Four of his five highest strikeout rates -- percentage of batters faced whom he struck out -- came in 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991. Greg Myers of the California Angels was the last strikeout victim of Nolan Ryan's career, on September 17, 1993.[36]. After suffering elbow pain in 1986, he had added a sinker. "I drove managers crazy. The next closest seasons were both in the American League, both had Nolan Ryan. Some of his best seasons came at the end of his Astros tenure and then with the Rangers. He had been saving it for a World Series celebration. How many teams has Nolan Ryan played for? "Miracle Man," which came out 1992, apparently to capitalize on his peak popularity, is a terrible book. "Check his bat!" WebHow many strikeouts did Nolan Ryan have? If I'm going to lose, I'm going to lose my way. WebDid Nolan Ryan throw 108 mph? He's the only guy I go against that makes me go to bed before midnight. "Nolan's got so much more natural ability than the rest of us," Palmer said. Ryan pitched a hitless ball game the rest of the way. The most meme-worthy moments ever for all 30 MLB teams. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. When he was traded to the Angels in 1971, he discovered a weight room at Anaheim Stadium -- although he said it wasn't for the Angels, as baseball players were discouraged at the time from lifting weights (he wasn't sure who was it built for, suggesting maybe a soccer team). In 1990, now 43 years old, it was more out-of-this world outings for Ryan. He had a league-leading 329 strikeoutsnearly a third more than the AL runner-up, and to that point, the fourth-highest total of the 20th century. Didn't lift. Two starts later he pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts. Within five seasons, the season was only Ryan's fourth-highest strikeout total. [49] After the 2009 season, Ryan and Chuck Greenberg submitted a bid to purchase the Rangers from owner Tom Hicks. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. In 1963 Marichal reportedly threw 227 pitches and Spahn threw 201 Opposing hitters hit only .204 against Ryan during his career, although they had a .309 on-base percentage against him. Who gets the L?". Plate umpire Ron Luciano ordered Cash to go back and get a regulation bat, to which Cash replied, "Why? On August 6, 1992, Ryan had the only ejection of his career when he was ejected after engaging in a shouting match with Oakland Athletics outfielder Willie Wilson with two outs in the eighth inning. But off the mound he was one of the laziest pitchers I have ever seen. Ryan got his third taste of postseason play in 1980, but the Astros were stopped one game short of the World Series. With perfect location, it doesn't matter how bad your stuff is. [66] His number was the first retired by the Rangers. For Ryan, as soon as the game was over, he forgot about it, brushed it from memory. Legendary, dominating, historically wild? He had 12 complete games, with 211 strikeouts and 61 walks. "[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. He developed a changeup. "It was one of those days when I knew how old I was when I woke up. 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. One of a kind? As a young boy, Nolan enjoyed throwing objects at any target. That's why he would head to the exercise bike after throwing a no-hitter. (Ryan ranks 12th in pitching WAR since 1920 and would rank lower on a list that measured a pitcher's seven best seasons or something like that.) Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Opening their 2023 As far as Nolan Ryan no-hitters would go, it was a relatively pedestrian effort, with a mere 12 strikeouts, although there were no hard-hit balls against the Angels right-hander until the final couple of innings, including the final out, a fly ball to the warning track. In addition to his baseball activities, Ryan was majority owner and chairman of Express Bank of Alvin but sold his interest in 2005. WebAnswer: Probably not. Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1981 NLDS, Ryan threw a complete game 2-hitter in the opener, outlasting the Dodgers' rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela. Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams; the New Oh, and he threw another no-hitter. Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey Jr. and Bo Jackson lived up to their billing. WebThe 1968 season is often referred to as the "year of the pitcher" and there was an all-time league leading fifteen 1-hitters thrown in the National League that year. That's exactly how I picture Ryan. Many thanks to him. Ryans stat line from that game: 13 innings, 19 strikeouts, 10 walks, 58 batters "He's like a child prodigy. Ryan also pitched 18 two-hitters. After Ryan hit Robin Ventura of the Chicago White Sox with a pitch, Ventura charged the mound in order to fight Ryan, who was 20 years his senior. Beer flights. WebHe pitched only 66 1/3 innings, his fewest for a full season in his 27-year career. This exceeded an earlier pitch by Bob Feller which was measured at 98.6 miles per hour (158.7km/h) at home plate and previously thought to be the fastest pitch ever recorded.