Ryan Gripp

Ryan Howard Gripp

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 210 lb.
• School Creighton University
• High School Indianola High School

• Born April 20, 1978 in Des Moines, IA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Out of high school, Ryan Gripp was taken in the 95th round of the 1996 amateur draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays - only 7 players were picked after him. He did not sign and went to Creighton University, where he hit .362 and slugged .643 as a sophomore. The next year, Ryan hit .395 and slugged .807. He made the Missouri Valley Conference All-Conference team at third base and his 24 homers were second in the conference. The American Baseball Coaches Association named him as their All-American third baseman. The Chicago Cubs took him in the third round of the 1999 amateur draft and assigned him to the Eugene Emeralds, where he hit .308/~.372/.519. He led Northwest League third basemen in both fielding percentage (.938) and double plays (21).

In 2000, Gripp hit .333/.416/.526 for the Lansing Lugnuts with 36 doubles, 20 homers and 92 RBI. He led the Midwest League in average, beating out (among others) Albert Pujols and was 12 points behind OBP leader Adam Dunn. He led the MWL with 166 hits and led third basemen with 25 double plays. Pujols outslugged him by 39 points, though, and thus got the All-Star nod.

Gripp slipped to .295/.375/.436 for the Daytona Cubs and .227/.313/.396 for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in 2001. He fielded under .900 for West Tenn, though he did ring up 38 doubles that year. In 2002, Gripp returned to West Tenn and hit .232/.319/.384 while fielding .944 at third. That winter, he was the player to be named later in a deal to the Milwaukee Brewers for Paul Bako.

Gripp hit .285/.391/.424 for the 2003 Huntsville Stars, playing mostly DH, and then was let go by Milwaukee. He joined the Winnipeg Goldeyes and hit .240, slugging .540. He sat out 2004 then signed with the Sioux City Explorers. He hit .275/.357/.500 for them and led the club with 18 homers, 68 runs, 26 doubles and 71 RBI. He followed with a .293/.352/.491 year for the same club in 2006.

Main Sources: 2000-2006 Baseball Almanacs