pitch His fastball averaged 93 mph. 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. He threw 114 pitches and added 10 strikeouts in the no-hitter against the Phillies. Legendary, dominating, historically wild? There will never be NAME SEASON TM G IP W L W% GS CG GF SHO SV H TBF R ER HR BB IBB HBP David Schoenfield. from the SABR BioProject, More Nolan Ryan Pages at Baseball Reference. "Nolan's got so much more natural ability than the rest of us," Palmer said. We were teammates on Cleveland and driving past Anaheim Stadium. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. [15] 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.[21][22][23]. Ryan Express is a nickname for Nolan Ryan. The hitters were in awe of him because they couldn't hit him; the pitchers were in awe of him because they understood how difficult it was to do what he did. He never did anything to enhance himself physically. Baseball Drops Both Ends of Saturday Doubleheader to UMass June 3, 1989, one of those one-hitters mentioned earlier (Ryan is tied with Bob Feller for the most career one-hitters with 12). You feel like you can hear the grunting. Nolan Ryan Stats, News, Bio | ESPN The salary quadrupled what he had been making with the California Angels. Ryan pitched well for the Mets in the 1969 postseason. 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. (Age 19-223d, Verlander credited a 2019 meeting with Nolan Ryan as inspiring him to use the pitch more often, which he did before his injuries that caused him In the first 50 Major League games of his career, Harris has slashed .289/.323/.494 with eight homers and 28 RBI. In some way, perhaps, it was also acknowledging that gift of maybe the fastest fastball ever. That's why he would head to the exercise bike after throwing a no-hitter. Ryan shouted from the mound. [46] He also owned a restaurant in Three Rivers, Texas. The California Angels retired the number 30 on June 16, 1992; the Texas Rangers retired his number 34 on September 15, 1996; and the Houston Astros retired number 34 on September 29, 1996. ), In 1973, Ryan set his first major record when he struck out 383 batters in one season, beating Sandy Koufax's old mark by one. Just throw it down the middle, they won't hit it anyway. Nolan Ryan Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton were clearly better, and Phil Niekro (who also never won a Cy Young Award) and Gaylord Perry were probably better. Copyright: ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. "[63][full citation needed], Other writers have delved more into the specifics of James' general concerns. He averaged 10.57 strikeouts per nine innings that season. To put that in perspective, Barry Bonds would have needed to hit 885 home runs to break Hank Aaron's record by 17.2%. "I drove managers crazy. But his good mechanics allowed him to bounce back from them. [4] Ryan's family lived in nearby Woodsboro, Texas in Refugio County, until they moved to Alvin, Texas in Brazoria County, when Nolan was six weeks old. he asked. Nolan Ryan Ryan briefly attempted to pitch past the injury, and he threw one additional pitch after tearing his ligament. On August 4, just before the end, Ryan had yet another high-profile momentthis time an on-the-mound fight. "In 1974, according to beat writers in attendance, Ryan threw 259 pitches in a 12-inning win over Kansas City." Legendary, dominating, historically wild? (Ryan left trailing 50, and the fourth walk was completed by a reliever after Ryan's injury, but credited to Ryan.) 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 which tied the game at 1, as Dwight Gooden matched Ryan pitch for pitch. Perhaps the most interesting aspect to the no-hitter was that Royals manager Jack McKeon had protested the game in the third inning, arguing that Ryan was illegally lifting his foot off the pitching rubber during his delivery. In the second one, on July 15 against the Detroit Tigers, he struck out 17 batters the most in a recorded no-hitter. In the first 50 Major League games of his career, Harris has slashed .289/.323/.494 with eight homers and 28 RBI. Ryan is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in MLB games in four different decades. On April 27, 1983, Ryan won the race with his 3,509th whiff, against Brad Mills of the Montreal Expos. Did Nolan Ryan Umpire Ron Luciano, after first doubling over in laughter, told Cash to get rid of it. He has maintained a decades-long friendship with the Bush family, partially due to George W. Bush being a part-owner of the Rangers while Ryan played there. As a young boy, Nolan enjoyed throwing objects at any target. Ryan finished his career having played in a major league record 27 seasons. WebNot that he never had any injuries; he did. He had been determined to be more aggressive after coming out on the wrong side of an altercation with Dave Winfield in 1980. WebNolan Ryan is NOT a top 10 pitcher of all-time. Two years later, at 44, Ryan finished fifth in the league in ERA (2.91) and third in strikeouts (203).