Wilfred Patrick Dolan "Rosy" Ryan (March 15, 1898 – December 10, 1980) was an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...
. He played ten seasons in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
between 1919 and 1933 for the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
,
Boston Braves
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...
, and
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californ ...
.
Amateur career
A native of
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...
, Ryan attended the
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the olde ...
. He posted a 9–2
win–loss record
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
as a
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...
in his freshman year,
and threw the school's first
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher w ...
, a 4–0 victory over
Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to:
Places
* Dartmouth, Devon, England
** Dartmouth Harbour
* Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States
* Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
* Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia
Institutions
* Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...
at
Fitton Field
Fitton Field is a football stadium in Worcester, Massachusetts primarily used for College of the Holy Cross sporting events. The stadium opened in 1908 as the official home for the Holy Cross Crusaders football team. Before that, most games were ...
in 1918.
Ryan graduated from Holy Cross in 1920.
Early professional career (1919–1920)
Ryan went 15–8 with a 1.36
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...
(ERA) for the
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...
of the
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...
in 1919, and was called up by the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
late in
that season. He made his major league debut on September 7, getting the start on the mound in the second game of a
doubleheader against the
Boston Braves
The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta.
During it ...
at the
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...
. The game featured a pair of
Baseball Hall of Famers at shortstop in Boston's
Rabbit Maranville
Walter James Vincent "Rabbit" Maranville (November 11, 1891 – January 6, 1954) was an American professional baseball shortstop, second baseman and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ch ...
and the Giants'
Frankie Frisch
Frank Francis Frisch (September 9, 1898—March 12, 1973), nicknamed "The Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was an American Major League Baseball player and manager of the first half of the twentieth century.
Frisch was a switch-hitting second ...
. Ryan twirled five innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs, taking the loss in the Giants' 4–2 defeat. Ryan appeared in four games for the Giants that season, then had another impressive season in the International League in 1920 with the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
, and appeared in three games for the
1920 Giants.
Peak seasons (1921–1924)
Ryan became a Giants regular in
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil.
** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' breaks ...
, appearing in 36 games, and posting a 7–10 record with a 3.73 ERA in 147.1 innings. He had an impressive three-week stretch from July 4–24, tossing four complete game wins, including a 10-inning 4–3 win against the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals h ...
and Hall of Famer
Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 193 ...
, who accounted for three of the Cards' six hits off Ryan. Despite his solid regular season performance, Ryan did not appear in the postseason as the Giants went on to claim the
1921 World Series
The 1921 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1921 season. The 18th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League champion New York Giants and the American League champion New York Yankees.
Th ...
over the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...
and slugger
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
.
Ryan's most productive major league seasons came in
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...
and
1923
Events
January–February
* January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory).
* January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, ...
. He went 17–12 and led the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
in ERA (3.01) in 1922, and went 16–5 and led the league in appearances (45) in 1923. In both years, Ryan was credited with the win in the opening game of the season's World Series.
In the
1922 World Series
The 1922 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1922 season. The 19th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion New York Yankees. ...
, the Giants again faced the Yankees, and were down 2–0 after seven innings in Game 1. Ryan came on to shut down the Yanks in the final two innings, catching Ruth looking at a third strike in the eighth. The Giants finally got to Yankee starter
Bullet Joe Bush
Leslie Ambrose "Bullet Joe" Bush (November 27, 1892 – November 1, 1974) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators, Pittsburgh Pirates ...
in the eighth, rallying for three runs and riding Ryan in the ninth for the 3–2 win. The Giants went on to sweep the Bronx club for their second consecutive title.
In the
1923 World Series
The 1923 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1923 season. The 20th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees against the National League champion New York Giants. ...
