Sept. 16, 2008
Former Kentucky standout and 2006 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Ryan Strieby has been named the Minor League Player of the Year in the Detroit Tigers organization, it was announced by the Tigers.
Strieby, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound first baseman, hit .278 (117-for-421) in 112 games in 2008, slugging a league-leading 29 homers and 94 RBI. While playing for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the high A affiliate of the Tigers in the Florida State League, Strieby ranked near the offensive leaders in nearly every category, checking in third in OPS (.915), second in slugging (.563), third in total bases (237), 12-th in runs scored (65) and 21st in the league in average (.278). Considered an outstanding defender at first base, Strieby fielded at a .993 clip, tops among FSL first basemen.
With 29 homers, Strieby set the Lakeland Flying Tigers franchise record for home runs in a season, despite the Tigers shutting him down for the season on August 10 due to injury. Strieby shattered the previous club record on August 2, held by Alejandro Freire, who hit 24 homers in 1997.
Strieby, who played at Edmonds CC from 2004-05 before transferring to UK before the 2006 UK SEC Championship season, started what would become a string of three consecutive first-team All-American’s in three years (Strieby, 1B, 2006; Sean Coughlin, C, 2007; Sawyer Carroll, OF, 2008) for the Wildcats, all junior college transfers. While playing first base for UK in 2006, Strieby hit .343 with team-leading numbers in doubles (22), home runs (20), RBI (77), total bases (164), on-base percentage (.473) and slugging (.704).
UK has had four first-team All-Americans in the last four years, with former outfielder Collin Cowgill checking in alongside Carroll as Kentucky’s 2008 honorees.
Strieby is not the only former Wildcats among the league leaders in the FSL, as former UK corner infielder Michael Bertram finished the year ranked 15th in the league in average (.285). Bertram, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound left-handed hitter, added 21 doubles, eight homers and 55 RBI while joining Strieby on the Flying Tigers. Strieby and Bertram have played on the same team together since Strieby arrived in Lexington in 2006.
