Ryan is the latest Warrior to make it to the big leagues

6-23-07 

Brendan Ryan will now have his picture hanging from the bleachers at Lewis-Clark State College’s Harris Field. 

Ryan made his major league debut on June 2 with the St. Louis Cardinals and currently is the team’s starting shortstop with regular shortstop David Eckstein on the disabled list. Ryan joins Jason Ellison as former Warriors currently in the big leagues. 

Any Warrior who has played in a major league game has had a baseball-card like picture placed on the backside of the bleachers at Harris Field. Ryan will be the latest addition to the collection. 

Ryan’s rise to the big league was expected. Several scouting services said in preseason previews that Ryan would be called up by the Cardinals some time during the season.  

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed hitter got his first taste of the big leagues during a two-game stretch on June 2-3 against Houston . He went 0-for-1 in his debut on June 2 and then went 0-for-3 while starting the next game. 

He was then sent back down to Memphis , and proceeded to go on a tear at the plate.  He went 16-for-42 (.381) over the next nine games with three doubles and a triple. When St. Louis shortstop David Eckstein went on the disabled list on June 16 with back spasms, Ryan rejoined the team and has batted in the No. 8 spot. In the four games he’s played in – two against Oakland and two against Kansas City – Ryan is 3-for-14 with two RBI and three runs scored. Overall, he’s 3-for-18 (.167) in his six games in the big leagues. 

In 64 games with Memphis , the Cardinals’ Triple A affiliate, Ryan is 68-of-256 for a .266 average. He’s also scored 40 runs, has eight doubles, five triples, one home run and 13 RBI. He’s 12-of-17 in stolen bases, has drawn 17 walks, and stuck out 34 times. 

Ellison is the fourth outfielder for the Seattle Mariners after being traded prior to the season from San Francisco . Ellison is mainly being used as a defensive replacement and pinch-hitter for the M’s. 

The 5-10, 180-pound Ellison hasn’t had enough at-bats to fight through some early season struggles. He’s 4-of-27 at the plate for a .148 average and is hitless in his last 12 at-bats. He has scored five runs. 

In his big league career, Ellison is hitting .249 with 23 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. 

Here is how the rest of the former Warriors, who played at LCSC prior to this past season, are doing in the minor leagues (in alphabetical order): 

Sal Aguilar, 6-0, 190, right-handed pitcher. Drafted in 29th round in 2005 by New York Mets. Currently with Class AA Birmingham Mets. Has split time as a starter and reliever, appearing in 13 games and starting nine. He is 2-3 with a 6.58 earned run average. He’s pitched 52 innings and allowed 75 hits and 38 runs. He’s struck out 26 and walked 21. 

Ryan Baerlocher, 6-5, 240, right-handed pitcher. Drafted in the 6th round of the 1999 free agent draft by Kansas City . Currently with Class AAA Richmond Braves. He has started four games and is 1-1 with 2.81 ERA. He’s pitched 25.2 innings and allowed 23 hits and eight runs, with seven walks and 11 strikeouts.  In his last outing on June 18, he threw a three-hit shutout over seven innings. 

Derek Bruce, 6-2, 190, infielder. Drafted in the 19th round in 2004 by Arizona . Currently with the Diamondbacks’ top Class A team, the Visalia Oaks, where is playing mainly at second base. In the first half of the season, he saw action in 54 games and went 48-of-193 for a .248 batting average. He had 11 doubles, two triples and three home runs, and also scored 22 runs. He drove in 18 runs, drew 20 walks, and struck out 30 times. The second-half season opens June 21. 

Vic Darensbourg, 5-8, 175, left-handed pitcher. Drafted in the 53rd round in 1989 by Kansas City . Saw time with the Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox and Detroit . Currently playing for the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers’ Triple A team, where is 2-0 with a 0.55 ERA. He has appeared in 29 games, all in relief, and has allowed 18 hits and only two runs in 32.2 innings. He has struck out 28 and walked nine. 

