"Iron Man Wichita" starring Ryan Khoury

Published on July 1, 2013 under American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


Robert Downey Jr. has made millions of dollars portraying the super hero 'Iron Man'.

Cal Ripken Jr. saved baseball with his 'Iron Man' streak of consecutive games played.

For the last two seasons at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Ryan Khoury has played the role of 'Iron Man' at shortstop for the Wichita Wingnuts.

Khoury played 145 games in a row for Wichita (regular season and postseason) before missing a game on June 26th, after hurting his shoulder on a diving play the night before. During that 145-game stretch, Wingnuts' manager Kevin Hooper penciled Khoury's name into the top spot of the batting order and in the shortstop position on the lineup card.

When Khoury's streak was snapped, Hooper was well aware that his leadoff hitter was upset about being on the bench.

"I want guys in here who want to play every day. I know it hurt him the other night to not play, but with the off-day following, it was just a smart move. I'm more worried about having him around long-term than I am of the streak he had going on," Hooper said.

Khoury's streak started at the beginning of the 2012 season, a season in which he totaled 106 games played. Khoury explained his approach to the game and preparing to be in the lineup each and every night.

"It's one of those things I've learned over the years, even when I was just a utility guy You prepare every day with the exact same routine. You have to prepare like you are going play every day. I have always felt that if ‘Hoop' feels like it gives us a chance to win to have me in there, then I have to prepare my best to help the team," Khoury said.

Not only did Khoury play every game last season, but his production in the lineup was stellar to boot. In 100 regular season contests, Khoury reached safely in 87 of them with a hit, walk, or hit by pitch. And once Khoury reached base, he took full advantage by setting a franchise record with 37 stolen bases. Khoury also ranked in the top-four in the American Association in runs scored and walks--two other key statistical categories for a leadoff man. The offensive numbers impressed his manager who gave the shortstop credit for his preparation.

"This game is a grind. Sometimes we may only have two or three days off in a month. We are pretty much playing every day. You have to take care of your body and I think he does a good job of taking care of himself and preparing himself to be in the position to play every day," Hooper said.

Khoury shared what he thought was the key to staying in game shape and in good health. Stealing a line from Adam Sandler, it's as simple as "high-quality H2O."

"Hydrating in Wichita is especially important. Out here in this heat we all have to make sure that we stay hydrated. I drink of ton of water before the game and after the game. I try to eat right, and prepare my body to go out there every day," Khoury said.

Ripken Jr. of course is famous for breaking Major League Baseball's consecutive games played streak by passing Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 during the 1996 season. Ripken's streak would end at 2,632 games played in September 1998.

While Khoury would have liked to have played in at least 200 games in a row, he admitted that he could not fathom having a streak as long as the former Baltimore Oriole did at shortstop and third base.

"I can't even imagine. That's just as unreal to me as Ted Williams hitting .400. He played hard every day--diving all over the infield. It's just an amazing feat," Khoury said.

Khoury played collegiately at the University of Utah and knew that his current streak was only rivaled by the number of games he played on campus.

"I'm pretty sure that I played every game in college during my junior and senior years. Sometimes when I was in Triple-A, I had a utility role. It just makes me appreciate being here even more, knowing that I will get the chance to play every game," Khoury said.

Wingnuts' players were also well aware and equally impressed with Khoury's games played streak.

"He's the definition of a blue-collar player. He doesn't want to miss a game and he's manned up through some tough injuries. We play 100 games in a season and he does not want to miss a single one. That just speaks to his character and hopefully some of that will rub off on us," second baseman Jake Kahaulelio said.

Khoury's offensive and defensive production continues to rank at a high level this season. In 42 games played, Khoury ranks in the top-10 in the American Association in both runs (34) and walks (24). He also leads the league in being hit by a pitch (10), and has collected 31 RBI--an amazing figure for a leadoff hitter.

Wichita starting pitcher Ryan Hinson expressed his admiration for the tough-as-nails shortstop. And just as much as every player likes to see a teammate signed to an affiliated league contract, everyone in Wichita hopes Khoury can put together another triple digit games played streak.

"When you have ‘Old Deuce' you know you are going to get the best defensive effort possible. He's a smart player and will come and talk with you when he sees something going on. A lot of people don't know how hard it is to come out and play every day. They have to get treatment and take care of their bodies if they want to play every day," Hinson said. "His streak was not quite Ripken-esque, but we play well when he is at the top of the lineup and playing in the six-hole."

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