In 1986, Ryan's Astros faced the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. "Ryan tried to throw unhittable pitches, one after another, even to weak hitters, even when he was behind in the count," James wrote. Ryan shouted from the mound. To not give that max effort on every pitch would be cheating the gift. Ryan's lifetime batting average against of .204 is also a major league record. A pitcher could have 17 such Gerrit Cole seasons in a row -- and he would still be 173 strikeouts short of surpassing Ryan's record. "I drove managers crazy. "He's throwing the ball harder than any man I ever saw in my life," first baseman John Mayberry said. I won't hit him anyway! Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Greg Myers of the California Angels was the last strikeout victim of Nolan Ryan's career, on September 17, 1993.[36]. "[25] With a regulation bat in hand, Cash did finally make contact, but popped out to end the game. Nolan Ryan pitched 5386 innings in his career. They said I wasn't pitching the way someone of my ability should. He was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2003, and named the Rangers', and Astros' Hometown Hero in 2006the only player to be so named by two franchises. "[83] He also crossed party lines in 2002 to headline a group of Republicans and Independents supporting a Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Texas. Good morning, Mets fans! He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999,[1] and is widely considered to be one of the greatest MLB pitchers of all time. "In a move that seems both bizarre and yet totally typical, Ryan stepped back out for a curtain call. In 1963 Marichal reportedly threw 227 pitches and Spahn threw 201 Ryan missed much of the 1967 season due to illness, an arm injury, and service with the Army Reserve; he pitched only seven innings for the Mets' minor league affiliate in Jacksonville. In his subsequent report to the Mets, Murff stated that Ryan had "the best arm I've seen in my life." The injury ended his career two starts earlier than planned, at age 46. The hitters were in awe of him because they couldn't hit him; the pitchers were in awe of him because they understood how difficult it was to do what he did. For him, worrying about what somebody did the game before was a waste of energy. You can't even comprehend what it's like to be that talented [but] he tries to intimidate people. Of those, "Throwing Heat," published in 1988, is by far the better of the two books, much more of a "baseball" book with stories and anecdotes. Ryan played in more seasons (27) than any other player in modern (since 1900) major league history (All-time he is tied with Cap Anson for #1). During that 32-game season in the spring of 1965, Ryan pitched in 27 games, starting 20, and finished with 12 complete games, 211 strikeouts, and only 61 walks. Senior captain Nate Mitchell registered a career-high seven strikeouts in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader, but the Navy baseball team fell to Massachusetts, 4-2, in the series opener before dropping the back half of the twinbill by a 14-3 score at Terwilliger Brothers Field at Max Bishop Stadium. Coach Watson recounted to Murff that some opponents refused to bat against Ryan and how his hard pitches would sometimes break bones in his catchers' hands. The season complete, Ryan became a free agent. After the champagne, after all the interviews, Ryan headed off to his usual postgame ritual: He rode the exercise bike. From a pitcher with nine RBIs in a game to an infielder you never heard of who went 7-for-7, here's a fun fact you probably didn't know for all 30 teams. Ryan stated afterwards it was the same maneuver he used on steers he had to brand on his Texas ranch. In addition to his baseball activities, Ryan was majority owner and chairman of Express Bank of Alvin but sold his interest in 2005. Bush) management of domestic issues and said he wasn't "locked in" to voting for Bush that fall. But thats a fairly recent measuring stick in Major League Baseball. [27][28], During a September 7, 1974 game against the Chicago White Sox at Anaheim Stadium, Ryan became the first Major League pitcher to have his pitch speed measured during a game. He returned in Game 5, throwing 9 innings of 2-hit, 1-run, 12-strikeout ball, but one of those hits was a Darryl Strawberry home run which tied the game at 1, as Dwight Gooden matched Ryan pitch for pitch. [17], In five seasons with the Mets, 105 games and 74 starts, Ryan had a 2938 record, with a 3.58 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, with 344 walks and 493 strikeouts in 511 innings. Maybe the Kornheiser piece best figures out Ryan. In particular, how many pitches did Nolan Ryan throw in his major league career. Verlander credited a 2019 meeting with Nolan Ryan as inspiring him to use the pitch more