The Big Unit has blazed his way onto this list with his incredible strikeout ratio, 300 wins, accompanied by a great H/9 ratio, K/BB ratio and WHIP. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He pitched 20 innings of shutout baseball to help the Giants win the 33 series. Sullivan, 1999); Kings of the Hill (with Mickey Herskowitz, 1992), about contemporary pitchers; and instructional books Pitching and Hitting (with Joe Torre and Joel Cohen, 1977), and Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible (with Tom House, 1991). (1898-1910) (249W 205L; 2.63 ERA; ERA+ 118; 388 CG/ 50 SHO; 3996 IP/ 3621 H/ 8.2 H/9; 1651 K/ 1212 BB/ 1.36 ratio; 1.209 WHIP); (postseason - 0 1; 4.76 ERA; 11 IP/ 10 H; 3 K/ 8 BB). His 156 CG total is low for his era. He served on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission from 1995 to 2001. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, June 30, 4:19AM. 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. He won 300 games using extraordinary skills. Nolan Ryan:1966-1993324-292, 3.19 ERA, 5,714 K, 1.25 WHIP, 81.3 WAR8x All StarI don't own any of these videos, they belong to MLB.com. He is also third all-time with 1,809 BB and 5th with 274 losses. Bush) management of domestic issues and said he wasn't "locked in" to voting for Bush that fall. Many thanks to him. 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). Ryan certainly has some gaudy. Nolan Ryan was the second pitcher inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame who had more career strikeouts, than innings pitched. Ryan was scheduled to pitch Game 5, but the Angels were eliminated in four. He also holds the record for the most no-hitters thrown by a single pitcher, with seven over the course of his career. Brown was a consummate control pitcher with a tremendous curve and change-up. He posted the third lowest career ERA2.06. His 300 wins and 2266 strikeouts led his era. Copyright 1999- His 382 CG are the most since Grover Alexander retired in 1930 with 437. Bill James focuses on this dichotomy between Ryan's positive and negative statistics. His 49 shutouts are a borderline automatic HOF stat. Bert Blyleven toiled in relative obscurity in Minnesota for the first part of his career. Get complete game-by-game stats for starting pitcher Nolan Ryan on ESPN. His career record of 3509 strikeouts stood for 55 years until 82. (1965-1988) (329W 244L; 3.22 ERA; ERA+ 115; 255 CG/ 55 SHO; 5217 IP/ 4672 H/ 8.1 H/9; 4136 K/ 1833 BB/ 2.26 ratio; 1.247 WHIP); (postseason 6-6; 3.26 ERA; 99 IP/ 96 H; 84 K/ 51 BB; 1.480 WHIP). After ninth grade, Ryan quit playing football after a tackle and fumble caused by future NFL running back Norm Bulaich made him decide to focus on baseball. 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. Did you know his name appears on more than 1,700 pages here at Baseball Almanac and we could effortlessly write an entire book about his accomplishments, effortlessly? [74], The Nolan Ryan Foundation is a Texas nonprofit organization that supports youth, education, and community development and is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. In nine seasons as a pitcher with the Astros (his longest tenure with any team), Ryan compiled a 10694 record in 282 starts, a 3.13 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, with 796 walks and 1,866 strikeouts in 1,854 innings. In 1986, Ryan's Astros faced the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. (1942, 46-65) (363W 245L; 3.09 ERA; ERA+ 118; 382 CG/ 63 SHO; 5243 IP/ 4830 H/ 8.3 H/9; 2583 K/ 1434 BB/ 1.80 ratio; 1.195 WHIP); (postseason 4-3; 3.06 Era; 56 IP/ 47 H; 32 K/ 13 BB; 1.07 WHIP). Ryan joined the Astros organization as an executive adviser in 2014. However, painful arthritis forced him to retire after the '66 season. September 22, 1993 On May 1 1991, Nolan Ryan became the oldest pitcher in history, at 44 years old, to pitch a no hitter. His pitching feats in the '64, '67 and 68 World Series are stuff of legend. document.write(update); Whitey Ford was the ace of the Yankee championship teams from 53-64. Ryan failed to make significant progress in 1967, as he served a six-month Army Reserve obligation and sat out for most of the baseball season with an arm injury. This data is cumulative for each season, each column represents the career ERA Nolan Ryan Watch on. By the time he joined the varsity team at Alvin High School, he was already known for his unusual arm strength. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. 