Ryan's strikeouts and longevity were incredible, but for the vast majority of the time, he wasn't even the best starting pitcher on his own team. Seaver (and others) with the Mets, Frank Tanana with the Angels and Mike Scott with the Astros were all better than Ryan when they played together. Ryan accumulated a lot of great stats that will probably never be broken and is a worthy HOFer, but he's not close to the top ten and top twenty is doubtful too.
@Loe307uh lol i like how you commented on that part of my statement and not the other. ryan is overrated (look at his walks, hits allowed, losses, and whip). im not saying he is bad by any means, but he is definitely not a top 50 pitcher of all time. also, he worships the prostate of howard stern.
@rambo7276 Not a top 50? You ARE retarded. Most strike outs. Most no hitters. 27 seasons in MLB. Ya his other stats are higher than some...... he pitched twice as long as most pitchers!!
Everyone knows that worshiping the prostate of Howard Stern is America's 2nd pass time.
@Loe307uh alright fine. he is just outside my top 25. but inside the top 50. also he was such a bitch during the world series. guy constantly had a face on.
@Loe307uh he is rated pretty high by actual baseball players . Brett , Rose , Schmidt , Killebrew , Jackson Winfield .. those guys rate him pretty high . So your opinion is kind of irrelevant .
7 no hitters,11 one hitters(i think),5,000 strikeouts,300 wins(for average teams),won the era title at 1.89 with a losing record(9-14) because houston couldn't score....1.89,less then 2 runs a game!!!...300k's 10 years in a row..104 mph in the world record book,..and deserved a world series ring with the mets in 1969.
@ExacavatoroftheWest ya because he played for mediocre teams. let him pitch for a team that could get him run support...he easily wins more game and even so he is still...in my own opinion the greatest pitcher of all time.
What's with referring to NR in the past tense? "He was the all time strikeout leader." He IS the alltime strikeout leader. "Had 7 no hitters." HAS 7 no hitters. Dude, he is not dead so why refer to him in the past? Wins it says "Over 300." It should read 324 wins. Do some research before posting.
@ncs1988 yep, nolan ryan saved the Texas Rangers and brought them to the World Championships, FIRST EVER!!! U need an VP like Nolan Ryan who's been through the game. At his best he threw some heat, fast balls of 110+ thats freakin NUTS! And he throws right!!
@Wolfsbane909 Yes, Ryan made the difference. He couldn't lead a team him he actually pitched for (the Mets don't count...the majorty of the time he wasn't even the best pitcher on his own team), but as a VP he did so much. Like sit in the stands and applaud. And...that's about it. 110+? Give me a break. He was the greatest strikeout pitcher of all-time (which doesn't equate to greatest pitcher of all-time...not even close) and Ryan fanboys still have to exaggerate.
@modeo92 When Ryan's group bought the Rangers I was telling people that the best way to pay tribute to Ryan would be to finish barely over .500 and miss the playoffs, but be considered by many to be the greatest team of all-time. As it was, they were in first place when the group bought them, stayed there, and made a nice run in the playoffs to get to the World Series. None of which had anything to do with Ryan.
He also holds the record for wild pitches and is 9th in hit-batsmen. Ryan was a horrible fielder (.895 fielding %...Little League awful) and was notoriously bad at holding baserunners. Getting the picture of why he isn't the best pitcher or top ten or...he might slip into the top 20, but still a stretch. He struck out a lot of guys and he was intimidating. The problem was that the rest of his game sucked. Best strikeout pitcher ever? Yes. Best pitcher ever? LOL Yeah...right.
The problem with Ryan and why his record wasn't better, has much more to do with his poor all-around game than the teams he played on. He holds the record for walks and it isn't even close. He had about 50% more walks than the 2nd place guy, Steve Carlton. 50%!! That's amazingly awful. 2795 to Carlton's 1833. Ryan pitched more innings but if you base it per season, Ryan wins with 120 to Carlton's 86. Did I mention how amazingly awful that is?
@modeo92 his career era is 3.19, he couldve thrown a million walks and allow a million runners to steal a base, but ERA is the only pitching stat that matters, and to do that in 27 seasons is unbelievable.
@TonyPizzaro Yes, his longevity was amazing. It's the reason his ERA is comparable to better pitchers who faded at the end. Look, I think he's a worthy Hall of Famer; he just isn't near the top. As the title says, many people think he's "the greatest." I think that's a joke.
@TonyPizzaro One more thing. You said "ERA is the only pitching stat that matters." In looking at another site where Ryan's ERA was compared to his teammates, Ryan had the best ERA for 9.5 of the 26 season he pitched. He didn't have the best ERA for the majority of years for any of the 4 teams he played on. Again, he was an amazing pitcher in many ways, he just wasn't up near the top.
@collins444 Good points on ERA. His longevity was impressive, but he wasn't the ace most of the time. His .526 win %, which Tony dismisses, was no accident. He often followed great starts with mediocre ones where those walks, wild pitches, not holding runners, etc. came into play. That's where Seaver, the greatest pitcher of the era, crushes Ryan and why he has a much better w/l % along with a better ERA.
Fanboys love to make excuses for Ryan's mediocre won/loss %. Every year was like 1987 to them. But the reality is that as great as Ryan could be in some areas, he could also be awful in other areas. He holds the walk record and it's not even close. About 50% more than the pitcher in 2nd place, Steve Carlton. 2795 to Carlton's 1833. Averaged 120 to Carlton's 86 per season. That's a lot of baserunners. He also has the record for wild pitches and is 9th in hit batsmen.
1 minute ago Fanboys love to make excuses for Ryan's mediocre won/loss %. Every year was like 1987 to them. But the reality is that as great as Ryan could be in some areas, he could also be awful in other areas. Walks. Ryan had an incredible amount of walks. He had 50% more than the pitcher in 2nd place, Steve Carlton. He had 2795 to Carlton's 1833. Averaged 120 to Carlton's 86. He also has the record for wild pitches and is 9th in hit batsmen.
There will be people that throw harder than NOLAN RYAN but NO ONE will throw as hard as he did for as long as he did! With a torn ligament in his arm and at 46 years of age his last pitch was recorded at 98mph!!! LEGENDARY
Oh, I forgot the Rangers. I'll give it to Ryan over Kevin Brown. Does Ryan deserve to be in the Hall of Fame ? Yes, there are more than 25 pitchers in it after all and he ranks right around there. Was he the most spectacular pitcher ever? Yes. Was he the most effective? Nope,not even close. If I wanted to see a lot of strikeouts in a game and a possible no hitter, I'd watch him. If I wanted to see a dependable ace win, I'd go with many other Hall Of Famers. Or even non-Hall guys on his own team.
Nolan Ryan is and always will be one of the greatest pitcher of all time. He has always handled himself the right way and has been a role model for me and many others. If Nolan would of pitches for good teams durning his playing days no doubt he would of won close to 400 games. 8 and 16 in 1986 with a 1.60 ERA and also led the NL in strikeouts that year. The Astros average under 2 runs a game for Nolan durning the 1986. Most dominating pitcher of all time. My son's name is Ryan!!
@Purplemuz 8-16 with a 1.60 ERA in 1986? LOL Ryan fans tend to get dilirious when discussing him, but this is extreme even for them. In 1986, Ryan was 12-8 with a 3.34 ERA. In 1987, he was 8-16 with a 2.76 ERA. Where you got 1.60 is beyond me. People go on about Ryan being one of, if not, the greatest pitcher(s) of all-time. He's not even close. He wasn't even the best pitcher on the teams he played on. Don't believe me? Well, I show you in next post. (cont'd)
@Purplemuz First the Mets. Tom Seaver was so much better than him (Seaver was the best pitcher of his generation) even Ryan fans won't argue that one. So on to the Angels. During the 5 years when Frank Tanana and Ryan pitched, Tanana had an 82-59 record with a 2.93 ERA while Ryan had an 82-75 record with a 3.19 ERA. Not too difficult to figure who was the better pitcher there. Ok, on to the Astros in the next post. Isn't this great, Ryan fans? An easy, direct comparison. (cont'd)
@Purplemuz Ok, the Astros. In the 6 years Mike Scott and Ryan pitched together, Scott had an 81-56 record and a 3.20 ERA compared to Ryan who had a 68-77 record and a 3.26 ERA. I'm surprised the ERAs were so close.But still, Scott was better. Ryan's strikeouts and no hitters were pretty awesome, but he also is the leader (by a lot) in all-time walks, wild pitches (ok, one guy in the 19th century finished ahead of him), 15th in hit-batsman, and notoriously bad at holding baserunners and fielding.
