SUNY Cortland Club Baseball Vice President and East Harlem native Ryan Ruiz carries an abundance of passion when it comes to the sport of baseball. As he takes on his final season, this right-handed pitcher looks back on his baseball career and the growth he has gained through his experiences through the support of his family and friends.
“I was a year old when I picked up my first bat and glove,” said Ruiz.
Being introduced to baseball by watching his dad play and his mother taking him to his father’s games, Ruiz instantly fell in love with the sport.
“I found baseball to be very therapeutic as it was my safe space.”
As Ruiz got older and grew stronger, he decided to take the sport more seriously and play for his High School team Cardinal Hayes School for the boys, located in the Bronx.
Having the ability to frequently pitch and catch double headers, he thought he was unstoppable until he realized the damage he was physically doing to his body by playing both positions would change his career forever.
Battling an abundance of shoulder and elbow pain before attending his freshman year of college, Ryan decided to ignore the pain and continue to play the sport that he loves most. However, by the end of his sophomore year the pain became unbearable, and he knew something was wrong.
“I ended up getting an MRI to find out I had two tears in my shoulder and a tear in my elbow,” said Ruiz. “I thought my baseball career was over.”
With surgery being the only option for healing and a long road to recovery ahead of him, he was filled with doubt on whether or not his baseball career would continue.
With the recovery stage lasting over ten months, Ruiz was determined to do everything he could to secure his spot back on the pitching mound while also looking out for his mental health.
“My mental health took a toll during this moment of my life because I was so worried about coming back and I felt like I lost something that was known for keeping me sane.”
The beauty that came out of this moment of misery was the fact that his support system was the same ones that made him fall in love with the sport in the first place: his family.
“Through positive affirmations and knowing that I can rely on them for anything, even if I just needed somebody to talk to my parents and brothers were there for me the entire time.”
Ryan is the second oldest of five brothers and they all share the same love for baseball. Two of Ryan’s younger brothers also play college club baseball with his brother Bryce being a fellow teammate on Cortland’s club team, and his other brother John being on Ithaca’s club team.
On March 29, Ryan Ruiz will share the diamond with his two brothers one last time. He learned long ago how precious these moments are.
“Although it was competitive growing up, it’s very bitter-sweet that this is the last time I’ll ever play with my brother”, said John Ruiz.
“These are memories that I’ll cherish forever.”
“Having my brother here for my freshman year at Cortland as not only my brother but also my teammate made the transition to college so much better,” said Bryce Ruiz.
“It was such a great time growing up playing baseball with Ryan and I’m happy that I’ll be his teammate for his last season.”
With the season starting in just a couple of weeks Ruiz is the most perpared he has ever been for a season.
“Although I am still dealing with arm injuries, this is the healthiest I have felt in a long time both mentally and physically,” said Ruiz.
Through hardship and dedication, Ryan Ruiz is as passionate as one can get about baseball and he’s eager to see what the spring season has in store for himself and his teammates.
