Former Baltimore Orioles infielder Ryan Minor passed away at 49-years old on Friday following his battle with cancer. Minor's twin bother, Damon, made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter).
“After a courageous and hard fought battle I’m sad to say that Ryan lost his fight with cancer this afternoon. He truly was the best twin brother you can ask for. His family and I want to thank everyone for the prayers and support during this time. BOOMER SOONER..”
Minor played in parts of four big league seasons with the Orioles and Montreal Expos (now Washington Nationals). His MLB career lasted from 1998-2001. Minor also managed in the minor leagues after his big league career ended.
He was the player who replaced Baltimore legend Cal Ripken Jr. in the Orioles lineup to end Ripken's consecutive games played streak. Ripken shared a statement on Minor's passing Saturday, via Roch Kubatko of MASN.
Article Continues Below“Ryan and I shared a wonderful moment but I'll always remember him as a friend and a terrific teammate. He made a positive impact on everyone who knew him. His family is in my thoughts at this very difficult time.”
The Orioles also released a statement Friday.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of former third baseman and longtime minor league manager Ryan Minor, who courageously fought cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ryan’s family and friends at this time.”
Ryan Minor was beloved by his teammates during his baseball career. Our thoughts are with Minor's family at this challenging time.