@modeo92 Good points all around. Ryan fans love to bring up the 8-16 season as proof that his teams were horrible. It was one season; not a career. Like you said, somehow other pitchers on those same teams did better. MUCH BETTER. And yet you'll continue to hear from a lot of people that he was the greatest pitcher of all-time. Saying he is overrated isn't a strong enough description. Another word needs to be invented.
@collins444 you obviously know nothing his e.r.a. that year was 2.76 second on the team was mike scott 3.23 yet he got 16 wins.plain and simple the astros didnt score runs for ryan.he WAS the greatest ever and it isnt even close
@banenwn Like I said it was one year. Ryan fans love to cherry pick that one. Ok, let's throw out win/loss and go with ERA. In the years they pitched together, Ryan beat Scott in ERA 3 times and Scott won 3 times. Scott had the better overall ERA for that period and once he became great in 1985, he won 3 out of 4. The exception being 1987. So I'll be kind and call it a draw. (cont'd)
@banenwn (cont'd) So how shall we break the draw? Let me think. How about who pitched better when it counted the most. The playoffs in 1986. Ryan was 0-1 in the NLCS against the Mets and Scott was 2-0. Oh yes, we're not counting won/loss %. Ok, Ryan had a 3.86 ERA and Scott had a 0.50 ERA. I think Scott beat him by a lot there. I was kind to Ryan and called the regular season a tie, but there is no way you can spin their ENTIRE time together and say Ryan was better than Scott. Scott wins.
@collins444 so are you really trying to compare mike scott to nolan ryan?mike scott was a good pitcher no doubt but you cant put them two in the same sentence even.having similar numbers for a few years means nothing look at career stats then tell me who was by far the better pitcher.you want to go by 1 playoff start.if they had scored the same runs for ryan as they did for scott that year ryan would have won 20 games plain and simple
@banenwn My point is that every fanboy loves to bring up 1987 over and over (like yourself). For the third time it was ONE YEAR! That's it. And of course Mike Scott doesn't compare to Nolan Ryan overall, but fanboys always carrying on about how awful Ryan's team were. Well, somehow pitchers like Frank Tanana and Mike Scott did better in both win/loss and ERA when they pitched during the same years for the same clubs. Ryan deserves to be a Hall of Famer but he's no where near the top. (cont'd)
@banenwn If you want to see truly great pitching, look at Tom Seaver's career. Ryan and Seaver's combined teams had about a .500 record. Seaver had a .603 winning % with a 2.86 ERA. Ryan had a .526 % and a 3.19 ERA. Seaver was clearly the ace of his staffs for most of his career. I saw that going by stats, Ryan was the ace for about 7 years of the 27 years he pitched. Ryan is amazing in terms of longevity and strikeouts, but he's not close to the top 10 all-time starters, much less the best.
@banenwn First off, there were 2 playoff starts for Ryan. He lost the 2nd game and had a no-decision in the 6th game. I think collins's main point is that not only did Scott do much better, but that he was the ace, the #1 starter, who pitched the 1st and 4th games and would've pitched the 7th. Like the majority of Ryan's career, he wasn't the #1 guy on his team. And yes, he had awful run support in 1987. I think that's been covered. But one year doesn't represent an entire career.
Gibson was a great pitcher in his own right but Sandy Koufax was in a category all his own. 4 no hitters in 6 years including a perfect game. He dominated the `63 and `65 World Series. He even threw a 3 hitter on 2 days rest in game 7 against the Twins.
Joe Morgan even said that Sandy was the best hed ever faced.
Ryan credits Seaver with turning him from a flamethrower into a pitcher. Apparently Seaver did not do a very good job! Seaver is far and away Ryan's superior. Even when playing with the pitiful Mets, Ryan's best year was 10-14. Seaver's? 25-7.
If you include All Runs Seaver's Runs Allowed Per 9 Innings was 3.15. Ryan's was 3.64. Ryan gave up 267 Unearned Runs vs. Seaver's 153. Some of the unearned runs were Ryan's own errors and over a career this difference is likely not just random. Ryan was a very good pitcher who was very durable and who wouldn't want a pitcher like that. His Won Loss Record should have been somewhat better and it wasn't his fault as he did pitch for poor hitting teams especially for the Angels.
Very short but very impressive video collage for the greatest pitcher in the world. The background music works well, too. Who plays this music? What's the title of the song?
The easiest comparison to make is with Tom Seaver. They played during the same era and even started out on the same team. Seaver- 60.3 winning % with an 2.86 ERA. Ryan-52.6 winning % with a 3.19 ERA. The strikeouts and no-hitters are amazing, but the purpose of any game is to score more runs than your opponent, not getting the most strikeouts. Ryan was perhaps the most spectacular pitcher of his or perhaps any generation, but Seaver was simply a better pitcher.
For his career he a half run better then the average in the years he pitched in the AL and NL. The AL just started the DH in 1973 and overall runs were lower in the 1970's and 1980's. He had longevity and was more difficult to hit then anyone but he also walked more then anymore, through more wild pitches, made more errors and had a low fielding average and also was very easy to run on. His runs allowed were about 3.5 while the average runs allowed was about 4.0 in the years he pitched.
Nice video. Who cares if he was in the top 5 pitchers of all time category or not? I enjoyed watching him pitch. He was one of the greatest. Walks don`t mean squat! Extra base hits are what kills a pitcher.
Him and koufax were both the best pitchers in history but no offence man but i think koufax wold have more no hitters than ryan if arthritis shorted his carrer he got 4 in 10 yrs he was 30 he could have had 8 but ryan fucking k king
You faced the Ryan Express have you????? "Little movement"....that's your professional opinion? Ask the 5000+ who struck out about his fast ball's movement!
who else besides jc penny beat 104mph? jc had did 105 i forgot what year but it was with the marlins he had hit 105 and i was like shitting my self lmfao :P
This man (I mean legend) was and probably still is strong as an ox, dude could lift 100 lb plates with his legs!
A true badass on the mound yet the classiest man off it. and all you Nolan haters out there. try walking up there against him for an at bat and see what happens to ya. You'd piss your pants how hard this guy threw. 102mph is all I can say.
His records will never be even touched in Baseball ever.
With a fastball that approached 100 mph and a work ethic like none other, Ryan dominated hitters for an unparalleled 27 seasons on his way to 5,714 strikeouts, an all-time record. During four decades of prominence, he totaled 324 victories and a host of Major League records. Most notable of his milestones are a mystifying seven no-hitters and 12 one-hitters. The eight-time All-Star fanned a single-season record 383 batters in 1973, and his career strikeouts encompassed 1,176 different players.
And by the way, you're talking about Ryan's "Teams that went to the post season" 4 years the dodgers went to the WS, 3 of those 4 years Koufax happened to post his best W-L ratio...
So let's see... Koufax's ERA before the raised mound was 3.95, and then suddenly for the 5 years the mound was raised it was lowered to 1.94? You can see it however you want, but don't even think that Koufax was as good a pitcher as Ryan, he played for a better team and pitched on a raised mound.
The reason for Koufax's ERA drop is because he finally learned to pitch properly. Took Ryan 4 years to do the same. Read any bio or player profile on Koufax and it will tell you that. By the way the mound was 15 inches from 1903-1968. Then he went on a 6 year terror that has never been duplicated by any pitcher past or present. Raised mound or not, the guy one 3 cy youngs and an MVP.
So since they lowered the mound in 1969, every pitching stat before that is pretty skewed, isn't it? On top of that WHIP is way more important than walks alone either. You are just missing the big picture when looking at what kind of pitcher Nolan Ryan was. The only thing you can say are "He didn't win enough, and he walked too many" both of which are stats that really don't describe a bad pitcher. He also gave up less hits per inning pitched than Seaver and Koufax.