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. When was Nolan Ryan inducted into the Hall of Fame? Each pitcher in this group has one or more of these accomplishments to hang their hat on. His likeness was used in the "Nolan Ryan Fitness Guide", published by The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1994. The Hall of Fame pitcher is Major League Baseball's all-time leader with 5,714 strikeouts and seven no-hitters, and second place isn't close. Dazzy Vance was the most dominant pitcher of the 1920s. By the time he went to serve our country, he had already established himself as the best young pitcher in the game. He won 20 games eight times. Born: He hit his stride after a 1971 trade to the California Angels, earning renown as a top strikeout pitcher on the strength of an overpowering fastball. Greg Myers of the California Angels was the last strikeout victim of Nolan Ryan's career, on September 17, 1993.[36]. 16-20 if it werent for his lagging ERA+ of 108. Draft: 1965, New York Mets, Round: 12, Overall Pick: 226. Exceeded rookie limits during 1968 season, View Player Bio Nolan Ryan has by far the most walks allowed all time, but his career era was a miniscule 3.19. Page 137. (19071970). Sandy parlayed this advice into better control and game management and produced two above average years in '61 and '62. 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. 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". Fans flocked to the stadium to see him pitch. It was the first of two homers in Ryan's career and produced half of the six RBIs he got that year. They are both unique pitchers to their era and baseball history. He was 0-107 with a 2.27 ERA, 1.166 WHIP, and 9.77 K/9 in those starts. He won 20 games six consecutive years. His 90 shutouts are second all-time. He accompanied that with 13 shutouts, and only allowed 198 hits in 304 innings! In fact, among the 65 longest careers in history (including the raised mound era and our current era, which is skewing ratios), he ranks fifth! [1] He also set a still-standing Major League record by allowing only 5.26 hits per nine innings, breaking Luis Tiant's 5.30 in 1968, as well as posting a 2.28 earned run average that year,[1] to date the second-lowest in franchise history, trailing only Dean Chance's 1.65 in 1964. The opposing high bidder was Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The box represents the middle 50% of the data for each player with the line in the box I do believe there is a natural cutoff here. Awards and accolades such as Cy Young awards, TSN Pitcher of the Year awards, MVP awards, All-Star appearances, and HOF inductions were excluded from consideration and not a factor in the assessments and rankings. [16] Ryan has credited his time with Seaver and the Mets with turning him from just a flamethrower into a pitcher. (Age 19-223d, In February 2008, the Rangers hired Ryan as team president. He is tied with Bob Feller for the most one-hitters, with 12. In '63 when the mound was raised and the strike zone made larger, his career took off! (Ryan left trailing 50, and the fourth walk was completed by a reliever after Ryan's injury, but credited to Ryan.) (1964-1987) (318W 274L; 3.35 ERA; ERA+ 115; 245 CG/ 45 SHO; 5404 IP/ 5044 H/ 8.4 H/9; 3342 K/ 1809 BB/ 1.85 ratio; 1.268 WHIP); (postseason- 0 1; 3.86 ERA; 14 IP/15 H; 9 K/ 8 BB; 1.643 WHIP). Obviously, Ryan could be as dominant as any pitcher had ever been. His K/BB ratio is within an acceptable range, but not close to the era-leading mark of 2.61 set by Robin Roberts. (1936-1956) (266W 162L; 3.25 ERA; ERA+ 122; 279 CG; 44 SHO; 3827 IP/ 3271 H/ 7.7 H/9; 2581 K/ 1764 BB/ 1.46 ratio; 1.316 WHIP); postseason 0 2; 5.02 ERA; 14 IP/ 10H; 7 K/ 5 BB; 1.047 WHIP). Sutton continued pitching effectively until his very last year. "[25] With a regulation bat in hand, Cash did finally make contact, but popped out to end the game. Ryan finished 51-39 with a 3.43 ERA and 939 . In 34 total innings, Ryan had 54 strikeouts in 1967. Year to year he could be erratic, twice leading the league in losses. Ryan ranks first all-time in strikeouts (5,714), fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.56), and no-hitters (7). Since his peak, he has really had only three after-glow years. His career arc is somewhat unusual, having had his best years in his 30s (19972004). Ryan's lifetime batting average against of .204 is also a major league record. Best Known For: 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. 