Editing Nolan Ryan (section)

==Professional career==
===Draft and minor leagues===
After graduating from Alvin, the New York Mets selected Ryan in the 12th round, with the 295th overall pick, of the [[1965 Major League Baseball draft]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theathletic.com/1849988/2020/06/08/why-theres-confusion-about-when-nolan-ryan-was-selected-in-the-first-mlb-draft/ |title=Why there's confusion about when Nolan Ryan was selected in the first MLB Draft |work=The Athletic |last1=Kaplan |first1=Jake |last2=Britton |first2=Tom |date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=July 22, 2021 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Ryan signed with the Mets and pitched for the [[Marion Mets]] in the [[Appalachian League]] and for the Mets team in the [[Florida Instructional League]]. Overall, he was 6–9 in 1965 with a 4.33 [[earned run average]] (ERA) and 150 strikeouts in 120 innings.<ref name="baseball-reference.com1">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ryan--001lyn|title=Nolan Ryan Winter & Minor Leagues Statistics & History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> In 1966, Ryan pitched for the Class A [[Greenville Mets]] of the [[Western Carolinas League]], where he went 17–2 with a 2.51 ERA and 272 strikeouts in 183 innings. He was then promoted to the Class AA [[Williamsport Mets]] of the [[Eastern League (1938–2020)|Eastern League]], where he was 0–2 with a 0.95 ERA, striking out 35 batters in 19 innings. Overall, Ryan had 307 strikeouts in 202 minor league innings in 1966, earning a late-season call-up to the [[New York Mets]].<ref name="baseball-reference.com1"/> In 1967, Ryan pitched three games in relief for the Class AAA [[Jacksonville Suns]], started one game for the Class A [[Winter Haven Mets]] and pitched eight games for the Mets team in the Florida Instructional League. In 34 total innings, Ryan had 54 strikeouts in 1967.<ref name="baseball-reference.com1"/>

===New York Mets (1966, 1968–1971)===
When Ryan was called up by the New York Mets in 1966, he was the second-youngest player in the league. Playing in only two games, his first strikeout was [[Pat Jarvis (baseball)|Pat Jarvis]], and he gave up his first major league home run to [[Joe Torre]].<ref name=data/>

Ryan missed much of the 1967 season due to illness, an arm injury, and service with the Army Reserve; he pitched only seven innings for the Mets' minor league affiliate in Jacksonville.<ref name="baseball-reference.com1"/> In the 1968 season, Ryan returned to the major leagues, where he stayed until his retirement in 1993.<ref name=data/> Ryan was unable to crack into the Mets' pitching rotation, led by [[Tom Seaver]] and [[Jerry Koosman]]. Ryan was used as a [[Relief pitcher|reliever]] and [[spot starter]] by the [[1969 New York Mets season|1969 Mets]]. Ryan had frequent blisters on his throwing hand and tried several remedies including dipping his fingers in pickle [[brine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/nolan-ryan-1947|title=The Ballplayers – Nolan Ryan|publisher=baseballbiography.com|access-date=March 12, 2011}}</ref>

Against the [[1969 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] in the [[1969 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] (NLCS), Ryan completed a Mets sweep by throwing seven innings of relief in Game 3, getting his first playoff win (it took him 12 years to get another). Then in the [[1969 World Series]], Ryan saved Game 3, pitching {{frac|2|1|3}} shutout innings against the [[1969 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]]. The Game 3 victory gave the Mets a 2–1 lead in the Series, which they went on to win in five games. It was Ryan's only [[World Series]] appearance in his career.<ref name="baseball-reference.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ryanno01.shtml|title=Nolan Ryan Stats|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=December 7, 2017}}</ref>

On April 18, 1970, Ryan tied a Mets record by striking out 15 batters in one game.<ref name=data/> Four days later, Ryan's teammate Seaver topped it with a then-MLB record 19 against the [[1970 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]] (Ryan tied this record four years later).<ref>{{cite news|title=What a Day For Tom Seaver|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EC9IAAAAIBAJ&pg=800,6410735|newspaper=Meriden Journal|date=April 23, 1970|access-date=April 18, 2011}}</ref> Ryan has credited his time with Seaver and the Mets with turning him from just a flamethrower into a pitcher.<ref name="kult">{{cite web|url=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ivieleagueproductions/2012/03/14/the-kult-of-mets-personalities-nolan-ryan-kris-benson |title=The Kult Of Mets Personalities – Nolan Ryan/Kris Benson 03/14 by Ivie League Prod|publisher=Blogtalkradio.com|date=March 14, 2012|access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>