I believe I've given more statistical evidence that suggest Ryan wasn't a top ten pitcher of all time then win/loss/walks(I haven't been stating he was an all time great, because he is). Yes, you're bound to give up less hits per nine when you're the all time leader in Major League History in Walks and BB/9. Fact is he never won a Cy Young. Was 2nd in 73 to Palmer who had a better ERA, more shut outs, less hits, less runs, less earned runs, fewer home runs, and 49 less walks.
As you stated earlier, Walks don't matter because a guy like Ryan was notorious for walking guys then striking people out. Then your fewer hits per nine against Seaver and Koufax senseless because with lower life time ERA then it would suggest that they gave up hits and let guys on base but then got the next hitters out, and did so more effectively then Ryan did. You also keep bringing up the raised mound. Didn't Ryan pitch in an expanded strike zone and expasion era? Expansion= less talent?
Before 1962 there was no standard to the height of the mound.
Expanded Strike zone? are you kidding me? Along with lowering the mound in 1969, making it harder on pitchers, they also shrunk the strike zone. So you made two points for Ryan being a better pitcher, lower mound and smaller strike zone. lol the strike zone before 1969 was from the knees to the shoulders. Now I guess I will just assume you're a dodger fan and you have no idea what you're talking about.
I read a book about pitching probably 6 months ago and there was a good part written by a pitching coach (can't remember who it was) about people learning to become a pitcher and not a thrower. You ever figure maybe if Ryan was so concerned with Striking everyone out that we would've limited his walks and been more dominant? I mean when he was on, there's no denying it. 7 no hitters, but I have agree with this excerpt in regards to not being a thrower and actually working counts and the plate.
On top of that, in 1973, the American League implemented a DH. So on top of having a smaller strike zone, and a lower mound, Ryan had to pitch to a 9th hitter who could actually hit the ball.
Expansion Era... lol.. you mean the 1960's? 8 Teams joined the MLB in the 60's and only 2 more from '69 to '93. So again, I guess Koufax pitched in the "Expansion Era" also.
Well Koufax's last year was 66 so he didn't pitch in the expansion era. No, i'm not a Doger Fan, Yankee, or Red Sox fan. You say Ryan pitched to DHs. He pitched in the NL for 9 years and had what any fan or analyst would consider good to fair years. Nothing about those years pop out of the stat sheet. Fact of the matter is Ryan never won a Cy Young. If its your opinion that Cy Youngs don't mean anything then that's your opinion, me you gotta have one or two to be in the top 5.
I never once said I hated Ryan, I just said he wasn't the greatest pitcher of all time. He surely was a great one and a hall of famer indeed and I don't hate him. I sure as shit do not like clemens. You should read a little more clear.
Last year for instance. They were talking about Brandon Webb winning Cy Young instead of Tim Lincecum... because Webb had 20 wins and Lincecum didn't.
Lincecum went 18-5 with 265Ks and a2.62 ERA with 84BB
Webb went 22-7 with 183Ks and a 3.30 ERA with 65BB
So you're telling me that because Webb had more wins and less walks, you would have given the cy young award to him, instead of Lincecum? You're fucking ignorant and know nothing of baseball.
First of all, the debate with Webb and Lincecum last year was quaility starts, which Webb had slight advantage in. I thought Lincecum deserved it last year. You're telling Ryan pitched on shitty teams? Not counting the NLCS and World Series that he pitched in 69, he made 3 NLCS and 1 ALCS appearence and his teams W-L record as a starter was 1849-1818. Just over .500, you say he pitched for shitty teams, seems pretty normal to me. He was a great pitcher, just not the best ever.
Well first off, you're saying he played on 5 teams that made it to the playoffs? Oh ok.. so since he pitched 27 seasons, what you're trying to tell me is, he played for 22 seasons out of 27 on losing teams, right? I think his career ERA of 3.17 prove him to be a better pitcher than .500. Plus, you say he doesn't hold Koufax's jock strap? Koufax pitched on a raised mound! Of course that padded his stats. Plus, Ryan did it for 27 seasons. Are you kidding me?
Actually for the 24 years that Ryan was a starter (1970 he started 19 games) he pitched for 14 winning teams, and a 1984 Houston team that went 80-82 and finished 2nd the the NL West. So your assumption that any year Ryan pitched outside of the playoffs he pitched for losing teams is wrong.
First off, a team that doesn't make the playoffs is a losing team, when you compare him to someone who had almost 40% of his teams go to the playoffs. Secondly, the rules were changed in 1962 to raise the mound in every stadium across MLB, so there is no real way to tell if the dodgers had a raised mound before that. It just seems odd that the exact year they raise the mound, his stats get better. He won Cy Youngs not because of his "Stats" But because of the media and his W-L record.
A team that doesn't go to the playoffs is a losing team? I'm pretty sure I've heard on numerous ocassions that a team with an above .500 winning percentage is called a "winning team". An read the Wiki page on Koufax. Media and Win-Loss? Dude, look at his stats. Those years he led the league in nearly every statistic. ERA, Shutouts, Innings pitched, Stikeouts, WHIP, Fewest hits/9, Stikeouts/0, Walk to Stikeout Ratio. Yeah, Koufax, the pissed off, mean, private, jewish media darling.
I didn't say he was a fan of the media, I said "The media and his W-L record" The media has always hounded over W-L records for every team sport, even when one person gets the W next to their name in the stat, when it's a freakin' team sport. Goalies, QBs, Pitchers...etc. etc.
Also, he did it for 4 years, not 6 years. Pedro did it for 7 years (If you count his season of 2.87 ERA a pretty damn good year in the era he pitched)
Walking people doesn't matter either, it's ERA. ERA is the number 1 stat for a pitcher. He could walk the bases loaded every inning and then strike out 3 in a row, every single time, and he would be a great pitcher. You're a typical "Wins-Losses" media hound who thinks that winning the game is everything. A pitcher cannot win a game by himself, his team has to score runs for it to count as a win.
Ok, of a list of guys that I believe to be better pitchers that had better lifetime ERA: Sandy Koufax-2.76, Walter Johnson-2.17, Warren Spahn-3.09, Lefty Grove-3.06, Tom Seaver-2.86, Jim Palmer-2.86, Bob Gibson-2.91, Juan Marichal-2.89, Greg Maddux-3.16. Pedro I believe in his prime was better but not through a career has a 2.91 mark. He only nudges Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton who I think from a quailty stand point were better all around pitchers and so does every other expert
And a number of those guys don't have as many Wins as Ryan does, but much better winning percentages over their career. I mean you can tell me I'm ingnorant and I don't know baseball all you want. I think we've both made some pretty valid points, but don't tell me i'm media win-loss guy, I mean we can tit for tat on statistics all day long, I've just never felt like he was a top 10 pitcher. An all time great def, but he couldn't hold Sandy Koufax's jock strap my man.
I am saying that the Win-Loss does not determine a quality pitcher, yes. Look at Mike Mussina, for instance. 4.91 ERA with a 15-7 record. that's a .682 winning percentage. Would you call him a good pitcher that year? No.. the yankees just scored more runs than he gave up. Are you kidding me with thinking that the only thing that determines a good pitcher is wins? Strikeouts are pitcher against batter.. that's it. Has nothing to do with how well the team can score runs.
hahaha to not put favre in the top 5, though he holds how many records? and i didn't compare what there jobs as athletes, but their willingness to be a risk taker. but yeah, don't plan on ever becoming a sports writer, you'd get stoned.
7 no hitters, over 5,000 strike outs, over 300 wins, played in 4 different decades, Hank Aaron was quoted saying "Trying to hit Nolan Ryan's fastball is like trying to drink coffee with a fork." Years after his retirement he was still clocked throwing 98mph and he was almost 60 around that time. He is truly one of the great pitchers in the history of baseball. My personal hero since I became a pitcher!
Even more increadible than the fact that Nolan has 7 no hitters is the fact that he would have 10 no hitters but had like 3 or 4 broken up in the ninth inning
I read a story where there were like a dozen ex-major league players who named their first sons "Ryan" after Nolan Ryan because of the kind of person and athlete he was. I wonder if anyone ever named their kid "Roger" or "Barry".
