Nolan Ryan's Career Roller Coaster
By: Hannah Jackson
The crowd went wild when Nolan Ryan threw his 5,000th strikeout. Nolan was the best pitcher of his time. The life of Nolan Ryan was a pretty hectic ride.
Nolan Ryan throwing his 5,000th strikeout.
What got Nolan Ryan into Baseball?
Nolan Ryan decided to play baseball mainly because his dad loved baseball. He went and got his first glove at a hardware store in Alvin, Texas. His glove was the first thing he could remember getting brand new, since he was the youngest of six children. Since Nolan lived in the small town of Alvin, baseball tryouts, practice, and games was the most exciting thing for him to do.
Why did Nolan Ryan play for more than one MLB Team?
Nolan Ryan played for a total of 4 MLB teams during his baseball career. He played for the New York Mets until he was traded 5 years after his initial contract. He went to the California Angels playing a total of 8 years in California. Nolan exceeded the record of number of strikeout in one season while playing for the Angels. He tied the record for no-hitters and later broke it with the Astros. Nolan Ryan then moved to the Houston Astros and also became the first player to ever receive 1 million dollars for a single season. Nolan and Jackie Robinson are the only players to have their jersey retired by three different teams. Nolan then moved to the Rangers due to a free agent where he got his 5,714th strikeout, that ended his career.
What was his Position and Why?
Nolan Ryan was a star pitcher for multiple teams. He pitched a total of 5,714 strikeouts in his 27 year long MLB career. He enjoyed the thrill of pitching whenever he could. He was the best pitcher in the world according to many former players Nolan pitched against. He threw so hard he had the best batters scared to hit off him. He struck out a total of 19 Hall of Famers, 6 father son pairs, and 11 siblings.
What was Nolan Ryans Greatest Thrill?
Nolan Ryan's greatest thrill wasn't what anyone would think it would be like his 5,000th strikeout. It would be the seventh no-hitter in 1991 against Toronto. He was 44 and he thought that was the best game he had ever pitched. He had 16 strikeouts, 13 of them were in the first 21 batters. His final out was Roberto Alfonso, his father, Sandy, was Nolan's second basemen for his first two no-hitters. His favorite part was that he did it in front of the Rangers fans, who had been so good to him.
What does it mean to Nolan Ryan to be Elected into the Hall of Fame?
Nolan Ryan is very flattered and humbled by the fact he would be with all the players he thought were amazing. It humbled him getting to see where is plaque will go compared to all the greats of the MLB. Nolan Ryan never compared himself to other players, but thought he was pretty good he made it to the Hall of Fame.
Nolan Ryan getting in the Hall of Fame.
What did getting a High Percentage on the Hall of Fame Vote Mean to Him?
Nolan Ryan thought he did very well in the fact he received the second highest vote percentage ever recorded in MLB history. He got 98% out of all the votes. Six people voted no and it was all because everyone thought getting voted in by 100% wasn't logical. He thought about all the great players and that was like and dream coming true getting to be up there with them. Especially since his family was worried that he wasn't going to get in because of the newspaper with all the rumors of him getting voted into the Hall of Fame for sure. So he was extremely relieved when they received the phone call telling him he made it by 98%.
Nolan Ryan was an exquisite baseball player and deserves all he received. He played baseball as long as he could and enjoyed it every step of the way. When he finally quit he realized he had made a legendary impact and would love to do it again.
Bibliography
1. Nolan Ryan: The Road to Cooperstown By: Nolan Ryan,
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Ryan
3. https://www.biography.com/people/nolan-ryan-9468290#synopsis