Ryan Hanigan can relate to the Williamsport Crosscutters players he’s managing.
He used to be one of them.
The former catcher played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, but was never drafted before signing with the Cincinnati Reds.
Hanigan, 43, came out of retirement to manage the Crosscutters, who play in the MLB Draft League. Draft league players compete to improve their chances of getting drafted by major league teams July 14.
“I was one of these guys trying to make it, trying to play my way in,” Hanigan said. “I wish I was one of these guys again honestly - to be back at this level is just a great part of their career. They're in a league with some of the best talent in the country, cherry picking to be put together. To be in front of guys watching them, that's what it's all about.”
He wants to teach them the game.
“They're talented, just a little unpolished, trying to develop their routines, understand where their games are and what type of players they are. That's something that I think I can help them with,” Hanigan said.
He played third base and left field for Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, before signing with the Reds as an undrafted free agent. He played in the minor leagues for about four years.
Hanigan made his minor league debut in 2002 with the Dayton Dragons, a Reds affiliate. In 2003, he became a Midwest League All-Star with the Dragons.
Hanigan played with two other Reds affiliates, the Louisville Bats in 2003 and Potomac Cannons in 2004. The Cannons' affiliation with the Reds ended the same year.
In 2005, Hanigan played for the Chattanooga Lookouts, another affiliate of the Reds.
Hanigan then earned a spot on the Southern League All-Star team in 2007, the same year he made the majors.
Hanigan then played parts of seven seasons with the Reds, a year with the Tampa Bay Rays, two seasons with the Boston Red Sox and finished with a year with the Colorado Rockies in 2017. He signed minor league contracts after that, but never made it back to the majors.
In 1,959 at-bats, Hanigan hit .251 on 492 hits, including 30 home runs, scored 192 runs and knocked in 214, according to baseball-reference.com.
Retirement led him back to his New Hampshire home where he concentrated on raising well-bred dogs, which he started doing before leaving baseball.
Hanigan focuses on showing and breeding Australian Shepherds. He started raising them when he lived in Kentucky, he said. Hanigan’s Australian Shepherd, Vivian, won Best in Breed at 2014’s Westminster Dog Show.
“I love dogs. Maybe it’s because my parents didn't let me have them when I was a kid or something,” Hanigan said. “I started with a couple (dogs) and then it just expanded from there. I was in touch with some people that were in the show part of things… It was something I enjoyed doing, just a little hobby and something outside of baseball.”
The sport pulled him back in.
“When I retired, I needed a break and stepped back from the game a little bit. But then I got the itch again… I played a long career and I needed a few years off. It was a good long run for me,” Hanigan said.
His goal remains the same as when he was a player: getting his players to the next level.
“I feel like I got some knowledge that can help these guys take it to the next level… It's something that I always wanted to do to get back into the game as a manager,” Hanigan said.
Through Monday, the Crosscutters had won four, lost one and tied one. The first half of the season, which ends July 13, showcases players who want to improve their status before the draft.
Players who are no longer eligible at the amateur level compete in the season’s second half, July 18 through Sept. 4. The two first-place teams play in a championship game on Sept. 5.
“Every guy on our team has a chance to play at the next level. It's all performance based, but we got a long summer for guys to get going and settle in and hopefully put up some numbers and get some consistency. I wouldn't say there is anybody that doesn't have a chance,” Hanigan said.