Brad Davis, 6-1, 185, left-handed pitcher. Drafted in the 14th round of the 2005 draft by Oakland . Pitches for the Stockton Ports, the A’s Advance-A team. He has appeared in 16 games, including three as a starter, and went 3-2 with a 4.67 ERA and one save during the first half of the season. He’s pitched 44.1 innings and allowed 48 hits, 23 earned runs and 14 walks. He also struck out 31. The second-half season opens June 21. 

Joey Dyche, 6-1, 185, outfielder. Drafted seventh round in the 2005 draft by the San Francisco Giants. He saw action in two games in April with the Advanced-A San Jose Giants before he was placed on the disabled list because on an injury. He went 0-4 at the plate in the two games. Dyche is still on the disabled list and it is uncertain how long he’ll be out. 

Carlos Fisher, 6-3, 215, right-handed pitcher. Drafted in the 11th round in the 2005 draft by Cincinnati . He’s with the Chattanooga Lookouts, a Class AA team. All eight of his appearances this season have been in the starting rotation. He is 2-2 with a 2.09 ERA. He’s pitched 47.1 innings and allowed 42 hits and 21 runs. He has struck out 50 and walked 16, and opponents are hitting just .236 off him. Earlier in the year, he was with Sarasota where he was 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA before being called up. 

Emerson Frostad, 6-1, 201, third baseman. Drafted in the 13th round of the 2003 draft by Texas . He’s playing with the Class AA Frisco Roughriders in the Texas League. He has appeared in 42 games and is 41-of-150 at the plate for a .273 average. He has seven doubles, five home runs, 23 RBI and 21 runs scored. He’s walked 15 times and struck out 38, and is 2-for-2 in stolen bases. 

Justin Fuller, 6-1, 175, second baseman. Drafted in the 11th round in 2006 by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Spent time with the Great Lake Loons Class A team, before being sent down to the Ogden Raptors short-season A team.  Hit .239 with Great Lake (21-of-88) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, three RBI and 13 runs scored. He walked six times and was 1-for-3 in stolen bases. In Ogden ’s first two games of the season, Fuller is 1-for-5 with two runs scored and is 1-for-1 in stolen bases. 

Micah Furtado, 5-7, 170 second baseman. Drafted in the 20th round in 2003 draft by Texas . Playing with the Rangers’ Advanced A team in Bakersfield and finished the first half of the season with a .239 average. He appeared in 63 games and went 56-of-234 at the plate with 10 doubles, one triple and one home run. He drove in 32 runs and scored 30 times. He also was 7-of-8 in stolen bases. Drew 20 walks and struck out 31 times. 

Bucky Jacobsen, 6-4, 255, first base. Drafted in the seventh round of the 1997 draft by Milwaukee and eventually saw time in the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners. He played in the Triple A Mexican League with Olmecas de Tabasco and went 8-of-35 for .229 average with one home run and seven RBI before he was let go on April 15. He hasn’t been active in the minor league since that time. 

Mark Kaiser, 6-2, 205, right-handed pitcher. Drafted in the 10th round in 2003 by Colorado . Is currently pitching for the Rockies’ Triple A team in Colorado Springs . He has appeared in 12 games, starting 11, and is 5-3 with a 5.35 ERA. He’s thrown 65.2 innings and allowed 75 hits and 43 walks. He has struck out 26. In his last outing, he went seven innings and allowed just three hits and one run to earn the win. 

Matt Morgan, 6-2, 195, catcher. Was selected in the 18th round of the 2002 draft by Arizona . He’s playing for the Diamondbacks’ Class AAA affiliate in Tucson , where he is 23-of-89 for .258 average in 32 games. He has two doubles, eight RBI and scored 10 runs. He’s drawn 14 walks and stuck out 17 times. He’s hitting .328 over his last 10 games. 

Kyle Wright, 6-3, 170 right-handed pitcher. Was drafted in the 19th round by Arizona in the 2005 draft. He is currently a teammate of Bruce’s at Visalia .  He has made 17 appearances, all in relief, and is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA. He’s pitched 27.1 innings and allowed 23 hits with 10 walks and 23 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .217 off of him. So far in the month of June he’s throw seven innings and allowed five hits and one run.

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