often, which he did before his injuries that caused him The record is 177, by Tim Wakefield. Greenberg left the group in March 2011, reportedly due to a philosophical clash with Ryan. After the home run, Ryan threw three more pitches to Dave Magadan, but with a 2-1 count he summoned trainer Danny Wheat, handed Wheat the ball and walked off the mound. "[24] Ryan threw two no-hitters in 1973. He has 5,714 career strikeouts, an MLB record[1] that is 839 more than runner-up Randy Johnson. In 1990, now 43 years old, it was more out-of-this world outings for Ryan. Remarking on this feat, Koufax joked, "Yeah, and he also surpassed my total for bases on balls in a single season by 91. Four of his five highest strikeout rates -- percentage of batters faced whom he struck out -- came in 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991. The numismatic community subsequently referred to the coin as the "Nolan Ryan dollar. Ryan added a third no-hitter in 1974 and a fourth in 1975, tying another of Koufax's records. He never did anything to enhance himself physically. I decided that if there was any way to keep that from happening, I was going to do it.". His catcher for that first pitch was Jim Sundberg, a six-time Gold Glover, who had [64] In another column, Neyer, while stating that Ryan belonged in the Hall of Fame, pointed to Ryan's record-breaking walks total and noted that his .309 on-base percentage against "wasn't even close to being in the top 100". All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams; the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. "First, the other players were somewhat in awe of Ryan. He averaged 10.57 strikeouts per nine innings that season. On Aug. 20, 1974, in a game against the Detroit Tigers, then Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan pitched an 11-inning complete game 1-0 loss. To Knepper's point, Ryan offers an anecdote about Pete Rose going up to him and asking him what pitch Mike Schmidt hit for a home run or some guy who had gone 2-for-3 two weeks ago. ESPN wryly suggested the Astros might have needed to pull the 58-year-old Ryan out of retirement if the game had gone much longer. Despite his .333 winning percentage, Ryan tied for 5th place in the 1987 Cy Young voting. [18] As of 2021[update], this was the steepest second half increase in ERA for a starting pitcher in MLB history. NAME SEASON TM G IP W L W% GS CG GF SHO SV H TBF R ER HR BB IBB HBP In 2011, he was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. Ryan pitched a hitless ball game the rest of the way. That's exactly how I picture Ryan. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. No pitcher has ever thrown 200 pitches in a game. In 1987, Ryan led the major leagues in both ERA (2.76) and strikeouts (270) at the age of 40, but finished 816 as the result of extremely poor run support; the Astros scored a total of 27 runs in his 16 lossesan average of 1.69 runs per game. "I never honestly felt I was the type of pitcher to pitch a no-hitter," Ryan suggested after the game. Ryan holds 51 total MLB records, including: Nolan Ryan's post-retirement business interests include principal owner of Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment, which is the ownership group for the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Texas Rangers, among other businesses. "If they had a higher league, he could be in it," outfielder Hal McRae said. [35], Ryan's arm gave out in Seattle on September 22, 1993, when he tore a ligament. He is also fifth in innings pitched (5,386), second in games started (773), seventh in shutouts (61), is tied for 14th in wins (324), and is third in losses (292). But his good mechanics allowed him to bounce back from them. Other contemporaries of Ryan also have cases that they were better than him. I will not throw the ball down the middle." The Game 3 victory gave the Mets a 21 lead in the Series, which they went on to win in five games. Nolan Ryan's record 108 mph fastball. He needed every ounce of stamina -- physical and mental -- to concentrate on every pitch of every start. [1] Ryan had 15 or more strikeouts in a game 26 times, second only to Randy Johnson, who had 28. Ryan threw a record seven no-hitters during his major league career, three more than any other pitcher. Nolan Ryan became baseball's first pitcher to 'light up the radar at a major league park. [60] Ryan also played during the administrations of seven U.S. PresidentsLyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clintonequaling a 20th-century record that had been set by Jim Kaat. Explore What's the record for triples in a season in the live ball era? Ryan would have to settle for 235 pitches in this game. Though Ryan's actual winning percentage hovered only slightly over .500, his strikeouts and no-hitters brought him media attention. WebNolan Ryan of the California