Most memorable Nolan Ryan moment

[nolanryan5714]

Whether a fan or not, you can surely appreciate his feats.

What do you rank as his #1?

[BSmile]

His 5th no-hitter is my personal most memorable moment. I watched that game on tv...start to finish. It was the first MLB no-hitter I ever witnessed...it was pretty exciting. Here's a good link that gives the details of the day:

http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/19810926/

[Paul Wendt]

I guess that his most memorable moment is a bad memory, the eighth inning of Game Five, 1980 NLCS (http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198010120.shtml)

"Top of the 8th, Phillies Batting, Behind 2-5, Astros' Nolan Ryan facing 7-8-9"

[nolanryan5714]

His 5th no-hitter is my personal most memorable moment. I watched that game on tv...start to finish. It was the first MLB no-hitter I ever witnessed...it was pretty exciting. Here's a good link that gives the details of the day:

http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/19810926/

Wow, that was a very incredible post! I envy you, bro. Thank you for that awesome link. :)

[nolanryan5714]

I guess that his most memorable moment is a bad memory, the eighth inning of Game Five, 1980 NLCS (http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU198010120.shtml)

"Top of the 8th, Phillies Batting, Behind 2-5, Astros' Nolan Ryan facing 7-8-9"

Yes, and if you read his biography Throwing Heat, you will gain insight on exactly how he felt after that game.

Great response, and thanks!

[BSmile]

Wow, that was a very incredible post! I envy you, bro. Thank you for that awesome link. :)

You bet!
I'll have to track down a video of that game one of these days. When Nolan "was on"...forget about it. I always really enjoyed watching him pitch. Such power. From a pitcher's perspective (which I was through high school), I wish that Goose Gossage was on a team with him back in the day. It would have been beyond intimidating.

[nolanryan5714]

You bet!
I'll have to track down a video of that game one of these days. When Nolan "was on"...forget about it. I always really enjoyed watching him pitch. Such power. From a pitcher's perspective (which I was through high school), I wish that Goose Gossage was on a team with him back in the day. It would have been beyond intimidating.

I'll hold you to it. Actually, I'll join you in the research! This thread needs some good vids - I'm glad you brought that up.

[nolanryan5714]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GviblDrkWeQ

Nolan's 5,000th K!

[ol' aches and pains]

Being a White Sox fan, I have to go with the Robin Ventura incident, which I saw live (on TV), and was one of the funniest baseball fights (if you could call it a fight) I ever saw.

By the way, Ryan didn't "beat the hell" out of Ventura, as the poll has it. Ventura charged the mound, Ryan got him in a headlock, and began punching him on top of the head. IIRC, the two were separated very quickly with no real damage to either combatant. Ryan's hand probably hurt more than Ventura's head.

[joshfan]

I loved it because earlier that day Rickey Hendersen broke Brocks record and stated he was the greatest ever, Ryan then swiped all the thunder that evening

[joshfan]

I can't make this my favorite Ryan memory but it still merits mention.
My friend came to the jobsite with a ducat for the Ryan vs Doc matchup in 86 playoffs
Duel in Diablo(SHEA) on a very gloomy day with Ryan and Doc at thier best,neither figured in the 2-1 decision in favor of the Mets(Straw tied it in the 9th I believe) but wow it was a tense awesome display on both players parts.
I heard that Ryan had a stress fracture in his foot that day but I don't know if that is factual

[gman5431]

I voted for the WS win which i assume is what Ryan himself would say....

G Man

[Captain Cold Nose]

I voted for the WS win which i assume is what Ryan himself would say....

G Man

Maybe he's changed his tune in recent years, but while with the Angels he said he really didn't feel like a big part of that team. Maybe that's the competitor in him, but he seemed to enjoy it most when he himself was a top pitcher for his own team.

When Ryan broke Johnson's record, there was a very watchful eye on Steve Carlton, then regarded as the best pitcher in baseball. Carlton would soon pass Ryan up. Their battle in 1983 was exciting to watch. Then Ryan seemed to really gain steam while Carlton lost it altogether.

[BSmile]

Ryan vs. Ventura

It's up on youtube now, not great quality...but good enough!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUdFOKWC2ME

[nerfan]

When I think of Nolan, I think of the single-season K record and him beating up on Ventura. Not to say the no-hit games weren't memorable, but I basically assumed Koufax's record was safer than the bank (given our current economic situation, maybe it was).

[BigRon]

Not a single event, but a 10+ year run. Every season, from 1966, through 1978, except for 1973, Ryan averaged over 5 walks per 9 innings- usually WAY over.

Remarkable. If he had stopped trying to throw every fastball through a brick wall, and had stopped trying to make every curve break 4 feet, he might have become the greatest pitcher ever, or at least close to it.

Unfortunately, he waited until his 30s to learn to harness his stuff.

It must have been murder to be on the field behind him, not knowing where he was going to throw the next pitch- batter after batter, inning after inning.

[ol' aches and pains]

Ryan vs. Ventura

It's up on youtube now, not great quality...but good enough!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUdFOKWC2ME

Thanks for the link, it's still funny almost 20 years later. Keith Olberman's mullet and mustache are even funnier.

[Los Bravos]

Their battle in 1983 was exciting to watch.The career strikeout leader varied depending on which one had pitched last. That was pretty cool.

Where is "The time he imitated Brad Leslie"? That's far funnier than the Ventura thing (which I thought was churlish and bullying.)

[nolanryan5714]

Not a single event, but a 10+ year run. Every season, from 1966, through 1978, except for 1973, Ryan averaged over 5 walks per 9 innings- usually WAY over.

Remarkable. If he had stopped trying to throw every fastball through a brick wall, and had stopped trying to make every curve break 4 feet, he might have become the greatest pitcher ever, or at least close to it.

Unfortunately, he waited until his 30s to learn to harness his stuff.

It must have been murder to be on the field behind him, not knowing where he was going to throw the next pitch- batter after batter, inning after inning.

Yes, all probably correct - but in all honesty, you have to imagine that his unpredictability HELPED his "positive" records.
That is hard to figure in, though, when you think of the last 2 no-hitters. However, not really that way with the K's. If you go up to bat wondering if the next pitch is gonna knock your block off, then you are automatically defensive.... ;)

[nolanryan5714]

When Ryan broke Johnson's record, there was a very watchful eye on Steve Carlton, then regarded as the best pitcher in baseball. Carlton would soon pass Ryan up. Their battle in 1983 was exciting to watch. Then Ryan seemed to really gain steam while Carlton lost it altogether.

Very true, I'd forgotten about that. Nolan even thought Carlton would be neck-to-neck with him for the strikeout record. I read somewhere a quote from Nolan, basically saying he (himself) didn't think he had a very good shot at it.

[baseball junkie]

I had the honor of watching Ryan toss multiple no-no's but nothing topped when the the young and arrogant Robin Ventura charged the "old man" on the mound and got clobbered, hilarious. :twocents:

[sturg1dj]

I had the honor of watching Ryan toss multiple no-no's but nothing topped when the the young and arrogant Robin Ventura charged the "old man" on the mound and got clobbered, hilarious. :twocents:

I loved the explanation of why he did that. he said that the last time someone charged he didn't want to fight but it was Dave Winfield and Winfield barely missed with a huge punch and Ryan told himself next time he would be ready.

[nolanryan5714]

I have to admit, I am sort of surprised by how this poll has turned out. I put the Ventura episode in there because it WAS memorable, but in light of his baseball records, I didn't think it was going to be the top pick....wow.

Well, here's to the freedom to pick what you want. :thumbsup: