Oklahoma Great Ryan Minor, Who Replaced Cal Ripken After Record Streak, Dies at 49
Ryan Minor, a former Orioles infielder, made baseball history when he substituted for Cal Ripken Jr., putting an end to Ripken’s incredible streak of playing 2,632 consecutive games.
Ryan Minor, a former two-sport standout at Oklahoma and MLB player, has passed away at the age of 49 following a battle with cancer. He is most notably remembered for taking over in the lineup after Cal Ripken Jr. broke MLB’s consecutive-games streak with the Baltimore Orioles in 1998.
Ryan Minor, known for his achievements in both basketball and baseball during his college years at Oklahoma, has sadly passed away at the age of 49 after a battle with cancer. His basketball career included notable accolades like third-team All-America and Big Eight Player of the Year in 1995. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and played for two years with the Oklahoma City Cavalry in the Premier Basketball League.
Ryan Minor, a key player on Oklahoma’s 1994 College World Series-winning baseball team, has sadly passed away at the age of 49 after battling cancer. In the baseball world, he was drafted by both the New York Mets in 1995 and the Orioles in 1996. Making his mark in the major leagues, Minor debuted with the Baltimore Orioles in 1998. Notably, he stepped into the third base position after Cal Ripken’s remarkable streak of 2,632 consecutive games came to an end on September 20, 1998.
The accomplished former Sooners star, Ryan Minor, has been recently announced as part of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame class of 2024.
Minor’s final appearance in the major leagues occurred in 2001 with the Montreal Expos. After his time in the MLB, he extended his involvement in baseball, playing for independent teams until his official retirement in 2005. Transitioning to coaching, Minor became a minor league baseball coach and took on managerial roles within the Orioles organization.
Ryan Minor Basketball Career
Ryan Minor, a standout basketball player at the University of Oklahoma, achieved the Big Eight Player of the Year title in 1995. Despite being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, he faced tough competition and was eventually released after playing in several preseason games.
Following his time with the 76ers, Minor transitioned to the Continental Basketball Association, playing 32 games with the Oklahoma City Cavalry. In January 1997, he made a surprising move, leaving basketball to attend spring training with the Baltimore Orioles.
Before making the switch to baseball, Minor demonstrated his skills with the Cavalry, averaging 9.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Ryan Minor Baseball Career
In 1992, Ryan Minor gained recognition at Hammon High School in Oklahoma, earning a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Baseball Third Team. He continued his baseball journey at the University of Oklahoma, where he played a pivotal role in their College World Series victory in 1994.
Initially selected by the New York Mets in the seventh round of the 1995 MLB draft, Minor opted not to sign. However, in the 1996 MLB draft, he was chosen in the 33rd round by the Baltimore Orioles.
Making his major league debut in 1998, Minor played a significant role in ending Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games played streak. Following the 2000 season, he was traded to the Montreal Expos, and in 2001, he split his time between the Expos and the Ottawa Lynx, accumulating a total of 142 games in his MLB career.
From 2002 to 2004, Minor played with various organizations and also had stints with independent teams like the Newark Bears and Atlantic City Surf. In 2005, he joined the Lancaster Barnstormers, hitting their first-ever home run. Minor made substantial contributions to the team, boasting a batting average of .268 with 26 home runs and 99 RBIs.
Coaching and managerial career
After concluding his professional baseball career, Ryan Minor transitioned into coaching. In 2006, he served as the coach for the Road Warriors, followed by becoming the hitting and infield coach for the York Revolution in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball later that year.
In 2008, Minor took on a coaching role with the Delmarva Shorebirds, a team affiliated with the Orioles and playing in the South Atlantic League. He managed the Delmarva Shorebirds from 2010 to 2012. His coaching career progressed when he was promoted to manage the Advanced-A Frederick Keys in 2013.
After managing the Delmarva Shorebirds from 2014 to 2017, Minor returned as the manager of the Frederick Keys for the 2018 season. However, following the Keys’ challenging 2019 season, the Orioles chose not to renew his contract.
By January 2020, Minor found a coaching opportunity with the Detroit Tigers. He took on the role of managing the Gulf Coast League West Tigers in 2020, continuing in the same capacity for the 2021 season.