In a move widely discussed in baseball circles for the past
several months, the York Revolution in conjunction with the
Baltimore Orioles today announce that infield/bench coach Ryan
Minor will be joining the Delmarva Shorebirds, the South Atlantic
League affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Minor joins manager
Ramon Sambo’s coaching staff in Salisbury, Maryland, Ryan’s
home town.
He also rejoins the organization with which he
made his major league debut. Minor played in Delmarva as a key
member of the 1997 South Atlantic League championship team, where
he also met and married wife Allison. The couple and their
daughter live in Salisbury.
The Orioles had inquired with
the Revolution about Minor’s availability. The 33-year-old
had signed to return to York in 2008, but the Revolution granted
permission for him to pursue the Delmarva opportunity. York’s
ownership, which includes Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson,
maintains a close working relationship with the Orioles. The
group previously owned several of the Orioles minor league
affiliates, including Delmarva.
“Ryan is going to
be missed on the coaching staff and in the York community,”
commented York manager Chris Hoiles, also a former Oriole. “Ryan
is a good person, he has a very good baseball mind, and I loved
having him sit beside me in the dugout, offering his advice on
various situations that would come up during the course of a
game. This move gives Ryan a chance to coach in his hometown and
further his dream of returning to the big leagues as a coach or
manager.”
The announcement comes one day after the
Revolution announced its first player signing of the 2008 season,
inking left-handed pitcher Wayne Franklin to a contract. Now, the
team embarks on a search to fill Minor’s spot on the
coaching staff.
“When Ryan accepted a position to
coach two years ago after he stopped playing, we hoped that
eventually an opportunity like this would come to him,”
stated Revolution director of baseball operations, Adam
Gladstone. “We are extremely excited that his hard work
over the last couple of years has gotten him this opportunity.”
Minor was drafted by Baltimore in the 33rd round of the
1996 draft, and made his big-league debut two years later with
the Orioles. He is widely remembered for replacing Cal Ripken,
Jr. in the starting lineup at third base the night that Ripken
ended his consecutive games played streak.