There is a story that gets told anytime someone mentions Connie Ryan, the Philadelphia Phillies second baseman appearing in the 1952 Topps set. I know I will certainly tell it whenever discussing my Ryan card.
Connie Ryan was waiting to bat for the Boston Braves the second half of a 1949 doubleheader. A steady rain had been building and players wanted to end the contest. The Brooklyn Dodgers were already up 8-0 by the end of the second inning and the Braves had no chance of salvaging their season. Antics from the bench had grown louder in support of ending the game, and Ryan decided to send a message to the umpire crew. When he reached the on-deck circle he was decked out in a raincoat, instantly drawing an ejection from home plate umpire George Barr. The message apparently worked, though Barr went ahead and killed the messenger. The game was called after becoming official in the fifth inning.
Connie Ryan’s stats were a bit mixed, but still good enough to get into the top 100 position players in ’52 Topps. I’m not going to argue, as any player who punched Eddie Stanky in the face is okay with me.
