Nolan Ryan documentary
Posted: June 18, 2020 Filed under: 20th Century | Tags: Baseball, biographies, documentaries, George W. Bush, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, Nolan Ryan, sports 2 CommentsThis has to be the cheesiest documentary I have ever watched, but that characteristic actually made it pretty fun. As you’ll see, the cheese just oozes right from the intro, which I imagine is due in part to the era in which the film was made, while Ryan was still playing ball. (Seeing a young George W. Bush with dark hair was a little trippy, but not in an intentional way by the filmmakers.) Nevertheless, this video provides a great look at Ryan’s impressive career.
Quote of the day
Posted: May 15, 2020 Filed under: Pop culture, Quote of the day | Tags: Baseball, Major League Baseball, MLB, Nolan Ryan, quotes, Roger Clemens, sports, Stephen King, writing 2 CommentsThere are a few guys in baseball fortunate enough to be able to bring it late in their career: Roger Clemens was one, and Nolan Ryan was another one. And I’d like to be that kind of a writer, who’s still able to bring the fastball.
~Stephen King
This day in baseball: Nolan Ryan joins the Rangers
Posted: December 7, 2019 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, California Angels, Houston Astros, Houston Colt .45s, Major League Baseball, MLB, New York Mets, Nolan Ryan, sports, Texas Rangers, Washington Senators Leave a commentFree agent Nolan Ryan signed with the Texas Rangers on December 7, 1988, making him the first major leaguer to play for all four original expansion teams. (The Rangers organization had played their first 11 seasons as the Senators in Washington, D.C.) Ryan first broke into the big leagues with the Mets in 1966, then went to the Angels in a trade in 1972 before signing with the Astros, who were originally known as the Colt .45s.

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“Nolan Ryan,” by Gene Fehler
Posted: July 21, 2017 Filed under: Pop culture | Tags: Baseball, Gene Fehler, Major League Baseball, Nolan Ryan, poetry Leave a commentHitting a Major League fastball is a difficult feat against any pitcher, but against Nolan Ryan, the task was even harder. Gene Fehler captures the difficulty of doing so when he compares it to hitting a pea with a toothpick in this poem published in 1991.
*
He threw a white pea
fast faster faster fastest
of them all,
Try hitting a pea
with a toothpick
and you’ll see what it’s like
to bat against the
fast faster faster fastest
of them all.
“Nolan Ryan (He’s A Hero To Us All),” Jerry Jeff Walker
Posted: December 5, 2015 Filed under: Pop culture | Tags: Baseball, history, Jerry Jeff Walker, Major League Baseball, music, Nolan Ryan 1 CommentHere’s a song by Jerry Jeff Walker, appropriately country, to salute the great MLB pitcher, Nolan Ryan. The lyrics do a great job of summarizing Ryan’s career. And while I’m generally not one for country music, I do like the quick pace of this song, and the subject matter actually makes it enjoyable.
This day in baseball
Posted: June 30, 2015 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Cy Young, history, Major League Baseball, New York Highlanders, New York Yankees, Nolan Ryan 3 CommentsAt Hilltop Park in New York on June 30, 1908, Cy Young of the Red Sox no-hit the Highlanders (now the Yankees) in a 8-0 victory. At the age of 41, it was the third time that Young had accomplished the feat, and he was the oldest pitcher to have done so until Nolan Ryan’s no-hitter on June 11, 1990.
Nolan Ryan’s Hall of Fame induction speech
Posted: June 23, 2015 Filed under: 20th Century | Tags: Baseball, Major League Baseball, National Baseball Hall of Fame, Nolan Ryan Leave a commentNolan Ryan speaks about work ethic and dedication in his Hall of Fame induction speech. He also discusses life after baseball. I can’t imagine how difficult that would be, to dedicate your life to a single profession, and one day walk away from it.
Quote of the day
Posted: May 27, 2015 Filed under: Quote of the day | Tags: Baseball, Nolan Ryan, quotes 2 CommentsThis day in baseball: Oldies, but goodies
Posted: April 28, 2015 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Cy Young, history, Major League Baseball, Milwaukee Braves, MLB, Nolan Ryan, San Francisco Giants, Warren Spahn 2 CommentsOn April 28, 1961, Milwaukee Braves pitcher Warren Spahn threw his second no-hitter against the Giants at County Stadium. This feat made him the second-oldest pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter, at the age of 40 years and 5 days. At the time, the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter had been Cy Young, at 41 years old. That spot is now held by Nolan Ryan, who threw a no-hitter at the age of 44 on May 1, 1991.