Ryan Spilborghs
From BR Bullpen
Ryan Adam Spilborghs
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
- School University of California, Santa Barbara
- Debut July 16, 2005
- Born September 5, 1979 in Santa Barbara, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Ryan Spilborghs is an outfielder with the Colorado Rockies. He plays center field more than any other position and has a lifetime major league average over .290.
Spilborghs was born in Santa Barbara, CA, attended Santa Barbara High School where he was a hitting star, and went to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he slugged .616 in 2002 before being drafted in the 7th round of the 2002 amateur draft by the Rockies. He moved steadily up their organization, blossoming in 2005 when he hit .341 in half a season at Double A Tulsa and .339 in half a season at Triple A Colorado Springs. He then went 2 for 4 in his first game in the MLB (7/16/05).
While Spilborghs has played in the majors in each of 2006 and 2007, he has also spent part of each season in the minors, hitting comfortably above .300 each time with Colorado Springs. He hit .299 with 11 homers in 264 at bats in 2007 and replaced the injured Willy Taveras as the Rockies center fielder down the stretch as the team made a superhuman effort to claim the National League Wild Card. He was the starter in the Rockies' three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, but gave his spot back to Taveras in the NLCS. He was the Rockies' designated hitter in the first two games of the World Series against Boston, but failed to get a hit in 10 at bats in the Series as the Rockies went down in four games.
