Ryan would go on to [13], When Ryan was called up by the New York Mets in 1966, he was the second-youngest player in the league. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. However, in his 1992 book Ryan expressed some criticisms of the elder Bush's (George H.W. Remarking on this feat, Koufax joked, "Yeah, and he also surpassed my total for bases on balls in a single season by 91. WebAnswer: Probably not. Best Answer. 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. In addition to his baseball activities, Ryan was majority owner and chairman of Express Bank of Alvin but sold his interest in 2005. 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. Umpire Ron Luciano, after first doubling over in laughter, told Cash to get rid of it. Ryan has co-written six books: autobiographies Miracle Man (with Jerry Jenkins, 1992), Throwing Heat (with Harvey Frommer, 1988) and The Road to Cooperstown (with Mickey Herskowitz and T.R. On July 11, 1985, Ryan struck out Danny Heep for his 4,000th career strikeout.[31]. Ryan had a shaky start in Game 2, taking the loss. Ryan pitched into the fifth inning in a game the Rangers won 12-10 with a nine-run rally in the eighth inning. Ryan also pitched 18 two-hitters. 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. [19], Ryan did not want to be traded from the Mets, and when it happened he felt betrayed by the team that drafted him. Ryan has more nine-inning no-hitters than all the rest of the starting pitchers now on active major league rosters combined (they have six). The Houston bullpen allowed the Phillies to take a 75 lead, and only a game-tying Astro rally permitted Ryan to escape the loss. WebNolan Ryan pitched 222 complete games in his career. Ryan also ranks high on the list for four "negative" records; he ranks first all-time in walks allowed (2,795), first in wild pitches (277), third in losses (292 most in the post-1920 live-ball era), and ninth in hit batters (158). After Singer was sidelined early in the 1970 season due to hospitalization for hepatitis, he returned to win six of his first seven games. He did not have a reputation as a headhunter, said retired MLB umpire Larry Young. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Nolan Ryan career postseason stats See trending Ryan had curbed some of the wildness from his Angels days, but would still throw what today looks like an ungodly number of pitches: a season high of 164, seven games of 140-plus and 16 of 130-plus. Mark Vientos demolishes a breaking ball off the batter's eye in center field for a massive 469-foot three-run home run. While ranking him as the 24th best pitcher of all time, he notes, "Ryan has been retired almost ten years [in 2001], in another ten perhaps we will begin to get a little bit of perspective on him. [13] In the 1968 season, Ryan returned to the major leagues, where he stayed until his retirement in 1993. Through 12 innings, both pitchers remained in the game. Nolan Ryan was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1999. WebDid Nolan Ryan throw over 200 pitches in a game? I won't hit him anyway! WebNolan Ryan made history by becoming the first to throw five no-hitters, on Sept. 26, 1981. [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. Ryans stat line from that game: 13 innings, 19 strikeouts, 10 walks, 58 batters Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. [7], Ryan played baseball for Coach Jim Watson at Alvin High School for all of his high school career. In 1996 Ryan campaigned on behalf of Ron Paul in the election for Texas's 14th congressional district; his hometown of Alvin was located in the district.[84]. Ryan was the youngest of six children born to Martha Lee (ne Hancock; 19131990) and Lynn Nolan Ryan Sr. 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. But thats a fairly recent measuring stick in Major League Baseball. Nolan Ryan. Manager Bobby Valentine popped open a bottle of Dom Perignon that Rangers owner Brad Corbett had given him in 1986. In particular, how many pitches did Nolan Ryan throw in his major league career. Ryan was used more as a reliever and spot starter by the 1969 Mets. May 22, 2013. WebHe pitched only 66 1/3 innings, his fewest for a full season in his 27-year career. The .500 pitcher had become an Authentic American Hero. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. That's exactly how I picture Ryan. 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. After throwing 235 pitches, he started on three days of rest -- and tossed six scoreless innings. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [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. ANNAPOLIS, Md. "[24] Ryan threw two no-hitters in 1973. David Schoenfield. April 29, 1986, was perhaps the date when the Rocket truly launched. 