Ryan Westmoreland
{{Short description|American baseball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox MLB player
| name = Ryan Westmoreland
| team =
| number =
| position = Outfielder
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|4|27}}
| birth_place = Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.
| bats = Left
| throws = Right
}}
Ryan Michael Westmoreland (born April 27, 1990) is a former American professional baseball player. An outfielder, he played in minor league baseball in the Boston Red Sox organization. Westmoreland was considered one of the best prospects in baseball. However, his career was limited by a medical condition that has required two brain surgeries.
A star baseball player in high school, Westmoreland was twice named to the Rhode Island All-State team and was named the Rhode Island player of the year as a senior. The Red Sox selected Westmoreland in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft and signed him with a $2 million signing bonus. Baseball America ranked Westmoreland among the best prospects in baseball in 2010. However, he began to experience symptoms of a cavernous malformation that year, which required two surgeries and years of rehabilitation. Westmoreland announced his retirement in 2013.
Career
Westmoreland attended Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. He was named to the All-State team in 2007 and 2008,{{cite web |author= |date=June 6, 2008 |title=Area players taken in draft |url=http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/area-players-taken-draft |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221528/http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/sports/area-players-taken-draft |archive-date=2016-03-03 |website=Nashville City Paper}} and was named Gatorade Rhode Island Player of the Year in both years.{{Cite news |date=2008-05-29 |title=Westmoreland wins Gatorade honor again |url=https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/title/upqkfrtlkelrucmrizbrwdspzaheygbf_ip-10-166-46-125_1741661895530 |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=Providence Journal |page=C6 |via=GenealogyBank.com}}
Westmoreland committed to attend Vanderbilt University on a baseball scholarship, allowing him to play college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Eligible in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft at the end of his high school career, Baseball America rated Westmoreland the 113th-best prospect available in the draft.{{cite web |last=Edes |first=Gordon |date=June 4, 2008 |title=Locals don't figure as impact players in draft |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-red-sox/2008/06/04/locals_dont_fig/ |accessdate=2025-03-11 |website=Boston Globe}} However, it was rumored that he would only consider signing a professional contract with the Boston Red Sox, his hometown team.{{cite web |date=November 28, 2009 |title=Ryan Westmoreland Will Be Worth the Wait Once He Arrives at Fenway |url=https://nesn.com/2009/11/ryan-westmorelands-future-at-fenway-is-a-long-way-off-but-the-wait-is-worth-it/ |accessdate=August 27, 2012 |website=NESN.com}}
The Red Sox drafted Westmoreland in the fifth round of the draft, with the 172nd overall selection. Westmoreland signed with the Red Sox, receiving a $2 million signing bonus. Assigned to the Lowell Spinners of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League, Westmoreland batted .296 with seven home runs, 35 runs batted in (RBIs), and a .401 on-base percentage in 60 games during the 2009 season.