Ryan's performance declined sharply in the second half of his final season with the Mets. His ERA for the first half of the 1971 season was 2.24; in the second half, it was 7.74.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nolan Ryan 1971 Pitching Splits |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=ryanno01&year=1971&t=p#all_half |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |publisher=[[Sports Reference]] |access-date=30 September 2021}}</ref> {{As of|2021}}, this was the steepest second half increase in ERA for a starting pitcher in MLB history.<ref>{{cite web |title=Player Pitching Split Finder |url=https://stathead.com/tiny/lM9Qk |website=Stathead |publisher=[[Sports Reference]] |access-date=30 September 2021}}</ref>

In five seasons with the Mets, 105 games and 74 starts, Ryan had a 29–38 record, with a 3.58 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, with 344 walks and 493 strikeouts in 511 innings.<ref name="baseball-reference.com2">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ryanno01.shtml|title=Nolan Ryan Stats|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

===California Angels (1972–1979)===
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = AngelsRetired30.png
|Name   = Nolan Ryan
|Number = 30
|Team   = California Angels
|Year   = 1992
|}}

On December 10, 1971, the 24-year-old Ryan was traded to the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] along with pitcher [[Don Rose (baseball)|Don Rose]], catcher [[Francisco Estrada]], and outfielder [[Leroy Stanton]] for shortstop [[Jim Fregosi]] (who later managed Ryan in Anaheim).<ref name="baseball-reference.com"/> The deal has been cited as one of the worst in Mets history, but was not viewed as unreasonable at the time given Ryan's relatively unremarkable numbers as a Met and Fregosi's good career to that point.<ref name="fagan">{{cite web |last1=Fagan |first1=Ryan |date=November 26, 2019 |title=13 worst December MLB trades of all time, ranked |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/mlb/list/mlb-trade-rumors-worst-december-trades-nolan-ryan-robinson-cabrera-wainwright-mcgrif/1914gel6y2eb41bkwkwo8v1vpb |access-date=May 12, 2020 |website=Sporting News}}</ref><ref name="NYT 1971">{{cite web |last1=Durso |first1=Joseph |title=The New York Times: This Day In Sports |url=http://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/sports/year_in_sports/12.10.html?scp=1&sq=For%2520Jim&st=cse |website=[[The New York Times]] |quote= The Mets' trade of Nolan Ryan for the California Angels' Jim Fregosi was unquestionably the worst in baseball history. Ryan went on to throw seven no-hitters (see May 1) and become the greatest strikeout pitcher of all time. Fregosi, on the downside of his career, batted .232. (2004)|access-date=May 12, 2020 |date=December 10, 1971}}</ref><ref name="43years">{{cite web |last1=Cosman |first1=Ben |title=43 years later, relive the day the Mets traded Nolan Ryan to the Angels |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/43-years-later-relive-the-day-the-new-york-mets-traded-nolan-ryan-to-the-california-angels/c-103707354 |website=MLB.com |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=May 12, 2020 |date=December 10, 2014}}</ref>

In his [[1972 Major League Baseball season|first season]] with the [[1972 California Angels season|Angels]], Ryan was given a chance to pitch regularly as a starter for the first time in his career, mainly because by then he had fulfilled his military obligation and no longer had to commute to Houston every other week. He had a league-leading 329 strikeouts—nearly a third more than the AL runner-up, and the fourth-highest total of the 20th century to that point. Within five seasons, the season was only Ryan's fourth-highest strikeout total.<ref name=data/> He also set a still-standing Major League record by allowing only 5.26 hits per nine innings, breaking [[Luis Tiant]]'s 5.30 in 1968, as well as posting a 2.28 [[earned run average]] that year,<ref name=data/> to date the second-lowest in franchise history, trailing only [[Dean Chance]]'s 1.65 in 1964. Though Ryan's actual winning percentage hovered only slightly over .500, his strikeouts and no-hitters brought him media attention. Meanwhile, Fregosi failed to produce as a Met, making no significant contribution to the [[1973 New York Mets season|Mets' 1973]] pennant-winning campaign; he was sold to the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] mid-season.

