A Token of Appreciation: Nolan Ryan

Before I go any further, I want to make one minor correction about my Token of Appreciation stories. The very first Token of Appreciation story I've written and published on Vocal was actually about Cal Raleigh last year soon after the conclusion of the World Series. Just to refresh everyone's memory, the Mariners made it to the ALCS, where they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite Raleigh's record-breaking season, everyone was expecting him to win the American League MVP Award. Instead, it went to Aaron Judge, in which he won it for the third consecutive year. There was major backlash over Judge's win. Another Vocal writer and I discussed this topic in previous stories of our own. We both agreed that Cal should've won that award. Aaron Judge stealing an award from Cal was both an injustice and a slap in the face.

My last story in this series was about now Baseball Hall of Famer Andruw Jones. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, I'm going to feature another fellow Hall of Famer on this platform. I've been a Texas Rangers fan for 25 years but didn't become a fan until I was 13. One of my favorite Rangers is and will always be the great Nolan Ryan. To the much younger generation, he was one of the most elite pitchers in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed The Ryan Express, he was at the upper echelon with names such as Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux. Let's learn more about the life and career of Nolan Ryan. Plus, I'll highlight an iconic moment from his career that people still talk about today.

Who Is Nolan Ryan?

Everyone is familiar with Nolan Ryan and needs no introduction, but I'll do it anyway. Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. was born on January 31, 1947, in Refugio, Texas. His accolades are nothing to sneeze at. They include becoming an eight-time All Star, induction in the Angels, Rangers, and Astros Hall of Fame with his number 30 being retired by the former and number 34 by the final two teams, a World Series Champion in 1969 with the New York Mets, had seven no-hitters, and recording 5,714 career strikeouts, a record that still stands as of 2026. Oh, and we can't forget about him being inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Despite his achievements, he has never won a Cy Young Award. Ryan played for four different MLB teams (Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers) which spanned nearly 30 years.

Nolan Ryan had two separate stints with the New York Mets, which the organization selected him in the 12th round of the 1965 MLB Draft soon after graduating from Alvin High School. He made his MLB debut with the Mets the following season. Fast forward to the 1969 World Series, where in Game 3, he came in to secure the save against the Baltimore Orioles pitching 2 1/3 innings, which gave the Mets a 2-1 advantage in the seven-game series. That would be Ryan's only appearance in the Fall Classic. The Mets would go on to win the World Series.

After his time with the Mets, Angels, and Astros, Ryan signed with the Texas Rangers in 1989. At the time, he was 42 years old. On August 22 of that year against the Oakland Athletics, he struck out Rickey Henderson to record his 5,000th career strikeout. He became the first player to accomplish that feat.

Old Man Strength Was Present One August Night

Everyone is familiar with this picture shown above. In case you don't know the story behind it, allow me to explain. The evening of August 4, 1993, will always be in the minds of Rangers fans and baseball fans. Nolan Ryan hit Robin Ventura (right) and Ventura made the mistake of charging the mound and starting a fight with a player was 20 years his senior. Ryan being 46 and Ventura 26 at the time. Ryan put Ventura in a headlock, punching him six times. Both benches were cleared and Ventura was ejected from the game. Surprisingly enough, Ryan was allowed to stay in the game, despite the number of punches he inflicted towards Ventura. He would end his career with the Rangers after the 1993 MLB season. Nolan Ryan holds 51 total MLB records, including the 5,714 career strikeouts and seven no-hitters I went over earlier in this story. His number 34 was retired by the Rangers in 1996.

After his career concluded, he was involved in numerous baseball activities, including becoming the Texas Rangers President and CEO from 2009 to 2013, which he witnessed the organization winning back-to-back American League pennants and World Series appearances. Also, he owns Nolan Ryan Beef Company, which operates in Round Rock, Texas. There's a street named after him in Arlington, Nolan Ryan Expressway, located near the Rangers previous home, The Ballpark in Arlington (now Choctaw Stadium). He has been married to his high school sweetheart Ruth since 1967 and have three children. The now 79-year-old resides in Georgetown, Texas, which is located 30 miles north of Austin.

Nolan Ryan has paid his dues to Major League Baseball, and his immaculate career is something worth admiring and appreciated.

This story was dedicated in memory of Tommy John (1943-2026)