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Former Oklahoma multi-sport star Ryan Minor dies at 49

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz12/23/23NickSchultz_7
Former Oklahoma athlete Ryan Minor
© Lauren Roberts/Salisbury Daily Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ryan Minor, the former Oklahoma multi-sport star who later played for the Baltimore Orioles, has died. He was 49 years old.

Minor’s twin brother, Damon, announced his death via social media Friday. A two-time all-conference forward while at Oklahoma, the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Ryan Minor in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft. However, he later embarked on his baseball career after the Orioles selected him in the 33rd round of the 1996 MLB Draft.

In 1998, Minor made his MLB debut for the Orioles, and his Sept. 20, 1998 start put him in MLB history. Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games streak ended that day when Minor started at third base, marking the first time in 2,632 games Ripken didn’t start.

“After a courageous and hard fought battle I’m sad to say that Ryan lost his fight with cancer this afternoon,” Damon Minor wrote on X. “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.”

Minor was diagnosed with colon cancer last year and it recently progressed to Stage 4 earlier this year. He recently went into hospice.

As a basketball player at Oklahoma, Minor earned two All-Big Eight selections and was the conference player of the year in 1995. On the baseball field, though, he helped OU to a College World Series title in 1995 and earned all-tournament honors as a sophomore. He then embarked on professional careers in both sports, starting with the 76ers in 1996.

Minor played in the preseason for the 76ers that year, but later got his release when the Orioles invited him to spring training in 1997. He worked his way up through the minor leagues before he made his debut in 1998, and he stayed in Baltimore through 2000. That’s when he was traded to the Montreal Expos for Julio Lugo, and he spent the 2001 season with the organization.

Minor then bounced around the minor leagues and the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball until his retirement in 2006. From there, he got into coaching with the York Revolution in 2008 as a hitting and infield assistant before moving over to the the Delmarva Shorebirds — the Orioles’ Class-A affiliate — in 2008. The Shorebirds then named him their manager from 2010-12, and he returned from 2014-17. The team retired his No. 44 earlier this year.