Angels pitching. For Ryan, there was no cutting corners. Texas Rangers president and CEO (20082013), Houston Astros special assistant (20142019), Pitching Splits and Daily Pitching Logs at, Los Angeles Angels Opening Day starting pitchers, appeared in MLB games in four different decades, Houston Astros award winners and league leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders, List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades, List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders, List of Texas Rangers Opening Day starting pitchers, List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders, List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders, List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls allowed leaders, "Nolan Ryan Society for American Baseball Research", "D Magazine Dallas Guide to Restaurants, Nightlife, Things to Do, Shopping, Politics, and Culture. He writes about how when he came up with the Mets he didn't want to be like many of the teammates he saw: "They were in their 30s, but some looked like old guys, paunchy and out of shape. Oh, and he threw another no-hitter. On August 22, 1989, Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers becomes the first pitcher in major league history to register 5,000 career strikeouts. Nolan Ryan threw four complete games in his career in which he walked no one: 1. Despite this, he never pitched a perfect game, nor did he ever win a Cy Young Award; both were largely attributed to his high walk rate. He lead his league in strikeouts a whopping 11 times, and six times he struck out more than 300 batters in a season. Angels manager Bobby Winkles wanted to take Ryan out. The back in my day folks would like to buy it, because today pitch speed is measured from here and back then it was measured from there, and if you switch here with there and do some kind of calculation, Ryan threw 240 mph because it makes a good story. Debut: To describe him as unique and fascinating barely paints the picture. Playing in only two games, his first strikeout was Pat Jarvis, and he gave up his first major league home run to Joe Torre.[1]. ", His way. Had terrible eating habits. Ryan is the all-time leader in no-hitters with seven, three more than any other pitcher. Sept. 18, 1996 at Tigers. Through 12 innings, both pitchers remained in the game. Nolan Ryans Final Hit Batter: August 4, 1993 By Ken Allan By Referee - August 1, 2022 I n his illustrious 27-year career, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan hit 158 batters. Ryan explained to Kornheiser, "I want to make the perfect pitch. After retiring from baseball, Ryan teamed up with the federal government to promote physical fitness. It was his record-setting 10th grand slam given up of his career. Nolan Ryan became baseball's first pitcher to 'light up the radar at a major league park. The only blemish on his pitching line was a lone walk "[26], Pitching 13 innings against the Boston Red Sox on June 14, 1974, Ryan threw 235 pitches, striking out 19, walking 10 and getting a no-decision. On June 3, he pitched another one-hitter. WebAnswer: Probably not. According to researcher Terry Cullen, Cobb hit .366 in his career off Johnson (120-for-328) -- pretty amazing considering Cobb's average against all pitchers was .366. In the fifth and final game of the series, Ryan and the Astros held a 52 lead entering the 8th inning. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. In his eight seasons with the Angels, Ryan was 138121, a 3.07 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, with 1,302 walks and 2,416 strikeouts in 2181 innings over 288 starts and 156 complete games.[20]. Before the 1993 season began, Ryan announced that he would retire as a player at the end of that season. Ryan struck out 5,714 batters in his career, 17.2% more than Randy Johnson, the No. That started a careerlong dedication to conditioning. His brain might explode. Ryan signed with the Mets and immediately pitched for the Marion Mets in the Appalachian League and for the Mets team in the Florida Instructional League. [51], Ryan was named the DallasFort Worth's 2012 CEO of the Year by Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business. From the beginning of his career to the end, a Nolan Ryan game featured strikeouts, walks, and very few hits.". His views on this calmed only once he started running the Rangers and gained a better understanding of the business side of baseball. I'm not saying he isn't a winner. Nolan Ryan was born on January 31, 1947, in Refugio, Texas, a small town located just south of Victoria in the southern part of the state. Friday: Behind-the-scenes moments. Nolan Ryan. His father thought baseball a better usage for his arm; therefore, he encouraged Nolan to play the game. [78] They have three children: Reid, Reese, and Wendy. Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams; the New Some of his best seasons came at the end of his Astros tenure and then with the Rangers. [33] On May 1, 1991, at age 44, Ryan extended his record by throwing the seventh no-hitter of his career,[34] striking out Roberto Alomar of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final out. Just throw it down the middle, they won't hit it anyway. Beer flights. Was he the fastest pitcher ever? Sam Miller . In the second one, on July 15 against the Detroit Tigers, he struck out 17 batters the most in a recorded no-hitter. In February 2008, the Rangers hired Ryan as team president. He was the final active player from the 1960s to retire from Major League Baseball, outlasting Carlton Fisk (the final active position player) by three months. He is tied with Bob Feller for the most one-hitters, with 12. [81] Ruth Ryan also coached their sons' little league teams for a few summers. We were teammates on Cleveland and driving past Anaheim Stadium. On Friday, Will Sammon of The Athletic released an article about Justin Verlander and how he is still attempting to introduce a changeup into his repertoire at this stage of his career. In his first season with the Angels, Ryan was given a chance to pitch regularly as a starter for the first time in his career, mainly because by then he had fulfilled his military obligation and no longer had to commute to Houston every other week. Consider 46 years ago today June 14, 1974. [1] Against the Oakland Athletics on August 22, Ryan struck out Rickey Henderson to become the only pitcher to record 5,000 career strikeouts. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. Aerosmith drummer puts Austin-area luxury home up for sale", "The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-Medicare Candidacy of Dr.Ron Paul", "PRESS RELEASE: Nolan Ryan to Serve as Statewide Chairman for Staples", American League Pitcher of the Year Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nolan_Ryan&oldid=1141250556, Major League Baseball players with retired numbers, American chief executives of professional sports organizations, Florida Instructional League Mets players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2021, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with incomplete citations from April 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, September 11,1966,for theNew York Mets, September 22,1993,for theTexas Rangers, Lowest career batting average allowed (minimum 1,500 innings pitched): .204, 26 career 15+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 36 career 14+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 56 career 13+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 95 career 12+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 151 career 11+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 3 19+ strikeout games, single season (1974), 3 18+ strikeout games, single season (1974), 3 17+ strikeout games, single season (1974), 3 16+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1972, 1974), 6 15+ strikeout games, single season (1974 - tied with, 15 12+ strikeout games, single season (1973), 18 11+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1973), 23 10+ strikeout games, single season (1973 - tied with, 26 9+ strikeout games, single season (1973), 29 8+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1973), 32 7+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1973), 36 6+ strikeout games, single season (1974 - tied with, 6.55 hits per nine innings pitched, career, minimum 1,000 innings (next-fewest is, 5.26 single-season hits per nine innings (1972), Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 03:23. He embarrasses you. Manager Bobby Valentine popped open a bottle of Dom Perignon that Rangers owner Brad Corbett had given him in 1986. The Houston bullpen allowed the Phillies to take a 75 lead, and only a game-tying Astro rally permitted Ryan to escape the loss. Overall, he was 69 in 1965 with a 4.33 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 120 innings. June 3, 1989, one of those one-hitters mentioned earlier (Ryan is tied with Bob Feller for the most career one-hitters with 12). On August 4, just before the end, Ryan had yet another high-profile momentthis time an on-the-mound fight. Do you have a sports website? Ryan is one of only three players in history to have his number retired by at least three teams, along with Jackie Robinson (whose number was retired by Major League Baseball) and Frank Robinson. [19], Ryan did not want to be traded from the Mets, and when it happened he felt betrayed by the team that drafted him. [77], Ryan married his high school sweetheart, the former Ruth Holdorff, on June 25, 1967. Ryan had a lifetime winloss record of 324292 (.526) and was an eight-time All-Star. (Carlton reached the same mark two weeks after