Although the Angels were a sub-.500 team and remained one for much of Ryan's time with them, he managed to post some winning records, notably 19–16 in 1972, 21–16 in 1973, and 22–16 in 1974 (the 22 wins tied what remains the Angels franchise record, set by [[Clyde Wright]] in 1970). He finished second in the [[Cy Young Award]] balloting (losing to [[Jim Palmer]] 88–62) in 1973. It was the closest he ever came to winning the award. Ryan also led the league in losses in 1976 with a 17–18 record (one short of the franchise record for losses).<ref name=data/> In the early 1970s, many teams used a four-man rotation and expected the starter to complete the game; thus most of the games Ryan started ended in a decision.

[[File:Nolan Ryan 1972.jpeg|thumb|left|150px|Ryan, circa 1972]]

On July 9, 1972, Ryan struck out three batters on nine pitches in the second inning of a 3–0 win over the [[1972 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]]; he became the seventh American League pitcher to accomplish the [[immaculate inning]], and the first pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat in both leagues (on April 19, 1968, he had struck out three batters on nine pitches in the second inning of a 2–1 win over the [[1968 St. Louis Cardinals season|St.&nbsp;Louis Cardinals]], becoming the eighth National League pitcher and the 14th pitcher in Major League history to accomplish the feat).

Ryan threw a [[no-hitter]] against the [[Kansas City Royals]] on May 15, 1973. He threw a second no-hitter on July 15 against the [[Detroit Tigers]], he struck out 17 batters – the most in a recorded no-hitter.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/07/16/archives/ryan-exmet-hurls-2d-nohitter.html|title=Ryan, Ex-Met, Hurls 2d No-Hitter|work=The New York Times |date=July 16, 1973|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> (This record was later tied by [[Max Scherzer]] on October 3, 2015.) Ryan was so dominant in this game, it led to one of baseball's best-remembered pranks. Tigers first baseman and cleanup hitter [[Norm Cash]] came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, having already struck out twice, and was carrying a clubhouse table leg instead of a bat. Plate umpire [[Ron Luciano]] ordered Cash to go back and get a regulation bat, to which Cash replied, "Why? I won't hit him anyway!"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_9_60/ai_76928886/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708184424/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_9_60/ai_76928886/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |title="Tiger first baseman Norm Cash." ''Baseball Digest'', 2001 |publisher=Findarticles.com |date=July 15, 1973 |access-date=March 12, 2011 }}</ref> With a regulation bat in hand, Cash did finally make contact, but popped out to end the game. Cash's teammate [[Mickey Stanley]] commented on facing Ryan that day by saying, "Those were the best pitches I ever heard."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://quote.webcircle.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?idPlayer=517 |title=Those were the best pitches I ever heard. |publisher=webcircle.com |access-date=July 18, 2013}}</ref>

In 1973, Ryan set his first major record when he [[strikeout|struck out]] 383 batters in one season, beating [[Sandy Koufax]]'s old mark by one. Remarking on this feat, Koufax joked, "Yeah, and he also surpassed my total for bases on balls in a single season by 91. I suspect half of those guys he struck out swung rather than get hit."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eJQs7-lu-2YC&q=Yeah%2C+and+he+also+surpassed+my+total+for+bases+on+balls+in+a+single+season+by+91.+I+suspect+half+of+those+guys+he+struck+out+swung+rather+than+get+hit&pg=PA199|title=Season of Ghosts: The '86 Mets and the Red Sox|first=Howard|last=Burman|date=December 18, 2012|publisher=McFarland|access-date=December 7, 2017|via=Google Books|isbn=9781476600437}}</ref> Ryan finished second in balloting for the [[Cy Young Award]], behind [[Jim Palmer]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/08/archives/orioles-palmer-beats-ryan-for-young-award-palmer-is-voted-best-of.html|title=Orioles' Palmer Beats Ryan for Young Award|first=Joseph|last=Durso|work=The New York Times |date=November 8, 1973|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>

Pitching 13 innings against the Boston Red Sox on June 14, 1974, Ryan threw 235 pitches, striking out 19, walking 10 and getting a no-decision.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197406140.shtml|title=Boston Red Sox at California Angels Box Score, June 14, 1974|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/40-years-ago-saturday-nolan-ryan-threw-235-pitches-in-a-game/263064361/|title=40 years ago Saturday, Nolan Ryan threw 235 pitches in a game|website=Star Tribune|date=June 13, 2014 }}</ref>