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. To put that in perspective, Barry Bonds would have needed to hit 885 home runs to break Hank Aaron's record by 17.2%. [77], Ryan married his high school sweetheart, the former Ruth Holdorff, on June 25, 1967. [76], The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted Ryan in 2010. He became the first player to play for all four MLB original expansion teams: the Mets, Angels, Houston Colt .45s/ Astros and Washington Senators/Texas Rangers. The season complete, Ryan became a free agent. [66] His number was the first retired by the Rangers. Sept. 22, 1993. That might not seem so impressive now, but factor in that radar guns used back then were slower than today's technology. Incredibly, hitters that faced Ryan over his career achieved a woeful MLB-record low batting average of .204. ", Royals shortstop Freddie Patek didn't agree with Ryan's self-assessment. That game went 14 innings, equaling the longest in innings in World Series history (at 5:41, it was the longest in time). After his retirement in 1993, Ryan served as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Texas Rangers and an executive advisor to the Houston Astros. Nolan Ryan's record 108 mph fastball. Ryan added a third no-hitter in 1974 and a fourth in 1975, tying another of Koufax's records. No, Ryan was referring to the 242 pitches he threw against Detroit in a 1973 game. he asked. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 12:52AM. To describe him as unique and fascinating barely paints the picture. No Gavin Lux -- big problem. For Ryan, there was no cutting corners. [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. 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]. I'm not sure how he would function in the modern world of analytics. On June 13, 1983, pitching for Houston, he defeated San Diego, 2-0, allowing five In February 2008, the Rangers hired Ryan as team president. Red Sox pitcher James Paxton suffered a strained hamstring during Friday's start and likely won't be ready for the start of the regular season. Ryan would have to settle for 235 pitches in this game. Signing with the Rangers in 1989 when he was 42, Ryan reeled off a string of memorable performances. Then the sixth no-hitter of his career on June 11, striking out 14. Cash declared he had no chance to get a hit off Ryan anyway. Nobody tracked pitch counts systematically until the Instead, he had the team toast Ryan. [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). Ryan shouted from the mound. Thursday: Defensive plays 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). In 1990, now 43 years old, it was more out-of-this world outings for Ryan. [80], Nolan frequently pitched in the off-seasons, with Ruth often donning catching gear and serving as his catcher. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 12,523rd in major league history) 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). Ryan was a right-handed pitcher who consistently threw pitches that were clocked above 100 miles per hour (161km/h). We have the numbers. Ryan's lifetime batting average against of .204 is also a major league record. Making his 40th career appearance, a 23-year-old Clemens fanned 20 of the 30 Mariners he faced and allowed one run on three hits with no walks in a complete-game win. In 1989, at age 42, Nolan Ryan averaged 127 pitches a game with a high of 164, which came five days after he threw 150. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. 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. September 11, 1966 The California Angels finally made the playoffs in Ryan's eighth and final year there in 1979. On April 12, in his second start of the season, he allowed one hit in eight innings and struck out 15. Knife fights. What's the Dodgers' plan at shortstop? 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. Two starts later he pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts. Despite his .333 winning percentage, Ryan tied for 5th place in the 1987 Cy Young voting. That spilled over into the sportswriting of the day as well. 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. Nolan Ryan's Fastest Fastball was 106.07 Miles per hour. All he cared about was playing golf.". WebDid Nolan Ryan throw 108 mph? 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. Bill James focuses on this dichotomy between Ryan's positive and negative statistics. Oh, and he threw another no-hitter. Reid and Reese were both pitchers for the TCU Horned Frogs. 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? 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. He pitched into his e Continue Reading 1 Robert Bluestein Studied Middle Ages (era) at University of London Author has 861 answers and 1.4M answer views 5 y Ryan joined Alvin Little League Baseball when he was nine, made the all-star team when he was 11 and 12,[5] and pitched the first no-hitter of his life a few years later. In five seasons with the Rangers, Ryan had a 5139 record, a 3.43 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, with 353 walks and 939 strikeouts in 840 innings over 129 starts.[20]. 