In the Bigs

Moses Lake's Ryan Doumit settles into the major leagues

MOSES LAKE — Ryan Doumit began his baseball career while he was in diapers, shagging balls for his two older brothers in their back yard. Doumit is still at it, but the yard ranges from Yankee Stadium to Fenway Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Doumit was called up from the triple-A Indianapolis Indians on June 4 to play for the Pirates and it has left his family reveling in his success. His parents had the opportunity to see him play on June 7 in Pittsburgh where he is made had first major league hit against the Baltimore Orioles.

"I think you can imagine it was a pretty awesome experience," said Pete Doumit, Ryan's father. "To look down on a major league venue, especially like PNC Park in Pittsburgh and to see your name on the back of a uniform of one of the top 750 players in the world, is a really humbling and exciting experience."

Pete remembers taking his sons to play ball down the street from their home at Lakeview Park. He said Ryan looked to his older brothers for inspiration.

"Being the youngest, Ryan didn't want to be left out of anything," his father said. "So he got started young and he benefited from the fact that he had two older brothers that were very passionate about the game."

Ryan began developing his skills at an early age. Pete, who was a baseball coach, taught Ryan to switch hit. The Pirates, interested in Doumit's switch-hitting ability along with his outstanding batting record (.343 average with Indianapolis), made him designated hitter on his first road trip. In an interview on MLB.com, Doumit said, "My dad told me that he kind of willed me to be a switch-hitter. It's something I've always done."

And he has continued to improve his game. Pete thinks Ryan has not reached his full potential as a baseball player. He said that wherever he has gone, Ryan has always hit around .300.

"They say that major league players peak at the ages of 28 and 32; Ryan is 24 and I don't think there's any reason to believe that he's peaked out," Pete said. "He's adjusted to every level he's played at and he's been successful at every level he's played at. I just know that he has the confidence that he's going to be a good major league player, and hopefully for a long time."

After coaching 30 years, Pete said it was humbling to see that of the numerous players he had coached over the years, it just happened to be his son that made it to the major leagues.

Before the All-Star break, Ryan had already played in 26 games with 71 at bats, 14 of which were hits with five doubles and one triple. He has also been the Pirates designated hitter in the middle of the lineup.

Randy Boruff, Ryan's former for the River Dogs, said he is not surprised that Doumit is in the big leagues.

"Kids that come from homes of coaches tend to perform well," Boruff said. "Not because the dads can pull strings for them, but because dads will keep kids focused. They are very real about potential and their kid's ability."

Boruff coached many talented players, and he said Doumit was always in the mix.

"Being with Jason (Cooper) and BJ (Garbe), Ryan was performing well and caught eyes. He was an opportunistic kid," Boruff said.

Doumit is one of four players that have been drafted to the majors from Moses Lake's class of 1999, including B.J. Garbe (Mariners), Jason Cooper, (Indians) and Brian Skaug (Astros).

Over the years, 13 of Boruff's River Dogs have been drafted to major league teams, but Ryan is the first to actually play in a major league game.

"Only five percent of guys who sign a major league contract will ever play in the big leagues," he said. "Two guys from the Columbia Basin have made it to the major league, Dave Heaverlo (former Mariner) and Ryan Doumit."

Despite all his success, Ryan's parents said that it has not changed him.

"He's still the same person, he is still funny and quietly confident," Faith Doumit, Ryan's mom, said.

She remembers when he once collected baseball cards as a kid and now he has his own.

"I'd ask him, 'Isn't it interesting that you use to collect these cards and you are actually playing with some of these guys that you grew up learning their names and the positions they played?' and he said, 'Yeah, it's incredible.'"

Ryan's brother Peter, who lives in Colorado with his wife and two children, said he is proud of his little brother.

"I will always be his big brother, there's no doubt about that, it's just that he is Mr. Big Time and I'm just his number one fan," he said. "I'm absolutely thrilled for him, it has been his dream, that was what he wanted to do."

Peter remembers when he heard the news that Ryan had been moved up to the Pirates.

"I was driving home after finishing my research for my master's thesis; my mom had given me the call. I was pretty much flipped out. Ryan actually gave me a call shortly thereafter and let me know how excited he was and I told him how proud I was of him."

His brother hasn't had a chance to see Ryan play firsthand, but he said he's waiting for him to come through Colorado.

"He should be coming here in the middle of August, and I am going to see that three-game set."

Ryan's dad said Ryan is really appreciative of the support he gets from friends and family.

"He knows how many people are rooting for him. You know he is playing for them," he said. "There were a lot of hands along the way that helped him get there and a lot of people that were very instrumental that helped him as a person and a player and they all feel like they have a stake in this and our community feels like they have a stake in this. And that's the joy for us, that so many people are genuinely excited about this as we are, and to be able to share that is great."

Other Basin pros

Simon Birrell, Ephrata class of 1995, Atlanta Braves

Erick Martinez, Moses Lake class of 1995, N.Y. Yankees

Wade Parrish, Othello class of 1996, L.A. Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies

Jeff Heaverlo, Ephrata class of 1996, Seattle Mariners

Levi Meseberg, Royal City class of 1997, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Stefan Bailie, Kamiakin/Connell, class of 1998, Boston Red Sox

Gabe Boruff, Ephrata class of 1998, Kansas City Royals

Bryan Johnson, Ephrata class of 1999, Arizona Diamondbacks

Jason Cooper, Moses Lake class of 1999, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians

Brian Skaug, Moses Lake class of 1999, Houston Astros

B.J. Garbe, Moses Lake class of 1999, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners

Ryan Doumit, Moses Lake class of 1999, Pittsburgh Pirates

Know another Basin athlete now playing professionally?

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