Dysty Ryan Career Tracker

Catching Up with Dusty Ryan

By Kira Jones

At 6’4 Dusty Ryan is rather intimidating behind the plate. And although he describes himself as a “quiet catcher” his presence makes up for his calm demeanor. Ryan is a catcher for the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. He identifies catching as his strongest point but his
offensive numbers are also impressive. With a .275 batting average with twelve doubles and twelve homeruns as of June 29th he’s doing something right at the plate. He also has 39 RBIs. Ryan is talented in many aspects of the game, but his biggest asset is his arm. After seeing Ryan’s rocket when throwing down to second many runners are too intimidated to run on him. And if they do chances are he will throw them out.

This is Ryan’s first season in Double-A and it’s obvious he’s adjusting well to it. The biggest difference he’s noticed? “Pitchers can throw all their pitches in every count whereas in Single-A they rely more on their fastball.”

09/04/2008 2:21 PM ET
Rookie Ryan makes early impression
Young catcher shows off tremendous power in batting practice
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The legend is set in stone. Or in this case, the legend hit stone.

Dusty Ryan arrived in Detroit for his Major League callup on Tuesday and had caught Freddy Garcia in a simulated game by the time many players arrived at Comerica Park. He then went out for batting practice and drove the ball so far out to left-center field that he hit the statue of Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer on the concourse.

Manager Jim Leyland brought up the feat talking with reporters Thursday morning. Teammates confirmed it. Then Ryan owned up to it.

"I did," Ryan said, "and the next pitch went at my head."

That was first-base coach and batting-practice pitcher Andy Van Slyke having fun with the rookie. Nonetheless, Ryan's power is serious.

"That's far," infielder Ramon Santiago said. "He's a big guy, too."

Ryan is listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, which makes him a big target behind the plate for pitchers. With 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 102 games between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie, he doesn't have the numbers of a big power threat, but apparently the distance. He also has a big arm behind the plate, enough that the Tigers almost tried him out as a pitcher in Spring Training.

"This guy's got a cannon," Leyland said.

Ryan made his Major League debut on Thursday, when Leyland inserted him to catch the ninth inning of the 7-1 loss to the Angels. He took an offspeed pitch from Justin Speier for a called strike to end the game.

Come Sunday, he'll get a chance to test his power and his arm behind the plate. Leyland said he'll give him his first big league start that day, putting him behind the plate to catch his Toledo Mud Hens teammate, Chris Lambert.

Considering Ryan entered the season with a .225 career average in four Minor League seasons, this year has been a relative breakout year. He credits part of it to teammate Brent Dlugach, who convinced him to add a toe-tap in his batting stance as a timing mechanism. Van Slyke also worked with the positioning of his hands in Spring Training, putting him in a better position to swing.

The product has been encouraging for an organization sorely lacking in young catching. A healthy season has also been big for him after a torn meniscus in his right knee sidelined him for three months last year.

He isn't expected to get many starts this month, but Sunday is one chance. He doesn't have any statues to aim for at the Metrodome, but a first impression is a good target.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I like this kid. Most of these callups will be in my favorite Tigers.

GOOOO DUSTY!!!!

Yay Dusty! He is awesome.

He looked great at the last Mud Hens home game! Sign this dude! Put Inge back at 3rd!

09/07/2008 2:56 PM ET
Ryan makes first Major League start
Young catcher homers in first at-bat against Twins in finale
By Thor Nystrom / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Dusty Ryan made the first start of his Major League career on Sunday against Minnesota. Tigers manager Jim Leyland doesn't know much about his rookie catcher, but he is going to take advantage of an evaluation opportunity.

"I've always known one thing about him: he has a great arm. Other than that, I don't know much about him at all, just what you hear on the reports," Leyland said. "Obviously, he's hit with some power and struck out -- those two, a lot of times, go hand-in-hand."

Ryan batted .266 with 58 runs, 17 home runs and 63 RBIs between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie this year. His contract was purchased from Toledo on Tuesday, the date of his 24th birthday. Ryan made his big league debut on Thursday against the Angels as a defensive replacement.

Could he be the primary backup catcher of the Tigers next year?

"I don't know about that; that's putting the cart before the horse," Leyland said. "You have 20 games left. I doubt you can make that decision in that period of time."

Ryan was named the best defensive catcher in the Tigers organization last year by Baseball America. His first big league start had him catching fellow rookie Chris Lambert.

"I wanted to catch him with Lambert -- a pretty easy guy to catch, I think, [and Ryan] knows him a little bit," Leyland said. "[I want to] see him play, see what he looks like. ... I know he has some power, he can hit it a long ways. That's good."

Leyland's pregame comments appeared prescient after Ryan drove the first pitch he saw, a Glen Perkins fastball, over the right-field baggie for a two-run homer in the second inning. The drive put Detroit up, 2-0.

Ryan was a 48th-round pick of the Tigers in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.

"I think he has played his way to the prospect level," Leyland said. "Is he someday a regular? I don't know. Or a possible backup? I don't know. He had a [heck of a] year at Double-A, that's pretty good."

Thor Nystrom is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

laprimamirala wrote:

He looked great at the last Mud Hens home game! Sign this dude! Put Inge back at 3rd!