[29]. WebNolan Ryan is NOT a top 10 pitcher of all-time. There will never be another pitcher like Nolan Ryan, The greatest lineups ever? The opposing high bidder was Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The no-hitters spanned three decades of pitching. "[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. WebDid Nolan Ryan throw 108 mph? 7 Cubs pitchers combine for no-hitter vs Machado, Padres, Jays 'playing it safe' after Guerrero tweaks knee, Top moments from Brady, Manning, Jordan and other athletes hosting 'Saturday Night Live', Fantasy baseball rankings, projections, strategy and cheat sheets, PitchCom-tipping: Loud device leaks Twins calls, Eflin's first start after $40M deal impresses Rays, Rangers' Leclerc to miss WBC with neck injury, Rockies' Rodgers may need surgery, '23 at risk, Rojas to withdraw from WBC, stay with Dodgers, Passan: Why financial battle over 2020 MLB season is about to get really, really ugly, How good would Mike Trout be in the KBO? How many strikeouts did Nolan Ryan have in his career? 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). [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. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. [13], When Ryan was called up by the New York Mets in 1966, he was the second-youngest player in the league. Ryan's title was changed simply to CEO, but he remained operating head of the franchise; both Daniels and George reported to him. (On April 19, 1968, he had struck out three batters on nine pitches in the second inning of a 21 win over the St.Louis Cardinals, becoming the eighth National League pitcher and the 14th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat. 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. "Well, I don't believe it'll be his last.". The final game of Ryan's career. Opening Day of 1992, matched up against Randy Johnson. [50] Although Texas oil magnates Ray Davis and Bob Simpson served as co-chairmen and held larger stakes, Ryan became the undisputed head of the franchise, with Davis and Simpson serving mostly as senior consultants. Thursday: Defensive plays Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams; the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. The Houston bullpen allowed the Phillies to take a 75 lead, and only a game-tying Astro rally permitted Ryan to escape the loss. On June 14, 1974, Ryan purportedly threw 235 pitches in a start against the Red Sox. Overall, he was 69 in 1965 with a 4.33 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 120 innings. [1] In the early 1970s, many teams used a four-man rotation and expected the starter to complete the game; thus most games Ryan started ended in a decision. 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. Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. "First, the other players were somewhat in awe of Ryan. 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. [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. Explore What's the record for triples in a season in the live ball era? Draft: Drafted by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1965 MLB June Amateur Draft from Alvin HS (Alvin, TX). 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. That might not seem so impressive now, but factor in that radar guns used back then were slower than today's technology. What's the Dodgers' plan at shortstop? [6] In junior high school, Ryan could throw a softball over 100 yards. That was not Nolan Ryan's way. It was the closest he ever came in the Cy Young balloting. In 1989, he went 1610 and led the league with 301 strikeouts. Opening their 2023 Oh, Ryan also pitched the entire game with a sore on his middle finger that cracked open as he warmed up in the bullpen. [74], The Nolan Ryan Foundation is a Texas nonprofit organization that supports youth, education, and community development and is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. 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. A month later it was a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and in his final start of the season, he fanned 13 in another three-hit shutout. 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. Harold Reynolds led off the game with base hit, the only one of the game for Seattle. Nine Blue Jays hitters swung and missed strike-three fastballs. In addition to his seven no-hitters, which are three more than any other pitcher, Ryan is the all-time strikeout leader at 5,714. Bush) management of domestic issues and said he wasn't "locked in" to voting for Bush that fall. After the champagne, after all the interviews, Ryan headed off to his usual postgame ritual: He rode the exercise bike. 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). Manager Bobby Valentine popped open a bottle of Dom Perignon that Rangers owner Brad Corbett had given him in 1986. [1] Ryan had 15 or more strikeouts in a game 26 times, second only to Randy Johnson, who had 28. Other contemporaries of Ryan also have cases that they were better than him. WebNolan Ryan is without a doubt one of the greatest pitchers of all time. [15], On April 18, 1970, Ryan tied a Mets record by striking out 15 batters in one game. [17], Ryan's performance declined sharply in the second half of his final season with the Mets. His father thought baseball a better usage for his arm; therefore, he encouraged Nolan to play the game. (Carlton reached the same mark two weeks after Ryan, and Gaylord Perry did so later that season.) "He'd do