Phil Tryan

### Former Teams

Boston Bandits (2000-2003)New York Bombers (2004-2005, 2007)Miami Sunbirds (2006, 2008)Detroit Titans (2009)Pittsburgh Steel (2010)

## Career

### Awards

1X ABA MVP8X ABA Silver Slugger5X ABA Champion1X ABA Championship Series MVP

​Phil "Hammerhead" Tryan (born March 31, 1967), is an American former professional baseball catcher and ABA Hall of Famer. He played 11 seasons in the American Baseball Association for the Boston Bandits, New York Bombers, Miami Sunbirds, Detroit Titans and the Pittsburgh Steel. He amassed a .319 batting average, 74 home runs, 302 runs batted in, 297 runs scored, and over 587 hits. He is a 5-time ABA Champion, 1-time ABA MVP, 8-time ABA Silver Slugger and a one-time ABA Championship Series MVP. He was elected in the ABA Hall of Fame, in the class of 2014, representing the Boston Bandits

​Following his playing career, Betz took some time away from the game and turned to coaching. Following his introduction in the Hall of Fame, he's been the bench coach for the Chicago Cyclones.

## Professional Career

### Boston Bandits (2000-2003)

In the 2000 Inaugural Draft, Tryan was the 8th overall pick, drafted in the 2nd round by Boston. He was widely regarded as the best catcher in the world at the time. Things didn't start off as expected for Tryan, as he suffered a concussion following a home plate collision early in 2000, causing him to miss a few games, but he still dominated all catchers in the league, helping Boston to win the ABA Championship.

The following three years saw Tryan be one of the most, if not the most dominant hitter in the ABA. He posted the best batting average in the league for three consecutive season from 2001 and 2004, earning him four consecutive Silver Slugger Award, and culminating in winning the MVP Award in 2003, where he also led the league in hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. Tryan decided to hit free agency following four years in Boston with 3 ABA rings.

### New York Bombers (2004-2005)

Nobody expected Tryan to sign with the New York Bombers, but that's exactly what he did, signing a three-year deal worth $724k. Fresh off his MVP season, Tryan sure felt the pressure in the Big Apple and his batting average dropped below .300 for the first time in his career. He drew more walks that he struck out, which boosted his OBP significantly, winning him another and fifth consecutive Silver Slugger.

Tryan, now 38, went back to the type of performances that made him famous earlier in his career, hitting over .300 again and posting great numbers across the board, earning him a sixth consecutive Silver Slugger. He met the criteria to activate the last year of his contract, avoiding free agency.

### Miami Sunbirds (2006)

Tryan was traded to the contending Sunbirds during the offseason for relief pitcher Bubba Ward and prospect catcher Mike Beaulieu. Just like when Tryan first started in New York, Tryan's fell under the pressure of a new team at age 39 and, but still managed to win a 7th consecutive Silver Slugger. At the end of his contract the Sunbirds let him walk.

### Back in New York (2007)

Tryan signed a two-year deal with the Bombers with the final year depending on the number of games he plays during the 2007 season. An unfortunate hip injury saw him miss some time during the season, preventing him to meet the vesting criteria in his contract. Despite his limited playing time, Tryan still won his eighth consecutive and final Silver Slugger.

### Back in Miami (2008)

Despite concerns about his hip, Tryan signed a similar deal he signed with the Bombers, but returned to Miami. His hip still bothered him and he only played a couple games at catcher where he wasn't his former self and after an attempt to move him to first base, Miami threw in the towel after he injured his back. He failed to meet the vesting criteria in his contract and was released at the end of the 2008 season.

### Detroit Titans (2009)

Tryan still believed he could be an asset to an ABA and refused to retire despite constant rumors in the offseason. He signed a one-year deal with a struggling Titans team and started a couple of game behind the plate, but after another hip injury, he moved to first base before deciding to be solely a designated hitter for the rest of the season. Despite his old age, he was 42 at the time, he still managed to hit .344 over 35 games. Despite his good offensive numbers, the Titans let Tryan go at the end of the season.

### Pittsburgh Steel (2010)

Tryan's offensive numbers proved to the ABA that he could still offer something as a designated hitter. Despite being 43 years old, he signed a one-year deal, with the Miami Sunbirds again. However, he would never play for them, as he was selected in the 7th round of the expansion draft by the Pittsburgh Steel. Tryan was the designated hitter for the struggling Pittsburgh Steel. His power faded years ago, but he still mashed hits left and right, but he was let go at the end of his contract.

## Retirement

After years of struggling with his hip and knees, Tryan officially retired at almost 44 years old after 11 ABA seasons. He didn't turn down rumors that would see him return as a coach down the line, as Tryan was a respected veteran by both his peers and the press. He announced that he'd represent the Boston Bandits, if ever elected to the ABA Hall of Fame.

### Hall of Fame

Betz was inducted in the ABA Hall of Fame in the 2014 class, in his second year of eligibility.

#### Voting History

2013: 74.4%

2014: 76.2% (inducted)

## Managing Career (2014-present)

Shortly following his Hall of Fame announcement, Tryan announced that he'd join the Chicago Cyclones coaching staff as the bench coach. Tryan's leadership helped the Chicago Cyclones tremendously.

## Awards

1X ABA MVP Award (2003)

7X ABA Silver Slugger Award (2000-2007)

2X ABA Champion (2000-2001, 2003, 2006, 2007)

1X ABA Championship Series MVP Award (2007)