Nolan Ryan is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and a member of the baseball Hall of Fame. Ryan was an intimidating pitcher on the mound over a 27-year career. He was the consummate power pitcher, earning the nickname "the Ryan Express," and routinely reached the mid- to upper 90s with his fastball. Nolan Ryan's full name is Lynn Nolan Ryan, and he was born Jan. 31, 1947, in Refugio, Texas.
Teams
Nolan Ryan played for four teams over his long professional career. He broke into the majors with the New York Mets and played there from 1968 to 1971. Ryan moved on to California and played with the Angels from 1972 to 1979. In 1980, he went to his home state to play for the Houston Astros, where he stayed until 1988. Ryan joined the Texas Rangers in 1989, and stayed there until he retired in 1993.
Strikeouts and Walks
Nolan Ryan's biggest weapon on the mound was the strikeout. He is the all-time strikeout leader with 5,714. To put this number in perspective, Randy Johnson is in second spot with 4,875. Ryan led his league in strikeouts eleven times, recording a record 383 in the 1973 season. Ryan is also the all-time leader in walks allowed with 2,795, almost 1,000 more than the next closest pitcher.
No-Hitters
The power of Nolan Ryan's fastball, combined with a sharp, biting curve ball made him unhittable on certain days, and his record shows it. Ryan has the record for career no-hitters with seven, three more than second place Sandy Koufax. A no-hitter occurs when a pitcher doesn't allow a single hit over the course of a game. Base on balls or batters reaching on an error don't affect the no-hitter status.
Career Stats
Ryan had a career record of 324 wins and 292 losses. His career earned-run-average was 3.19 for 807 games pitched, including 773 starts. Ryan threw an astounding 222 complete games and 61 shutouts over the course of his career. He pitched 5,386 innings, which places him fifth on the all-time list.
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