#tbt/”Where Are They Now”: Ryan Minor

The original post below, was written August 24, 2015.
“Ryan Minor is everything but minor for the prosperity of the Orioles franchise” – by Bethany Redman

 

Since the very beginning of the Delmarva Shorebirds existence, I have been there for it all; the Montreal Expos days, then falling in love with Nick Markakis as a giddy preteen, to now hitting the local Latina discoteca with the Spanish speaking players. Coming to games has always been about the players. Now at 23 years old and wanting to work in Major League Baseball, I have shifted the focus from the players to the coaches. Though the Delmarva Shorebirds are near the bottom of the totem pole, I have had the pleasure to witness a 1996 Shorebirds player turn into a Shorebirds leader; a man named Ryan Minor.

 

 

 

In 1998, Cal Ripken’s notorious streak ended which left third base up for grabs. The lucky young man to fill the spot was 24 year old Minor. Though he had been with the Orioles organization for two years already, this was simply the beginning of a multi-decade relationship with the Orioles.

 

 

This write-up is about Minor as a person, not a player.

 

 

Since becoming a manager in 2010, Minor has managed some guys who have spent time in the Majors including Dylan Bundy, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Eduardo Rodriguez (now with the Boston Red Sox) and Christian Walker. Those still within the minors, he has had a hand in developing Zach Davies (recently traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Gerardo Parra), Trey Mancini, Chance Sisco and Mike Yazstremski. The success of these guys (and many more) prove that Minor is the man for the job.

 

 

Coaches are human but watching Minor get into an altercation with an umpire is like watching the Hulk. Boss Man is 6’7″, hefty and turns red from yelling real fast. On August 5th my friend was the home plate umpire and made a call at home, which benefited the visiting Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers). Minor and the fan base did not agree. The throw came from the outfield to Yermín Mercedes for the out at the dish however as soon as {Crawdads player} slid, he raised his arms so then Mercedes swiped a now empty arm-pit area. Of course everyone thought that the kid was out. Minor marched out to the plate, met my friend who is all of 5’6″, and started to yell furiously, as in “hello, neck and forehead veins” furiously. I was honestly scared for my friend’s life.

Then on August 19, all in attendance at Arthur Purdue Stadium saw the loving, docile side of Minor. His oldest daughter, Reagan, has permanent brain damage due to contracting meningitis just a month after birth. Reagan celebrated her ninth birthday at the stadium that night, and was sung “Happy Birthday” to while on the field. After being sung to, Reagan raced to the dugout to give daddy a hug. Minor took her in for a bear-hug and they shared the moment as if 3000 people were not watching. My eyes filled up with tears.

 

 

In 2013 Minor managed the Frederick Keys. That summer I was living in Myrtle Beach as an intern for the Ripken Experience. Thanks to a friendship with former Shorebirds player Tommy Winegardner’s family, I was able to attend each of the Keys at Myrtle Beach Pelicans games. One game as I was waiting for Winegardner, Minor curiously asked me who I was waiting for, how did I know him, then why am I in Myrtle. After mentioning the Salisbury connection, Minor’s face lit up and he started to talk about home. At that moment, I believe we shared the common feeling of home sickness for the Eastern Shore.

 

Every player, coach, general manager and team owner is human. At the end of the day they all want the best for their team, fan base and family. Watching Minor manage his teams, and the interactions on and off the field, it is evident that he is in the running for leaving a major yet subtle mark within the Orioles franchise.
TODAY IN 2018:
Minor finished his first season back with the Keys since the 2013 season. The Keys ended 65-72; fourth place in Carolina League Northern. A few of his former Shorebirds were right along with him on the roster; Jomar Reyes, Alex Murphy, and Matt Trowbridge. This season the Baltimore Orioles had fourteen different rookies appear, and most of them came from Minor’s 2014-2017 Shorebirds rosters; Austin Wynns, John Means, Steve Wilkerson, Cedric Mullins, and DJ Stewart, to name a few.
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Bethany Redman

Baseball, Basketball, Lacrosse

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