whatever it took to win. BL-2664-73 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library) Whether Ryan saw this as an achievement or not, his fourth career hitless game, delivered in front of a crowd of 18,492 at Anaheim Stadium on June 1, 1975 - tying him with Sandy Koufax as the only hurler to throw four no-hit games. WebNolan Ryan of the California Angels pitching. His catcher for that first pitch was Jim Sundberg, a six-time Gold Glover, who had Did he throw 108 MPH? "If they had a higher league, he could be in it," outfielder Hal McRae said. Consider 46 years ago today June 14, 1974. Do you have a sports website? Major League Baseball pitcher for 27 seasons, with the New York Mets, the California Angels, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers. [1] Aside from Bob Feller in 1938, Ryan is the only man since 1900 to walk 200 batters in a season, which he did twice: in 1974 and 1977. [1] Four days later, Ryan's teammate Seaver topped it with a then-MLB record 19 against the San Diego Padres (though Ryan tied this record four years later). He also has appeared in various television commercials shown in the Texas market. There are times when you've won some sort of victory just hitting the ball. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 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 ). Ryan shouted from the mound. Incredibly, hitters that faced Ryan over his career achieved a woeful MLB-record low batting average of .204. [12] 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. Home. Videos of the incident were played that evening throughout the country. ", Alan Ashby: "The funniest line I ever heard about Nolan was said by Oscar Gamble. Ryan finished his career having played in a major league record 27 seasons. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962 walking over 50% more hitters than any other pitcher in MLB history. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. That season, his 1.69 ERA won the National League ERA title.[1]. He lead his league in strikeouts a whopping 11 times, and six times he struck out more than 300 batters in a season. 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. [16] Ryan has credited his time with Seaver and the Mets with turning him from just a flamethrower into a pitcher. (Ryan left trailing 50, and the fourth walk was completed by a reliever after Ryan's injury, but credited to Ryan.) Ryan briefly attempted to pitch past the injury, and he threw one additional pitch after tearing his ligament. There has never been a pitcher like Nolan Ryan. WebDid Nolan Ryan throw over 200 pitches in a game? Or write about sports? He struck out 17 of the 20 batters he faced spanning 6 1/3 innings over two appearances, picking up the win in both contests. He struck out 301 batters that season, the first time he had topped 300 since 1977. (Ryan was joined in this category by Darren Oliver, who made his major league debut as Ryan's teammate in September 1993. Nolan Ryan weighed 170 lbs (77 kg) when playing. 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 [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. Alvin head coach Jim Watson and the other players on the 65 team described Ryans senior year performance with the same term: wheel horse. Ryan faced six batters, walked four of them and allowed two hits, including a grand slam to the not-so-immortal Dann Howitt. I'm pretty sure I could hear the grunting from there. ", Royals shortstop Freddie Patek didn't agree with Ryan's self-assessment. That's what Ryan did throughout his career: do things that now seem fictional. 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. Ryan had a lifetime winloss record of 324292 (.526) and was an eight-time All-Star. The final cash bid to purchase the franchise was $385 million. Incredibly, pitchers Leon Cadore and Joe Oeschger each went the distance. [58] The Astros won the 2017 World Series and won the 2019 American League pennant. To put it another way, in 2019 Gerrit Cole struck out 326 batters in 212 innings. "[63][full citation needed], Other writers have delved more into the specifics of James' general concerns. ", His way. He wasnt even a top 3 pitcher in his own era. He went to a two-ball count only twice, and he did not throw a ball in the third or fifth innings. According to reports at the time, Ryan's fastball clocked 96 mph in the fourth inning and his final pitch to Roberto Alomar clocked 93 mph. Not so much. 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. 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. I remember buying an upper-deck seat that day and moving down to a box seat, just a few rows behind the first-base dugout. The Mets later drafted Ryan. On April 7, 2011, Todd Staples announced that Nolan Ryan would be his statewide chairman for his exploratory committee for lieutenant governor. He finished 2nd in the Cy Young balloting (losing to Jim Palmer 8862) in 1973. 