Man..Nolan Ryan and Walter Johnson...The Rangers/Senators are one team with the two best pitchers of all time. Now that NOlan is break'n Balls and tossin out pitch counts/wussy pitchers...they are gonna win it all for the first time since they did it as the Senators in the late 1920s
Read his book, Kings of the Hill. He talks about all the cats who threw cheese even harder than him. Oh, and watch Jimenez throw in Colorado. He warms up at 99MPH (but has no control).
that is an awsome book. Ive been a Nolan Ryan fan since i met him in 1993...i was about 9. he is amazing. Im soo happy to see the Rangers in first and lookng good. Nolan ryan IS THE RANGERS!!! they should be the Texas Nolans
I got to see a few of Nolans no-hitters as a kid. The thing about him is this. Yes, some others have better records, lower ERA's and may have been a little more consistent, may have had better run support, etc.
But. When Mr. Ryan was "on" and i'd say he was "on" about 75% of the time, i've never seen anyone better. He was just totally dominant. A step above the steroid pumping Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson for power pitchers.
Best ever? You know what Ryan couldn't do? Not walk people. Two 20 win seasons doesn't get you up in the "best ever status". He was damn good, but don't fool yourself buddy.
yeah an brett favre holds the INT record, whats your point? do what either of them did, you have to take risks an not be scared to. that takes more as a pitcher OR quarterback than being scared to make a mistake. Nolan was never overly concerned with walks because he got outs an didn't give up hits like that.
Ok, first off... Wins don't determine a good pitcher. If a pitcher goes out there every single game and gives up 2 runs, but his team only scores 1... he gets the L but pitches a hell of a game. Nolan Ryan had 7 no hitters, the next highest is 4. Name a good team that Nolan Ryan pitched for? Winning championships and Winning games are "TEAM" stats.. not just pitchers.
Walking people doesn't make him a bad pitcher either, his ERA and strikeouts are what make him a better pitcher.
yes. Nolan Ryan is the Greatest pitcher of all time. i still have a ticket stub from his no hitter against the twins in 74 when he was an Angel. my family went to the game.
When I was a kid I went to a yard sale and bought a box of cards and I only paid 50 cents or something around that price. And I opened it up and it was te 1968 topps with Nolan ryan's rookie card, some willie mays etc. I was covered on a newspaper in New Hampshire with the rare find.
Hey i have a baseball with his signature on it. Can anyone tell me how much its worth? It has his signature and the following text printed below it. 5000th strikeout 8-22-89 300th win 7-31-90 27th major league season.
12 one hitters!
desmythe 2 months ago
Ryan's strikeouts and longevity were incredible, but for the vast majority of the time, he wasn't even the best starting pitcher on his own team. Seaver (and others) with the Mets, Frank Tanana with the Angels and Mike Scott with the Astros were all better than Ryan when they played together. Ryan accumulated a lot of great stats that will probably never be broken and is a worthy HOFer, but he's not close to the top ten and top twenty is doubtful too.
modeo92 2 months ago
nolan ryan is very overrated and worships the prostate of howard stern.
rambo7276 4 months ago
@rambo7276 Overrated? Look at the stats.....
Loe307uh 3 months ago
@Loe307uh lol i like how you commented on that part of my statement and not the other. ryan is overrated (look at his walks, hits allowed, losses, and whip). im not saying he is bad by any means, but he is definitely not a top 50 pitcher of all time. also, he worships the prostate of howard stern.
rambo7276 3 months ago
@rambo7276 Not a top 50? You ARE retarded. Most strike outs. Most no hitters. 27 seasons in MLB. Ya his other stats are higher than some...... he pitched twice as long as most pitchers!!
Everyone knows that worshiping the prostate of Howard Stern is America's 2nd pass time.
Loe307uh 3 months ago
@Loe307uh alright fine. he is just outside my top 25. but inside the top 50. also he was such a bitch during the world series. guy constantly had a face on.
rambo7276 3 months ago
@Loe307uh he is rated pretty high by actual baseball players . Brett , Rose , Schmidt , Killebrew , Jackson Winfield .. those guys rate him pretty high . So your opinion is kind of irrelevant .
RisingSon011 2 months ago
@RisingSon011 You must have me confused with someone else on here since I've been posting in support of Ryan.
Loe307uh 2 months ago
A testanment to his greatness was his endurance. To throw as hard as he did and pitch into his forties.WOWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony63909 4 months ago
My dad named me Ryan after him. He is like the Jimi Hendrix of baseball. He'll always be the best, and no one will ever match his greatness.
TeknikAlity34 4 months ago
who plays the song for your video?
cgarza61 5 months ago
7 no hitters,11 one hitters(i think),5,000 strikeouts,300 wins(for average teams),won the era title at 1.89 with a losing record(9-14) because houston couldn't score....1.89,less then 2 runs a game!!!...300k's 10 years in a row..104 mph in the world record book,..and deserved a world series ring with the mets in 1969.
dkitty8124 11 months ago
Ryan was 32 games over.500, . If you want a no-hitter he's the greatest ever. If you want a winning pitcher there are at minimum 50 better.
ExacavatoroftheWest 1 year ago
@ExacavatoroftheWest ya because he played for mediocre teams. let him pitch for a team that could get him run support...he easily wins more game and even so he is still...in my own opinion the greatest pitcher of all time.
CheekzMLB11 7 months ago
BEST PITCHER EVER
BeastLeeDude 1 year ago
there is no was,, he is the all time strike out leader,,, ,, dumbass,,
dabushman238 1 year ago
My second cousin hit a grandslam of Nolan ryans last pitch his names Dann howitt look him up
seankliman 1 year ago
What's with referring to NR in the past tense? "He was the all time strikeout leader." He IS the alltime strikeout leader. "Had 7 no hitters." HAS 7 no hitters. Dude, he is not dead so why refer to him in the past? Wins it says "Over 300." It should read 324 wins. Do some research before posting.
nenzi671 1 year ago
he was the BEST pitcher back in the day, Clements had nothing on Nolan Ryan. FINALLY THE RANGERS MAKE IT TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!! Woot!!
Wolfsbane909 1 year ago
@Wolfsbane909 of course clemens has nothin on nolan clemens had to use roids :)
ncs1988 1 year ago
@ncs1988 yep, nolan ryan saved the Texas Rangers and brought them to the World Championships, FIRST EVER!!! U need an VP like Nolan Ryan who's been through the game. At his best he threw some heat, fast balls of 110+ thats freakin NUTS! And he throws right!!
Wolfsbane909 1 year ago
@Wolfsbane909 Yes, Ryan made the difference. He couldn't lead a team him he actually pitched for (the Mets don't count...the majorty of the time he wasn't even the best pitcher on his own team), but as a VP he did so much. Like sit in the stands and applaud. And...that's about it. 110+? Give me a break. He was the greatest strikeout pitcher of all-time (which doesn't equate to greatest pitcher of all-time...not even close) and Ryan fanboys still have to exaggerate.
modeo92 1 year ago
@modeo92 When Ryan's group bought the Rangers I was telling people that the best way to pay tribute to Ryan would be to finish barely over .500 and miss the playoffs, but be considered by many to be the greatest team of all-time. As it was, they were in first place when the group bought them, stayed there, and made a nice run in the playoffs to get to the World Series. None of which had anything to do with Ryan.
collins444 1 year ago
Why did he bounce around to so many teams?
