Jimmy Ryan (baseball)

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Jimmy Ryan
Jimmy Ryan Baseball.jpg
Ryan in 1903
Outfielder
Born: (1863-02-11)February 11, 1863
Clinton, Massachusetts
Died: October 29, 1923(1923-10-29) (aged 60)
Chicago, Illinois
Batted: Right
Threw: Left
MLB debut
October 8, 1885, for the Chicago White Stockings
Last MLB appearance
September 24, 1903, for the Washington Senators
MLB statistics
Batting average.308
Hits2,513
Home runs118
Runs batted in1,093
Teams
Career highlights and awards

James Edward Ryan (February 11, 1863 – October 29, 1923), nicknamed "Pony", was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in the major leagues in 18 seasons between 1885 and 1903, primarily for the Chicago White Stockings / Colts / Orphans.

Baseball career[]

A native of Clinton, Massachusetts, Ryan started his major league career with Chicago of the National League (NL) in 1885. He played for the team until 1900, except for the 1890 season when he played for the Chicago Pirates of the Players' League.[1]

Ryan had his best season in 1888, leading the NL in hits (182), doubles (33), home runs (16), total bases (283), and slugging percentage (.515). He was also second in batting average (.332), extra-base hits (59), and runs scored (115).[1] During that season, Ryan hit for the cycle on July 28. He also appeared in that game as a pitcher, becoming the first player in major league history to hit for the cycle and pitch in the same game. The White Stockings beat the Detroit Wolverines, 21–17.[2]

Ryan ended his MLB career with the Washington Senators of the American League in 1902–1903. He was a career .308 hitter with 118 home runs and 1,093 runs batted in in 2,014 games. As a pitcher, he compiled a 6–1 record with a 3.62 earned run average and 43 strikeouts in 117 innings pitched.[1]

In 1900, Ryan broke Tom Brown's MLB career record of 348 assists by an outfielder. Ryan finished his career with 375 assists. He held the record until Tris Speaker broke it in 1924.

On the tough side, Ryan was one of the few players to punch a reporter at least twice. After his first episode, in 1887, Charlie Seymour of the Chicago Herald wrote, "Ryan slugged the magnificent Chicago reporter in Pittsburg[h] the other day." In the other, in 1892, he took exception to George Beachel of the Chicago Daily News. In the clubhouse after a game, Ryan "picked a quarrel with [Beachel], and then attacked him, using him up pretty badly. No arrests have been made." In 1896, he punched a train conductor after losing his place and his teammates had gone to bed. A conductor who intervened was "called down by Mr. Ryan, who got in one upper cut before [his longtime-captain manager Cap] Anson stopped the fun," wrote Tim Murnane of the Boston Globe.[3]

Like many people of that era, including his manager Anson, Ryan displayed a contempt for African Americans. Ryan had a black dog named "Nigger". The Chicago White Stockings mascot, a black man named Clarence Duval, "suffered continual indignities" from Ryan and his teammates.[4]

Ryan died in Chicago at age 60.[1] In the 2001 book The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, writer Bill James ranked Ryan as the 26th greatest center fielder of all-time.[5]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Jimmy Ryan Stats". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Larry Twitchell of Cleveland pitched while hitting for the cycle on August 15, 1889.
  3. ^ Rosenberg, Howard W. (2006). Cap Anson 4: Bigger Than Babe Ruth: Captain Anson of Chicago. Tile Books. p. 560. ISBN 978-0-9725574-3-6., p. 268.
  4. ^ Thorn, John. "The Irish and Jim Crow Baseball, Part 2". ourgame.mlblogs.com. October 16, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  5. ^ James, Bill (2001). The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. p. 739.

External links[]

Achievements
Preceded by Hitting for the cycle
July 28, 1888
July 1, 1891 		Succeeded by
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