Editing Nolan Ryan (section)

===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"/>