Rosy Ryan

2.1. Early Life and Background

Ryan was born on March 15, 1898, and was a native of Worcester, Massachusetts.

2.2. Education and Amateur Baseball

Ryan attended the College of the Holy Cross. During his freshman year, he achieved an impressive 9-2 win-loss record as a pitcher. In 1918, he threw the school's first-ever no-hitter, securing a 4-0 victory over Dartmouth at Fitton Field. He graduated from Holy Cross in 1920.

3.1. Early Professional Years (1919-1920)

Ryan began his professional career with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League in 1919, where he recorded a 15-8 record with an impressive 1.36 earned run average (ERA). His strong performance led to a call-up by the New York Giants later that season. He made his major league debut on September 7, 1919, starting the second game of a doubleheader against the Boston Braves at the Polo Grounds. In this game, which featured Baseball Hall of Famers Rabbit Maranville at shortstop for Boston and Frankie Frisch for the Giants, Ryan pitched five innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs, taking the loss in the Giants' 4-2 defeat. He appeared in four games for the Giants in 1919. In 1920, Ryan had another strong season in the International League with the Toronto Maple Leafs before making three appearances for the 1920 Giants.

3.2. Peak Seasons and World Series Appearances (1921-1924)

Ryan established himself as a regular player for the Giants during their successful period in the early 1920s, making key contributions and appearing in multiple World Series.

In 1921, Ryan became a Giants regular, appearing in 36 games and posting a 7-10 record with a 3.73 ERA over 147.1 innings. He had a notable three-week stretch from July 4-24, during which he threw four complete game wins, including a 10-inning 4-3 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals and Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, who accounted for three of the Cardinals' six hits off Ryan. Despite his solid regular season, Ryan did not play in the postseason when the Giants went on to win the 1921 World Series against the New York Yankees and slugger Babe Ruth.

Ryan's most productive major league seasons occurred in 1922 and 1923. In 1922, he finished with a 17-12 record and led the National League in ERA with a 3.01 mark. In 1923, he went 16-5 and led the league in appearances with 45. In both of these years, Ryan was credited with the win in the opening game of the World Series.

In the 1922 World Series, the Giants once again faced the Yankees. In Game 1, with the Giants trailing 2-0 after seven innings, Ryan entered the game and effectively shut down the Yankees in the final two innings, notably striking out Babe Ruth looking in the eighth. The Giants rallied against Yankee starter Bullet Joe Bush in the eighth, scoring three runs, and with Ryan closing out the ninth, they secured a 3-2 victory. The Giants ultimately swept the Yankees to claim their second consecutive championship.

The 1923 World Series also saw Ryan play a crucial role in Game 1. After Giants' starter Mule Watson allowed three Yankee runs in the first two innings, Ryan came in as a reliever and pitched the final seven innings, yielding only one additional run as the Giants won 5-4. Ryan also made a brief appearance in the Giants' Game 4 loss. In Game 6, with the Yankees leading the best-of-seven series three games to two, Ryan was brought in to relieve starter Art Nehf. Nehf and the Giants led the do-or-die sixth game 4-1 after seven innings, but Nehf loaded the bases in the eighth and then walked in the Yankees' second run. Ryan entered with the bases loaded and one out. He then walked Joe Dugan, forcing in a third Yankee run, but managed to strike out the formidable Ruth with the bases still loaded. However, with two outs, Yankee batter Bob Meusel singled, driving in all three runners and giving the Yankees a 6-4 lead. The Giants failed to score in the bottom of the eighth, and while Ryan retired the Yankees in order in the ninth, the Giants could not mount a final rally. Ryan took the loss, and the Yankees secured their first World Series championship.

In 1924, Ryan recorded a 7-6 record in 37 appearances for the Giants. He made two appearances in the Giants' seven-game World Series loss to the Washington Senators. He pitched 4.2 innings of middle relief and allowed two earned runs in New York's 6-4 Game 3 win. His most memorable moment in that series came at the plate when he belted a fourth-inning home run deep to right field off Senators' pitcher Allen Russell. Ryan became only the second pitcher in World Series history, and the first relief pitcher, to hit a home run.

3.3. Later Playing Career (1925-1938)

Following his peak years with the Giants, Ryan continued his professional career with other major league teams and spent extensive time in the minor leagues, playing until the late 1930s.

Prior to the 1925 season, Ryan was traded to the Boston Braves in exchange for Tim McNamara. With the Braves, he posted a less successful 2-8 record with a 6.31 ERA in 37 appearances. His performance did not improve significantly in 1926, as he started the season with a 7.58 ERA in seven appearances for Boston before being sent to the minor league Toledo Mud Hens, where he played until the 1928 season. Late in the 1928 season, he joined the New York Yankees, appearing in three games and giving up 11 earned runs in a total of six innings.

Ryan then spent the next four seasons in the minor leagues: 1929 and 1930 with the Milwaukee Brewers, 1931 back with Toledo, and 1932 with the Minneapolis Millers. In 1933, he returned to Major League Baseball as a regular, appearing in 30 games and posting a 4.55 ERA for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He subsequently returned to Minneapolis for the 1934 through 1936 seasons and did not make any further major league appearances.

In his final playing years, Ryan pitched for the Falmouth team in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 1937 and 1938. He only appeared in one game in 1937, but in 1938, he was a regular contributor. Utilizing his "wide breaking curve," he played a significant role in leading the team to the league title.

4.1. Coaching and Management

Following his retirement as a player, Ryan transitioned into coaching and management. He managed the minor league Eau Claire Bears in 1941 and 1942. From 1944 to 1946, he managed the Minneapolis Millers. Later in his career, he served as a general manager for minor league teams.

4.2. Honors and Recognition

Ryan received significant accolades for his career in baseball. In 1960, he was inducted into the Holy Cross Athletics Hall of Fame. The following year, in 1961, Minor League Baseball honored him with the prestigious King of Baseball award, which recognizes a veteran of professional baseball for their long and distinguished service to the game.