Jitpring 1 year ago
@Jitpring He figured if he pitched for enough teams, he'd wind up being the ace eventually.
collins444 1 year ago
He also holds the record for wild pitches and is 9th in hit-batsmen. Ryan was a horrible fielder (.895 fielding %...Little League awful) and was notoriously bad at holding baserunners. Getting the picture of why he isn't the best pitcher or top ten or...he might slip into the top 20, but still a stretch. He struck out a lot of guys and he was intimidating. The problem was that the rest of his game sucked. Best strikeout pitcher ever? Yes. Best pitcher ever? LOL Yeah...right.
modeo92 1 year ago
The problem with Ryan and why his record wasn't better, has much more to do with his poor all-around game than the teams he played on. He holds the record for walks and it isn't even close. He had about 50% more walks than the 2nd place guy, Steve Carlton. 50%!! That's amazingly awful. 2795 to Carlton's 1833. Ryan pitched more innings but if you base it per season, Ryan wins with 120 to Carlton's 86. Did I mention how amazingly awful that is?
modeo92 1 year ago
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TonyPizzaro 1 year ago
@modeo92 his career era is 3.19, he couldve thrown a million walks and allow a million runners to steal a base, but ERA is the only pitching stat that matters, and to do that in 27 seasons is unbelievable.
TonyPizzaro 1 year ago
@TonyPizzaro Yes, his longevity was amazing. It's the reason his ERA is comparable to better pitchers who faded at the end. Look, I think he's a worthy Hall of Famer; he just isn't near the top. As the title says, many people think he's "the greatest." I think that's a joke.
collins444 1 year ago
@TonyPizzaro One more thing. You said "ERA is the only pitching stat that matters." In looking at another site where Ryan's ERA was compared to his teammates, Ryan had the best ERA for 9.5 of the 26 season he pitched. He didn't have the best ERA for the majority of years for any of the 4 teams he played on. Again, he was an amazing pitcher in many ways, he just wasn't up near the top.
collins444 1 year ago
@collins444 Good points on ERA. His longevity was impressive, but he wasn't the ace most of the time. His .526 win %, which Tony dismisses, was no accident. He often followed great starts with mediocre ones where those walks, wild pitches, not holding runners, etc. came into play. That's where Seaver, the greatest pitcher of the era, crushes Ryan and why he has a much better w/l % along with a better ERA.
modeo92 1 year ago
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Fanboys love to make excuses for Ryan's mediocre won/loss %. Every year was like 1987 to them. But the reality is that as great as Ryan could be in some areas, he could also be awful in other areas. He holds the walk record and it's not even close. About 50% more than the pitcher in 2nd place, Steve Carlton. 2795 to Carlton's 1833. Averaged 120 to Carlton's 86 per season. That's a lot of baserunners. He also has the record for wild pitches and is 9th in hit batsmen.
modeo92 1 year ago
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1 minute ago Fanboys love to make excuses for Ryan's mediocre won/loss %. Every year was like 1987 to them. But the reality is that as great as Ryan could be in some areas, he could also be awful in other areas. Walks. Ryan had an incredible amount of walks. He had 50% more than the pitcher in 2nd place, Steve Carlton. He had 2795 to Carlton's 1833. Averaged 120 to Carlton's 86. He also has the record for wild pitches and is 9th in hit batsmen.
modeo92 1 year ago
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modeo92 1 year ago
There will be people that throw harder than NOLAN RYAN but NO ONE will throw as hard as he did for as long as he did! With a torn ligament in his arm and at 46 years of age his last pitch was recorded at 98mph!!! LEGENDARY
99Silverado53 1 year ago
named after him, but had the E replaced with the A so nolEn jamEs feltEn, dont believe me? face book me
bloodlash 1 year ago
The most overrated pitcher ever is Koufax and it really isn't close.
JuicersSuck 1 year ago
Oh, I forgot the Rangers. I'll give it to Ryan over Kevin Brown. Does Ryan deserve to be in the Hall of Fame ? Yes, there are more than 25 pitchers in it after all and he ranks right around there. Was he the most spectacular pitcher ever? Yes. Was he the most effective? Nope,not even close. If I wanted to see a lot of strikeouts in a game and a possible no hitter, I'd watch him. If I wanted to see a dependable ace win, I'd go with many other Hall Of Famers. Or even non-Hall guys on his own team.
modeo92 1 year ago
Nolan Ryan is and always will be one of the greatest pitcher of all time. He has always handled himself the right way and has been a role model for me and many others. If Nolan would of pitches for good teams durning his playing days no doubt he would of won close to 400 games. 8 and 16 in 1986 with a 1.60 ERA and also led the NL in strikeouts that year. The Astros average under 2 runs a game for Nolan durning the 1986. Most dominating pitcher of all time. My son's name is Ryan!!
Purplemuz 1 year ago
@Purplemuz 8-16 with a 1.60 ERA in 1986? LOL Ryan fans tend to get dilirious when discussing him, but this is extreme even for them. In 1986, Ryan was 12-8 with a 3.34 ERA. In 1987, he was 8-16 with a 2.76 ERA. Where you got 1.60 is beyond me. People go on about Ryan being one of, if not, the greatest pitcher(s) of all-time. He's not even close. He wasn't even the best pitcher on the teams he played on. Don't believe me? Well, I show you in next post. (cont'd)
modeo92 1 year ago
@Purplemuz First the Mets. Tom Seaver was so much better than him (Seaver was the best pitcher of his generation) even Ryan fans won't argue that one. So on to the Angels. During the 5 years when Frank Tanana and Ryan pitched, Tanana had an 82-59 record with a 2.93 ERA while Ryan had an 82-75 record with a 3.19 ERA. Not too difficult to figure who was the better pitcher there. Ok, on to the Astros in the next post. Isn't this great, Ryan fans? An easy, direct comparison. (cont'd)
modeo92 1 year ago
@Purplemuz Ok, the Astros. In the 6 years Mike Scott and Ryan pitched together, Scott had an 81-56 record and a 3.20 ERA compared to Ryan who had a 68-77 record and a 3.26 ERA. I'm surprised the ERAs were so close.But still, Scott was better. Ryan's strikeouts and no hitters were pretty awesome, but he also is the leader (by a lot) in all-time walks, wild pitches (ok, one guy in the 19th century finished ahead of him), 15th in hit-batsman, and notoriously bad at holding baserunners and fielding.
modeo92 1 year ago
@modeo92 Good points all around. Ryan fans love to bring up the 8-16 season as proof that his teams were horrible. It was one season; not a career. Like you said, somehow other pitchers on those same teams did better. MUCH BETTER. And yet you'll continue to hear from a lot of people that he was the greatest pitcher of all-time. Saying he is overrated isn't a strong enough description. Another word needs to be invented.
collins444 1 year ago
@collins444 you obviously know nothing his e.r.a. that year was 2.76 second on the team was mike scott 3.23 yet he got 16 wins.plain and simple the astros didnt score runs for ryan.he WAS the greatest ever and it isnt even close
banenwn 1 year ago
@banenwn Like I said it was one year. Ryan fans love to cherry pick that one. Ok, let's throw out win/loss and go with ERA. In the years they pitched together, Ryan beat Scott in ERA 3 times and Scott won 3 times. Scott had the better overall ERA for that period and once he became great in 1985, he won 3 out of 4. The exception being 1987. So I'll be kind and call it a draw. (cont'd)
collins444 1 year ago
@banenwn (cont'd) So how shall we break the draw? Let me think. How about who pitched better when it counted the most. The playoffs in 1986. Ryan was 0-1 in the NLCS against the Mets and Scott was 2-0. Oh yes, we're not counting won/loss %. Ok, Ryan had a 3.86 ERA and Scott had a 0.50 ERA. I think Scott beat him by a lot there. I was kind to Ryan and called the regular season a tie, but there is no way you can spin their ENTIRE time together and say Ryan was better than Scott. Scott wins.
collins444 1 year ago
@collins444 so are you really trying to compare mike scott to nolan ryan?mike scott was a good pitcher no doubt but you cant put them two in the same sentence even.having similar numbers for a few years means nothing look at career stats then tell me who was by far the better pitcher.you want to go by 1 playoff start.if they had scored the same runs for ryan as they did for scott that year ryan would have won 20 games plain and simple
banenwn 1 year ago
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collins444 1 year ago
@banenwn My point is that every fanboy loves to bring up 1987 over and over (like yourself). For the third time it was ONE YEAR! That's it. And of course Mike Scott doesn't compare to Nolan Ryan overall, but fanboys always carrying on about how awful Ryan's team were. Well, somehow pitchers like Frank Tanana and Mike Scott did better in both win/loss and ERA when they pitched during the same years for the same clubs. Ryan deserves to be a Hall of Famer but he's no where near the top. (cont'd)
collins444 1 year ago
@banenwn If you want to see truly great pitching, look at Tom Seaver's career. Ryan and Seaver's combined teams had about a .500 record. Seaver had a .603 winning % with a 2.86 ERA. Ryan had a .526 % and a 3.19 ERA. Seaver was clearly the ace of his staffs for most of his career. I saw that going by stats, Ryan was the ace for about 7 years of the 27 years he pitched. Ryan is amazing in terms of longevity and strikeouts, but he's not close to the top 10 all-time starters, much less the best.