Baseball America rated Westmoreland the 21st-best prospect in baseball prior to the 2010 season.{{cite web |title=All-Time Top 100 Prospects |url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/top-100-prospects/all-time.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406183347/http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/top-100-prospects/all-time.html |archive-date=2012-04-06 |website=Baseball America}} Before the season began, Westmoreland began to experience weakness, and magnetic resonance imaging diagnosed a cavernous malformation at his brainstem. In March 2010, Westmoreland had brain surgery to repair the malformation.{{cite web |last=Edes |first=Gordon |date=September 30, 2010 |title=Ten sweet moments to a sour Boston Red Sox season |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/mlb/columns/story?columnist=edes_gordon&id=5632063 |access-date=August 27, 2012 |website=ESPN}}{{cite web |date=April 27, 2010 |title=Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland leaves rehabilitation hospital |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5139934 |access-date=August 27, 2012 |website=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}}{{cite web |last=Browne |first=Ian |date=January 19, 2011 |title=Prospect Ryan Westmoreland making progress following brain surgery |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110119&content_id=16462884&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&partnerId=rss_mlb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305141855/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/16462884 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |website=MLB.com}} He continued to rehabilitate in an attempt to return to professional baseball in the 2011–12 offseason.{{cite web |last=McDonald |first=Joe |date=December 8, 2011 |title=Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland ups progress, sees live at-bat |url=https://www.espn.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7333226/boston-red-sox-prospect-ryan-westmoreland-ups-progress-see-live-bat |access-date=August 27, 2012 |website=ESPN.com}} Following a setback in his rehabilitation, Westmoreland underwent a second surgery in July 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2012/08/westmoreland_ch.html |title=Westmoreland checks in via Twitter – Extra Bases – Red Sox blog |publisher=Boston.com |date=August 3, 2012 |accessdate=August 27, 2012}}
Westmoreland announced his retirement from baseball on March 6, 2013.{{cite news|url=http://blogs.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/2013/03/ryan-westmoreland-announces-retirement-from-baseball.html|title=Ryan Westmoreland announces retirement from baseball|date=March 6, 2013|first=Brian|last=MacPherson|newspaper=The Providence Journal|accessdate=March 6, 2013}} In June 2014, the Lowell Spinners retired Westmoreland's uniform number, 25, the first such honor by the Spinners for a player.{{cite news |url=https://nesn.com/2014/06/ryan-westmoreland-excited-to-have-number-retired-by-lowell-spinners/ |title=Ryan Westmoreland 'Excited' To Have Number Retired By Lowell Spinners |first=Ricky |last=Doyle |website=NESN |date=June 21, 2014 |accessdate=July 31, 2018}} A NESN biography, Red Sox Prospects: The Ryan Westmoreland Story, debuted on August 16, 2018.{{cite news |date=August 16, 2018 |title=NESN documentary on ex-Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland airs tonight |url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/sports/20180816/nesn-documentary-on-ex-red-sox-prospect-ryan-westmoreland-airs-tonight |accessdate=August 16, 2018 |newspaper=The Newport Daily News}}
Personal life
Westmoreland's father, Ron, played baseball and coached for Eckerd College, and two of his uncles played professional baseball.{{cite web |last=Pierce |first=Charles P. |date=March 20, 2011 |title=Boston Red Sox – Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland's long road back from brain surgery |url=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2011/03/20/red_sox_prospect_ryan_westmorelands_long_road_back_from_brain_surgery/?page=full |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426002550/http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2011/03/20/red_sox_prospect_ryan_westmorelands_long_road_back_from_brain_surgery/?page=full |archive-date=2011-04-26 |website=The Boston Globe}} Ron Westmoreland is treasurer and long-time co-owner of the Newport Gulls summer collegiate baseball team in the NECBL. Westmoreland married his long time girlfriend, Libby (née Pinkham) on June 26, 2020. They have a daughter, born in 2021.{{Cite Instagram |postid=CfRaVVKrQlU |user=rwesty25 |title=Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife. You are my best friend and an incredible mother to our daughter. Cheers to forever 💕 |first=Ryan |last=Westmoreland |date=2022-06-26 |access-date=2025-03-11}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
Further reading
- {{cite news |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2737245-ryan-westmoreland-and-the-brain-surgery-that-sidelined-left-handed-mike-trout |title=Ryan Westmoreland and the Brain Surgery That Sidelined 'Left-Handed Mike Trout' |first=Joon |last=Lee |website=Bleacher Report |date=October 6, 2017 |accessdate=July 31, 2018}}
- {{cite news |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2018/03/silverman_eight_years_later_ryan_westmoreland_eases_into_life_away_from |title=Eight years later, Ryan Westmoreland eases into life away from baseball |first=Michael |last=Silverman |newspaper=Boston Herald |date=March 17, 2018 |accessdate=July 31, 2018}}
External links
{{Portal|Baseball}}
{{baseballstats |brm=westmo001rya}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westmoreland, Ryan}}
Category:Sportspeople from Newport, Rhode Island
Category:Baseball players from Rhode Island