[1]. [30] The normally light-hitting Ryan got his Houston years started with a bang in a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 12, 1980, when he hit a three-run home run off Don Sutton. He walked 202 batters in 1974 and 204 in 1977. Don't throw so many curveballs on a 3-2 count. in Refugio, TX ANNAPOLIS, Md. He wasnt even a top 3 pitcher in his own era. September 11, 1966 After 5,386 innings, 5,714 strikeouts and an estimated 34,500 pitches, Ryan's elbow ligament had finally snapped. Nolan Ryan - Baseball-Reference.com When was Nolan Ryan drafted? [8][9] Ryan held the school's single game strikeout record for 44 years, striking out 21 hitters in a 7-inning game. Nolan Ryan Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Nolan Ryan had 5,714 strikeouts over his career. On Friday, Will Sammon of The Athletic released an article about Justin Verlander and how he is still attempting to introduce a changeup into his repertoire at this stage of his career. In 1989, at age 42, Nolan Ryan averaged 127 pitches a game with a high of 164, which came five days after he threw 150. In the minds of many, Ryan had become the best pitcher of all time, conflating Ryan's particular achievements -- the strikeouts, the no-hitters, the longevity -- with other measurements of greatness. January 31, 1947 "[85][86] Staples, however, lost that race to current Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick of Houston. That started a careerlong dedication to conditioning. Nolan Ryan played for 4 teams; the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. The final cash bid to purchase the franchise was $385 million. did nolan ryan throw "The mystique of Nolan Ryan was based on two things," Bill James wrote in "The New Historical Baseball Abstract." WebNolan Ryan of the California Angels pitching. Or write about sports? Alvin head coach Jim Watson and the other players on the 65 team described Ryans senior year performance with the same term: wheel horse. [1] Four days later, Ryan's teammate Seaver topped it with a then-MLB record 19 against the San Diego Padres (though Ryan tied this record four years later). [17], Ryan's performance declined sharply in the second half of his final season with the Mets. He needed every ounce of stamina -- physical and mental -- to concentrate on every pitch of every start. In 2011, he was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame. Alvin High School Baseball", "Why there's confusion about when Nolan Ryan was selected in the first MLB Draft", "Nolan Ryan Winter & Minor Leagues Statistics & History", "The Kult Of Mets Personalities Nolan Ryan/Kris Benson 03/14 by Ivie League Prod", "13 worst December MLB trades of all time, ranked", "43 years later, relive the day the Mets traded Nolan Ryan to the Angels", "Those were the best pitches I ever heard", "Boston Red Sox at California Angels Box Score, June 14, 1974", "40 years ago Saturday, Nolan Ryan threw 235 pitches in a game", "Ryan Savors His Milestone With a Feeling of Relief", "In 1991, Nolan Ryan and Rickey Henderson set new MLB records on the exact same day", "May 15, 1973 California Angels at Kansas City Royals Box Score and Play by Play", "July 15, 1973 California Angels at Detroit Tigers Box Score and Play by Play", "September 28, 1974 Minnesota Twins at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score", "June 1, 1975 Baltimore Orioles at California Angels Box Score and Play by Play", "September 26, 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros Box Score and Play by Play", "June 11, 1990 Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics Play by Play and Box Score", "May 1, 1991 Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers Box Score and Play by Play", "The Last Windup: A Look at Nolan Ryan, by the Numbers", "Texas United Bancshares agrees to buy Nolan Ryan family's bank", "The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Publications", "Nolan Ryan hired as Texas Rangers' president", "Greenberg leaves Rangers; Ryan named CEO", "Ray Davis, Bob Simpson to continue as low-key counsel for Texas Rangers | texasrangers.com: News", "Rangers promote Jon Daniels to president of baseball operations", "Nolan Ryan to retire as Texas Rangers CEO on Halloween", "Nolan Ryan joins Astros front office in advisory role", "Nolan Ryan to return to Astros as special assistant to Jim Crane", "Nolan Ryan's Oldest Son Named Astros President", "Astros' upheaval continues with change atop business operations structure", "The Nolan Ryan Express | The Strikeout King | smackbomb.com/nolanryan", "No mention of Ryan brings plenty of disbelief", Texas Rangers Retired Number History on mlb.com, "Did the United States produce a Nolan Ryan Dollar coin? Some of his best seasons came at the end of his Astros tenure and then with the Rangers. WebNolan Ryan pitched 222 complete games in his career. On July 11, 1985, Ryan struck out Danny Heep for his 4,000th career strikeout.[31]. 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 the face of overwhelming criticism," Kornheiser wrote, "he persists: His way is the right way." Ryan had five of the 14 highest game scores of the season, a one-person highlight reel. Instead, he had the team toast Ryan. Nolan Ryan Best Answer. Opening their 2023 In the same game, he would set his career highs for walks (matched one other time) and strikeouts (matched three other times). "Is this his first one?" WebNolan Ryan is NOT a top 10 pitcher of all-time. Who gets the L?". Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Opening Day of 1992, matched up against Randy Johnson. "Well, I don't believe it'll be his last.". On June 13, 1983, pitching for Houston, he defeated San Diego, 2-0, allowing five Baseball Drops Both Ends of Saturday Doubleheader to UMass The back in my day folks would like to buy it, because today pitch speed is measured from here and back then it was measured from there, and if you switch here with there and do some kind of calculation, Ryan threw 240 mph because it makes a good story. The Oakland A's are in Las Vegas this week for a preseason series, and talk of a potential move to Nevada has gained momentum, with Don Logan, president of the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators, telling ESPN, "Las Vegas offers a dynamic that no other team has.". To put it another way, in 2019 Gerrit Cole struck out 326 batters in 212 innings. Ryan signed with the Mets and immediately pitched for the Marion Mets in the Appalachian League and for the Mets team in the Florida Instructional League. He fanned 383 batters in 1973, breaking Sandy Koufax's modern record. (This record was later tied by Max Scherzer on October 3, 2015.) Nolan Ryan - BR Bullpen [69] That year, he ranked 41st on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. After the home run, Ryan threw three more pitches to Dave Magadan, but with a 2-1 count he summoned trainer Danny Wheat, handed Wheat the ball and walked off the mound. WebGet the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about starting pitcher Nolan Ryan on ESPN. Randy Johnson is second with 839 fewer strikeouts. He embarrasses you. On April 7, 2011, Todd Staples announced that Nolan Ryan would be his statewide chairman for his exploratory committee for lieutenant governor. [19], Ryan did not want to be traded from the Mets, and when it happened he felt betrayed by the team that drafted him. Home. 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 Ivn Rodrguez was able to pull Ventura away from Ryan. [70], In 1992, the United States Mint produced a $1 commemorative coin honoring Olympic baseball depicting a pitcher in a USA Baseball uniform, but in a pose nearly identical to Ryan's photo on his 1991 Fleer baseball card. No. [68] He chose to wear a Rangers cap for his HOF plaque to reflect his Texas heritage, as well as the fact that his 300th win, 5000th strikeout, and last two no-hitters came as a Ranger. Before the 1993 season began, Ryan announced that he would retire as a player at the end of that season. Nolan Ryan -- Threw 7 no-hitters in his career - Historic Baseball Roger Clemens became the first pitcher with a 20-strikeout game in 1986. Thursday: Defensive plays Nolan Ryan Ryan threw a record seven no-hitters during his major league career, three more than any other pitcher. In 1966, Ryan pitched for the Class A Greenville Mets of the Western Carolinas League, Ryan pitched into the fifth inning in a game the Rangers won 12-10 with a nine-run rally in the eighth inning. Ryan's lifetime batting average against of .204 is also a major league record. He also has appeared in various television commercials shown in the Texas market. May 22, 2013. He