During a September 7, 1974 game against the [[Chicago White Sox]] at [[Anaheim Stadium]], Ryan became the first Major League pitcher to have his pitch speed measured during a game. A primitive [[radar gun]] clocked a ninth-inning [[fastball]] at {{convert|100.8|mph|kph}} when it was {{convert|10|ft|m}} in front of [[home plate]]. This exceeded an earlier pitch by [[Bob Feller]] which was measured at {{convert|98.6|mph|kph}} at home plate and previously thought to be the fastest pitch ever recorded.<ref>{{cite AV media |people=Hock, Jonathon (Director) |date=2016 |title=Fastball |medium=Motion picture }}</ref>

Ryan added a third no-hitter in 1974 and a fourth in 1975, tying another of Koufax's records. In 1974 he twice struck out 19 batters, tying Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton for the single-game record for a nine-inning game. [[Roger Clemens]] became the first pitcher with a 20-strikeout game in 1986.

The Angels finally made the playoffs in Ryan's eighth and final year there in [[1979 California Angels season|1979]]. He started Game 1 of the [[1979 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] against the [[1979 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] and threw seven innings against the Orioles' [[Jim Palmer]], but neither man was involved in the decision as Baltimore won in the 10th inning. Ryan was scheduled to pitch Game 5, but the Angels were eliminated in four. The season complete, Ryan became a [[Free agency (Major League Baseball)|free agent]].

Ryan led the American League in strikeouts seven times during his eight seasons with the Angels, but he also led the league in [[Base on balls|walks]] in six of those years, and finished second the other two seasons: 1975 and 1979.<ref name=data/> Aside from Bob Feller in 1938, Ryan is the only man since 1900 to walk 200 batters in a season, which he did twice: in 1974 and 1977. Emblematic of this, his 1974 no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins included eight walks.

Though Ryan's strikeouts and no-hitters got him considerable media attention, he did not persuade Angels general manager [[Buzzie Bavasi]], who dismissed him as a flashy .500 pitcher (Ryan was 26–27 in the last two years he was with the Angels).

In his eight seasons with the Angels, Ryan was 138–121, a 3.07 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, with 1,302 walks and 2,416 strikeouts in 2181 innings over 288 starts and 156 complete games.<ref name="baseball-reference.com2"/>

===Houston Astros (1980–1988)===
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = AstrosRet 34.PNG
|Name   = Nolan Ryan
|Number = 34
|Team   = Houston Astros
|Year   = 1996
|}}
On November 19, 1979, Ryan signed a four-year contract worth $4.5&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|4.5|1979|r=1}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) with the [[Houston Astros]], becoming MLB's first million-dollar player.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adler |first=David |date=2023-12-09 |title=Every player to hold title of MLB's highest-paid free agent |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/highest-paid-mlb-players-through-history-c302405496 |access-date=2024-11-17 |website=MLB.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 16, 1979 |title=Ryan Going to Astros for $4 Million; $1 Million a Year in Pact |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/16/archives/ryan-going-to-astros-for-4-million-1-million-a-year-in-pact.html |access-date=2024-11-17 |work=The New York Times |page=A25}}</ref> The salary quadrupled what he had been making with the [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Edmonds |first1=Ed |last2=Houdek |first2=Frank G. |title=Baseball Meets the Law: A Chronology of Decisions, Statutes and Other Legal Events |date=2017 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9781476664385 |pages=179–80 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HsdADgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1980 |access-date=October 20, 2019 }}</ref> In a nationally televised game against the [[1980 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] on April 12, 1980, Ryan hit a three-run home run off [[Don Sutton]]. It was the first of two homers in Ryan's career and produced half of the six RBIs he got that year.<ref name=data/> On July 4 at [[Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati)|Riverfront Stadium]], Ryan recorded his 3,000th career strikeout, the victim being [[César Gerónimo]] of the [[1980 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feinstein |first=John |date=1980-07-05 |title=Ryan Whiffs 3,000th, Loses |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1980/07/05/ryan-whiffs-3000th-loses/2920aeaf-7c20-4078-8121-d6cabb6216db/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828160610/https://www.washingtonpost.com/web/20170828160610/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1980/07/05/ryan-whiffs-3000th-loses/2920aeaf-7c20-4078-8121-d6cabb6216db/ |archive-date=2017-08-28 |access-date=2024-11-17 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> The Astros made the [[1980 MLB postseason]]. In the [[1980 National League Championship Series|1980 NLCS]] versus the [[Philadelphia Phillies]], Ryan pitched well in Game 2, leaving the game tied 2–2 in the seventh (having contributed to both [[1980 Houston Astros season|Astros]] runs with a run scored following a walk, and a sacrifice bunt leading to a run) but again got a no-decision in a game that went extra innings. In the fifth and final game of the series, Ryan and the Astros held a 5–2 lead entering the 8th inning. But Ryan allowed three consecutive singles before walking in the third run. The Houston bullpen allowed the Phillies to take a 7–5 lead, and only a game-tying Astro rally permitted Ryan to escape the loss.

