Look up the stats for Greg Maddux. Talk about impressive!! One that really stands out is this one. He faced 20,421 batters in his career and only 310 saw a 3-0 count!!
Look up the stats for Greg Maddux. Talk about impressive!! One that really stands out is this one. He faced 20,421 batters in his career and only 310 saw a 3-0 count!!
And a good many of those were intentional walks!
But his plate was 50% wider than others...
- Greg
Success is found at the intersection of planning, hard work, and stubbornness.
“Nolan Ryan was the only pitcher I was ever afraid of—you knew that man could stick a fastball in your ear, kill you stone dead, and not feel one bit bad about it!”—-Kirby Puckett
Didnt he throw out a first pitch a few years back and was still clocked in the mid 80s without even trying? Nolan was and forever will be the best power pitcher.
Our ace in HS was drafted by the Mariners and he could hit 95...scarey as hell hearing the seams sizzle and the mit explode when it hit.
That clip with Randy Johnson is one of my favorites. It's funny watching everybody in the dugouts reactions
He's been my favorite player since I was a kid. I shared a hunting camp last year with one of his lifelong friends, who shared some stories. He was the real deal. He pitched in the era of pitchers trying to pitch as long as possible every few days. In his last game, he was 46 and tore a ligament in his arm. His elbow was toast from the tear and wasn't working. He threw one more pitch to feel it out that was clocked at 98mph. I expect the vast majority of pitchers in the MLB today can't touch 98. Nobody will ever surpass his accomplishments because pitch counts are watched so closely now. He could be wild as hell too and threw allot of wild pitches. Not a good thing but 100+mph wild pitches tend to shake up batters.
Some claimed that Randy cheated with every pitch that he threw as the ball was 1/2 way to the plate before he even released it.
The degree of my privacy is no business of yours.
What we've learned from history is that we haven't learned from it.
May 1, 1991 Nolan Ryan threw his seventh no hitter, tipped his hat, was congratulated by his teammates, and was a humble gentleman.
The same day Ricky Henderson broke the stolen base record and promptly declared himself the “greatest of all time”
To their credit ESPN gave Nolan more coverage.
At least that is the way I remember it.
Henderson was Ryan’s 5000th strikeout.
That's the way I remember it too. My little brother was a Ricky Henderson fan, for some reason. He had all of his baseball cards. I was a Nolan Ryan fan. I remember Henderson plucking second base out of the ground and holding it over his head. Then, Ryan pitched his 7th No Hitter and not another word was wasted on RH. Brother was pooch lipped about it.
"The number one problem with America is, a whole lot of people need shot, and nobody is shooting them." -Master Chief Hershel Davis
Another pretty good Pudge/Nolan story that Pudge told me........
Pudge had been in the Big League's a couple/three years by now and it was spring training time. One afternoon they were having an intersquad game, and Nolan was pitching, but Pudge happened to be on the opposing team so he was at the plate. He said by some act of God he swung at a fastball out over the plate and launched one out of the park to right center field. He couldn't believe it either. The next time at he was at the plate Nolan drilled him in the left thigh with a "toned down" 90mph fastball. Pudge said it was a more glancing blow thank goodness. In typical Nolan fashion he was about half way to home plate after the incident, and Pudge by than had dropped his bat and started towards first base. He says to Nolan "hey man, what are you doing, I'ts SPRING TRAINING.....I'm still your every day catcher"! Nolan had a grin on his face and replied, "you know I can't let you or anyone else get away with that don't you"? Pudge told me........."That's why I love Nolan, and that's exactly the kind of guy I want on my team"!
I thought that was just an awesome story.
Last edited by JGRaider; 04/29/20.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
When I was a kid, Ryan and Tom Seaver were rookies with the Mets. A new grocery had them and two other pitchers there as an attraction at their grand opening.
I had a baseball signed by both. I wonder what it’d be worth now, and wish I knew then what I know now.
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
He was so dominant in his second no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers, that the Tiger first baseman, Norm Cash went to bat in the 9th with a table leg rather than a bat....
There is a particular moment that stands out in the lore of Norm Cash, one that is so absurd and wonderful that you don’t believe it can be true until you actually see it. It occurred on July 15, 1973 in old Tiger Stadium, when the incomparable Nolan Ryan — then with the California Angels — was blowing through the Detroit Tigers en route to his second career no hitter.
Norm Cash, the Tigers irascible first baseman (lovingly known as “Stormin’ Norman”), was fed up by being struck out by Ryan. After three strikeouts in the game, he’d had enough. He got a table leg from the locker room and headed off to home plate to take his swings. When he was informed by the umpire, Ron Luciano, that he couldn’t use it, he replied “Why not? I won’t hit him anyway.”
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. Ronald Reagan
Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson got called up to the Majors on the same day—I know because my kid brother was the trainer for the Portland Beavers at the time. Both of them had to get into his Gremlin car for the ride to Seatec airport. My Bro claimed nobody would believe they actually fit in that POS car.
He was so dominant in his second no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers, that the Tiger first baseman, Norm Cash went to bat in the 9th with a table leg rather than a bat....
There is a particular moment that stands out in the lore of Norm Cash, one that is so absurd and wonderful that you don’t believe it can be true until you actually see it. It occurred on July 15, 1973 in old Tiger Stadium, when the incomparable Nolan Ryan — then with the California Angels — was blowing through the Detroit Tigers en route to his second career no hitter.
Norm Cash, the Tigers irascible first baseman (lovingly known as “Stormin’ Norman”), was fed up by being struck out by Ryan. After three strikeouts in the game, he’d had enough. He got a table leg from the locker room and headed off to home plate to take his swings. When he was informed by the umpire, Ron Luciano, that he couldn’t use it, he replied “Why not? I won’t hit him anyway.”
And Norm Cash was no slouch at the plate....had a MLB career of over 16 years, was a 5 time all star, 271 career hitter, he hit .361 in 1961 and won the American League batting title. He still thought there was no way he was going to hit Ryan that day.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. Ronald Reagan
Don’t remember Seaver and Ryan being rookies the same year. Thinking Seaver was the year before. Jerry Koosman was a rookie with Ryan I think.
Ryan’s longevity a dominance are amazing. Had he been it’s a decent team anytime in his career he would be more widely remembered. Lots of players have been similarly afflicted.
Look at Ryan’s stats and compare/contrast win/loss with ERA. Now think what the win/loss might have been if his teams had any semblance of offense. Prime of his career with the Angels and Astros. Pity. Same could be said of many other players through the years, Mathews, Banks, Kaline, etc..... .
Another amazing stat, Ryan stuckout 383 in 1973. Likely untouchable and everybit as incredible to me as Dimagio’s 56 game hit streak.
