Brendan Ryan (baseball)

Infobox MLB player
name=Brendan Ryan

---

width=250
position=Shortstop
team=St. Louis Cardinals
number=13
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1982|3|26
debutdate=June 2
debutyear=2007
debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals
statyear=August 2, 2008
stat1label=Batting Average
stat1value=.263
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=95
stat3label=Home Runs
stat3value=4
stat4label=Runs Batted In
stat4value=21
teams=
*St. Louis Cardinals (by|2007-present)

Brendan Wood Ryan (born March 26, 1982, in Los Angeles, California)is a shortstop in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his major league debut for the Cardinals on June 2, by|2007 against the Houston Astros. He bats right-handed and throws right-handed. He is 6' 2" and weighs 195 pounds. Although he makes his home at shortstop Brendan has been known to play at second and third base and has dabbled with pitching.

He is the son of James Ryan, who lettered as a shortstop for Loyola Marymount University, and Katie Ryan.

James holds the single season record for most hits with a wood bat by an LMU Lion. Coming from a strong baseball pedigree, Brendan, the youngest of four, is well known for his overall athletic ability and undying competitive spirit.

Ryan was a four-year letterman on the Notre Dame High School baseball team. As the Knights second baseman he was elected to the All CIF team his senior year (2000). That same year he received CIF All-State honors, was a Los Angeles Times "Gold Glove" selection, and guided Notre Dame to the CIF Southern Section Championship Game at Dodger Stadium. Ryan also played for several Area Code and American Legion teams during his high school career.

His family and friends have nicknamed him "The Boog"

College

In the Fall of 2000, Brendan joined the NAIA powerhouse Lewis-Clark State College and continued his baseball success. In his first season he batted .375 with 5 triples, the third most ever by a Warrior. As a sophomore shortstop, Ryan hit .359 with 34 RBIs and hit .378 with runners on. During the 2002 season, he hit safely in 18 straight games.

Beyond his impressive offensive numbers, Ryan began to gain a reputation as a remarkable defensive infielder. In 2003, Brendan entered the MLB amateur draft and was drafted in the seventh round (215th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Minor leagues

Ryan hit .311 for the St. Louis Cardinals rookie league affiliate New Jersey Cardinals in 2003. In 2004, he was promoted to the Cardinals Class A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs. 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, where Ryan was selected as a Florida State League All-Star. He was promoted again during the middle of 2005 season to Class AA Springfield Cardinals.

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 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).

Major leagues

Although his stint in the Majors was relatively short (only about 2 months), he hit a .287 batting average with 4 home runs and 11 runs batted in. Ryan also scored 29 runs and recorded 7 stolen bases without being caught stealing. 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. Ryan was originally called up on June 2, 2007, and was later sent down on July 27, 2007. Ryan was called up again for the rest of the season on August 12, 2007.

His first major league home run came in a dramatic form; a game-winner in the top of the 11th inning of Scott Schoeneweis of the New York Mets on June 26, by|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.

He was rehabbing a rib cage injury in the minor leagues in the first month of the by|2008 season until called up on April 23.

References

* [http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=453895 MLB.com: Brendan Ryan]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/ryanbr01.shtml Baseball Reference]
* [http://stlcardinals.scout.com/a.z?s=321&p=8&c=1&nid=3488964 stlcardinals.scout.com] - Ryan player profile page at Scout.com
* [http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/team/player_career.jsp?player_id=453895]