Mike Ryan (catcher)
| Mike Ryan | |
|---|---|
| Catcher | |
|
Born: November 25, 1941 Haverhill, Massachusetts | |
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| October 3, 1964 for the Boston Red Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 10, 1974 for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .193 |
| Home runs | 28 |
| Runs batted in | 161 |
| Teams | |
| |
Michael James Ryan (born November 25, 1941 in Haverhill, Massachusetts) was a Major League Baseball player, who played catcher for the Boston Red Sox (1964–67), Philadelphia Phillies (1968–73) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1974).
Of all non-pitchers since 1930 with at least 1000 at-bats, only one, Ray Oyler, has a lower batting average.[1]
Appearing in a team-high 79 games as a catcher, Ryan helped the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox win the 1967 American League pennant. In 1967 he was the roommate of Tony Conigliaro before Conigliaro's beaning. Then in 1974 he was a reserve on the Pirates team that won the National League Eastern Division.
With the Philadelphia Phillies on May 2, 1970, Ryan and Tim McCarver both had a hand broken in a game against the San Francisco Giants.[2] With their catching corps depleted, the Phillies were forced to use Jim Hutto, Del Bates, Doc Edwards, and Mike Compton at the position. Bates and Compton never played in the major leagues before or after 1970. Edwards was the Phillies bullpen coach and had last played in the majors in 1965.
After his playing career, Ryan managed and coached in the farm systems of the Pirates and Phillies from 1975 to 1979, then coached at the Major League level for the Phillies for 16 seasons, from 1980 until 1995. He had surgery following the 1993 season on his right shoulder, the cumulative result of his years of throwing batting practice and warming-up pitchers. He worked two more seasons with ongoing pain and retired after the 1995 season.[3] He was on the staff of three National League champions in Philadelphia, and the 1980 World Series champion, and worked for seven managers. Ryan's coaching tenure with the Phillies was the longest in franchise history until being surpassed by John Vukovich in 2004.
He lives in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
References
- ↑ Spatz, Lyle (2007). TheSABR Baseball List & Record Book – Baseball’s Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statistics. United States: Simon & Schuster. p. 496. ISBN 9781416532453.
- ↑ "Mike Ryan from the Chronology". Baseballlibrary.com.
- ↑ Bill Conlin (2010-11-05). "Considering gray area in Phillies' search for Lopes replacement". Philadelphia Daily News.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
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