Nolan Ryan is this lil ole chiweenie Sportsphile’s favorite MLB pitcher of all time….as he currently still holds two all time major league pitching records that in my humble opinion will never be broken….his 5,714 strikeouts and his 7 no hitters pitched…..as the pitchers of today and in the future will not be able to pitch for 27 MLB seasons like Ryan while averaging 212 K’s per season….and then consider 7 no hitters by Ryan with Sandy Koufax in 2nd place in the history of MLB with 4 no hitters…..and the proof is in the pudding that this record is unlikely to ever fall also.
“The Ryan Express” first two no hitters came exactly two months apart….while he was with the California Angels….the first on May 15, 1973 and the second on July 15….then he had two more with the Angels on September 28, 1974 and June 1, 1975….as Ryan’s fifth no-hitter was with the Houston Astros on September 26, 1981….when he broke Sandy Koufax’s previous record of 4….as highlights of his first 5 no hitters are seen in this video herewith. His sixth and seventh no-hitters came with the Texas Rangers on June 1, 1990, and May 1, 1991….and when he tossed number seven at age 44….Nolan Ryan also became the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter…..another MLB record that may never be broken.
Only Ryan, Sandy Koufax (4), Cy Young (3), Bob Feller (3) and Larry Corcoran (3) have pitched more than two no-hitters….with 36 pitchers having thrown more than one no-hitter….with combined no-hitters not counting…..and only Johnny Vander Meer, Allie Reynolds, Virgil Trucks, Max Scherzer and Ryan are the only other major leaguers to throw two no-hitters in the same regular season.
Ryan no-hitters spanned three decades of pitching. In those seven games, Ryan accumulated a total of 94 strikeouts and 26 walks….with a ratio of 3.6 strikeouts per walk ….as he struck out 17 in his no-hitter on July 15, 1973 versus Detroit and walked eight in his subsequent no-hitter against Minnesota, both respective highs for his no-hitters.
Any way you cut the pie…..Nolan “The Ryan Express / Big Tex” Ryan was a fire-ball throwing, bow tie menacing pitcher for the ages….and this 2 minute video is evidence of his prowress on the mound….which makes this MUST SEE TV!!!
