Connie Ryan
Cornelius Joseph Ryan
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.
- School Louisiana State University
- High School Jesuit High School (New Orleans)
- Debut April 14, 1942
- Final Game April 19, 1954
- Born February 27, 1920 in New Orleans, LA USA
- Died January 3, 1996 in Metairie, LA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Infielder Connie Ryan was the first person to receive a full baseball scholarship to Louisiana State University. Prior to reaching the majors, he played for the Atlanta Crackers.
Ryan entered the Navy in July 1944 and was discharged in January 1946.
He was probably the only player ever in major league history to be tossed from a game for coming to bat while wearing a rain coat. He did it to protest to the umpires for not stopping the game because of a heavy rain.
After his playing career ended, Ryan was a Milwaukee Braves coach in 1957 and a coach for the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers in 1960. He was a member of the Atlanta Braves staff in 1971 and again from 1973 to 1975, and he managed the club late in the 1975 season. He later was a Texas Rangers coach from 1977 to 1979 and was the team's interim skipper in 1977 after Eddie Stanky's resignation.
Ryan also spent time as a scout with the Braves (1969-1970), Rangers, Houston Astros (1961, 1963-1966), Kansas City Athletics ((1967), and Oakland Athletics and is credited for discovering Vida Blue.
Ryan's son, Al Ryan, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the January 1971 amateur draft.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- NL All-Star (1944)
| Preceded by Clyde King |
Atlanta Braves Manager 1975 |
Succeeded by Dave Bristol |
| Preceded by Eddie Stanky |
Texas Rangers Manager 1977 |
Succeeded by Billy Hunter |
Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Corpus Christi Clippers | Big State League | 93-48 | 1st | Milwaukee Braves | League Champs | |
| 1956 | Austin Senators | Texas League | 72-82 | 6th | Milwaukee Braves | ||
| 1958 | Seattle Rainiers | Pacific Coast League | 68-86 | 8th | Cincinnati Redlegs | ||
| 1962 | Oklahoma City 89ers | American Association | 66-81 | 5th | Houston Colt .45s | ||
| 1967 | GCL Athletics | Gulf Coast League | 35-22 | 1st | Kansas City Athletics | none League Champs | |
| 1968 | Magic Valley Cowboys | Pioneer League | 30-31 | 4th | Atlanta Braves | ||
| 1969 | Magic Valley Cowboys | Pioneer League | 39-33 | 3rd | Atlanta Braves | ||
| 1975 | Atlanta Braves | National League | 9-18 | 5th | Atlanta Braves | replaced Clyde King (58-76) on August 31 | |
| 1977 | Texas Rangers | American League | 2-4 | -- | Texas Rangers | replaced Frank Lucchesi (31-31) and Eddie Stanky (1-0) on June 23 replaced by Billy Hunter on June 28 |
Further Reading[edit]
- John McMurray: "Connie Ryan", in Gregory H. Wolf, ed.: Thar's Joy in Braveland: The 1957 Milwaukee Braves, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 242-246. ISBN 978-1933599717
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