Ryan Rowland-Smith

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Ryan Benjamin Rowland-Smith (born 26 January 1983), is an Australian former professional baseball pitcher.

He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.

He also played in the Australian Baseball League for the Sydney Blue Sox and the Brisbane Bandits.

Rowland-Smith pitched for Australia in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

He was rated the number eight prospect in the Mariners organization in 2008 by Baseball America. He graduated from Newcastle High School in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, in December 2000.

Rowland-Smith was the first player from Newcastle to be signed to a professional contract, signing as a non-drafted free agent on 19 November 2000 by Mariners scout Barry Holland.

He was the Newcastle Baseball Player of the Year as a 16 and 18-year-old. Rowland-Smith played most of his career in the Mariners' organisation but he was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the Major League portion of the 2004 Rule 5 draft.

He spent most of the 2004 spring training with the Twins before they returned him to Seattle.

Early life

Rowland-Smith was born 26 January 1983, in Sydney, Australia. His father is Australian celebrity trainer Rob Rowland-Smith, known as "The Sandhill Warrior," and his mother Julie is a retired high school physical education teacher. Ryan was their third child. Stephanie the second child. His oldest sister is named Rhiannon. Rob and Julie divorced when Ryan was three, and Rowland-Smith grew up with his mother and sister in Newcastle, New South Wales. He was a baseball fan from childhood, though he had to watch games on video cassettes because Major League Baseball was not televised in Australia at the time. The videos he had were of the 1992 World Series and the 1993 World Series. Rowland-Smith started playing baseball himself at the age of 12. He graduated from Newcastle High School in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, in December 2000. The Seattle Mariners, one of the only Major League Baseball (MLB) teams that scouted Australia at the time, signed Rowland-Smith as a non-drafted free agent on 19 November 2000. "I signed it before the ink dried," Rowland-Smith said of his contract. "It was the only opportunity I was going to get."

Personal life

Rowland-Smith's grandfather was a former New South Wales minister for sport and recreation. His older sister, Rhiannon, is a competitive surfer. While surfing is not his profession, Rowland-Smith avidly pursues it as a hobby.

Rowland-Smith was married in 2013 to American actress Amanda Aardsma, the sister of his former teammate David Aardsma. He became friends with Griffey Jr., victim of his first major league strikeout, who attended Rowland-Smith's wedding in 2013.

Rowland-Smith is the first player with a hyphenated last name ever to appear in a major league game. During his career, he maintained his own blog to keep up with fans. He was also, in 2009, the only Mariner known to maintain a Twitter account. Rowland-Smith helped the Mariners host a forum on the use of social media in 2009.

In June 2019, Rowland-Smith appeared on the television show American Ninja Warrior in the Seattle Qualifying Round. He said of the opportunity, "I know the minute I step out to the steps, if I don’t finish it, I’ll say, ‘OK, I want another shot at this until I do finish it.’ But at the very least, I want to enjoy it and embrace it. I’ve gotten messages from people in that ninja community and it’s so awesome. … I want to get the most of that experience."

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Career

Rowland-Smith began his pro career with the Arizona League Mariners in 2001. He only allowed one home run in 33+1'3 innings pitched in 17 relief appearances. He split the 2002 season between the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and the Single-A Short-Stail Everett AquaSox. He appeared in 12 games (eight starts) with Wisconsin, a 1–2 record and a 6.75 earned run average (ERA). He was demoted to Everett in the middle of the season. In 18 games (six starts) with Everett, he set a new record, a 2.77 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and 58 hits allowed in 61+2/3 innings pitched.

Rowland-Smith pitched for Wisconsin again in 2003, playing in 13 games. In 32+3 innings, he had a 3–0 record, a 1.11 ERA, and 37 strikeouts. He pitched for the single-Age advanced Inland Empire 66ers during the year. He lost one game, threw out 15, and allowed 12 hits in 15 games with the 66ers, a 3.20 ERA. Between Wisconsin and Inland Empire, he had a 1.90 ERA and 52 strikeouts combined. Rowland-Smith appeared in 29 games during the 2004 season with Inland Empire. He split the season between the bullpen and the starting rotation, going 5–3 with a 3.79 ERA as a starter. In 992-3 innings, he struck out 119 batters and held opponents to a.276 batting average.

In the Major League portion of the 2004 Rule 5 draft, the Minnesota Twins selected Rowland-Smith. The Twins announced on March 4 that he had agreed to a one-year deal. He spent the bulk of 2005 with the Twins in spring training. Ultimately, Minnesota decided not to keep him on the roster all season, and he was recalled to Seattle on March 25. He spent the season with the San Antonio Missions, achieving a career high of 122 innings pitched. He had a 6–7 record, a 4.35 ERA, 102 strikeouts, and 133 hits allowed in 33 games (17 starts).

