Ryan Langerhans

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=Ryan Langerhans
position=Outfielder
team=Washington Nationals
number=29
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|2|20
debutdate=July 19
debutyear=2002
debutteam=Atlanta Braves
statyear=August 12, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.234
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=21
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=98
teams=
*Atlanta Braves (by|2002-by|2003, by|2005-by|2007)
*Oakland Athletics (by|2007)
*Washington Nationals (by|2007-present)

Ryan David Langerhans (born February 20, 1980 in San Antonio, Texas) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals.

Despite making his Major League debut in 2002, Langerhans did not become an everyday big-league player until 2005, getting playing time for the Braves in all three outfield positions. He is part of the group of rookie players nicknamed the "Baby Braves" that Atlanta called up from its minor league system during the 2005 season.

In his first full season with the Braves in '05, Langerhans became a fan favorite with his hustle, his solid and sometimes spectacular defense, and his penchant for coming through with clutch hits.

Langerhans started 2006 as the Braves regular left fielder but a severe dropoff in his production from 2005 combined with the hot hitting of Matt Diaz resulted in a drop in Langerhans' playing time. By the end of the 2006 season, he was a platoon left-fielder, with Matt Diaz as his right-handed partner. Scott Thorman often also took starts from Langerhans as the left-handed part of the left-field platoon. At the start of 2006 Langerhans was seen as having a future as a solid major league regular but by the end of the season he was seen as little more than a light hitting but great defensive fourth outfielder.

After a poor start to 2007 at the plate, he was traded on April 29 to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be named later. He played just two games for the A's, going a combined 0-for-4 with a walk and an error.

However, on May 2, 2007 he was traded to the Washington Nationals for Chris Snelling.

Langerhans and his wife, Shari, live in Round Rock, Texas, where he also graduated from high school. In high school Langerhans improved his baseball skills and participated in cross country. Langerhans won a Class 5A state championship with the Round Rock High School Dragons in 1997. [ [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/L/Ryan-Langerhans.shtml Ryan Langerhans] , The Baseball Cube. Accessed November 6, 2007.] The Dragons were coached by his father John, a former standout baseball player for the University of Texas, where Ryan was signed to play before signing a professional contract. Ryan hit a tournament-record three triples in the state tournament semi-final against Corpus Christi Moody before earning the win as the pitcher in the championship game against traditional Texas powerhouse Lubbock Monterey, who was coached by Bobby Moegle, the winningest coach in United States high school baseball history.

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