Beany Ryan was praised by the Warren and Barrington Gazette as “one of the best pure hitters in Warren history” and “the greatest first baseman in Warren history,” while the Bristol Phoenix expressed the opinion that he was of “major league caliber.”

In 1937 Beany was named the All Class C first baseman.  But he was just getting started.  The next year he hit .585 (.611 in Class C games only) and led the state in hitting; he was again named the All Class C first baseman.

1939 saw Warren High School become the first Class C school to win a state title in any sport, as the Red Raiders captured the Class C and State Baseball Championships.  Beany pitched the final two playoff games versus Woonsocket and went four for five in the final game.  In recognition of his efforts, which saw him hit “only” .418 for the year, and  was named the All Class C and All State first baseman.

That summer he was invited to Boston by manager Casey Stengel, where he pitched batting practice to the Boston Bees (known by most of us by their more frequent moniker of Braves).

Beany was a member of the Warren Softball League’s 1940 Champions Narries and led the Rhode Island State Baseball League in hitting with a .476 average when they captured the 1941 regular season title.

He played in the Warren versus Bristol Baseball Little World Series from 1937 to 1940, and returning from World War Two, competed again in 1946 and 1948.  (Bristol wouldn’t let him play in 1947, as he had moved to Barrington.)  Beany “owned” the 1946 Series when he hit .563 and made several spectacular fielding plays.

Beany was a member of the Warren Townies who lost only one baseball game in 1946 and played on the Warren Twilight League Champions Knights of Columbus in 1947.  His 4-0 record in that latter season earned him the pitching position on the league’s All Star team.

Picture from Hall of Fame archives (Providence Journal-Bulletin)