collins444 1 year ago
@collins444 =OBSESSED RYAN HATER WHO IS A VIRGIN OLD MAN
nparga23 1 year ago
@nparga23 Hate is such a strong word. He seems like a nice enough guy. He's just not anywhere close to the top pitchers of all-time.
collins444 1 year ago
@banenwn First off, there were 2 playoff starts for Ryan. He lost the 2nd game and had a no-decision in the 6th game. I think collins's main point is that not only did Scott do much better, but that he was the ace, the #1 starter, who pitched the 1st and 4th games and would've pitched the 7th. Like the majority of Ryan's career, he wasn't the #1 guy on his team. And yes, he had awful run support in 1987. I think that's been covered. But one year doesn't represent an entire career.
modeo92 1 year ago
i met him b4 :]
txlonghorns1213 1 year ago
Sandy Koufax was the greatest pitcher ever. Nolan was one of the greats though.
ExplosiveThinMan 1 year ago
@ExplosiveThinMan: Sandy was good but I think Bob Gibson was the greatest. Nolan was great too.
RationalAgnostic1 1 year ago
@RationalAgnostic1
Gibson was a great pitcher in his own right but Sandy Koufax was in a category all his own. 4 no hitters in 6 years including a perfect game. He dominated the `63 and `65 World Series. He even threw a 3 hitter on 2 days rest in game 7 against the Twins.
Joe Morgan even said that Sandy was the best hed ever faced.
ExplosiveThinMan 1 year ago
@ExplosiveThinMan Koufag
nparga23 1 year ago
When I think basketball...I think Michael Jordan.
When I think baseball...I think Nolan Ryan.
99Silverado53 1 year ago
Toss ERAs out. Who cares. Ryan was a killer fireballing pitcher who won't EVER be forgotten.
sgbtexan 2 years ago
Nobody...and I mean NObody...had more dominating stuff than Lynn Nolan Ryan.
truluck 2 years ago
No doubt Ryan was stud, but he was very inconsistent. Walter Johnson, Clemens, Mathewson, Maddux, or Seaver was the best IMO.
EeVvAaNn3 2 years ago
Definitely THE worst control pitcher of all times, with more than 50% of all pitches being balls, and the all-time leader in bases-on-balls.
tommerrigan1956 2 years ago
THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS EVERYONE :]
giligaflig 2 years ago
no problem!
SickAudi 2 years ago
nolan ryan is the best
SickAudi 2 years ago
Ryan credits Seaver with turning him from a flamethrower into a pitcher. Apparently Seaver did not do a very good job! Seaver is far and away Ryan's superior. Even when playing with the pitiful Mets, Ryan's best year was 10-14. Seaver's? 25-7.
tommerrigan1956 2 years ago
If you include All Runs Seaver's Runs Allowed Per 9 Innings was 3.15. Ryan's was 3.64. Ryan gave up 267 Unearned Runs vs. Seaver's 153. Some of the unearned runs were Ryan's own errors and over a career this difference is likely not just random. Ryan was a very good pitcher who was very durable and who wouldn't want a pitcher like that. His Won Loss Record should have been somewhat better and it wasn't his fault as he did pitch for poor hitting teams especially for the Angels.
Adam6275 2 years ago
thanks for all the great comments everyone!
giligaflig 2 years ago
Very short but very impressive video collage for the greatest pitcher in the world. The background music works well, too. Who plays this music? What's the title of the song?
ezakix 2 years ago
my names nolan
ronnol14 2 years ago
The easiest comparison to make is with Tom Seaver. They played during the same era and even started out on the same team. Seaver- 60.3 winning % with an 2.86 ERA. Ryan-52.6 winning % with a 3.19 ERA. The strikeouts and no-hitters are amazing, but the purpose of any game is to score more runs than your opponent, not getting the most strikeouts. Ryan was perhaps the most spectacular pitcher of his or perhaps any generation, but Seaver was simply a better pitcher.
modeo92 2 years ago
One Cool Dude ....one of my favourites...along with Randy Johnson ...
fjbutch 2 years ago
For his career he a half run better then the average in the years he pitched in the AL and NL. The AL just started the DH in 1973 and overall runs were lower in the 1970's and 1980's. He had longevity and was more difficult to hit then anyone but he also walked more then anymore, through more wild pitches, made more errors and had a low fielding average and also was very easy to run on. His runs allowed were about 3.5 while the average runs allowed was about 4.0 in the years he pitched.
Adam6275 2 years ago
nolan said it himself
although not in so many words
he would rather strike the batter out
that is; beat that individual rather than concern himself with the "team" victory
and his record reflects this aproach
would still want him on the "team" for the pure thrill of watching him go head to head with the opponent 60 ft 6 away
kiiifute1 2 years ago
Nice video. Who cares if he was in the top 5 pitchers of all time category or not? I enjoyed watching him pitch. He was one of the greatest. Walks don`t mean squat! Extra base hits are what kills a pitcher.
travelinghead 2 years ago
Him and koufax were both the best pitchers in history but no offence man but i think koufax wold have more no hitters than ryan if arthritis shorted his carrer he got 4 in 10 yrs he was 30 he could have had 8 but ryan fucking k king
michaeld20 2 years ago
raised mound era 1938 1963 or so..... so yes any comparison to anyone in this time frame has no comparison.
auburn722 2 years ago
awesome
5/5
TheREALOzzieGuillen 2 years ago
thanks!
giligaflig 2 years ago
Well , his ERA was always well lower than the league average , so If these walked baserunners aren't scoring ......
HelterSkelter73 2 years ago
i saw this dudes last game ever at the kingdome in 93., i was epic, though i think hte last batter he faced hit a grand slam off him
woozy11285 2 years ago
thats cool
grand slam
really?
how many grand slams did he give up in his life?
giligaflig 2 years ago
324 wins and a career 3.19 ERA with 5714 SO. I let him pitch for my team!!
ozzy1351 2 years ago 5
I'm not saying he wasn't good. Just saying I would have shelled him.
j4967p 2 years ago
his fastball had little movement
j4967p 2 years ago
J4967p,
You faced the Ryan Express have you????? "Little movement"....that's your professional opinion? Ask the 5000+ who struck out about his fast ball's movement!
ozzy1351 2 years ago
why in the world would anyone charge a pitcher that can throw over 100 mph? unless you're coco crisp (former boxer)
nolypo21 2 years ago
Nolan Ryan is a legend
jroberts7387 2 years ago
who else besides jc penny beat 104mph? jc had did 105 i forgot what year but it was with the marlins he had hit 105 and i was like shitting my self lmfao :P
imakingnoob 2 years ago
This man (I mean legend) was and probably still is strong as an ox, dude could lift 100 lb plates with his legs!
A true badass on the mound yet the classiest man off it. and all you Nolan haters out there. try walking up there against him for an at bat and see what happens to ya. You'd piss your pants how hard this guy threw. 102mph is all I can say.
His records will never be even touched in Baseball ever.
Much Respect for "The Nolan Express."
Oldschoolhockey91 2 years ago
I wouldn't swing and take my chances, because chances are he'd probably walk me
Ninety2q 2 years ago
spoken like a real hitter
buckerm 2 years ago
pitching isn't only about speed...it's also about control and balance...nolan ryan has a lot of those..
spritedblue 2 years ago
i was named after Nolan Ryan...i like my name yes i do :)
nolang82 2 years ago
i was named after him to but Ryan is my first name. my dad went to his last career start
wasup2223 2 years ago
Nolan Ryan IS the greatest baseball pitcher ever!!! <333 Nolan's work!!
iluvtopurepk 2 years ago 3
yep...always said it when the dumb fuck moron fans thought Clemens was better
now the fuck heads are SILENT because Clemens took steroids AND WON'T be in the Hall of Fame
right92626 2 years ago
@iluvtopurepk
Greatest....no.
