Batting Stance Guy

Ryness demonstrating Michael Morse's batting stance in 2011.

Gar Ryness, better known as the Batting Stance Guy, is an American sports entertainer and YouTube phenomenon. He is known for his ability to perform spot-on impressions of the batting stances of Major League Baseball players. He can mimic the batting stances of the starting line-ups of all 30 MLB teams with alarming accuracy.^[1]

Personal life[]

Ryness grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from Monte Vista High School in Danville in 1991.^[2] As of 2009, he was 35 years old and married with two children. Before landing a deal with Fox Sports Net, he worked for a nonprofit Christian organization as a spiritual advisor to professionals in the entertainment industry. He is a graduate of Syracuse University.

Ryness stated that he first realized his talent at age seven when he was playing wiffle ball in his backyard. He said he never stopped imitating the pros and simply loves baseball.^[3] Ryness claims that he only has to watch a hitter a few times before he can perfectly imitate their stance: He picks up the tiniest details and exaggerates them so that people notice them more. He said he loves traveling around the country and bringing nostalgia to the fans and players.^[4]

TV appearances and radio broadcasts[]

May 23, 2008: First blog mention on BallHype.com: Q&A with the Batting Stance Guy
May 2008: Dan Patrick mentions BSG and his "unmarketable" skill on his Sirius XM radio show
June 2008: Bill Simmons of ESPN.com gives BSG the honor of "YouTube Star of the Week"
August 2008: Brewers Live (FSN North WI): BSG on Brewers Live
August 2008: Twins Live (FSN North MN): BSG on Twins Live
September 10, 2008: Padres Pregame Show (Cox Media SD): BSG on Padres Pregame show
September 2008: Angels Live (FSN West): BSG on Angels Live
September 2008: Dodgers Live (FSN Prime Ticket): BSG on Dodgers Live
November 2008: Sony Entertainment records his stance imitations for MLB 2009: The Show
April 15, 2009: ESPN's E:60: "Art of the Stance"^{[permanent dead link]}
May 6, 2009: The Associated Press: "BSG and Manny Ramirez"
May 19, 2009: The Associated Press: "Rise of the BSG"
June 17, 2009: ESPN's Baseball Tonight BSG on Baseball tonight
July 13, 2009: CBS's Late Show with David Letterman: Second guest segment

References[]

^ Greg Hanlon, "Meet Gar Ryness: Batting Stance Guy" in the New York Times, 15 March 2009.
^ "Carl Steward 'In Our Backyard': Batting Stance Guy becomes baseball sensation". San Jose Mercury. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
^ Cameron Smith, "Moment of Levity: Batting Stance Guy" in the Washington Post, 21 October 2008.
^ Rise of the BSG "The Rise of the Batting Stance Guy" from the Associated Press, 19 May 2009.

[nyt-1] Greg Hanlon, "Meet Gar Ryness: Batting Stance Guy" in the New York Times, 15 March 2009.

[2] "Carl Steward 'In Our Backyard': Batting Stance Guy becomes baseball sensation". San Jose Mercury. Retrieved March 11, 2015.

[3] Cameron Smith, "Moment of Levity: Batting Stance Guy" in the Washington Post, 21 October 2008.

[ap-4] Rise of the BSG "The Rise of the Batting Stance Guy" from the Associated Press, 19 May 2009.

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