Rowland-Smith completed Inland Empire and San Antonio during the 2006 season. In 6+13 innings pitched over seven games, he gave up seven runs (four earned) against the 66ers. He spent a majority of the season with the Missions. In 4+13 innings, he took out a season-best seven batters. He had a 1–3 record, a 2.83 ERA, 48 strikeouts, and 38 hits allowed in 41+13 innings in 23 games (one start) for the Missions. He appeared with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League during the regular season.

Rowland-Smith pitched for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League for the first time in 2007 (PCL). He made 25 relief appearances for the team, a 3–4 record, 50 strikeouts, and 35 hits allowed in 41+23% innings before being promoted to the Mariners in June. Rowland-Smith made his Major League debut against the Cincinnati Reds on June 22nd, a game that was recalled for longtime Mariners player Ken Griffey Jr.'s return to Safeco Field. Griffey was the first batter Rowland-Smith faced; he struck him out, then pitching 113 scoreless innings in a 16-1 Mariners loss. In ten plus two innings spanning five games from 22 to 31 August, he did not allow a run in ten+2nd consecutive innings. In an 8-4 loss to the Twins, he struck out six batters in four scoreless innings of relief in the first game of the season. In a game the Mariners trailed 7–1 but rallied to victory 8–7 for his first appearance in his career against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on September 13th, pitching 2+13 scoreless innings. He struck out 42 batters in 3813 innings in his rookie year with Seattle, establishing a 1–0 record and restricting opposing batters to 39 hits. He pitched for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League during the season.

Rowland-Smith said about his offseason:

Rowland-Smith appeared on 32 relief appearances before making two starts before the All-Star break, beginning the season strictly as a reliever. In Seattle's 6–5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8, he made his first save against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8, tossing 1+2/3 innings and retiring all five batters he faced while protecting the one-run lead. Rowland-Smith threw three scoreless innings before being replaced by Roy Corcoran with two outs in the fourth inning after allowing three runs than inning. The Mariners rallied to win 7–6. He made three more relief appearances before being transferred to Tacoma on July 20th to be converted to a starting pitcher. In three starts for the Rainiers, he was 2–0 with a 2.89 batting average, holding opponents to a.185 batting average before joining Seattle's rotation on September 9th. He had a 2.56 ERA from August to the end of the season. Emil Brown's solo home run against the Oakland Athletics on Monday, he took the loss but held the team to four hits in seven innings, leaving Oakland scoreless in seven innings. On September 27, he faced Oakland in his final game of the year, allowing three runs in 6+2/3 innings this time but winning by 7–3 as the team's final run of the year. He had a 5–3 record, a 3.42 ERA, 77 strikeouts, and 114 batters allowed in 118+13 innings in 47 games (12 starts) with the Mariners in 2008.

Rowland-Smith had two singles in two at bats in a 2009 spring training game against the Colorado Rockies. This was his first time batting against a live pitcher since he was 17 years old. Jeff Clement, a teammate, was used by him to play.

He started one game before being placed on the disabled list with triceps tendinitis at the start of the season. He was sent to Tacoma for rehab, but the Mariners dropped him to Tacoma on June 5th, after a poor outing in which he allowed 12 runs in 4+2/3 innings. After starting 5–3 with a 4.4 ERA in ten starts for Tacoma, he was promoted and added to the starting rotation in July. In a 9-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians, he lasted seven innings in his first start back on July 24th, allowing four runs and taking the loss. In the Mariners' 3–2 victory, he restricted the Toronto Blue Jays to two runs over seven innings for his first victory of the year. He threw a season-high eight innings, including a game on September 16th, when the Chicago White Sox were reduced to one run in a 4–1 win. Rowland-Smith retired on October 3rd., leading the Texas Rangers to a 2–1 win and his last run of the year.

Rowland-Smith retired with a 5-4 record, a 3.74 ERA, 52 strikeouts, and 87 hits allowed in 96-13 innings over 15 games (all starts).

Rowland-Smith's game against the White Sox on September 16, 2009, left Christian Caple of MLB.com ecstatic about his prospects for next season.