Ryan, and Gaylord Perry did so later that season.) He didn't throw as hard and didn't throw as many innings, but he cut way down on his walks, became more efficient and just as effective. A primitive radar gun clocked a ninth-inning fastball at 100.8 miles per hour (162.2km/h) when it was 10 feet (3.0m) in front of home plate. On the other hand, Ryan walked 2,795 batters in his career -- 52.5% more than Steve Carlton, the next player on the list. All Maddux stats acquired via sbnation.com. Ryan faced six batters, walked four of them and allowed two hits, including a grand slam to the not-so-immortal Dann Howitt. In fact, we learn a lot about Ryan when he describes Mike Scott, his teammate with the Astros who won the 1986 Cy Young Award. Ryan also led the league in losses in 1976 with a 1718 record (one short of the franchise record for losses). He developed a changeup. Ryan secured the 26-year-old Ventura in a headlock with his left arm, while pummeling Ventura's head with his right fist six times before catcher Ivn Rodrguez was able to pull Ventura away from Ryan. Ryan's lengthy career spanned generations as he struck out seven pairs of fathers and sons (for example, Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds), another major league record. Interpreted as: How many regular-season complete games did Nolan Ryan throw? Speaking of 27, Nolan Ryan was in the 27th and final year of his Hall of Fame career, pitching for the Texas Rangers. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Ryan himself seemed rather unimpressed with the whole affair, saying his biggest thrill in baseball remained pitching in the World Series for the Mets in 1969. Todd Van Poppel and Gregg Jefferies? Redshirt sophomore righthander Ryan Brown made a pair of relief appearances for the Cardinals at the Swig & Swine College Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. He had 12 complete games, with 211 strikeouts and 61 walks. He maintained this velocity throughout his pitching career. That game went 14 innings, equaling the longest in innings in World Series history (at 5:41, it was the longest in time). "He's like a child prodigy. One of a kind? Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton were clearly better, and Phil Niekro (who also never won a Cy Young Award) and Gaylord Perry were probably better. Reid also pitched briefly in the minor leagues. How fast he threw depends on who These pitchers are Walter Big "Miracle Man," which came out 1992, apparently to capitalize on his peak popularity, is a terrible book. If I'm going to lose, I'm going to lose my way. Instead, he had the team toast Ryan. In those seven games, Ryan accumulated a total of 94 strikeouts and 26 walks; a ratio of 3.6 strikeouts per walk (his career K:BB was 2.0). The ultimate Nolan Ryan game had to be his duel against Luis Tiant of the Red Sox on June 14, 1974, a Friday night at Anaheim Stadium. September 11, 1966 His line: 13 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 10 BB, 19 SO, 58 batters faced. He threw 114 pitches and added 10 strikeouts in the no-hitter against the Phillies. [53] On October 17, 2013, Ryan announced that he was stepping down as Rangers CEO effective October 31, 2013. Exceeded rookie limits during 1968 season, View Player Bio ", "In baseball-filled life, Ruth Ryan proud of kids", "As Texas Watches, Ryan Hurls Against Ryan", "Nolan Ryan's wife used to catch for him when he was in the majors", "Want to live like a rock star? View Nolan Ryan's Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 2 pitcher in the league that year averaged 7.74. Home. [20], On December 10, 1971, the 25-year-old Ryan was traded to the California Angels along with pitcher Don Rose, catcher Francisco Estrada, and outfielder Leroy Stanton for shortstop Jim Fregosi (who later managed Ryan in Anaheim). The final game of Ryan's career. There will never be another pitcher like Nolan Ryan, The greatest lineups ever? Ruth was a high school state tennis champion. Nolan Ryan had 5,714 career strikeouts ( Top 1,000 ), more than any other pitcher in history (839 more than #2 all-time, Randy Johnson ). [70], In 1992, the United States Mint produced a $1 commemorative coin honoring Olympic baseball depicting a pitcher in a USA Baseball uniform, but in a pose nearly identical to Ryan's photo on his 1991 Fleer baseball card. [5] As a senior in 1965, Ryan had a 193 record and led the Alvin Yellow Jackets to the Texas high school state finals. Nolan Ryan had 5,714 career strikeouts (Top 1,000), more than any other pitcher in history (839 more than #2 all-time, Randy Johnson). Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax are the only two pitchers inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame who had more strikeouts than innings pitched. [6] In junior high school, Ryan could throw a softball over 100 yards. