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Here's a look at the life of Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, nicknamed “Ryan Express.” He played for 27 seasons, won 324 games and made the All-Star Team eight times.
Birthdate: January 31, 1947
Place of birth: Refuge, Texas
Birth name: Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr.
Father: Lynn Nolan Ryan Sr., Stanton Oil Company Supervisor
Mother: Martha Lee (Hancock) Ryan, housewife
Marriage: Ruth (Holdorff) Ryan (June 26, 1967-present)
Children: Wendy, Nolan “Reese” and Robert “Reid”
Military service: US Army Reserves, 1967
Major League pitcher for 27 seasons, with the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Ryan holds records for career strikeouts, 5,714, and no-hitters, seven.
His uniform numbers have been retired by three different teams: the Angels, Astros and Rangers.
Ryan was known for soaking his fingers in pickle juice to treat and prevent blisters.
He is a co-owner of two minor league baseball teams, the AAA Round Rock Express team and the AA Corpus Christi Hooks team.
He raises Beefmaster cattle in Texas. Beefmasters, bred to survive the South Texas summers, are a three-way cross between the Brahman, Hereford and Shorthorn breeds.
He and his wife, Ruth, were high school sweethearts.
Ryan played football in high school, until a “head-on collision with future NFL running back Norm Bulaich changed his mind.”
June 1965 – Ryan is the 226th pick in the twelfth round of the MLB Amateur Draft by the New York Mets.
September 11, 1966 – Ryan's debut in the Major Leagues, at Shea Stadium, in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves. The Braves win 8-3.
1967 – Complete six months of basic training in the Army Reserves.
October 14, 1969 – He is the relief pitcher in game three of the World Series, shutting out the Baltimore Orioles to help the Mets break the series tie, to lead two games to one. The Mets win the World Series four games to one, earning Ryan his only World Series Championship.
1970 – He buys his first ranch, in Gonzales, Texas.
December 10, 1971 – The Mets trade Ryan to the California Angels.
May 15, 1973 – He throws the first no-hitter of his career, striking out 12 Kansas City Royals at Royals Stadium. Los Angeles win 3-0.
August 20, 1974 – Enter the Guinness Book of World Records with the fastest pitch, 100.9 mph, during a game between the Angels and the Detroit Tigers at Anaheim Stadium. The Tigers win 1-0. The record stands until September 24, 2010.
November 19, 1979 – As a free agent, he signs a four-year, $4.5 million contract with the Houston Astros, making him the highest-paid MLB player at the time.
April 27, 1983 – Earns his 3,509th strikeout to surpass Walter Johnson's all-time strikeout record set in 1927.
December 7, 1988 – As a free agent, he signs with the Texas Rangers.
August 22, 1989 – He strikes out Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics for his 5,000th strikeout.
1990 – The Nolan Ryan Foundation is formed.
May 1, 1991 – He throws his seventh and final no-hitter, an MLB record. The Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 at Arlington Stadium.
September 22, 1993 – He pitches his final MLB game, the Rangers against the Seattle Mariners at the Kingdome. The Mariners win 7-4.
1994-2004 – Special Assistant to the President of the Texas Rangers.
January 5, 1999 – In his first year of eligibility, Ryan is selected for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
April 2000 – He undergoes emergency double bypass surgery.
May 2000 – Nolan Ryan Beef, the beef label grown and sold on Ryan's ranch, is sold for the first time in Texas markets.
2004-2008 – Special assistant to the Astros General Manager, Tim Purpura.
February 8, 2008-March 10, 2011 – President of the Texas Rangers.
August 2010-October 2013 – Co-owner of the Texas Rangers.
March 11, 2011-October 31, 2013 – President and CEO of the Texas Rangers.
February 11, 2014-November 2019 – Executive advisor to the Houston Astros.
May 2014 – His Cookbook “The Nolan Ryan Beef and Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes from a Texas Kitchen” is published.
November 30, 2016 – Ryan, along with other retired MLB All-Stars including Barry Larkin and David Ortiz, announces the creation of Dugout Ventures, a private equity group focused on baseball-related brands and companies.
May 24, 2022 – Ryan's documentary “Facing Nolan” is released.