Most exciting.....definitely.
Schlong112 1 year ago
With a fastball that approached 100 mph and a work ethic like none other, Ryan dominated hitters for an unparalleled 27 seasons on his way to 5,714 strikeouts, an all-time record. During four decades of prominence, he totaled 324 victories and a host of Major League records. Most notable of his milestones are a mystifying seven no-hitters and 12 one-hitters. The eight-time All-Star fanned a single-season record 383 batters in 1973, and his career strikeouts encompassed 1,176 different players.
renandstim 2 years ago
way to basically rip what you read off of his hall of fame plaque. do you ever come up with any thoughts of your own?
Ninety2q 2 years ago
And by the way, you're talking about Ryan's "Teams that went to the post season" 4 years the dodgers went to the WS, 3 of those 4 years Koufax happened to post his best W-L ratio...
So let's see... Koufax's ERA before the raised mound was 3.95, and then suddenly for the 5 years the mound was raised it was lowered to 1.94? You can see it however you want, but don't even think that Koufax was as good a pitcher as Ryan, he played for a better team and pitched on a raised mound.
figslee 2 years ago
The reason for Koufax's ERA drop is because he finally learned to pitch properly. Took Ryan 4 years to do the same. Read any bio or player profile on Koufax and it will tell you that. By the way the mound was 15 inches from 1903-1968. Then he went on a 6 year terror that has never been duplicated by any pitcher past or present. Raised mound or not, the guy one 3 cy youngs and an MVP.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
So since they lowered the mound in 1969, every pitching stat before that is pretty skewed, isn't it? On top of that WHIP is way more important than walks alone either. You are just missing the big picture when looking at what kind of pitcher Nolan Ryan was. The only thing you can say are "He didn't win enough, and he walked too many" both of which are stats that really don't describe a bad pitcher. He also gave up less hits per inning pitched than Seaver and Koufax.
figslee 2 years ago
I believe I've given more statistical evidence that suggest Ryan wasn't a top ten pitcher of all time then win/loss/walks(I haven't been stating he was an all time great, because he is). Yes, you're bound to give up less hits per nine when you're the all time leader in Major League History in Walks and BB/9. Fact is he never won a Cy Young. Was 2nd in 73 to Palmer who had a better ERA, more shut outs, less hits, less runs, less earned runs, fewer home runs, and 49 less walks.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
As you stated earlier, Walks don't matter because a guy like Ryan was notorious for walking guys then striking people out. Then your fewer hits per nine against Seaver and Koufax senseless because with lower life time ERA then it would suggest that they gave up hits and let guys on base but then got the next hitters out, and did so more effectively then Ryan did. You also keep bringing up the raised mound. Didn't Ryan pitch in an expanded strike zone and expasion era? Expansion= less talent?
Ninety2q 2 years ago
Before 1962 there was no standard to the height of the mound.
Expanded Strike zone? are you kidding me? Along with lowering the mound in 1969, making it harder on pitchers, they also shrunk the strike zone. So you made two points for Ryan being a better pitcher, lower mound and smaller strike zone. lol the strike zone before 1969 was from the knees to the shoulders. Now I guess I will just assume you're a dodger fan and you have no idea what you're talking about.
figslee 2 years ago
I read a book about pitching probably 6 months ago and there was a good part written by a pitching coach (can't remember who it was) about people learning to become a pitcher and not a thrower. You ever figure maybe if Ryan was so concerned with Striking everyone out that we would've limited his walks and been more dominant? I mean when he was on, there's no denying it. 7 no hitters, but I have agree with this excerpt in regards to not being a thrower and actually working counts and the plate.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
On top of that, in 1973, the American League implemented a DH. So on top of having a smaller strike zone, and a lower mound, Ryan had to pitch to a 9th hitter who could actually hit the ball.
Expansion Era... lol.. you mean the 1960's? 8 Teams joined the MLB in the 60's and only 2 more from '69 to '93. So again, I guess Koufax pitched in the "Expansion Era" also.
figslee 2 years ago
Well Koufax's last year was 66 so he didn't pitch in the expansion era. No, i'm not a Doger Fan, Yankee, or Red Sox fan. You say Ryan pitched to DHs. He pitched in the NL for 9 years and had what any fan or analyst would consider good to fair years. Nothing about those years pop out of the stat sheet. Fact of the matter is Ryan never won a Cy Young. If its your opinion that Cy Youngs don't mean anything then that's your opinion, me you gotta have one or two to be in the top 5.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
STFU, you Ryan hater....
go lick Clemen's steroid ass, fag
right92626 2 years ago
I never once said I hated Ryan, I just said he wasn't the greatest pitcher of all time. He surely was a great one and a hall of famer indeed and I don't hate him. I sure as shit do not like clemens. You should read a little more clear.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
what year is that houston astro picture at 0:32 from?
rboffill 2 years ago
me and my dad love nolan ryan
dmshomper40 2 years ago
Last year for instance. They were talking about Brandon Webb winning Cy Young instead of Tim Lincecum... because Webb had 20 wins and Lincecum didn't.
Lincecum went 18-5 with 265Ks and a2.62 ERA with 84BB
Webb went 22-7 with 183Ks and a 3.30 ERA with 65BB
So you're telling me that because Webb had more wins and less walks, you would have given the cy young award to him, instead of Lincecum? You're fucking ignorant and know nothing of baseball.
figslee 2 years ago
First of all, the debate with Webb and Lincecum last year was quaility starts, which Webb had slight advantage in. I thought Lincecum deserved it last year. You're telling Ryan pitched on shitty teams? Not counting the NLCS and World Series that he pitched in 69, he made 3 NLCS and 1 ALCS appearence and his teams W-L record as a starter was 1849-1818. Just over .500, you say he pitched for shitty teams, seems pretty normal to me. He was a great pitcher, just not the best ever.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
Well first off, you're saying he played on 5 teams that made it to the playoffs? Oh ok.. so since he pitched 27 seasons, what you're trying to tell me is, he played for 22 seasons out of 27 on losing teams, right? I think his career ERA of 3.17 prove him to be a better pitcher than .500. Plus, you say he doesn't hold Koufax's jock strap? Koufax pitched on a raised mound! Of course that padded his stats. Plus, Ryan did it for 27 seasons. Are you kidding me?
figslee 2 years ago
Actually for the 24 years that Ryan was a starter (1970 he started 19 games) he pitched for 14 winning teams, and a 1984 Houston team that went 80-82 and finished 2nd the the NL West. So your assumption that any year Ryan pitched outside of the playoffs he pitched for losing teams is wrong.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
First off, a team that doesn't make the playoffs is a losing team, when you compare him to someone who had almost 40% of his teams go to the playoffs. Secondly, the rules were changed in 1962 to raise the mound in every stadium across MLB, so there is no real way to tell if the dodgers had a raised mound before that. It just seems odd that the exact year they raise the mound, his stats get better. He won Cy Youngs not because of his "Stats" But because of the media and his W-L record.
figslee 2 years ago
A team that doesn't go to the playoffs is a losing team? I'm pretty sure I've heard on numerous ocassions that a team with an above .500 winning percentage is called a "winning team". An read the Wiki page on Koufax. Media and Win-Loss? Dude, look at his stats. Those years he led the league in nearly every statistic. ERA, Shutouts, Innings pitched, Stikeouts, WHIP, Fewest hits/9, Stikeouts/0, Walk to Stikeout Ratio. Yeah, Koufax, the pissed off, mean, private, jewish media darling.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
I didn't say he was a fan of the media, I said "The media and his W-L record" The media has always hounded over W-L records for every team sport, even when one person gets the W next to their name in the stat, when it's a freakin' team sport. Goalies, QBs, Pitchers...etc. etc.