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. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. In addition to his strikeouts and no-hitters, Ryan also had a career ERA of 3.19, with 324 wins and 292 losses. Following the game, Henderson was quoted as saying, "If he ain't struck you out, then you ain't nobody. [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". This line chart shows Nolan Ryan's yearly ERA He is second among lefties in strikeouts with 4,136. He played for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers. 12,517th in major league history) He finally beat his nemesis, Christy Mathewson, in the 1913 classic. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. He helped lead both the 54 Indians and the 59 White Sox to the World Series. He pitched for their minor league teams (196567), and, except for time out for military service, he pitched regularly for the Mets through the 1971 season and was then traded to the American League (AL) California Angels. Over the course of his 27-year MLB career, Ryan recorded more than 300 wins and established records with his seven no-hitters and 5,714 strikeouts. In 2008 he became team president for the Texas Rangers. After helping design Comiskey Park, which was to be his home stadium, he established the lowest career ERA on record. (1950-1967) (236W 106L; 2.75 ERA; ERA+ 133; 156 CG/ 45 SHO; 3170 IP; 2766 H; 7.9 H/9; 1956 K/ 1086 BB/ 1.80 ratio; 1.215 WHIP); (post-season 10 8; 2.71; 146 IP/ 132 H; 94 K/ 34 BB; 1.137 WHIP). In 1989 he struck out his 5,000th batter; he also held the record for most strikeouts in a live-ball era (post-1920) season (383 in 1973). Nolan Ryan weighed 170 lbs (77 kg) when playing. [54], On February 11, 2014, Ryan accepted a position as an executive adviser for the Houston Astros under owner Jim Crane. [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. Find all the best Dallas has to offer", "Nolan Ryan Strikeout Record Broken! Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Along with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, he made up one of the great starting pitching rotations in the history of the game. It isnt close. Despite his overwhelming potential, Ryan struggled to command his pitches, and he was traded to the California Angels in December 1971. 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]. Bob Gibson was the first great black pitcher in the major leagues. 1 April 2008. Omissions? Before the 1993 season began, Ryan announced that he would retire as a player at the end of that season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. He pitched a major league record 27 years, which is absurd for a guy who relied on his 100+ MPH fastball for the length of his career. He pitched for the Cleveland Naps of the American League. On the detracting side is the huge number of BB, 2,795 is a total that may never be approached. [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. To deal with frequent blisters on his throwing hand he often soaked his fingers in pickle brine,[14] although the technique's effectiveness was questioned by Ryan's teammates and coaches. 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]. [66] His number was the first retired by the Rangers. The following year, he helped the Mets upset the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in the World Series with his stellar relief pitching in Game 3. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Jackie Robinson, 8 Negro League Legends Featured in a New MLB Game, 10 Things You Might Not Know About Shohei Ohtani, Lou Gehrig Fought the Disease Named After Him. When he retired, he had amassed 324 wins to go with all-time records for no-hitters (seven) and strikeouts (5,714). He had a league-leading 329 strikeoutsnearly a third more than the AL runner-up, and the fourth-highest total of the 20th century to that point. ", "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? [46] He also owned a restaurant in Three Rivers, Texas. Author. [7], 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. when his ERA was 15. twitter This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast 240 82 Related Topics Baseball Sports 82 comments Best BAETLA San Francisco Giants 7 yr. ago 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. 1981 was his best season when his ERA was 1.69 and his worst season was 1966 [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). He then returned to the starting position and brought high quality work. 