Mike Ryan's looking for the dog

La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

FORT MYERS, FLA. -- Leave it to Twins manager Ron Gardenhire to draw a connection between musician George Clinton and outfielder Mike Ryan.

Gardenhire broke up a routine spring training media session recently by punching a button on his laptop and playing Clinton's classic hit, "Atomic Dog."

Moments after bobbing his head to the beat, Gardenhire nodded as he talked about Ryan's comeback from a wasted 2004 season.

"It's like this song," Gardenhire said. "He needs to let the dog out in this camp. If he's going to make this team, we need to see some dog."

Ryan, 27, is aware of that. When talking about last season -- one cut short by a shoulder injury after an ill-advised dive into first base in June -- Ryan has that sick puppy look.

"Everything that happened to me last year I deserved, I think," he said. "I went down to Triple-A and felt sorry for myself and shouldn't have.

"J.C. Romero, he went down and was back in a week [actually 13 days]. He got his business done, and I didn't do that. I have a lot of regrets from last year, but I can't look back."

Ryan emerged as an intriguing player in 2003, someone who could hit with some power, play both corner outfield positions well and even fill in at center field. He batted .393 in 27 games, then found himself on the playoff roster for the American League Division Series against the Yankees.

Ryan made the 2004 Opening Day roster and was batting .239 through 36 games when his season ended June 13.

He was trying to beat Philadelphia pitcher Tim Worrell to first base during an interleague game when he dived for the bag. He wound up with nerve damage in his left shoulder.

"A stupid play," he admitted after the game.

Things worsened when he tried to come back too soon.

"I was supposed to be out from six to eight weeks to the rest of the season," Ryan said. "After a month, I didn't have any pain when I swung. I went on a rehabilitation [assignment] but felt weak and could not go the other way very well."

When Ryan finished his rehabilitation assignment in July, he was sent to Class AAA Rochester.

"I got sent down and then got ticked off about that," said Ryan, who batted .211 in 50 games at Rochester. "I felt bad for myself and I shouldn't have."

The next time Ryan was heard from was just before the trading deadline, when he told a reporter from a newspaper near his hometown of Indiana, Pa., that he was being mentioned in trade talks with Pittsburgh for Kris Benson.

"My agent told me my name was getting thrown around, so I said, 'Yeah, I hear my name is floating around,' "Ryan said, "You never know."

Ryan then made it clear that he wants to stay. "I don't want to leave here," he said, looking around the clubhouse. "These are my friends. It was just a running joke at home that it would be nice if I played for my hometown team."

He spent the offseason regretting how he dealt with his injury, recovery and demotion. He's in camp fighting for one of the remaining roster spots. Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, Shannon Stewart and Lew Ford are locks. Michael Restovich is out of options and is a near-lock. If Ryan can prove he can come off the bench and pinch hit, he could take the role Jose Offerman held last season. Eric Munson and Armando Rios are in contention, too -- and can play infield spots as well.

"That's one of the areas we're hoping he could come in and compete for; that bat off the bench, just as he was last year," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. "He did a wonderful job for us in 2003 when he came up. He got a lot of hits, showed some pop, helped us win some games. That's what we look for from him again."v

Ryan studied the power of positive thinking during the offseason, and is back with a different outlook. He's on today's roster for the Grapefruit League opener against Boston.

"He has to come back and get the attitude back, the want and the desire, and he'll be OK," Gardenhire said. "We know he can hit. Now he has to get back and do it."