Thank you Lap and Amen to that!

WHOOO DUSTY!!!

swiss_tiger wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

He looked great at the last Mud Hens home game! Sign this dude! Put Inge back at 3rd!

Thank you Lap and Amen to that!

Why does everyone want to give Inge 500 AB? Have you seen his production lately? As bad as a fielder as Guillen is, I'd rather take his fielding and batting over Inge's fielding and batting. I don't think Inge's defense makes up for his lack of hitting.

Inge's defense at catcher sucks!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Inge's defense at catcher sucks!

Inge's batting sucks!

Well that makes it a complete suck player right now.

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Well that makes it a complete suck player right now.

My point being, if you move him back to 3rd, he still has to bat. How low is everyone willing to let his batting average drop before you take him away from 3rd? It's already at .213. Would you let him hit .200? .190? .150? Hitting is just as important (maybe more important) than defense.

bobrob2004 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Well that makes it a complete suck player right now.

My point being, if you move him back to 3rd, he still has to bat. How low is everyone willing to let his batting average drop before you take him away from 3rd? It's already at .213. Would you let him hit .200? .190? .150? Hitting is just as important (maybe more important) than defense.

We have a DH that is hitting .225... I definitely think that Inges defensive capabilities justify his start at 3rd base easily. Solid defense is more important than hitting power. Just look at our season. Hitsville... what was this investment in power bats worth in the end?

swiss_tiger wrote:

bobrob2004 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

Well that makes it a complete suck player right now.

My point being, if you move him back to 3rd, he still has to bat. How low is everyone willing to let his batting average drop before you take him away from 3rd? It's already at .213. Would you let him hit .200? .190? .150? Hitting is just as important (maybe more important) than defense.

We have a DH that is hitting .225... I definitely think that Inges defensive capabilities justify his start at 3rd base easily. Solid defense is more important than hitting power. Just look at our season. Hitsville... what was this investment in power bats worth in the end?

Ah, justifying Sheffield to get as much playing time as he has is completely different topic. If Inge can get back to his '04-'06 production, then I'd be all for it. Inge was never a great hitter, but at least he was average those years. Now, these last 2 years he's declined so much that I don't think his defense makes up for his lack of hitting. It's a 2-way street.

Don't you wonder if Jimbo is keeping Sheffie in just long enough to get to 500 HRs....

He wears the best number there is, 52!!

*cough cough, that was Durbin's number*

09/09/2008 8:19 PM ET
Tigers taking long look at young Ryan
Catcher in lineup Tuesday for second time in three games
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland isn't going to get a good enough look at Dusty Ryan over the final weeks of the season to figure out his role for next year. But he hopes to see enough to get an idea of what the Tigers have in this young backstop who emerged from Double-A Erie with a breakout season.

"You can get a feel for him," Leyland said. "You can get a feel for him as a person, what kind of thought process he has, how he handles himself behind the plate."

That's what Leyland is trying to do down the stretch. He slotted Ryan into the lineup on Tuesday for his second start in three games. Part of that was strategic, allowing Brandon Inge to start at third base, where his defense could help starting pitcher Nate Robertson get outs from ground balls to the left side.

That said, it also gave Ryan a game against a pitcher with which he had yet to work this season. His first big league start on Sunday came with Triple-A Toledo teammate Chris Lambert on the mound.

Inge will continue to be the regular season catcher, but Ryan will gets some spot starts down the stretch.

"I want to look at him," Leyland said.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

TIGERS NOTEBOOK
Robertson: Rookie catcher Dusty Ryan 'does a heck of a job'

By JOHN LOWE • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • September 10, 2008

Rookie Dusty Ryan made his second start at catcher for the Tigers, two days after he homered in his first big-league start. He had two hits, including a double.

Nate Robertson, Tuesday night’s starting pitcher, praised Ryan’s work behind the plate.

“Dusty called a great game,” Robertson said. “As far as calling a ballgame and setting up back there, he does a heck of a job. He’s very intelligent. He looks like he’s been here for a while, the way he’s swinging the bat, and the way he’s calling a ballgame, and his demeanor.

“He doesn’t look like he gets too rattled too easily. He’s got a quiet confidence about him.”

He is a TALL catcher!

laprimamirala wrote:

He is a TALL catcher!

I'll bet even taller than Mauer

Gooooo Dusty!!!

laprimamirala wrote:

I'll bet even taller than Mauer

Actually Rod and Mario made a big deal in the game a couple days ago over the fact that Mauer was like 1 inch taller than Dusty. But yeah, they are pretty much the same height.

Who Cares? Dusty is awesomer!!!

Sometimes height can work to your advantage, even behind the plate...

I hope he becomes our back-up, and then main catcher soon!

Never thought Pudge could be replaced, but the good Lord does provide....

At least Nate liked pitching to Dusty, several Yankee pitchers DON'T LIKE Pudge catching their games!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

At least Nate liked pitching to Dusty, several Yankee pitchers DON'T LIKE Pudge catching their games!

that is weird! I thought he was supposed to be easy to work with! Really, though, it seems to be the catcher in charge, telling the pitcher what to do.