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. Nolan Ryan career postseason stats See trending he asked. In 34 total innings, Ryan had 54 strikeouts in 1967. Mark Vientos demolishes a breaking ball off the batter's eye in center field for a massive 469-foot three-run home run. Until Nolan Ryan ushered in the radar age in 1974, there were only two other pitchers in history that were clocked using various devices. [11] In 1963, at an Alvin High School game at Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas, Red Murff, a scout for the New York Mets, first noticed sophomore pitcher Ryan. You feel like you can hear the grunting. WebNolan Ryan (born January 31, 1947) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 27 years and still holds many major league pitching records, some of which are so far beyond previous marks that they are likely to stand for years and generations of pitchers to come. Rookie Status: "The mystique of Nolan Ryan was based on two things," Bill James wrote in "The New Historical Baseball Abstract." No Gavin Lux -- big problem. September 11, 1966 In the weeklong series focusing on a different baseball theme each day, we asked our MLB reporters to tell us the stories of the best they ever saw -- with only one rule: They had to be there to witness it in person. Despite his .333 winning percentage, Ryan tied for 5th place in the 1987 Cy Young voting. Nolan Ryan threw four complete games in his career in which he walked no one: 1. On July 9, 1972, Ryan struck out three batters on nine pitches in the second inning of a 30 win over the Boston Red Sox; he became the seventh American League pitcher to accomplish the immaculate inning, and the first pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat in both leagues. In 2011, he was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. The children were expected to help with the daily tasks. Maybe the Kornheiser piece best figures out Ryan. His brain might explode. Of his 122 pitches, 83 were strikes. His earned run average for the first half of the 1971 season was 2.24; in the second half, it was 7.74. He did not have a reputation as a headhunter, said retired MLB umpire Larry Young. 2 pitcher on the list. 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. 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. ), In 1973, Ryan set his first major record when he struck out 383 batters in one season, beating Sandy Koufax's old mark by one. After 5,386 innings, 5,714 strikeouts and an estimated 34,500 pitches, Ryan's elbow ligament had finally snapped. Copy. Ryan threw 130 pitches and said, I was at the limit. Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan pitches during his sixth career no-hitter at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland Find out more. With his injured arm, his final pitch was measured at 98 miles per hour (158km/h). In the 1980 NLCS versus the Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan pitched well in Game 2, leaving the game tied 22 in the seventh (having contributed to both Astros runs with a run scored following a walk, and a sacrifice bunt leading to a run) but again got a no-decision in a game that went extra innings. Just throw it down the middle, they won't hit it anyway. [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). On August 22, 1989, Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers becomes the first pitcher in major league history to register 5,000 career strikeouts. in Refugio, TX He walked 202 batters in 1974 and 204 in 1977. [69] That year, he ranked 41st on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. After throwing 235 pitches, he started on three days of rest -- and tossed six scoreless innings. The salary quadrupled what he had been making with the California Angels. [47] Ryan suffered a heart attack on April 25, 2000, and had to receive a double coronary bypass.[48]. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses, Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Nobody tracked pitch counts systematically until the He has 5,714 career strikeouts, nearly a thousand more than the next closest pitcher (Randy Johnson). ", Reggie Jackson: "You don't face Ryan without your rest. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He threw 114 pitches and added 10 strikeouts in the no-hitter against the Phillies. 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. Ryan also walked 162 batters -- actually a reasonable total for him at that point in his career. [4] Ryan's family lived in nearby Woodsboro, Texas in Refugio County, until they moved to Alvin, Texas in Brazoria County, when Nolan was six weeks old. I try to get them out. He appeared as a TV spokesman for Advil for several years, promoting the pain medication he recommended for his own arm. We have the numbers. WebNolan Ryan made history by becoming the first to throw five no-hitters, on Sept. 26, 1981. Singer was close to no-hitter a month earlier, pitching 7 2/3 hitless innings against Atlanta on June 23. His Astros teammate Bob Knepper said this, which I think is telling as well: "You can't imagine how determined you have to be to throw your hardest fastball every time. Nolan Ryan was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1999. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. He is tied with Bob Feller for the most one-hitters, with 12. Other contemporaries of Ryan also have cases that they were better than him. From 1972 to 1974, his first three seasons with the Angels, he threw 942 innings, 72 complete games and 16 shutouts. Strikeouts are only a part of his dominance, but in just 1,260 career innings, the 65 righty already has 1,161 strikeouts and is pitching no-hitters like hes Nolan Ryan.