B. J. Ryan
A flame-throwing left-handed closer whose devastating slider made him one of baseball's most dominant and feared relievers for a brilliant stretch.
Born 1975 (age 51)·American baseball player and coach·Birthday: December 28·Generation X
Biography
B.J. Ryan didn't just pitch; he announced his presence with an intimidating, side-winding delivery and a slider that seemed to defy physics. The towering left-hander from Louisiana carved a path through the majors defined by a few seasons of sheer, unhittable dominance. After early years with the Cincinnati Reds, he found his footing in Baltimore, where his role evolved into that of a setup man and eventual closer. It was in Toronto, however, where Ryan authored his masterpiece season. In 2006, freshly signed to a major contract, he was virtually untouchable, saving games with a ruthless efficiency that earned him an All-Star nod and placed him in the Cy Young conversation. His style—all power and sharp, late-breaking movement—made batters look foolish. While arm injuries later curtailed the back end of his career, the memory of Ryan at his peak endures: a pitcher who, for a time, owned the ninth inning with overwhelming authority.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
B. was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When B. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
B.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected as an American League All-Star in 2005 and again in his dominant 2006 season with the Toronto Blue Jays.
- Finished fifth in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2006 after recording 38 saves with a 1.37 ERA.
- Led the American League with 36 games finished during the 2005 season while with the Baltimore Orioles.
- Recorded a career total of 117 saves across his ten seasons in Major League Baseball.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'B.J.' stands for 'Bobby Joe,' though his given name is Robert Victor Ryan Jr.
He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 17th round of the 1998 MLB draft.
In 2006, he held opposing left-handed batters to a microscopic .085 batting average.
He played college baseball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette under coach Tony Robichaux.
“When my slider is working, it's the best pitch in baseball.”