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. His line: 13 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 10 BB, 19 SO, 58 batters faced. Nolan and Ruth attended Alvin High School together. Not so much. They said I wasn't pitching the way someone of my ability should. [49] After the 2009 season, Ryan and Chuck Greenberg submitted a bid to purchase the Rangers from owner Tom Hicks. "I never honestly felt I was the type of pitcher to pitch a no-hitter," Ryan suggested after the game. Ryan struck out 5,714 batters in his career, 17.2% more than Randy Johnson, the No. The no-hitters spanned three decades of pitching. When he signed his record-setting free-agent deal with the Astros for the 1980 season, making him the first player to earn a $1 million annual salary, his career record was just 167-159. Ryan got his third taste of postseason play in 1980, but the Astros were stopped one game short of the World Series. Randy Johnson is second with 839 fewer strikeouts. Wednesday: Prospects "[25] With a regulation bat in hand, Cash did finally make contact, but popped out to end the game. WebHighlights of Nolan Ryan's fastest pitches. Let up a little, Ryan had always been told. Greg Myers of the California Angels was the last strikeout victim of Nolan Ryan's career, on September 17, 1993.[36]. Nolan Ryan's record 108 mph fastball. Nothing. He has 5,714 career strikeouts, an MLB record[1] that is 839 more than runner-up Randy Johnson. Didn't run. Ryan threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Rangers game 10 years ago. No. Ryan explained to Kornheiser, "I want to make the perfect pitch. [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. On August 22, 1989, Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers becomes the first pitcher in major league history to register 5,000 career strikeouts. 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. He would need to do that for another 32 seasons to break Ryan's record. Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey Jr. and Bo Jackson lived up to their billing. WebNolan Ryan is without a doubt one of the greatest pitchers of all time. 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. 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. Within five seasons, the season was only Ryan's fourth-highest strikeout total. But off the mound he was one of the laziest pitchers I have ever seen. 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. [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. The only blemish on his pitching line was a lone walk "Nolan wanted to win this one, and I just let him go," Winkles said. (Carlton reached the same mark two weeks after Ryan, and Gaylord Perry did so later that season.) Ryan faced six batters, walked four of them and allowed two hits, including a grand slam to the not-so-immortal Dann Howitt. Find all the best Dallas has to offer", "Nolan Ryan Strikeout Record Broken! I could feel every minute of these 44 years.". Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He pitched the no-hitter with blood on the baseball. 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. But he definitely had a reputation of working inside. Nine Blue Jays hitters swung and missed strike-three fastballs. 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. ", His way. Planes, trains and parachutes? WebDuring his 9 seasons in Houston, Ryan joined Cy Young as the only other pitcher in baseball history to win 100 games in both leagues (138 with the Angels, 106 with the Astros), Nolan Ryan became baseball's first pitcher to 'light up the radar at a major league park. It was his record-setting 10th grand slam given up of his career. (Ryan was joined in this category by Darren Oliver, who made his major league debut as Ryan's teammate in September 1993. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. That was the infamous Norm Cash episode. When was Nolan Ryan drafted? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Ryan is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in MLB games in four different decades. Good morning, Mets fans! The most meme-worthy moments ever for all 30 MLB teams. He needed every ounce of stamina -- physical and mental -- to concentrate on every pitch of every start. He was wild, sure, but it doesn't feel quite that simple. White Sox manager Gene Lamont vehemently argued this, leading to his own ejection. His earned run average for the first half of the 1971 season was 2.24; in the second half, it was 7.74. "[32] His 4,999th and 5,001st strikeouts were against the same man, Athletics catcher Ron Hassey. "Ryan tried to throw unhittable pitches, one after another, even to weak hitters, even when he was behind in the count," James wrote. There will never be another pitcher like Nolan Ryan, The greatest lineups ever? ESPN writer Rob Neyer stated in a 2003 column that while Ryan was among the 20 best pitchers since World WarII, he "often had trouble throwing strikes, [and] he wasn't any good at fielding his position". We were teammates on Cleveland and driving past Anaheim Stadium. ), 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. Opposing hitters hit only .204 against Ryan during his career, although they had a .309 on-base percentage against him. Many thanks to him. Unknown, and un-knowable. His views on this calmed only once he started running the Rangers and gained a better understanding of the business side of baseball. "[71][72], In 1995 the Texas State Legislature declared State Highway 288, which passes near Alvin, as the Nolan Ryan Expressway. Or maybe he would be more efficient and even more unhittable. 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. He had 12 complete games, with 211 strikeouts and 61 walks. He holds the record for most strikeouts of all-time with 5,714, 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. 