never threw either pitch that much, but it was a little something extra to throw at batters. Four of his five highest strikeout rates -- percentage of batters faced whom he struck out -- came in 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991. So maybe you could call him stubborn. You can't even comprehend what it's like to be that talented [but] he tries to intimidate people. After suffering elbow pain in 1986, he had added a sinker. Ryan joined Alvin Little League Baseball when he was nine, made the all-star team when he was 11 and 12,[5] and pitched the first no-hitter of his life a few years later. After Singer was sidelined early in the 1970 season due to hospitalization for hepatitis, he returned to win six of his first seven games. For much of his career, however, critics dismissed Ryan as "just a .500 pitcher," back when pitchers were judged, foremost, by their win-loss record. [12] Ryan signed with the Mets and immediately pitched for the Marion Mets in the Appalachian League and for the Mets team in the Florida Instructional League. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962 walking over 50% more hitters than any other pitcher in MLB history. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Nolan Ryan pitched 5386 innings in his career. Ryan's lengthy career spanned generations as he struck out seven pairs of fathers and sons (for example, Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds), another major league record. In 1989, at age 42, Nolan Ryan averaged 127 pitches a game with a high of 164, which came five days after he threw 150. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In particular, how many pitches did Nolan Ryan throw in his major league career. Those Angels teams in the early and mid-1970s were woeful offensive clubs, finishing last or next-to-last in the American League in runs scored each season from 1972 to 1976. Nolan Ryan's record 108 mph fastball. Ryan had curbed some of the wildness from his Angels days, but would still throw what today looks like an ungodly number of pitches: a season high of 164, seven Nolan Ryan - Wikipedia WebDuring his 9 seasons in Houston, Ryan joined Cy Young as the only other pitcher in baseball history to win 100 games in both leagues (138 with the Angels, 106 with the Astros), Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Ryan has written, by a quick accounting, at least four autobiographies, plus a pitcher's guide to performance written with his Rangers pitching coach Tom House, plus the "Nolan Ryan Beef & Barbecue Cookbook." Apparently Walter Johnson or Lefty Grove or Satchel Paige weren't good enough. For Ryan, as soon as the game was over, he forgot about it, brushed it from memory. Ryan was also known to throw a devastating 126 curveball at exceptional velocity for a breaking ball.[2]. Ryan is the all-time leader in no-hitters with seven, three more than any other pitcher. [10] The record was eventually tied by Alvin High School pitchers Aaron Stewart and Josh Land in the same week in 2009. Fantasy baseball: Which prospects have fantasy value in 2023? BL-2664-73 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library) Whether Ryan saw this as an achievement or not, his fourth career hitless game, delivered in front of a crowd of 18,492 at Anaheim Stadium on June 1, 1975 - tying him with Sandy Koufax as the only hurler to throw four no-hit games. His likeness was used in the "Nolan Ryan Fitness Guide", published by The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1994. In fact, even after more than 575 career innings and countless pitches hitting 100-plus mph, he also holds the title this season. [1] Ryan had 15 or more strikeouts in a game 26 times, second only to Randy Johnson, who had 28. I try to get them out. Monday: Home run If you're going to lose, it's sure great to strike out 380 guys. Following the game, Henderson was quoted as saying, "If he ain't struck you out, then you ain't nobody. Aerosmith drummer puts Austin-area luxury home up for sale", "The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-Medicare Candidacy of Dr.Ron Paul", "PRESS RELEASE: Nolan Ryan to Serve as Statewide Chairman for Staples", American League Pitcher of the Year Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nolan_Ryan&oldid=1141250556, Major League Baseball players with retired numbers, American chief executives of professional sports organizations, Florida Instructional League Mets players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2021, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with