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. In 1965, after graduating from Alvin, Ryan was drafted by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1965 Major League Baseball draft, with the 295th overall pick. Greenberg became managing general partner and CEO, while Ryan remained as team president. However, in his 1992 book Ryan expressed some criticisms of the elder Bush's (George H.W. (19071970). What's the Dodgers' plan at shortstop? But Ryan allowed three consecutive singles before walking in the third run. Although the Angels were a sub-.500 team and remained one for much of his time there, Ryan managed to post some winning records, notably 1916 in 1972, 2116 in 1973 and 2216 in 1974 (the 22 wins tied what remains the Angels franchise record, set by Clyde Wright in 1970). That season, his 1.69 ERA won the National League ERA title.[1]. Perhaps the most interesting aspect to the no-hitter was that Royals manager Jack McKeon had protested the game in the third inning, arguing that Ryan was illegally lifting his foot off the pitching rubber during his delivery. He started Game 1 of the ALCS and threw seven innings against the Orioles' Jim Palmer, but neither man was involved in the decision as Baltimore won in the 10th inning. Videos of the incident were played that evening throughout the country. Cash's teammate Mickey Stanley commented on facing Ryan that day by saying, "Those were the best pitches I ever heard. A wave, a grim smile, and he was gone.". "Nolan's got so much more natural ability than the rest of us," Palmer said. If you're going to lose, it's sure great to strike out 380 guys. He struck out more batters than anybody, walked more batters than anybody, was the hardest to hit, threw the most wild pitches, made the most errors, allowed the most stolen bases, threw the most pitches, pitched the most no-hitters and never, ever gave in to a batter. Nolan Ryan's record 108 mph fastball. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Nolan Ryan was drafted by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1965 MLB June Amateur Draft from Alvin HS (Alvin, TX). [79] On May 17, 2013, Reid was announced as president of the Houston Astros. 2 pitcher on the list. He struck out 301 batters that season, the first time he had topped 300 since 1977. Ryan isn't really into much self-analysis, at least on the baseball field. [82], Ryan wrote in his 1992 autobiography "Miracle Man" that he voted for Jimmy Carter over Gerald R. Ford Jr. in 1976, but since then has generally identified as a Republican, though he does not automatically vote this way and looks at individual candidates, mentioning disgust at one particular election in which the two major parties were forcing a choice between "the racist or the criminal. [68] He chose to wear a Rangers cap for his HOF plaque to reflect his Texas heritage, as well as the fact that his 300th win, 5000th strikeout, and last two no-hitters came as a Ranger. WebDid Nolan Ryan throw 108 mph? In 1974 he twice struck out 19 batters, tying Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton for the single-game record for a nine-inning game. Though Ryan's strikeouts and no-hitters got him considerable media attention, he did not win over Angels general manager Buzzie Bavasi, who dismissed him as a flashy .500 pitcher (Ryan was 2627 in the last two years he was with the Angels). "The 'ease up and let the fielders do their work' software had never been installed on his machine. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan established records with his 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters during his 27-year Major League Baseball career. "In 1974, according to beat writers in attendance, Ryan threw 259 pitches in a 12-inning win over Kansas City." His earned run average for the first half of the 1971 season was 2.24; in the second half, it was 7.74. Ryan then takes his own jab at Palmer: "Don't tell me that Jim Palmer says he wouldn't throw a 3-2 curveball if he could throw 98; he wouldn't throw it down the middle if he could he throw 98 -- and anyway, he wouldn't know what it's like because he can't throw 98. Ryan was the youngest of six children born to Martha Lee (ne Hancock; 19131990) and Lynn Nolan Ryan Sr. Ryan finished his career having played in a major league record 27 seasons. Doctors had recommended surgery on Ryan's elbow way back in 1986, but he decided to keep pitching. (And how about crazy stuff like this: Pitching 13 innings against the Boston Red Sox on June 14, 1974, Ryan threw 235 pitches, striking out 19, walki Continue Reading Sponsored by PureCare Knee Protector [30] The normally light-hitting Ryan got his Houston years started with a bang in a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 12, 1980, when he hit a three-run home run off Don Sutton.
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