June 25, 2007

Ryan's Hope
Silkworm standout progressing on way to Majors
By Don Leypoldt

Wilmington, DE- Minor league managers want to see their farmhands hustle. But if Frederick Key third baseman Ryan Finan makes the Major Leagues, he'll be likely be walking there.

"College really stressed how important walks are," says Finan, whose .283 average and six home runs are among the Keys' team leaders. "Walks are basically singles but you don't have to swing...If you make (a pitcher) throw pitches, he is eventually going to walk you."

In his combined junior and senior years at Lamar University, Finan walked 86 times while striking out just 47. Sandwiched between those seasons were 24 games as a Manchester Silkworm during the summer of 2003. Finan raked for a .349 batting average- still the single season Silkworm record- and walked nearly as often as he struck out.

There is not a natural pipeline between Beaumont, Texas- Lamar's location- and Manchester, Connecticut but one of Finan's assistant coaches at Lamar had strong NECBL ties and was able to place Finan in Silk City. "Probably my best (Silkworm) memories are of my host family, the Proctors," Finan recalls. "Just getting to stay with them and them taking me in for that summer, it was an unbelievable experience."

Another special New England memory for Finan occurred during his first trip to Fenway Park. He was able to meet up with Red Sox folk hero- and fellow Lamar grad Kevin Millar. Millar put Finan up in a suite for a Red Sox-Astros game.

Unlike a lot of players, Finan wanted to attend college far from his Topeka, Kansas home. "I talked with some scouts in the (Kansas) area. They said that I needed to go away from them and play in front of guys who I had never played in front of," he explained. "Lamar was the school that recruited me which was the furthest away. I liked the school, I liked the weather and I liked the coaches."

The Orioles selected the strapping 6'5" lefty in the 21st round of the 2004 draft. He quickly validated the O's scouting prowess by belting .333, slugging .553 and walking more than he struck out in rookie league Bluefield. This earned him Appalachian League all-star accolades.

Past experiences of being away from home aided Finan's transition to the pro ranks. He observed. "The more that you go away from home, the more you are put in situations where you don't know anybody. You can either stay in your little shell or come outside of it. I was always real shy growing up and it made me come out of my shell. I think I have more personality now because I'm put in situations where I have to talk to people, I have to get to know them. It's not just the same people over and over. Definitely, once I got to pro ball, it was a lot easier to get to know the guys."

Finan was promoted to short season Aberdeen in 2005 and then to low-A Delmarva in 2006. He was honored as Delmarva's Batter of the Year while leading the South Atlantic League with 85 bases on balls in 131 games. 2006 is also where he made the switch from first baseman to the hot corner; when he arrived in high-A Frederick this past April, he came as a third baseman.

"In college, I really thought I was terrible at third to be quite honest," he admits. "They use aluminum bats and it felt like they were trying to yank it down your throat. I didn't believe in my ability at third but they gave me another shot over there after a couple of years in pro ball. I got a lot more comfortable and the balls weren't coming as fast. If you can do something every day and you concentrate and focus, I believe you can accomplish your goal."

The switch didn't affect his hitting one iota. After a slump and some minor injuries created a forgettable start to this year's campaign, Finan has hit .306 since April 13th. His 35 RBIs made him the Keys' leader by far.

"I know how the game works. If you're out here for five months playing every single game, your numbers are eventually going to get to where they're supposed to be. If you're supposed to hit .320, you'll hit .320. If you're supposed to hit .240, you'll hit .240," says Finan.

Friendly and thoughtful, Finan is quick to point out that a passion for baseball needs to be tempered with non-baseball releases. He sites his family and girlfriend back home, reading and music as his escapes. When asked about how often his Kansas-based family is able to see him play on an East Coast league, Finan grins. "We play at Myrtle Beach (Braves' affiliate) quite a bit. It's funny how my parents always manage to make those games."

But to be sure, his ultimate focus is to follow Brooks Robinson's footsteps and play for the Orioles. "Each year, they talk about coming to the Yard, doing the same thing every day and being consistent," Finan says. "One of the things that I really need to work on is not giving away at bats. Take each at bat, each pitch for what it's supposed to be and not carry one at bat into the next or batting practice into the game."

Finan, recognizing that every member of the 2007 Silkworms wants to be in his shoes, offers the following advice: "Just play hard. Every day is a new opportunity. I'd encourage them to take advantage of every opportunity that they get because you never know when it will be your last."

If Finan keeps hitting- and walking- like he historically has- his last opportunity is as far away as Beaumont, Texas is to Manchester.

The Manchester Silkworms are proud member of the MLB and NCAA sanctioned New England Collegiate Baseball League. Please contact GM Ed Slegeski (SilkwormsGM@aol.com) or Sports Information rep Don Leypoldt (dleypoldt@hotmail.com) for more information on Ryan the other 25+ Silkworm alumni playing in professional baseball. Special thanks to Frederick Keys' Director of Public Relations Adam Pohl for his assistance in making this article possible.