Indy Baseball Chatter: MICHAEL RYAN THRILLED WITH RETURN TO MAJORS WHILE MILLAR DELIVERS A RUN-SCORING DOUBLE

Sunday, May 09, 2010

MICHAEL RYAN THRILLED WITH RETURN TO MAJORS WHILE MILLAR DELIVERS A RUN-SCORING DOUBLE

Michael Ryan is finally getting some payback for continuing to battle in the minor leagues and the strong spring training showing he had with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The Angels gave Ryan his first major league opportunity since 2005 when they made room on their 40-man roster and the active 25-man roster Friday. He has paid one dividend already with a pinch single in the ninth inning Saturday in an eventual 4-3, extra-inning win in Seattle. He was 0-for-1 and played briefly in the outfield in his debut Friday.

The 32-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder spent much of 2008 with Somerset, NJ in the Atlantic League, hitting .282 with 20 doubles, 15 home runs and driving in 44 in 65 games before his contract was sold to the Florida Marlins.

"For this organization and (Mike Scioscia) to give me a chance, I'm just so relieved," Ryan told MLB.com. "I'm not going to do anything to screw that up, and whatever they ask me to do, I'm going to give 100 per cent to do it." Ryan's previous major league experience came in 127 games for Minnesota spread over four seasons (2002-05).

MILLAR DOUBLES IN FIRST GAME

Kevin Millar, making what could be a farewell tour as a player, had a run-scoring double in four at-bats Saturday in an exhibition game for the St. Paul (MN) Saints, for whom he started his pro career in 1993. He is expected to play with the American Association team for about a week once the regular season begins Thursday.

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Bob Wirz

Former chief spokesman for Major League Baseball Commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Peter Ueberroth. Six years as publicity director for the Kansas City Royals, and a background in newspaper, radio and television. Started Wirz & Associates, a sports PR and consulting firm, in 1985. Has written extensively on Independent Baseball since 2003.

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About 'My Nebraska'

It seems almost universally accepted that Nebraskans are friendly, hard-working people.

A native son, who eventually transitioned to the East Coast because it was the best avenue to follow his passion of continuing to work in major league baseball, has published a book to share a lifetime of memories of growing up in the Cornhusker state.

You may have guessed it when you saw the title: My Nebraska. Yes, Bob Wirz, now a youthful 85, is sharing his "rich memories of growing up in rural Nebraska" in the 1940s and 1950s in a delightful 136 pages in the book produced by Dorrance Publishing in Pittsburgh, PA.

Wirz, who got to live his passion of working at the highest levels of baseball and later developing his own sports public relations and marketing company, lovingly empties out his memories of everything from counting millions of tiny trees to playing grass-roots baseball where the age of teammates might run from the early teens to the 50s.

The colorful cover of My Nebraska, which features two paintings from Dunning, NE rancher/artist Laron McGinn that depict the beautiful landscape of rural Nebraska and the ranching lifestyle, sets the tone for the 5 x 8 book also filled with meaningful pictures.

It is "a wistful and endearing love letter to Nebraska filled with memories shared by generations raised in small towns throughout the Midwest", praises Shari Veil, who heads up the journalism and mass communications department at the University of Nebraska.

My Nebraska, a 5x8 paperback, is priced at $19.95 plus $4.00 for handling and shipping. Autographed copies may be ordered at www.WirzandAssociates.com