Mid-Term
For my Mid-Term, I have decided to write about one of the greatest pitchers of all times. His name is Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. most people know him as Nolan Ryan. He pitched in the Major League from 1967- 1993. He was born on January 31, 1947 in Refugio, Texas.
He was the final child of six. He grew up on a street called Dezso Drive in Alvin, Texas. He delivered a paper called the The Houston Post. This route was 55 miles long, and so that he could finish, he had to wake up at one and start delivering these papers because his father wanted him to have some responsibility. This would take him four hours to complete.When he went to High School, he played baseball and basketball.
He attended Alvin High School. When he was a Sophomore, he pitched in front of Mets Scout Red Murff. Red said that Nolan had the best arm he had seen in his life.
In 1965, when Nolan was a Senor, he was voted Most Handsome. That same year he was drafted by the Mets in the eighth round. Can you believe that 294 people were taken over him.
He started pitching in Marion, Virginia, which was the Appalachian Rookie League. The next year he played in Greenville, South Carolina. This league was the Single A Western Carolinas League. He then was promoted to Williamsport, and at the end of the season he pitched two games for the New York Mets. That same year he was drafted into the army. He also was studying at Alvin Community College.
In 1967, it was a very big year for Nolan. He served his six months in the Army Reserve, he pitched with the AAA Jacksonville suns, but he sat out most of the year with an elbow injury, and he married Ruth Holdorff on June 26. The next year he pitched his first full season with the Mets, but he posted a losing record of 6-9. In 1969, he went 6-3 with limited amount of action, but he had some crucial wins in the playoffs and he earned a save in the World Series.In 1971, he was traded from the Mets to the California Angles. The next year he led the American League with 320 strikeouts and 9 shutouts.
Then he was also named to the All-Star Team. In 1973, he had the pleasure of his first 20-win season and he pitched two no-hitters. That same year he set the Major League strikeout record with 383. The next year he won a career high 22 wins, and he pitched his third and forth no-hitters.
In 1979, he signed with the Houston Astros, and was the first free agent to sign a contract of $1,000,000.
Two years later he pitched his fifth no-hitter, which set the Major League record for the most no-hitters. Then two years after that he broke the record with 3,509the career strikeouts. That record he broke that was held by Walter Johnson.
In 1985, he became the first pitcher with 4,000 strikeouts. Four years later he joined the Texas Rangers as a free agent.
The following year he enjoyed his sixth 300-strikeout season of his career. That same season he pitched his six no-hitter and won his 300th game. In 1991, he got his seventh and last no-hitter.In 1992, the California Angles retired his #30 jersey. 1993 was his final season and he retired with 5,714 strikeouts and 52 additional Major League records. In 1996, the Rangers and the Astros retired his jersey #34.
Finally in 1999, he was elected into Baseballs Hall of Fame on January 5. Then on July 25, 1999, he was inducted into Baseballs Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Bibliography
All my information is from Nolan Ryans website, www.NolanRyan.
com.
