Twenty years ago today.

[SunBurntOrange]

Bored stupid at work and wanting to cut out early. Called my buddy Mark, a big baseball fan who had just moved from Chicago to Dallas. Told him Nolan was pitching that night against Toronto, that it should be a good match up, and did he want to go grab a couple of bleacher seats and check it out. He was all for it. So we did. The rest is history.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

7 no-hitters is amazing enough, but Nolan took so many other games into the 7th, 8th an 9th. I still can't believe John McMullen let him walk.

Good article in The Sporting News about the most unachievable records in sports. Nolan's 7 no-nos (5th), Joltin' Joe's 56 game streak (1st), Wilt's 100 point game (2nd), UCLA's 7 consecutive NC's (3rd).

I would have to put Cy Young's 511 wins as the number that will never be hit. 300 is such a feat - I just can't fathom someone winning 400 (much less 500) in this era.

 

[bclarke]

I am defending McMullen. I am going to hell.

Astros ended up matching the Rangers offer, but the whole sticking point was that they weren't going to pay Ryan more than Mike Scott. Plus, Ryan wanted to bring his kids to the dugout and locker room during games, and the coaching staff didn't want that.

Ryan wasn't The Best Pitcher Ever for the Stros. He was a solid #2 or #3 starter, but he wasn't all that. He had a lot of trouble making it through the 6th and 7th, because by them, teams had him timed. He developed some offspeed stuff with the Rangers(or was it a curve? anyway, it was a 3rd pitch), and there you go. The American League never knew what hit them.

Had he stayed with Houston, I think we could have been a great team in 89. We finished 6 games out without him, and I think that team was good enough to win it all with him (even with his limitations).

 

[Texanne]

I didn't get to see any of Nolan's no-hitters in person, but I was there when he went all woodchopper on Robbie Ventura.

The greatest night this Rangers fan has ever experienced!

 

[Alex_de_Large]

Noogie Patrol!

 

[celis]

I believe it was the circle change he developed while with the Rangers.

 

[rickysrun]

Johnny Vander Meer threw back to back no hitters. That'll never be exceeded.

 

[bullzak]

My favorite Nolan Ryan stat was 301 strikeouts in 1989, first year as a Ranger.

First 300 strikeout pitcher in the AL, since Nolan Ryan of the California Angels in 1977.

Thats just badass.