Ryan Ward's long road ends with debut at Coors Field
The Sporting Tribune's Fredo Cervantes writes about the journey of 28-year-old Ryan Ward.
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) and shortstop Hyeseong Kim (6) and second baseman Alex Freeland (76) and first baseman Ryan Ward (67) in the fifth inning during a pitching change agai... DENVER – For Ryan Ward, the timeline never quite matched the dream. Not when he was an eighth-round pick in 2019.
Not when the 2020 season disappeared due to COVID-19. Not through 696 minor league games, spread across small towns and long bus rides, where production was steady but recognition was not. And certainly not at 28 years old, when most debuts come with labels — “late bloomer,” “organizational depth,” “unlikely.
” But baseball has a way of keeping its own clock. On Sunday afternoon at Coors Field, Ward’s finally struck midnight in the best possible way. Inserted into the starting lineup by Dave Roberts, batting seventh, playing first base, Ward became the latest example of something the Dodgers have quietly valued for years: players who force the issue.
“To be here and have this opportunity is incredible,” Ward said pregame, his voice carrying both excitement and the weight of everything it took to get there. This wasn’t a prospect promotion fueled by hype. It was earned in increments, a productive season here, an adjustment there, a refusal to plateau.
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