Ellis to PPU Hall of Fame

Former Wild Things second baseman and assistant coach Ryan Ellis will be inducted into the Point Park University Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 9.

Here is Ellis' bio from the school's release:

A native of Munhall, Pa., and a graduate of Steel Valley High School, Ryan Ellis holds the Point Park record for single-season batting average at .477 in 1999. Ellis, an infielder, ranks fourth in school history with a .405 career average, and he is one of only four players in school history to hit over .400 for his career. A two-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-American (1998 and 199), Ellis’ ranking in Point Park’s career records include being third in hits (207), third in RBIs (169), second in home runs (27) and second in triples (21). He led Point Park to its 10th appearance in the NAIA World Series in 1998.

Drafted in the 28th round of the 2000 MLB draft by the Montreal Expos, Ellis played five years of minor league baseball, first with Vermont in the New York-Penn League and then with Washington of the independent Frontier League.

Currently, Ellis is the manager of the NY Mets Class A affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats, a position he took over prior to the 2011 season. The Sand Gnats won the South Atlantic League Southern Division first-half title and took a 39-30 record into the SAL All-Star break June 20-22. Ellis managed the South Division in the SAL All-Star Game June 21, 2011 to a 6-3 victory. Prior to becoming the manager of the Sand Gnats, Ellis had been a minor league assistant coach since 2003, and he has been coaching in the NY Mets’ organization since 2006.

Ellis was also a three-year member of the Point Park men’s soccer team (1996-98), and he was an NAIA All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention defender in 1997.

Leader of the Gnats

Here is the link to a story about former Wild Things second baseman and coach Ryan Ellis, who is in his first year as manager of the Savannah Sand Gnats of the Class A South Atlantic League. Savannah began its season on the road and will play its home opener tonight, thus the story about Ellis in the Savannah Morning News.

The story mentions the end of Ellis' playing days with Washington.

Savannah, an affiliate of the New York Mets, is off to a rough start with a 1-5 record, losing two games to the Pirates' West Virginia affiliate.

Read the story here.

Ellis becomes the boss

Former Wild Things second baseman Ryan Ellis (pictured) has been named manager of the Savannah Sand Gnats, the New York Mets' affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League.

Ellis is the first former Wild Things player to be a manager in affiliated ball. Jeff Isom, who was the Wild Things' manager in their first two seasons (2002-03), is entering his fifth year as a manager in the Milwaukee Brewers' system.

Ellis was a second baseman for Washington under Isom and hitting coach for two seasons under John Massarelli. Ellis led all Frontier League second basemen in fielding percentage in 2002. He left the Wild Things to 2006 to become head baseball coach at his alma mater, Steel Valley High School. That summer, he joined the Mets' minor-league coaching staff. He's coached at all four minor-league levels (Rookie, Class A, AA and AAA).

The last three years, Ellis has been on Savannah's coach staff.

Ellis was removed from the Wild Things' active roster in the second half of the 2003 season – he was replaced by Blake Woods – and added to the coaching staff. I recall that one of the three reasons Isom gave for the roster move was "We think Ryan will be a good manager one day."

"I'm excited for the opportunity to manage in Savannah," Ellis said in a statement. "I'm excited about being in Savannah for my third year. I've had some good years in the past in terms of developing guys, and I'm looking forward to helping out."

Among Ellis' coaches are former major league pitcher Glenn Abbott and former Pirates jack-of-all-trades Benny Distefano.

"'Ellie' is the perfect guy to manage this club," Gnats team president John Katz said. "His fiery enthusiasm and passion for the game is evident from the moment you meet him, and having big-league veterans on the staff is just icing on the cake."

Cleaning out the notebook

Received an email notice today that the Wild Things are holding a snowman contest. Build a snowman wearing Wild Things gear, take a picture, send it to the team. Winner gets something.

Maybe the winning snowman will be named manager.

* An interesting trade from earlier this month had the Kalamazoo Kings sending shortstop Kyle Higgins, outfielders Jeff Grose, OF Brandon Anderson and OF Josh Short, third baseman Amos Ramon, second baseman Joe Ramos and right-handed pitcher John Brownell to the Lake County Fielders in exchange for three pitchers, an infielder and future considerations.

Basically, Kalamazoo sent six starting position players from last year and their best pitcher to Lake County to be reunited with former Kings manager Fran Riordan. Kalamazoo is starting from scratch under new manager Jamie Keefe.

* The Rockford Riverhawks, formerly of the Frontier League and now of the no-age-limit Northern League, have signed Randall Simon.

That's the same Randall Simon who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and is best known for using a bat to plunk Guido the Italian Sausage during a between-innings sausage race at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

* There are 81 days remaining before Frontier League spring training and the Wild Things still don't have a manager.

* Former Wild Things outfielder Matt Sutton has signed a contract with the Lake Erie Crushers.

* Yancy Yeater, who worked for the Wild Things for four years and coordinated the audio and video at Consol Energy Park before being let go during the offseason purge, has started a Frontier Legaue blog. You can view it at http://frontierleague.blogspot.com/

* Former Wild Things manager Jeff Isom (2002-03) is returning as manager of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Milwaukee Brewers' affiliate in the Class A Midwest League.

* Former Wild Things second baseman Ryan Ellis will be the hitting coach of the Savannah Sand Gnats, the New York Mets' affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League.