseball. Established in 1888 in baseball, 1888, the team is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Pac-12 Conference. USC’s ...
team; his other uncle, Dr. Patrick Ryan, was a college sprinter at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
and
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
.


College career

In the fall of 2000, Ryan enrolled at
Lewis–Clark State College Lewis–Clark State College is a public college in the northwest United States, located in north central Idaho at Lewiston. Founded in 1893, it has an approximate annual enrollment of 3,600. The college offers more than 130 degrees and i ...
to play
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
in the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
. In his first season, he batted .375 with 5 triples, the third most ever by a Warrior. As a sophomore shortstop, he hit .359 with 34 RBIs and hit .378 with runners on. During the 2002 season, he hit safely in 18 straight games. Beyond his solid offensive numbers, Ryan gained a reputation as a good defensive infielder. In the 2002 summer season, Brendan played
collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...
for the
Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks are a collegiate summer baseball team which was founded in 1960 as an independent barnstorming team. The Goldpanners were charter members of the Alaska Baseball League at the league's inception in 1974. The G ...
in the
Alaska Baseball League The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. The Midnight Sun Game, held at Growden Memorial ...
.


Professional career

In 2003, Ryan entered the MLB amateur draft and was selected in the seventh round (215th overall) by the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
. Ryan hit .311 for the Cardinals' rookie league affiliate, the
New Jersey Cardinals The New Jersey Cardinals were a Short-Season A minor league baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. They were a member of the New York–Penn League and played at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey from 1994–2005. History The t ...
, in 2003. In 2004, he was promoted to the Cardinals' Class A affiliate, the
Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Peori ...
. With a .322 batting average and 30 steals in the 2004 season, another promotion came for Ryan, this time to the High A Class team, the
Palm Beach Cardinals The Palm Beach Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach County, Florida, and play their home games at Roge ...
, where Ryan was selected as a
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
All-Star. He was promoted again during the middle of 2005 season to the Class AA
Springfield Cardinals The Springfield Cardinals are a Minor League Baseball team based in Springfield, Missouri. They compete as a member of the Texas League's North Division. The Cardinals began play in 2005. The team is owned by the 11-time Major League Baseball ...
. In 2006, Ryan suffered a wrist injury in spring training limiting him to 28 games spread among four stops in the minors. That same year, Ryan appeared in 28 games for the Peoria Saguaros in the
Arizona Fall League The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season sports league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during the autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are fill ...
and batted .310 (39-for-126) with two home runs, 19 runs and 20 RBI. His 39 hits were tied for tops for the 2006 AFL season. He collected two four-hit games and hit safely in his first eight AFL games (.425 BA) and 10 of his first 11 (.396).


St. Louis Cardinals

Ryan was originally called up on and made his major league debut for the Cardinals on June 2, 2007, against the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. He was later sent down on July 27, 2007, but was recalled on August 12, 2007, and remained with the Cardinals for the rest of the season. In his rookie year, he hit for a .289
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with 4
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 11
runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
. Ryan also scored 29 runs and recorded 7
stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s without being
caught stealing In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder whil ...
. He batted significantly better against left-handed pitching in his first season with a batting average of .354, as opposed to his .232 average against right-handers. His first major league home run was a game-winner in the top of the 11th
inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...
off of
Scott Schoeneweis Scott David Schoeneweis (; born October 2, 1973) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who played for several teams between 1999 and 2010. In the five seasons from 2003 to 2007, Schoeneweis allowed only one home r ...
of the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
on June 26, 2007. His second home run also came rather dramatically, as he contributed to a four run comeback on July 4, 2007 when the Cardinals were at one point behind 4–1. The Cardinals won the game 5–4 against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
. Ryan opened the 2008 season on the
15-day disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...
with a right oblique strain suffered in spring training. He rehabbed injury in the minor leagues in the first month of the season until called up on April 23. He was the Cardinals' primary utility infielder for the most of the season, although he played three games in the
outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball and ...
. He was optioned to Memphis on August 6 and recalled again on September 2. Ryan started the 2009 season in St. Louis. He went on the 15-day disabled from April 30 through May 15 with a left hamstring strain, making a rehab stint in Memphis. By June, he moved up to be the everyday shortstop, batting over .300 and playing spectacular defense. On August 20, 2009, in the second inning of the Cardinals and Padres Game, Ryan hit his first career
grand slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...
off of San Diego pitcher
Tim Stauffer Timothy James Stauffer (born June 2, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins and New York Mets. Amateur career High school and college Stauffe ...
. On September 19, 2009, Ryan hit a walk off single off
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
closer
Carlos Mármol Carlos Agustín Mármol (born October 14, 1982) is a Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Miami Marlins. Carlos owns Recta 49, a succe ...
. Ryan also had a home run in the 2–1 win. His game-winning single was the first walk-off hit of his career. By the end of the 2009 regular season, Ryan's defense at shortstop had been recognized as a major factor in the Cardinals' divisional title. However, in February 2010, he underwent a procedure to
debride Debridement is the medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue. Removal may be surgical, mechanical, chemical, autolytic (self-digestion), and by maggot therapy. In p ...
dead tissue from his right wrist performed by Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles. The start to his 2010 spring training debut was delayed due to the surgery. He made his 2010 Grapefruit League debut on March 20, but he showed no lingering effects.