, Giants' Game 1 starter
Mule Watson allowed three Yankee runs in the first two innings, and was lifted for Ryan, who twirled the final seven innings, allowing only one additional Yankee run in the Giants' 5–4 win. Ryan was used briefly in the Giants' Game 4 loss, and then came on in relief of starter
Art Nehf
Arthur Neukom Nehf (July 31, 1892 – December 18, 1960) was an American baseball pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Braves (1915–1919), New York Giants (1919–1926), Cincinnati Reds (1926–1927), and the C ...
in Game 6. With the Yankees leading the best-of-seven series three games to two, Nehf and the Giants led the do-or-die sixth game after seven innings, 4–1. Nehf loaded the bases in the eighth and then walked in the Yankees' second run of the game. Ryan was brought in with the bases loaded and one out. He proceeded to walk
Joe Dugan
Joseph Anthony Dugan (May 12, 1897 – July 7, 1982), was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Jumping Joe", he was considered one of the best defensive third basemen of his era. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop ...
to force across a third Yankee run, but then with the bases still loaded, he fanned the mighty Ruth. With two down, Yankee batter
Bob Meusel
Robert William Meusel (July 19, 1896 – November 28, 1977) was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees. He was best ...
singled to drive in all three runners, and the Yankees took a 6–4 lead. The Giants failed to score in the bottom of the eighth, and Ryan set down the Yanks in order in the ninth, but the Giants could not rally in the final frame. Ryan took the loss, and the Yankees had their first World Series championship.
Ryan went 7–6 in 37 appearances for the
1924 Giants, and made two appearances in the Giants' seven-game
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 World Series, 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The ...
loss to the
Washington Senators. He tossed 4.2 innings of middle relief and allowed two earned runs in New York's 6–4 Game 3 win, but his moment of glory came at the plate, as he belted a fourth-inning homer to deep right field off Senators' hurler
Allen Russell
Allan E. "Rubberarm" Russell (July 31, 1893 – October 20, 1972) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of 11 seasons (1915–1925) with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. For h ...
. Ryan was only the second pitcher ever, and the first relief pitcher, to hit a home run in World Series play.
Later playing career (1925–1938)

Ryan was traded to the Boston Braves for
Tim McNamara prior to the
1925 season, and posted a lackluster 2–8 record with a 6.31 ERA in 37 appearances for Boston. He fared no better in 1926, beginning the season with a 7.58 ERA in seven appearances for Boston, before being shipped off to the minor league
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played ...
, where he toiled into the 1928 season. He joined the New York Yankees late in their
1928 season, appearing in three games and allowing 11 earned runs in six total innings. He spent the next four seasons in the minor leagues: 1929 and 1930 with the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...
, 1931 back with Toledo, and 1932 with the
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...
. In 1933, he became a major league regular again, appearing in 30 games and posting a 4.55 ERA for the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californ ...
. He was back in Minneapolis for the 1934 through 1936 seasons, and never made another major league appearance.
In 1937 and 1938, Ryan pitched for
Falmouth in the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thous ...
. He appeared in only one game in 1937, but in 1938 was a regular contributor, using his "wide breaking curve" to help lead the team to the league title.
Coaching career and final years
Ryan managed the minor league
Eau Claire Bears
The Eau Claire Bears was the primary nickname of the minor league baseball teams from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Eau Claire was a member of the Class C Northern League (1933-1942, 1946–62) and were affiliates of the Boston Red Sox (1936), Chicago Cu ...
in 1941 and 1942, and the Minneapolis Millers from 1944 to 1946. He was later a minor league general manager.
Ryan was inducted to the Holy Cross Athletics Hall of Fame in 1960,
and in 1961 he was presented with the
King of Baseball
King of Baseball was a ceremonial title awarded annually from 1951 to 2019 by Minor League Baseball to recognize an individual for their longtime dedication and service to professional baseball. It was awarded during baseball's Winter Meetings a ...
award given by Minor League Baseball.
Ryan died in 1980 in
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
at age 82.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Rosy
1898 births
1980 deaths
Baseball players from Massachusetts
Boston Braves players
Brooklyn Dodgers players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Cape Cod Baseball League players (pre-modern era)
Eau Claire (minor league baseball) players
Eau Claire Bears players
Falmouth Commodores players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Milwaukee Brewers (AA) players
Minneapolis Millers (baseball) managers
Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players
Minor league baseball managers
New York Giants (NL) players
New York Yankees players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players