Nolan Ryan is one of the greatest and most feared pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball.
Having played through parts of four decades, he was also quite well traveled.
The right-hander pitched 27 MLB seasons with the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers and didn’t retire until after 1993, his age-46 season.
Today marks a special day for the Hall-of-Famer, as he turns 76 years old.
On Twitter, the Hall of Fame wished one of the fiercest competitors and most dominant pitchers in baseball history a very Happy Birthday, including a picture of him holding his Hall of Fame plaque on his induction day.
Happy 76th birthday, Nolan Ryan! In his 27 big league seasons, he won 324 games, struck out 5,714 batters and threw seven no-hitters.
📷 Milo Stewart Jr. pic.twitter.com/rs009vLW22
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum âš¾ (@baseballhall) January 31, 2023
Over 27 seasons, Ryan won 324 games, struck out 5,714 batters, and threw seven no-hitters.
He also won two ERA titles, a World Series ring, and earned eight All-Star selections.
His best season was with the Astros in 1981, when he won 11 games in 21 starts and posted a career-best ERA of 1.69.
“The Ryan Express,” as he was commonly referred to, also had a career WAR of 81.3 and a WHIP of 1.247 in 5,386 innings pitched.
One of his most entertaining moments however came in the latter stages of his career, when a famous brawl between him and Robin Ventura took place.
Ventura was drilled by a pitch and subsequently charged the mound in a fit of rage.
However, the 46-year-old Ryan was prepared for the confrontation and did not hesitate to put Ventura back in his place.
His competitive spirit and dominance are fixtures in the history of baseball and will never be forgotten.
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