incomplete citations from April 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, September 11,1966,for theNew York Mets, September 22,1993,for theTexas Rangers, Lowest career batting average allowed (minimum 1,500 innings pitched): .204, 26 career 15+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 36 career 14+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 56 career 13+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 95 career 12+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 151 career 11+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, 3 19+ strikeout games, single season (1974), 3 18+ strikeout games, single season (1974), 3 17+ strikeout games, single season (1974), 3 16+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1972, 1974), 6 15+ strikeout games, single season (1974 - tied with, 15 12+ strikeout games, single season (1973), 18 11+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1973), 23 10+ strikeout games, single season (1973 - tied with, 26 9+ strikeout games, single season (1973), 29 8+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1973), 32 7+ strikeout games by a right-handed pitcher, single season (1973), 36 6+ strikeout games, single season (1974 - tied with, 6.55 hits per nine innings pitched, career, minimum 1,000 innings (next-fewest is, 5.26 single-season hits per nine innings (1972), Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 03:23. We present them here for purely educational purposes. "If they had a higher league, he could be in it," outfielder Hal McRae said. [60] Ryan also played during the administrations of seven U.S. PresidentsLyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clintonequaling a 20th-century record that had been set by Jim Kaat. [1] On July 4 of that season, at Riverfront Stadium, Ryan recorded his 3,000th career strikeout, the victim being Csar Gernimo of the Cincinnati Reds (Gernimo had also been Bob Gibson's 3,000th strikeout victim, in 1974). Morning Briefing: Justin Verlander Dabbling With Changeup Ryan was scheduled to pitch Game 5, but the Angels were eliminated in four. WebNolan Ryan is without a doubt one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Nolan Ryan Ryan struck out 16, matching his high during his five years in Texas. "The 'ease up and let the fielders do their work' software had never been installed on his machine. He writes about how when he came up with the Mets he didn't want to be like many of the teammates he saw: "They were in their 30s, but some looked like old guys, paunchy and out of shape. After the champagne, after all the interviews, Ryan headed off to his usual postgame ritual: He rode the exercise bike. Ryan holds 51 total MLB records, including: Nolan Ryan's post-retirement business interests include principal owner of Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment, which is the ownership group for the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A Affiliate of the Texas Rangers, among other businesses. [64] In another column, Neyer, while stating that Ryan belonged in the Hall of Fame, pointed to Ryan's record-breaking walks total and noted that his .309 on-base percentage against "wasn't even close to being in the top 100". "He's throwing the ball harder than any man I ever saw in my life," first baseman John Mayberry said. To Knepper's point, Ryan offers an anecdote about Pete Rose going up to him and asking him what pitch Mike Schmidt hit for a home run or some guy who had gone 2-for-3 two weeks ago. I remember buying an upper-deck seat that day and moving down to a box seat, just a few rows behind the first-base dugout. (Carlton reached the same mark two weeks after Ryan, and Gaylord Perry did so later that season.) Nolan Ryan Ryan led the American League in strikeouts seven times during his eight seasons with the Angels, but he also led the league in walks in six of those years, and finished second the other two seasons: 1975 and 1979. He was most noted for his blazing fastball and his longevity, routinely throwing Ryan's log of spectacular accomplishments is as thick as Bill Clinton's little black book; his list of flaws and failures is lengthy but dry, and will never make for good reading. The opposing Royals, however, understood this was no ordinary no-hitter from an ordinary pitcher. Ryan is quoted as saying, "Todd Staples is the top prospect for the Texas Republican Party in 2014. The season complete, Ryan became a free agent. Although the Angels were a sub-.500 team and remained one for much of his time there, Ryan managed to post some winning records, notably 1916 in 1972, 2116 in 1973 and 2216 in 1974 (the 22 wins tied what remains the Angels franchise record, set by Clyde Wright in 1970). 