Yes I am Named After a Hall of Famer

As I was growing up I was pretty sure that not too many people shared the same name as me. However, it is untrue. But the name is still not very common. This article, from the Quad City Times speaks about the relative popularity of the name "Ryne" currently in the population.

Even though I was not the only Ryne, I was named after a Hall of Famer, Ryne Sandberg. Nearly ever baseball fan in the upper Midwest knows about Ryno, #23. I feel blessed to be named after him as he was one of the most respected players of his time, not to mention a very good ball player.

The one interesting thing about being named Ryne is the variety of pronunciations that come from a unique name. I have heard it all from Ryan, to Ry-knee, Renae, and Ryn. Add on top of that the "is it pronounced like the river (or rhinestone cowboy)?" and Ryne is a very interesting name.

Interestingly enough, Ryne Sandberg was named after another major leaguer, Ryne Duren, who pitched for the New York Yankees in the 50s. Duren was known for his thick glasses, that supposedly didn't help as his 100 mph was wild.

Needless to say, I enjoy the name Ryne. I just enjoy when people I meet for the first time know how to pronounce my name but also know why it is spelled RYNE, not Ryan.