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]. His curve ball is said to be one of the best in history. Nolan Ryan had a career unlike any other player in the history of baseball. The two sons followed in their dad's footsteps by pitching at the collegiate level, and Reid later ascended to the position of Astros team president. Nolan Ryan was the second pitcher inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame who had more career strikeouts, than innings pitched. Ryan also pitched eighteen two-hitters. Walter Johnson is simply put, the greatest starting pitcher in the history of baseball. 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. Ryan retired in 1993 at age 46 with a record 5,714 strikeouts. He died tragically in 1911 of tubercular meningitis at age 31. Find out more. The Angels finally made the playoffs in Ryan's eighth and final year there in 1979. His 25 SHO are third from his era. [15], On April 18, 1970, Ryan tied a Mets record by striking out 15 batters in one game. Reid and Reese were both pitchers for the TCU Horned Frogs. medians to draw your conclusions! The next four all have a historic uniqueness that holds them together. for each season played by Nolan Ryan. Nolan Ryan began his Major League Baseball career with the New York Mets in 1966. 1991: TEX. Two-time National League MVP Dale Murphy called Nolan Ryan "the only pitcher you start thinking about two days before you face him." Ryan's career lasted a record-tying 27 seasons, and his fabled fastball never seemed to wane. Everything about his numbers indicates incredible quality. Ryan finished his career having played in a major league record 27 seasons. Ryan led the American League in strikeouts seven times during his eight seasons with the Angels, but he also led the league in walks in six of those years, and finished second the other two seasons: 1975 and 1979. In early 1983, Ryan wiped another famous name out of the baseball record books by recording career strikeout No. Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams; the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. Oliver's father Bob had also been a teammate of Ryan's, with the Angels from 1972 to 1974.) Two years later, at 44, Ryan finished fifth in the league in ERA (2.91) and third in strikeouts (203).[1]. Whether starting or closing, Smoltz brought his devastating slider and fearless demeanor to every outing. Following his retirement from playing, Ryan continued to be active in the sport, including having an ownership interest in two minor league teams and serving as a consultant to the Houston Astros. (1959-1975) (251W 174L; 2.91 ERA; ERA+ 127; 255 CG/ 56 SHO; 3884 IP/ 3279 H/ 7.6 H/9; 3117 K/ 1336 BB; 2.33 ratio; 1.188 WHIP); (postseason 7-2; 1.89 ERA; 81 IP/ 55 H; 92 K/ 17 BB; 0.889 WHIP). Carl Hubbell threw a screwball he delivered slowly. Outside of baseball, the pitching great has launched the Nolan Ryan Foundation and a beef brand. Tom Seaver was the best of his era. 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. This webpage offers a comprehensive look at Ryan's baseball stats, including his record-breaking achievements and his place in baseball history. I also found groups of pitchers for each section of the chart. He also held the major league record for most games with 15 or more strikeouts in a career (26). A Long Career Ryan had a long career, spanning from his debut as a 19-year-old with the Mets in 1966 until his retirement after the 1993 season at age 46. During his peak, 1952-55, he led the league in wins, games started, complete games, innings pitched, and batters faced each year. He brought his already dominating game to a new level. Early Wynn was a battler on the mound. He would fit nicely with the great endurance pitchers of the second half of the century group at No. [8][9] Ryan held the school's single game strikeout record for 44 years, striking out 21 hitters in a 7-inning game. 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. He was a dominant pitcher in an era when pitching was struggling to keep up. Nolan Ryan had 5,714 strikeouts over his career. Rick George was promoted to president of business operations. [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). He played in the major leagues from 1966 to 1993. Before becoming baseball's most feared pitcher, the Texas native spent his first five seasons with the New York Mets, splitting time between the bullpen and starting rotation.