Ralph Bryant
Encyclopedia
Ralph Wendell Bryant is a former Major League Baseball
player. He played with the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the major leagues, and with the Chunichi Dragons
and Kintetsu Buffaloes
in Nippon Professional Baseball. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, and played outfield for most of his career.
, Bryant studied at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
, where he played as a receiver on the football
team. He was drafted in the first round of the 1981 amateur draft
by the Los Angeles Dodgers
. He had previously been drafted by the Dodgers and Minnesota Twins
, but did not sign with either team that year.
Bryant was promoted to the major leagues for the first time in , but was unable to establish himself as a regular outfielder, and spent the next three years traveling back and forth between the major and minor leagues. In , the Chunichi Dragons
of the Japanese Central League
showed interest in Bryant, and he was shipped to Japan in May, 1988.
On June 7, 1988, Dick Davis
, the cleanup batter of the Kintetsu Buffaloes
, was arrested on drug charges, and the Buffaloes were forced to let go of one of their best hitters mid-season. Unable to fill the offensive void left by Davis, the Buffaloes found Bryant, who was playing on the Dragons minor league team. After seeing Bryant blast a home run in a minor league game, the Buffaloes offered to purchase his contract. The Dragons minor league staff was opposed to the trade, but regulations only allowed for only two non-Japanese players per team, and the Dragons already had Taiwan
ese baseball star Genji Kaku
and slugger Gary Rajsich
on their roster, leaving no room for Bryant. The purchase was finalized on June 28, giving birth to one of the best left-handed power hitters in Japanese baseball history.
Bryant quickly established his presence with the Buffaloes, hitting 34 home runs in only 74 games to contribute to the huge comeback which put the team in a close second place to the Seibu Lions
in 1988. Ironically, many Buffaloes home games that year were held in the Nagoya Baseball Stadium
, the home field of the Chunichi Dragons
.
Bryant played his best season in , where his 49 home runs led the Buffaloes to their third Pacific League
championship. He won the season MVP award that year, and also tied Sadaharu Oh
's career record for hitting 3 home runs in a game 5 times. He continued his success in subsequent seasons, and retired in after missing most of that year due to injuries. He was invited back to Japan in by manager Akira Ogi as a hitting coach for the Orix Buffaloes
. He left his job after only one year, but blasted three home runs in an inter-league home run contest during the season.
Though he hit a large number of home runs throughout his career, he also struck out countless times, and holds the top four spots on the single-season strikeout records in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was also the first player with MLB experience to strike out more than 200 times per season in both the Central League and Pacific League.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He played with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the major leagues, and with the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
and Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
in Nippon Professional Baseball. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, and played outfield for most of his career.
Biography
Born in Fort Gaines, GeorgiaFort Gaines, Georgia
Fort Gaines is a city in Clay County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,110 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Clay County.-Geography:Fort Gaines is located at ....
, Bryant studied at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a State College of the University System of Georgia. Located in Tifton, Georgia, ABAC offers baccalaureate and associate degrees...
, where he played as a receiver on the football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team. He was drafted in the first round of the 1981 amateur draft
1981 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*John Elway was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1981 amateur draft...
by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He had previously been drafted by the Dodgers and Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, but did not sign with either team that year.
Bryant was promoted to the major leagues for the first time in , but was unable to establish himself as a regular outfielder, and spent the next three years traveling back and forth between the major and minor leagues. In , the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
of the Japanese Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
showed interest in Bryant, and he was shipped to Japan in May, 1988.
On June 7, 1988, Dick Davis
Dick Davis
Richard Earl Davis is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball from 1977 until 1982, primarily as an outfielder. He also played five seasons in Japan with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1984 until 1988....
, the cleanup batter of the Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
, was arrested on drug charges, and the Buffaloes were forced to let go of one of their best hitters mid-season. Unable to fill the offensive void left by Davis, the Buffaloes found Bryant, who was playing on the Dragons minor league team. After seeing Bryant blast a home run in a minor league game, the Buffaloes offered to purchase his contract. The Dragons minor league staff was opposed to the trade, but regulations only allowed for only two non-Japanese players per team, and the Dragons already had Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese baseball star Genji Kaku
Genji Kaku
Genji Kaku , is a Japanese former professional baseball player from Taitung, Taiwan. His family comes from the Taiwanese aborigines...
and slugger Gary Rajsich
Gary Rajsich
Gary Louis Rajsich is an American Major League Baseball scout and a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of four seasons in the Majors from until , then played three additional seasons for the Chunichi Dragons from until...
on their roster, leaving no room for Bryant. The purchase was finalized on June 28, giving birth to one of the best left-handed power hitters in Japanese baseball history.
Bryant quickly established his presence with the Buffaloes, hitting 34 home runs in only 74 games to contribute to the huge comeback which put the team in a close second place to the Seibu Lions
Seibu Lions
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based west of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Prince Hotels, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Group...
in 1988. Ironically, many Buffaloes home games that year were held in the Nagoya Baseball Stadium
Nagoya Baseball Stadium
Nagoya Baseball Stadium was a stadium in Nagoya, Japan. It was primarily used for baseball and was home of the Chunichi Dragons until they moved to the Nagoya Dome in 1997. The stadium was opened in 1948 and had a capacity of 35,000 people....
, the home field of the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
.
Bryant played his best season in , where his 49 home runs led the Buffaloes to their third Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
championship. He won the season MVP award that year, and also tied Sadaharu Oh
Sadaharu Oh
Sadaharu Oh, or Wang Chenchih , is a retired Japanese-Taiwanese baseball player and manager. He batted and threw left-handed and primarily played first base. Oh, who was born in Sumida, Tokyo the son of a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother, had originally signed with the powerhouse Yomiuri...
's career record for hitting 3 home runs in a game 5 times. He continued his success in subsequent seasons, and retired in after missing most of that year due to injuries. He was invited back to Japan in by manager Akira Ogi as a hitting coach for the Orix Buffaloes
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....
. He left his job after only one year, but blasted three home runs in an inter-league home run contest during the season.
Though he hit a large number of home runs throughout his career, he also struck out countless times, and holds the top four spots on the single-season strikeout records in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was also the first player with MLB experience to strike out more than 200 times per season in both the Central League and Pacific League.