2 pitcher on the list. Redshirt sophomore righthander Ryan Brown made a pair of relief appearances for the Cardinals at the Swig & Swine College Classic in Charleston, South Carolina. WebRyan also pitched eighteen two-hitters. Was he the fastest pitcher ever? [33] On May 1, 1991, at age 44, Ryan extended his record by throwing the seventh no-hitter of his career,[34] striking out Roberto Alomar of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final out. While Ventura was ejected, Ryanwho had barely moved from his spot on the mound in the fracaswas allowed to remain in the game. [65], Ryan and Frank Robinson are the only two major league players to have their number retired by three teams on which they played. Ryan also walked 162 batters -- actually a reasonable total for him at that point in his career. The next closest seasons were both in the American League, both had That intense focus on every pitch. After throwing 235 pitches, he started on three days of rest -- and tossed six scoreless innings. Ryan has co-written six books: autobiographies Miracle Man (with Jerry Jenkins, 1992), Throwing Heat (with Harvey Frommer, 1988) and The Road to Cooperstown (with Mickey Herskowitz and T.R. In his subsequent report to the Mets, Murff stated that Ryan had "the best arm I've seen in my life." Hardest The marquee advertised: 'Nolan Ryan versus the Cleveland Indians.' Winkles figured he meant Tom Cheney's record of 21 strikeouts in a game. Verlander credited a 2019 meeting with Nolan Ryan as inspiring him to use the pitch more often, which he did before his injuries that caused him How many He lead his league in strikeouts a whopping 11 times, and six times he struck out more than 300 batters in a season. Nolan Ryan Ryan also played various positions besides pitcher. Beer flights. Nolan Ryan's record 108 mph fastball - The Game Haus WebHighlights of Nolan Ryan's fastest pitches. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Consider 46 years ago today June 14, 1974. Cash's teammate Mickey Stanley commented on facing Ryan that day by saying, "Those were the best pitches I ever heard. With perfect location, it doesn't matter how bad your stuff is. Good morning, Mets fans! Bill James focuses on this dichotomy between Ryan's positive and negative statistics. Ryan played in more seasons (27) than any other player in modern (since 1900) major league history (All-time he is tied with Cap Anson for #1). Ryan pitched in 27 games, with 20 starts. Ryan was so dominant in this game, it led to one of baseball's best-remembered pranks. Nolan Ryan threw four complete games in his career in which he walked no one: 1. Wednesday: Prospects [13], When Ryan was called up by the New York Mets in 1966, he was the second-youngest player in the league. Of course, we now understand that judgment wasn't completely fair. Find out more. Speaking of 27, Nolan Ryan was in the 27th and final year of his Hall of Fame career, pitching for the Texas Rangers. [1] 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. I had forgotten this, but the Seattle crowd -- over 40,000 were on hand, most of them, I suspect, to see Ryan (the teams had drawn 14,000 the night before) -- "sensing the historic moment, rose to its feet in a sustained ovation," Reeves wrote. The Houston bullpen allowed the Phillies to take a 75 lead, and only a game-tying Astro rally permitted Ryan to escape the loss. I tried to figure out what, exactly, made Ryan into this pitcher. He is also fifth in innings pitched (5,386), second in games started (773), seventh in shutouts (61), is tied for 14th in wins (324), and is third in losses (292). A month later it was a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and in his final start of the season, he fanned 13 in another three-hit shutout. In the 1980 NLCS versus the Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan pitched well in Game 2, leaving the game tied 22 in the seventh (having contributed to both 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. [82], Ryan wrote in his 1992 autobiography "Miracle Man" that he voted for Jimmy Carter over Gerald R. Ford Jr. in 1976, but since then has generally identified as a Republican, though he does not automatically vote this way and looks at individual candidates, mentioning disgust at one particular election in which the two major parties were forcing a choice between "the racist or the criminal.