On September 26, 1981, Ryan threw his fifth no-hitter, breaking Koufax's mark while becoming the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter in each league.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/27/sports/ryan-s-record-fifth-no-hitter-downs-dodgers-5-0.html|title=RYAN'S RECORD FIFTH NO-HITTER DOWNS DODGERS, 5-0|agency=Associated Press|work=The New York Times |date=September 27, 1981|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> That season, his 1.69 ERA was the best in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]].<ref name=data/>

Facing the [[1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in the [[1981 National League Division Series|1981 NLDS]], Ryan threw a complete game two-hitter in the opener, outlasting the Dodgers' rookie sensation [[Fernando Valenzuela]]. It was Ryan's second and last career postseason win. In the fifth and final game of the series, Ryan left trailing 3–0 and took the loss.

[[File:Nolan Ryan in Atlanta close-up.jpg|thumb|Ryan pitching for the Astros in 1983]]
By the end of the 1982 season, both Ryan and [[Steve Carlton]] were approaching [[Walter Johnson]]'s all-time strikeout record, sometimes passing one another's career totals in successive starts. On April 27, 1983, Ryan won the race with his 3,509th whiff, against [[Brad Mills (infielder)|Brad Mills]] of the [[1983 Montreal Expos season|Montreal Expos]]. (Carlton reached the same mark two weeks after Ryan, and [[Gaylord Perry]] did so later that season.) On July 11, 1985, Ryan struck out [[Danny Heep]] for his 4,000th career strikeout.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McLemore |first1=Ivy |title=Ryan strikes out 11, sails past 4000 |url=https://www.astrosdaily.com/history/19850711/ |website=Astros Daily |access-date=July 24, 2018}}</ref>

In 1986, Ryan's [[1986 Houston Astros season|Astros]] faced the [[1986 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] in the [[1986 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]]. Ryan had a shaky start in Game 2, taking the loss. He returned in Game 5, throwing 9 innings of 2-hit, 1-run, 12-strikeout ball, but one of those hits was a [[Darryl Strawberry]] home run that tied the game at 1, as [[Dwight Gooden]] matched Ryan pitch for pitch. Ryan got a no-decision as his Astros lost in 12 innings.

In 1987, Ryan led the major leagues in both ERA (2.76) and strikeouts (270) at the age of 40, but finished 8–16 as the result of extremely poor run support; the Astros scored a total of 27 runs in his 16 losses–an average of 1.69 runs per game. Despite his .333 winning percentage, Ryan tied for 5th place in the 1987 Cy Young voting.<ref name=data/> Ryan hit his second and final career home run in a 12–3 win on May 1, 1987, against the [[Atlanta Braves]].

In nine seasons as a pitcher with the Astros (his longest tenure with any team), Ryan compiled a 106–94 record in 282 starts, a 3.13 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, with 796 walks and 1,866 strikeouts in 1,854 innings.<ref name="baseball-reference.com2"/>

===Texas Rangers (1989–1993)===
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = NolanRyanRangers.png
|Name   = Nolan Ryan
|Number = 34
|Team   = Texas Rangers (baseball)
|Display = Texas Rangers
|Year   = 1996
|}}
Ryan left Houston after a contract dispute following the 1988 season and signed with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] at age 42. He became the first player to play for all four MLB original expansion teams: the Mets, Angels, Houston Colt .45s/ Astros and Washington Senators/Texas Rangers. (Ryan was joined in this category by [[Darren Oliver]], who made his major league debut as Ryan's teammate in September 1993. Oliver's father [[Bob Oliver|Bob]] had also been a teammate of Ryan's, with the Angels from 1972 to 1974.) In 1989, he went 16–10 and led the league with 301 strikeouts.<ref name=data/> Against the [[Oakland Athletics]] on August 22, Ryan struck out [[Rickey Henderson]], becoming the only pitcher to record 5,000 career strikeouts. Following the game, Henderson was quoted as saying, "If he ain't struck you out, then you ain't nobody."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://athlonsports.com/overtime/day-sports-history-august-22-nolan-ryan-5000-strikeouts-americas-cup-juan-marichal-john-roseboro-brawl|title=This Day in Sports History: August 22|newspaper=Athlonsports.com &#124; Expert Predictions, Picks, and Previews|date=August 22, 2020|access-date=June 13, 2021}}</ref> His 4,999th and 5,001st strikeouts were against the same man, Athletics catcher [[Ron Hassey]]. Two years later, at 44, Ryan finished fifth in the league in ERA (2.91) and third in strikeouts (203).<ref name=data/>

