Something I learned the other day

Nolan Ryan never won the Cy-Young award.
He played more seasons than any other ball player in history.
Was usually the strike out leader or close to it, and all those no hitters; including two in 1973.

I know he pitched in the pre statistics age when win totals were of primary importance to baseball writers....and Nolan didn't play on many great teams; but, he does have the fifth highest voting percentage for the Hall of Fame; so the writers didn't despise him.

Nolan Ryan the Chuck Norris of baseball

he also had more walks than anyone else

Ryan was a great pitcher and holds a number of records in MLB, although some of them are less admirable than others.

Most strikeouts
Most walks
Most wild pitches
Most hit batters
Most no hitters
Most one hitters
Most two hitters
Most three hitters
Most stolen bases allowed

True, but in the modern era, only Max Scherzer and Ryan threw two no hitters in the same season.

Let's look at 1973. Jim Palmer played for a great Orioles 1973 team that finished first in the AL, while Nolan played for the 79-83 4th in the AL west Angels.

His 383 strikeouts that year remains the modern single season record (which will never be broken)

Plus he played in the American League and everyone know that an inferior league... Dan

Nolan Ryan one of my favs. I called him washed up when he came to Houston in 1980 was I ever wrong. J. R. Richards 100 mph fastball, Joe Niekro 70 mph Knuckle ball, Nolan Rayn 100 mph fastball, then came Ken Forsch a finesse pitcher talk about keeping batters off balance that was it. I saw him and Steve Carlton go head to head once when they battling for the strikeout record talk about a boring game 1-0. He played 13 more years after that season.

The most hit batters was more than likely on purpose.

The stat that stands out to me is Innings pitched (IP), 6 guys with 300 or more innings.

Today's pitchers would have their arm fall off and not make it another season after that.
Kershaw, Greinke, Lynn and others are workhorses in todays era but have only pitched about 230 innings in their best seasons.

Yup. Check out #5 on the list. The great knuckleballer Wilbur Wood was part of a 3-man starting pitcher rotation for the White Sox.

I wonder if he used steroids?

Monkey blood

Ate pure Nolan Ryan aged angus beef every meal.

Mean uppercut too:



Robin Ventura should be ashamed letting a 50 year old beat his azz !

He won the all time dont charge the mound or I'll beat your arse award. Lol

Some were for sure , Nolan Ryan threw extremely hard ( for his generation ) ---but had difficulty in controlling his curve ball and walked a bunch and hit a bunch of guys . If your a batter , and a guy has a reputation for 100MPH without control ---- you don't dig in . When he played for the Angels --- supposedly he threw a pitch at 105MPH ----downright scary if your the batter .
It is also rumored that Nolan Ryan has to buy " fitted " sport coats because his right arm is 1" longer than his left .
Also , look at the pitch counts when he played ---crazy compared to today .
How in the heck did he last that long with that kind of ability ?????

He put the most pops to Robin Venturas pumpkin head

If you are a Robin why would you charge a Nolan!

He would regularly throw 120-150 pitches per outing. Todays "horses" might get to 100 if they are throwing a great game ie: No hitter or a one hit shutout.

1963 , Juan Marichal VS Warren Sphan ---- Marichal threw 227 pitches , Spahn threw 207 @ 39 years old ---- possibly the best game ever pitched

I met Warren Sphan at a baseball card show in the late 80's and have an autographed baseball from him. He was old school dirt tough.

should change the name to the Nolan Ryan award

No way! Ryan was into keeping his body fit. as a player
Ryan owned the plate if tried batter tried to crowd the plate Ryan sent a little chin music or a 100 mph fastball tight inside or just hit them.

He had a double by-pass at age 55. At the time, I always wondered if steroids played a role in it. Family history is not on his side, but juicing up can also be a factor.

He has made it to 74 years old.

Mr. Ryan still comes into the local meat market (using the back door) and grabs a container of chicken salad and some crackers.

Are you serious? I was just going to post something the other day asking if anyone knew even of an address where I could send some fan mail. I know I've told this story before on here, but my biological parents divorced when I was 4 years old and my middle name was my bio dad's first name. When they divorced, he left for good and that was the last day I ever saw him. My mom remarried a few years later and when my dad adopted me and I took his last name, they let me pick any middle name I wanted to get rid of the last remnant of my bio dad's impact on my life. Being a huge baseball fan and with my favorite player being Nolan Ryan, I chose Nolan as my new middle name. And when I had a son, I chose that middle name for him. I was super proud in 2019 to get to take him to his first Rangers game and get a picture with the Nolan statue - 3 Nolans together at once.




If you have any way to get in contact with him, I'd love to just send him a letter and see if he could sign a picture to my son, or my son and I. I think it would be a really cool thing to have. PM me if that works better. If not I understand - just figured it was worth a shot.

As for the post - it's a crime that he never won the cy young...

Excellent Kierkegaard quote also.

PM sent.

as a baseball family , the name Nolan Ryan always makes me smile --- total admiration .
On June 8th , in Weatherford TX , my second grandson was born , first from my son and wife ---- his first name is Nolan .

My Dad and I were half-watching the baseball game where they expected Rickey Henderson to break the stolen bases record (it was the only game on) when low-and-behold The broadcast was changed over to watch Ryan complete one of his no-hitters. I don't remember which one, but it certainly was refreshing

Most Olshan foundation repair commercials.

By a funny coincidence, Nolan also logged strikeout #5000 on Rickey Henderson.

I was at that game.