83 percent of those 76 pitches were strikes. I did not order the cookbook, but did pick up the two most recent biographies, hoping to find some insight. But Greinke struck NAME SEASON TM G IP W L W% GS CG GF SHO SV H TBF R ER HR BB IBB HBP 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. [67], Ryan was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 in his first year of eligibility with 98.79% of the vote (491 out of 497 possible), six votes short of a unanimous election and the fifth-highest percentage in history, behind Mariano Rivera (100%, 425 out of 425 possible), Derek Jeter (99.75%, 396 out of 397 possible), Ken Griffey Jr. (99.32%, 437 out of 440 possible), and Tom Seaver (98.84%, 425 out of 430 possible). Before the 1993 season began, Ryan announced that he would retire as a player at the end of that season. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Rookie Status: 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). Ryan also led the league in losses in 1976 with a 1718 record (one short of the franchise record for losses). 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. After 5,386 innings, 5,714 strikeouts and an estimated 34,500 pitches, Ryan's elbow ligament had finally snapped. He played baseball for 27 seasons, won 324 games, and was on the All-Star Team eight times. 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. [10] The record was eventually tied by Alvin High School pitchers Aaron Stewart and Josh Land in the same week in 2009. 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. In Tony Kornheiser's profile of Ryan in the inaugural edition of Inside Sports magazine heading into that season --- Ryan was the cover subject -- Jim Palmer, Ryan's contemporary, threw a pointed barb. [1] Ryan was unable to crack the Mets' pitching rotation, led by Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman. 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. 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). That intense focus on every pitch. He wasnt even a top 3 pitcher in his own era. 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 In the fifth and final game of the series, Ryan and the Astros held a 52 lead entering the 8th inning. He never threw either pitch that much, but it was a little something extra to throw at batters. Ryan is quoted as saying, "Todd Staples is the top prospect for the Texas Republican Party in 2014. Other contemporaries of Ryan also have cases that they were better than him. [79] On May 17, 2013, Reid was announced as president of the Houston Astros. He has 5,714 career strikeouts, nearly a thousand more than the next closest pitcher (Randy Johnson). Just throw it down the middle, they won't hit it anyway. Harold Reynolds led off the game with base hit, the only one of the game for Seattle. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. The Texas Rangers and left-handed reliever Will Smith have agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. He was the first Hall of Famer inducted as a Ranger. 2 pitcher on the list. 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. "I walked a lot of guys," he said. WebRyan was a strike out pitcher who 7 no hitters (most all time), 12 one hitters (tied for 1st) and 18 2 hitters, almost 6 thousand strike outs (most in MLB history), and over 300 wins. The record is 177, by Tim Wakefield. He walked 202 batters in 1974 and 204 in 1977. That's why he would head to the exercise bike after throwing a no-hitter. (Voted by BBWAA on 491/497 ballots) Speaking of 27, Nolan Ryan was in the 27th and final year of his Hall of Fame career, pitching for the Texas Rangers. I'm not saying he isn't a winner. Some of his best seasons came at the end of his Astros tenure and then with the Rangers. [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. Ronnie Gajownik, who will become the first woman to manage a Class High-A team this season, served as bench coach for the Diamondbacks' Torey Lovullo on Saturday. [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". Until Nolan Ryan ushered in the radar age in 1974, there were only two other pitchers in history that were clocked using various devices. A wave, a grim smile, and he was gone.". [1] On July 4 of that season, at Riverfront Stadium, Ryan recorded his 3,000th career strikeout, the victim being Csar Gernimo of the Cincinnati Reds (Gernimo had also been Bob Gibson's 3,000th strikeout victim, in 1974). Explore What's the record for triples in a season in the live ball era? After suffering elbow pain in 1986, he had added a sinker. 2 pitcher in the league that year averaged 7.74. In 2011, he was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. ", Dave Duncan: "A guy like Ryan doesn't just get you out. WebGet the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about starting pitcher Nolan Ryan on ESPN. On November 19, 1979, Nolan Ryan became the first million-dollar player when he signed a four-year free-agent contract with the Houston Astros for $4.5 million (equivalent to $16.8million in 2021). [73], The Alvin Independent School District opened Nolan Ryan Junior High School, located at 11500 Shadow Creek Parkway (FM 2234) in Pearland, Texas, just a few hundred yards away from the Nolan Ryan Expressway.