In 1990, Ryan threw his sixth no-hitter on June 11 against the [[1990 Oakland Athletics season|Athletics]], and earned his 300th [[win (baseball)|win]] on July 31 against the [[1990 Milwaukee Brewers season|Milwaukee Brewers]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/02/sports/ryan-savors-his-milestone-with-a-feeling-of-relief.html|work=The New York Times|first=Malcolm|last=Moran|title=Ryan Savors His Milestone With a Feeling of Relief|date=August 2, 1990}}</ref> On May 1, 1991, at age 44, Ryan extended his record by throwing the seventh no-hitter of his career,<ref>{{cite web |title=In 1991, Nolan Ryan and Rickey Henderson set new MLB records on the exact same day |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/in-1991-nolan-ryan-and-rickey-henderson-set-new-mlb-records-on-the-exact-same-da |website=MLB.com |date=May 2017 |access-date=April 30, 2021 }}</ref> striking out [[Roberto Alomar]] of the [[1991 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]] for the final out. On August 6, 1992, Ryan had the only ejection of his career after engaging in a shouting match with [[Oakland Athletics]] outfielder [[Willie Wilson (baseball)|Willie Wilson]] with two outs in the eighth inning.

Before the 1993 season began, Ryan announced that he would retire as a player at the end of that season. On August 4, Ryan hit [[Robin Ventura]] of the [[1993 Chicago White Sox season|Chicago White Sox]] with a pitch, and Ventura charged the mound in order to fight Ryan, who was 20 years his senior. Ryan secured the 26-year-old Ventura in a headlock with his left arm, while pummeling Ventura's head with his right fist six times before catcher [[Iván Rodríguez]] was able to pull Ventura away from Ryan. Ryan stated afterwards that it was the same maneuver he used on steers he had to brand on his Texas ranch. Videos of the incident were played that evening throughout the country. While Ventura was ejected, Ryan–who had barely moved from his spot on the mound in the fracas–was allowed to remain in the game. White Sox manager [[Gene Lamont]] vehemently argued this, leading to his own ejection. Ryan pitched a hitless game the rest of the way. He had been determined to be more aggressive after coming out on the wrong side of an altercation with [[Dave Winfield]] in 1980.<ref>{{cite news|last=Freeman|first=Denne H.|title=Raging Ryan Strikes Ventura|work=[[Austin American-Statesman]]|date=August 5, 1993|page=C1}}</ref>

[[Image:Arlington Stadium 1992 - 2.jpg|thumb|right|Ryan on the mound during a 1992 home game at [[Arlington Stadium]]]]

Ryan tore a [[ligament]] in his pitching arm in Seattle on September 22, 1993. The injury ended his career two starts earlier than planned, at age 46. Ryan briefly attempted to pitch past the injury, and he threw one additional pitch after tearing his ligament. Ryan's last start was his career-worst; he allowed a single, four walks, and a [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] in the top of the first without recording an out. It was his record-setting 10th grand slam given up of his career. (Ryan left trailing 5–0, and the fourth walk was completed by a reliever after Ryan's injury, but credited to Ryan.) [[Greg Myers (baseball)|Greg Myers]] of the California Angels was the last strikeout victim of Nolan Ryan's career, on September 17, 1993.<ref>''Baseball's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records'', p.32, Kerry Banks, 2010, Greystone Books, Vancouver, BC, {{ISBN|978-1-55365-507-7}}</ref>

Ryan finished his career having played in the major leagues a record of 27 seasons. He was the final active player from the 1960s to retire from Major League Baseball, outlasting [[Carlton Fisk]] (the final active position player) by three months.