Seattle Mariners

On December 12, 2010, Ryan was traded to the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
for
Maikel Cleto Maikel Jose Cleto (born May 1, 1989) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox. Professional career New York Mets Cleto began h ...
. On July 26, 2011, Ryan broke up
CC Sabathia Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. (born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the New York Yankees. He also played for the Cleveland Indians and Milwauke ...
's bid for a perfect game with a base hit with one out in the seventh inning. On August 2, 2011, during a game against the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
, alert play by Ryan led to the unusual result of his reaching third on an infield hit. Ryan hit a ground ball fielded by Oakland shortstop
Eric Sogard Eric Sidney Sogard (born May 22, 1986) is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, and Chicago C ...
, but Sogard was left off-balance and his throw to first was late. Behind the back of Oakland first baseman
Conor Jackson Conor Sims Jackson (born May 7, 1982) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 2005 and 2011 for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, and Boston Red Sox. H ...
, Ryan ran for second which was left uncovered by Sogard, and then immediately for third as that base was also uncovered. While referred to in the media as an "infield triple", the play was officially scored as a single and
fielder's choice In baseball, fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) refers to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance. Fielder's cho ...
. In 2011, Ryan finished second for the second straight year in the voting for the
Fielding Bible Award A Fielding Bible Award recognizes the best defensive player for each fielding position in Major League Baseball (MLB) based on statistical analysis. John Dewan and Baseball Info Solutions conduct the annual selection process, which commenced in 2 ...
. On April 21, 2012, Ryan was the final out of
Philip Humber's perfect game Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners by retiring all 27 batters he faced on Saturday, April 21, 2012, as the White Sox defeated the Mariners 4–0. It was the 21st perfect game in Major Le ...
. He was called for a swinging third strike on a checked swing, though the ball was not caught cleanly. Rather than running to first base, Ryan momentarily argued umpire Brian Runge's decision that he had swung, allowing catcher
A. J. Pierzynski Anthony John Pierzynski (; born December 30, 1976) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Minnesota Twins (1998–2003), San Francisco Giants (2004), Chicago White Sox (2005–2012) ...
to throw the ball to first base for the final out. On June 8, he entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of the Mariners' combined
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
and made one of the game's closest putouts by throwing
Dee Gordon Devaris "Dee" Strange-Gordon (born April 22, 1988) is an American professional baseball second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder who is currently a free agent. He has played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Mar ...
out at first base. On August 15 of that same year, he scored the game's only run in the third inning of teammate
Félix Hernández's perfect game On August 15, 2012, Seattle Mariners pitcher Félix Hernández pitched the 23rd perfect game in Major League Baseball (MLB) history and the first in Mariners' franchise history. Pitching to catcher John Jaso against the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco ...
, the Mariners defeating the
Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. Since its inception ...
. In 2012, he won a Fielding Bible Award as the best fielding shortstop in MLB. In 2013, Ryan was replaced as the starting shortstop by Brad Miller mid-season, as Ryan had been hitting around the
Mendoza Line The Mendoza Line is baseball jargon for a sub-.200 batting average, the supposed minimum threshold for competence at the Major League level. It derives from light-hitting shortstop Mario Mendoza, who failed to reach .200 five times in his nine b ...
.


New York Yankees

On September 10, 2013, Ryan was traded to the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
for a
player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
. On November 18, 2013, he agreed to a new contract with the New York Yankees, and on November 27, 2013, he finalized a deal worth $5 million over two years. His deal also includes a club option for $2 million, and a player option for $1 million, for the 2016 season. Ryan opened the 2014 season on the 15-day disabled list with back issues. As of May 2, 2014, he was on the 15-day disabled list with cervical spine nerve damage and was playing rehab games at AA Trenton. Ryan played only 49 games in 2014, batting .167 with 8 RBI. Ryan began the 2015 season on the 15-day disabled list due to a right calf strain. On August 25, 2015, Ryan made his MLB pitching debut in the eighth inning against the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
, throwing two scoreless innings. Ryan exercised his $1 million player option for the 2016 season.


Chicago Cubs

On December 17, 2015, the Yankees officially announced that Ryan had been the player to be named later in their trade with the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
for shortstop
Starlin Castro Starlin DeJesus Castro (born March 24, 1990) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals. Castro i ...
. He was released by the Cubs on December 23, 2015.


Washington Nationals

On February 2, 2016, the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
signed Ryan to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He did not make the team, but accepted an assignment to the
Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
of the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...
International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...
.


Los Angeles Angels

Following an injury to Andrelton Simmons, Ryan was traded to the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
, in exchange for cash considerations and a player to be named later, on May 10, 2016. He was designated for assignment on May 28, but was called back up on June 1.


Detroit Tigers

On December 19, 2016, Ryan signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers, worth $625,000, which included an invite to spring training. He elected free agency on November 6, 2017.


Personal life

Ryan is married and has two children. They reisde in
Miracle Mile, Los Angeles Miracle Mile is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California. It contains a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard known as Museum Row. It also contains two Historic Preservation Overlay Zones: The Miracle Mile and the Miracle Mile North HPO ...
.


References


External links


stlcardinals.scout.com
– Ryan player profile page at Scout.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Brendan 1982 births Living people Baseball players from Los Angeles Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, California) alumni Major League Baseball shortstops St. Louis Cardinals players Seattle Mariners players New York Yankees players Los Angeles Angels players Lewis–Clark State Warriors baseball players New Jersey Cardinals players Peoria Chiefs players Palm Beach Cardinals players Springfield Cardinals players State College Spikes players Memphis Redbirds players Peoria Saguaros players Tampa Yankees players Trenton Thunder players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Syracuse Chiefs players Toledo Mud Hens players Salt Lake Bees players Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players