Rowland-Smith was actually the third starter in the Mariners' rotation in the 2010 season, behind Felix Hernandez and Ian Snell. He didn't get off to a good start this season, posting a 7.62 ERA in his first eight starts and losing all four of his decisions. The Mariners moved him to the bullpen after his shortest start to his career on May 18th, in which he gave up seven runs in 2+2 3 innings. Rowland-Smith was back in the rotation on June 5th, when Doug Fister was forced to miss a start due to shoulder exhaustion. Rowland-Smith limited Los Angeles to one run in five innings when the Mariners lost 11–2, but the Angels lost 11–2. He continued to be used as a starter after that. In a 1–0 victory, he held the Cincinnati Reds scoreless for six innings on 20 June, his first victory of the year. The victory, on the other hand, would be his only victory of the year. In an 11–0 loss to the White Sox on 27 July, he gave up 11 runs over five innings over five innings. Because they wanted to protect their bullpen, the Mariners kept him in the game that long. He was placed on the disabled list with a lower back strain after the game, which ESPN's Rob Neyer argued was a "phantom injury" meant to keep him off the roster because the Mariners were unable to bring him to the minor leagues without exposing him to waivers. Sent to recover in Tacoma, he rejoined the team in September when rosters increased.

Rowland-Smith was mainly used out of the bullpen until his reinstatement from the disabled list, but only for the last game of the season, October 3rd, in which he gave up two runs in five innings and had a no-decision in a 4-3 loss to the Athletics. Twenty of Rowland-Smith's 27 appearances in 2010 got off (a career high), but only one of them was a win, as opposed to ten losses. He had a 6.75 ERA and gave up 141 runs in 109+13 innings. Rowland-Smith was also the Mariners' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given to the MLB player who "best represents the game by extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and other charitable causes both on and off the field." Because of his involvement in coordinating the Mariners Care Cystic Fibrosis Foundation golf tournament, Seattle selected him as their nominee. Rowland-Smith was one of the players on the inaugural Australian Baseball League roster in November 2010, but he never pitched for them. The Mariners decided not to give him a new deal, making him a free agent.

Rowland-Smith was signed by the Houston Astros to a one-year deal on December 9, 2010. He appeared with the Oklahoma City RedHawks in the PCL for the most part. He had a 2–10 record, a 6.19 ERA, 87 strikeouts, and 131 hits allowed in 104+2/3 innings in 22 games (19 starts). He became a free agent after the season. During the offseason, he played winter ball for the Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican Winter League, losing three of his five starts.

On February 2, 2012, the Chicago Cubs signed Rowland-Smith to a minor league contract. He spent the entire season with the Iowa Cubs of the PCL, where he was more effective as a reliever (22 games) than a starter (eight games). In 77+2nd3 innings pitched, he had a 3–6 record, a 3.94 ERA, 62 strikeouts, and 75 batters. He became a free agent after the season.

Rowland-Smith was signed by the Boston Red Sox to a minor league contract on February 24, 2013. He had a 7-0 record and a 1.55 ERA in 37 games for the Pawtucket Red Sox, the team's Triple-A team. However, he never had to pitch for Boston due to an illness.

Prior to the 2014 season, Rowland-Smith had signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was excited to join Arizona because the Los Angeles Dodgers were playing in March against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia.

Rowland-Smith was on the Diamondbacks roster at the start of the 2014 season, his first appearance on a major league roster since the Mariners. In the final two innings of a 7–3 loss to the New York Mets, he made what would be his last appearance in the major leagues on April 14th, giving up two runs (one earned). He was licensed for service on April 18th and elected as a free agent on April 21. He played for five runs (four earned) in 7+13 innings of play in six games with the Diamondbacks, allowing five runs (four earned) in 6 games.

Rowland-Smith signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on April 25th. He played for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League, allowing 8 runs in just 14 innings before being released on June 11. He signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds on June 28. He made a brief appearance for the Louisville Bats of the International League, but most of the bench was used out of the back end, posting a 4.20 ERA in 12 games with no wins or losses. The Reds released him on August 2nd.

Rowland-Smith left the United States in 2015 after he signed with the Chinese Professional Baseball League's EDA Rhinos, headquartered in Taiwan. In 46 innings, he appeared in nine games with the team, winning a 1–4 record and a 4.70 ERA. Rowland-Smith pitched in one game for Gigantes del Cibao of the Dominican Winter League from 2015 to 2016. Rowland-Smith signed with the Brisbane Bandits of the Australian Baseball League in January 2017, after not pitching in 2016. He won one game but had a 6.35 ERA in four starts with the team. However, he was a member of a Brisbane club that gained its second straight ABLchampionship. Rowland-Smith intended to retire early in the season after playing for Australia in the World Baseball Classic.

Post-playing career

Rowland-Smith joined Root Sports Northwest as a baseball television analyst, appearing on the pre- and post-game shows for the Seattle Mariners broadcasts, beginning in 2017. He is also a baseball radio analyst for ESPN710 Seattle, and he appears on Mariners post-game shows. He was also an analyst for the 2023 World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament. Rowland-Smith said that baseball and discussing were the two things he loved doing the most; therefore, being a commentator was the right career for him. NxtGen Baseball, a youth baseball player training camp for young baseball players, was co-founded by him and fellow Australian ballplayer Trent Oeltjen.

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