Ryan Roberts

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**Ryan Roberts**
Born: September 19, 1980 (1980-09-19) (age 27)
Texas Rangers — No. 4
Second baseman
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
July 30, 2006 for the Toronto Blue Jays
Teams
Toronto Blue Jays (2006-2007) Oklahoma Redhawks (2008-present)

Ryan Alan Roberts (born September 19, 1980 in Fort Worth, Texas) is a professional baseball player. As second baseman and third baseman, Roberts is currently on the Texas Rangers. A right-handed batter who throws with his right arm, Roberts is 5'11" tall and weighs 190 pounds.

1 College career
2 Professional career
3 Scouting reports
4 Trivia
5 References
- 5.1 External links

[edit] College career

After graduating from L. D. Bell High School (Hurst, Texas), Ryan Roberts dominated the Junior College level winning an NJCAA DIV. III World Series his Sophomore year at Eastfield Junior College in Mesquite Texas. Roberts was an all American with a .475 avg, 73 RBI, and 17 HR. Roberts was a MAC All Conference and All American Selection at shortstop. Roberts continued his collegiate dominance at the University of Texas at Arlington. After his senior year in 2003, he was named Southland Conference Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year.^[1] He was among the conference leaders in eight different offensive categories, was first-team all-SLC as a third baseman, and was also named to several All-America teams.

[edit] Professional career

The Blue Jays selected Roberts with the 530th overall pick of the 2003 June draft, as part of the 18th round. Roberts signed with the Blue Jays and made his professional debut in the New York-Penn League. He advanced rapidy, and was named to the 2005 Eastern League All-Star team.^[2] The Blue Jays allocated Roberts to the Arizona Fall League that offseason,^[3] a step usually reserved for players considered to be prospects, and on November 18 of that year they purchased his contract from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and added him to their 40-man roster.^[4] Roberts began the 2006 season in AAA Syracuse before being called up to the 25-man Toronto Blue Jays roster. On August 3, 2006, Roberts connected on a solo home run in Yankee Stadium for his first ever major league hit in his second ever major league game. It was the only run the Jays scored that day as Cory Lidle coasted to an 8-1 win.

After the 2007 season, Roberts' two time 40-man outright allowed him to opt for free agency or stay with the Toronto Blue Jays through 2009. Roberts opted for free agency and on November 21, 2007 was signed by the Texas Rangers to a minor league contract with an invite to Big League Spring Training.

[edit] Scouting reports

In 2003, Baseball America analyst John Manuel described Roberts as the best player on UTA's squad.^[5] Later that year, after Roberts had been drafted, Manuel described him in an online chat as an "interesting sleeper", and said that "his best tool is his bat".^[6] In another chat the next year, Manuel reiterated his confidence in Roberts's offensive potential.

[edit] Trivia

Ryan Roberts has over 30 tattoos. ^[7]
His first Major League hit was a home run off the late Cory Lidle in Yankee Stadium on August 3, 2006.
Ryan played in a couple of major league games early in 2007 before being called up as a full time bench / utility player in May, 2007.^[8]