Jimmy Ryan
From BR Bullpen
James Edward Ryan (Pony)
- Bats Right, Throws Left
- Height 5' 9", Weight 162 lb.
- School Boston College, College of the Holy Cross
- Debut October 8, 1885
- Final Game September 24, 1903
- Born February 11, 1863 in Clinton, MA USA
- Died October 26, 1923 in Chicago, IL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Jimmy Ryan is one of the forgotten greats of the 19th Century. He has more lifetime major league runs scored than any other player who is not in the Hall of Fame (other than Pete Rose, who is a special case). In addition to Jimmy's 1,642 runs scored and 2,502 hits, he also had a pitching record of 6-1.
Ryan was born in Massachusetts, but spent almost all of his major league career in Chicago. Except for 1890, when he played for Chicago's entry in the Players League, he was with Chicago in the National League from 1885 to 1900. He was primarily a center fielder, although he played many games in right field and left field, and some games at shortstop as well.
His best season was 1888, when he was 2nd in the league in batting, and first in slugging. He led the league in doubles and in home runs that year.
Based on similarity scores, seven of the ten most similar players are in the Hall of Fame, and one who is not, Kenny Lofton, is still active and may get in. The most similar player, George Van Haltren, is not in the Hall but there is a good argument that he should be. In 1889, Ryan, Van Haltren, and Hall of Famer Hugh Duffy comprised the outfield for the 1889 Chicago White Stockings.
In August 1893, Ryan was with the team on a train that derailed. Of the team, Ryan was the most seriously hurt, and there were fears he would never fully recover. He received a large settlement from the railroad company. For the most part, his years after 1893 were not as good as the ones previous, but on the other hand he was past the age of 30.
On August 5, 1894, a fire broke out in the stands in Chicago. The fans stampeded and hundreds were injured. Walt Wilmot and Ryan were given credit for saving hundreds of lives by using bats to break down barbed wire fencing to allow fans to come onto the field.
