Brendan Ryan

Brendan Wood Ryan (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels. Ryan was a shortstop but was a versatile enough defender that he made professional appearances at every position but catcher. The 2012 winner of the Fielding Bible Award, Ryan had a reputation as one of the best defensive players in baseball. Early and personal life Ryan was born in Los Angeles on March 26, 1982, to Katie and Jim Ryan. He is the youngest of their four children. Ryan attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. His father was an infielder for Loyola Marymount University and holds the school's single-season record for the most hits with a wooden bat. One of his uncles, Willie Ryan, was a National Champion First Team All-American first baseman for the USC Trojans baseball team; his other uncle, Dr. Patrick Ryan, was a college sprinter at UCLA and Michigan State. College career In the fall of 2000, Ryan enrolled at Lewis–Clark State College to play college baseball in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. In his first season, he batted .375 with 5 triples, the third most ever by a Warrior. As a sophomore shortstop, he hit .359 with 34 RBIs and hit .378 with runners on. During the 2002 season, he hit safely in 18 straight games. Beyond his solid offensive numbers, Ryan gained a reputation as a good defensive infielder.