In five seasons with the Rangers, Ryan had a 51–39 record, a 3.43 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, with 353 walks and 939 strikeouts in 840 innings over 129 starts.<ref name="baseball-reference.com2"/>

===Career statistics===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[Win (baseball)|W]]
|[[Loss (baseball)#Losing pitcher|L]]
|PCT
|[[Earned run average|ERA]]
|[[Games played|G]]
|[[Games started|GS]]
|[[Complete game|CG]]
|[[Shutouts in baseball|SHO]]
|[[Save (baseball)|SV]]
|[[Innings pitched|IP]]
|[[Hit (baseball)|H]]
|[[Earned run|ER]]
|[[Run (baseball)|R]]
|[[Home run|HR]]
|[[Base on balls|BB]]
|[[Strikeout|SO]]
|[[Wild pitch|WP]]
|[[Hit by pitch|HBP]]
|-
|324
|292
|.526
|3.19
|807
|773
|222
|61
|3
|5386.0
|3923
|1911
|2178
|321
|2795
|5714
|277
|158
|}

===Seven no-hitters===
Ryan threw a record seven no-hitters during his major league career, three more than any other pitcher. The no-hitters spanned three decades of pitching. In those seven games, Ryan accumulated a total of 94 strikeouts and 26 walks; a ratio of 3.6 strikeouts per walk (his career K:BB was 2.0). Ryan 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.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Date !! class=unsortable|Result !! Venue !! Attendance !! Time !! Catcher !! Home plate<br />umpire !! style="width:1px;" class="unsortable"|Box score
|-
| {{dts|May 15, 1973}} || [[California Angels]] 3<br />at [[Kansas City Royals]] 0|| [[Royals Stadium]] || 12,205 || 2:20 || {{sortname|Jeff|Torborg}} || {{sortname|Jim|Evans|dab=umpire}} || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA197305150.shtml |title=May 15, 1973 California Angels at Kansas City Royals Box Score and Play by Play |website=Baseball-Reference.com |date=May 15, 1973 |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| {{dts|July 15, 1973}} || [[California Angels]] 6<br />at [[Detroit Tigers]] 0 || [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]] || 41,411 || 2:21|| {{sortname|Art|Kusnyer}} || {{sortname|Ron|Luciano}} || <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET197307150.shtml |title=July 15, 1973 California Angels at Detroit Tigers Box Score and Play by Play |website=Baseball-Reference.com |date=July 15, 1973 |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| {{dts|September 28, 1974}} || [[Minnesota Twins]] 0<br />at [[California Angels]] 4|| [[Anaheim Stadium]]|| 10,872 || 2:22 ||{{sortname|Tom|Egan}}|| {{sortname|Art|Frantz}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197409280.shtml |title=September 28, 1974 Minnesota Twins at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score |website=Baseball-Reference.com |date=September 28, 1974 |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| {{dts|June 1, 1975}} || [[Baltimore Orioles]] 0<br />at [[California Angels]] 1|| [[Anaheim Stadium]]|| 18,492 || 2:01|| {{sortname|Ellie|Rodríguez}}|| {{sortname|Hank|Morgenweck}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197506010.shtml |title=June 1, 1975 Baltimore Orioles at California Angels Box Score and Play by Play |website=Baseball-Reference.com |date=June 1, 1975 |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| {{dts|September 26, 1981}}||[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] 0<br />at [[Houston Astros]] 5|| [[Astrodome]]|| 32,115 ||2:46|| {{sortname|Alan|Ashby}}|| {{sortname|Bruce|Froemming}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198109260.shtml |title=September 26, 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros Box Score and Play by Play |website=Baseball-Reference.com |date=September 26, 1981 |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| {{dts|June 11, 1990}} ||[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] 5<br />at [[Oakland Athletics]] 0|| [[Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum]]||33,436||2:49||{{sortname|John|Russell|dab=catcher}}||{{sortname|Don|Denkinger}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK199006110.shtml |title=June 11, 1990 Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics Play by Play and Box Score |website=Baseball-Reference.com |date=June 11, 1990 |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| {{dts|May 1, 1991}} ||[[Toronto Blue Jays]] 0<br />at [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] 3||[[Arlington Stadium]]||33,439||2:25||{{sortname|Mike|Stanley}}||{{sortname|Tim|Tschida}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX199105010.shtml |title=May 1, 1991 Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers Box Score and Play by Play |website=Baseball-Reference.com |date=May 1, 1991 |access-date=September 1, 2013}}</ref>
|}