Editing Nolan Ryan (section)

==Early life==
[[File:Nolan Ryan Statue -- Alvin, Texas.jpg|200px|thumb|Nolan Ryan Statue – Alvin, Texas]]
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. was born on January 31, 1947, in [[Refugio, Texas]], a small town located just south of [[Victoria, Texas|Victoria]] in the southern part of the state. Ryan was the youngest of six children born to Martha Lee (''née'' Hancock; 1913–1990) and Lynn Nolan Ryan Sr. (1907–1970).<ref>{{cite book|title=Throwing Heat: The Autobiography of Nolan Ryan|last1=Ryan|first1=Nolan|first2=Harvey|last2=Frommer|year=1988|publisher=Doubleday|location=New York|isbn=0-385-24438-X|url=https://archive.org/details/throwingheatauto00ryan}}</ref> The senior Ryan operated a newspaper delivery service for the ''[[Houston Post]]'' that required him to rise in the early morning hours to prepare 1,500 [[newspaper]]s for delivery over a {{convert|55|mi|adj=on}} route. The children were expected to help with the daily tasks.<ref>''Miracle Man: Nolan Ryan: The Autobiography'', with Jerry Jenkins, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992, {{ISBN|0-8499-0945-7}}, pp. 33, 65, 66.</ref> Ryan's family lived in nearby [[Woodsboro, Texas]], in [[Refugio County, Texas|Refugio County]], until they moved to [[Alvin, Texas]], in [[Brazoria County, Texas|Brazoria County]], when Nolan was six weeks old. As a young boy, Nolan enjoyed throwing objects at any target. His father thought baseball a better usage for his arm; therefore, he encouraged Nolan to play the game.

Ryan joined Alvin Little League Baseball when he was nine, made the all-star team when he was 11 and 12,<ref name="nolanryan.net">{{cite web|url=http://www.nolanryan.net/nolanryan.net/Nolan_Ryan,_The_Man/Nolan_Ryan,_The_Man.html|title=Nolan Ryan, The Man|publisher=Nolanryan.net|access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref> and pitched the first [[no-hitter]] of his life a few years later. Ryan also played various positions besides pitcher.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sanna|first=Ellyn|title=Nolan Ryan|year=2003|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=0-8239-3601-5}}</ref> In junior high school, Ryan could throw a softball over 100 yards. After ninth grade, Ryan quit playing football after a tackle and fumble caused by future [[National Football League|NFL]] [[running back]] [[Norm Bulaich]] made him decide to focus on baseball.<ref name="sabr.org">{{cite web |last=Boston |first=Talmage |title=Nolan Ryan |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Nolan-Ryan/ |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref>

Ryan played baseball for Coach Jim Watson at [[Alvin High School]] for all of his high school career.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nolanryanfoundation.org/museum.htm|title=Nolan Ryan Foundation Entry Page|publisher=Nolanryanfoundation.org|access-date=September 1, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917020812/http://www.nolanryanfoundation.org/museum.htm|archive-date=September 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Nolan_Ryan.aspx|title=Nolan Ryan infosite|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref> Ryan held the school's single game strikeout record for 44 years, striking out 21 hitters in a seven-inning game.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grant |first=Evan |date=2009-04-08 |title=Reporters Notebook: Rangers Replace Metcalf With German |url=http://insidecorner.dmagazine.com/2009/04/08/reporters-notebook-rangers-replace-metcalf-with-german |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127160043/http://insidecorner.dmagazine.com/2009/04/08/reporters-notebook-rangers-replace-metcalf-with-german/ |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |website=D Magazine}}</ref> The record was tied by Alvin High School pitchers Aaron Stewart and Josh Land in the same week in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 7, 2011 |title=Nolan Ryan Strikeout Record Broken! |url=http://www.alvinbaseball.org/teams/varsity/nolan-ryan-strikeout-record-broken |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426032430/http://www.alvinbaseball.org/teams/varsity/nolan-ryan-strikeout-record-broken/ |archive-date=2012-04-26 |website=Alvin High School Baseball}}</ref> In 1963, at an Alvin High School game at [[Clear Creek High School (League City, Texas)|Clear Creek High School]] in [[League City, Texas|League City]], Texas, [[Red Murff]], a [[scout (sport)|scout]] for the [[New York Mets]], first noticed sophomore pitcher Ryan. Coach Watson recounted to Murff that some opponents refused to bat against Ryan and how his hard pitches would sometimes break bones in his catchers' hands. In his subsequent report to the Mets, Murff stated that Ryan had "the best arm I've seen in my life."<ref name="nolanryan.net"/> As a senior in 1965, Ryan had a 19–3 record and led the Alvin Yellow Jackets to the Texas high school state finals. Ryan pitched in 27 games, with 20 starts. He had 12 complete games, with 211 strikeouts and 61 walks.<ref name="sabr.org"/>