Also, he did it for 4 years, not 6 years. Pedro did it for 7 years (If you count his season of 2.87 ERA a pretty damn good year in the era he pitched)
figslee 2 years ago
Walking people doesn't matter either, it's ERA. ERA is the number 1 stat for a pitcher. He could walk the bases loaded every inning and then strike out 3 in a row, every single time, and he would be a great pitcher. You're a typical "Wins-Losses" media hound who thinks that winning the game is everything. A pitcher cannot win a game by himself, his team has to score runs for it to count as a win.
figslee 2 years ago
Ok, of a list of guys that I believe to be better pitchers that had better lifetime ERA: Sandy Koufax-2.76, Walter Johnson-2.17, Warren Spahn-3.09, Lefty Grove-3.06, Tom Seaver-2.86, Jim Palmer-2.86, Bob Gibson-2.91, Juan Marichal-2.89, Greg Maddux-3.16. Pedro I believe in his prime was better but not through a career has a 2.91 mark. He only nudges Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton who I think from a quailty stand point were better all around pitchers and so does every other expert
Ninety2q 2 years ago
And a number of those guys don't have as many Wins as Ryan does, but much better winning percentages over their career. I mean you can tell me I'm ingnorant and I don't know baseball all you want. I think we've both made some pretty valid points, but don't tell me i'm media win-loss guy, I mean we can tit for tat on statistics all day long, I've just never felt like he was a top 10 pitcher. An all time great def, but he couldn't hold Sandy Koufax's jock strap my man.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
I am saying that the Win-Loss does not determine a quality pitcher, yes. Look at Mike Mussina, for instance. 4.91 ERA with a 15-7 record. that's a .682 winning percentage. Would you call him a good pitcher that year? No.. the yankees just scored more runs than he gave up. Are you kidding me with thinking that the only thing that determines a good pitcher is wins? Strikeouts are pitcher against batter.. that's it. Has nothing to do with how well the team can score runs.
figslee 2 years ago
Ryan wasn't one of baseball's 10 best pitchers ever.....I agree w/you.
IloveMary35 2 years ago
hahaha to not put favre in the top 5, though he holds how many records? and i didn't compare what there jobs as athletes, but their willingness to be a risk taker. but yeah, don't plan on ever becoming a sports writer, you'd get stoned.
jusanthrday 2 years ago
At 1:49 i have that photo signed by him. haha
bigblackmonster2289 2 years ago
7 no hitters, over 5,000 strike outs, over 300 wins, played in 4 different decades, Hank Aaron was quoted saying "Trying to hit Nolan Ryan's fastball is like trying to drink coffee with a fork." Years after his retirement he was still clocked throwing 98mph and he was almost 60 around that time. He is truly one of the great pitchers in the history of baseball. My personal hero since I became a pitcher!
damc1990 2 years ago
Even more increadible than the fact that Nolan has 7 no hitters is the fact that he would have 10 no hitters but had like 3 or 4 broken up in the ninth inning
bongetoknalcoHolicTX 2 years ago
I read a story where there were like a dozen ex-major league players who named their first sons "Ryan" after Nolan Ryan because of the kind of person and athlete he was. I wonder if anyone ever named their kid "Roger" or "Barry".
hazelwood55 2 years ago
My brother's named Dylan, after Bob Dylan.
DickVelvet 2 years ago
Just think, if Robert Zimmerman had not changed his name to Bob Dylan, your brother rmight be named "Zimmerman". haha
hazelwood55 2 years ago
Man..Nolan Ryan and Walter Johnson...The Rangers/Senators are one team with the two best pitchers of all time. Now that NOlan is break'n Balls and tossin out pitch counts/wussy pitchers...they are gonna win it all for the first time since they did it as the Senators in the late 1920s
9jimmy24 2 years ago
wasen't he the only pitcher to throw 100 mph?
mageasone 2 years ago
no.
but his record for the highest was tied by joel zumaya of the tigers.
others:
roger "steroids" clemens
cy young
randy johnson
nolan ryan
tom seaver
giligaflig 2 years ago
we will never no who threw fasteist to many people never got timed (paige, feller ,johonson,young,
bruinsfan94 2 years ago
j.r. richard could throw it 100 he was actually clocked at 105 once that was in the all star game long time ago
3rdbasemen34 2 years ago
and JR Richards, though nobody ever knew where the ball was going.
shiftychew 2 years ago
Read his book, Kings of the Hill. He talks about all the cats who threw cheese even harder than him. Oh, and watch Jimenez throw in Colorado. He warms up at 99MPH (but has no control).
BelleFourche 2 years ago
that is an awsome book. Ive been a Nolan Ryan fan since i met him in 1993...i was about 9. he is amazing. Im soo happy to see the Rangers in first and lookng good. Nolan ryan IS THE RANGERS!!! they should be the Texas Nolans
9jimmy24 2 years ago
I got to see a few of Nolans no-hitters as a kid. The thing about him is this. Yes, some others have better records, lower ERA's and may have been a little more consistent, may have had better run support, etc.
But. When Mr. Ryan was "on" and i'd say he was "on" about 75% of the time, i've never seen anyone better. He was just totally dominant. A step above the steroid pumping Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson for power pitchers.
rjb0978 2 years ago
Cy Young couldn't see Ryan's fastball, curve or change-up. Don't let the stats fool you. Ryan was the best ever
WillmaticVideo 2 years ago
Best ever? You know what Ryan couldn't do? Not walk people. Two 20 win seasons doesn't get you up in the "best ever status". He was damn good, but don't fool yourself buddy.
Ninety2q 2 years ago
yeah an brett favre holds the INT record, whats your point? do what either of them did, you have to take risks an not be scared to. that takes more as a pitcher OR quarterback than being scared to make a mistake. Nolan was never overly concerned with walks because he got outs an didn't give up hits like that.
jusanthrday 2 years ago
Ok, first off... Wins don't determine a good pitcher. If a pitcher goes out there every single game and gives up 2 runs, but his team only scores 1... he gets the L but pitches a hell of a game. Nolan Ryan had 7 no hitters, the next highest is 4. Name a good team that Nolan Ryan pitched for? Winning championships and Winning games are "TEAM" stats.. not just pitchers.
Walking people doesn't make him a bad pitcher either, his ERA and strikeouts are what make him a better pitcher.
figslee 2 years ago
i could understand that.
this is just my oppinion.
7 no-no's
5,714 strikeouts
324 wins.
cy young was a great player.
but with all the wins he got, he also got the most losses.
giligaflig 2 years ago
yes. Nolan Ryan is the Greatest pitcher of all time. i still have a ticket stub from his no hitter against the twins in 74 when he was an Angel. my family went to the game.
foxmulder420 2 years ago
he is a legend. greatest pitcher ever.
6then9 2 years ago
the thing that kills me as a mets fan is that ryan was traded away for fregosi
stupid ass mets just did the same with kaqzmir
NamIsIll 2 years ago
7 no hitters, all time leading strikeout leader, over 300 wins on some crappy teams and 27 years in the majors says it all
fabio1456 2 years ago
whats the name of the song its not phoenix
david2coolforu 3 years ago
who really sings this song its not breaking pangaea
fabio1456 3 years ago
the best pitcher to ever live.
fabio1456 3 years ago
When I was a kid I went to a yard sale and bought a box of cards and I only paid 50 cents or something around that price. And I opened it up and it was te 1968 topps with Nolan ryan's rookie card, some willie mays etc. I was covered on a newspaper in New Hampshire with the rare find.
wweoldschool 3 years ago
Hey i have a baseball with his signature on it. Can anyone tell me how much its worth? It has his signature and the following text printed below it. 5000th strikeout 8-22-89 300th win 7-31-90 27th major league season.
aznhobo157 3 years ago
dude are u serious?that baseball is worth about how many strikeouts he had
giligaflig 3 years ago
great. I was there when he got his 5000th strikeout ...that was a great memory. :-)
thismomisodd 3 years ago
It's amazing he managed to get 300 wins on the stinker of teams he was on throughout his career. Great pitcher.
Swazi4 3 years ago
When did he hit 104 mph???? What game??? Any info on that???
LEFTY310 3 years ago
nolan ryan is my idol
NOLANRYANtm 3 years ago 3