Connie Ryan
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame
Baseball, 1936-54
Jesuit High School/LSU/Major League Baseball
Inducted: 1978
After a standout career at Jesuit High School, Connie Ryan became the first player to earn a full baseball scholarship to LSU. He only played one year for the Tigers before turning pro. He would appear in 1,184 Major League Baseball games over 12 seasons with the New York Giants (1942), Boston Braves (1943-44, 1946-50), Cincinnati Reds (1950-51), Philadelphia Phillies (1952-53) and Chicago White Sox (1953), primarily as a second baseman. He registered a career batting average of .248 with 58 home runs.
Â
In 1944, he tallied a .295 batting average with 13 stolen bases to earn a trip to the All-Star Game, but he ended up playing just 88 games as he enlisted in the Army and served overseas until 1946.
In 1948, he helped the Boston Braves to the National League title and a World Series appearance.
Â
He also tied a Major League record with six hits in a 1953 game against Pittsburgh.
Â
After his playing career, Ryan went into coaching, serving with many teams from 1954-79.
Born February 27, 1920, Ryan died on January 3, 1996, at the age of 75.
Â
Read More:
Bio from the Society for American Baseball Research
