The occasion was the University of Maine catcher signing with the Royals after being drafted in the 14th round.
"Colin has the God-given tools they need," Maine coach John Winkin told The Daily News. "Nobody throws better and he has made great progress as a defensive catcher and as a handler of pitchers. And he's got a good baseball mind."
His baseball mind aside, Ryan never could use his tools enough for a long career. Ryan played just three seasons. He made AA briefly, but he never made it higher.
Ryan went to the University of Maine out of Newton North High School in Newtonville, Mass.
At Maine, Ryan was credited with helping the Maine pitching staff, as well as throwing out runners and picking them off first, according to The Daily News.
"He's done a heckuva' job handling our pitchers," Winkin told The Daily News in April 1988. "His instincts and judgement are much better. He's learned to make use of the pitchers' strengths."
With the Royals, Ryan started at short-season Eugene. He got into 37 games, hitting just .208. Ryan went to Eugene not knowing much about the city, he told The Eugene Register-Guard after arriving. He also changed baseball allegiances.
"I was a Boston Red Sox fan until Monday," Ryan told The Register-Guard early that June.
Ryan moved to single-A Appleton in 1990. He hit just .165 there over 86 games. He then played most of 1991 at high-A Baseball City. He also got five games at AA Memphis. Between the two levels, he hit .208. It was his final year as a pro.
Originally published May 5, 2014
- Bangor Daily News, April 26, 1988: Catcher Colin Ryan key to Bear defense
- Bangor Daily News, June 7, 1989: Maine's Ryan signs with Royals
- Eugene Register-Guard, June 11, 1989: Ems back in the swing of things
More: The 1990 Appleton Foxes
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