Nolan Ryan

Highlights

He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame; He threw six no-hitters; As of 2007, he held the major league baseball record for strikeouts (5,714)

Fee Range: $50,000 - $75,000

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Ryan cracked the majors in 1968 and gave people a taste of what was to come in the 1969 World Series, when he entered Game 3 in relief of a struggling starter and shut down the powerful Baltimore Orioles for nearly three innings. Ryan's work enabled the Mets to hang on to win that game, and they went on to upset the Orioles in five games. A videotape of that game, which has occasionally been played on ESPN Classic, reveals that Ryan's mechanics, with the trademark high trailing leg kick, were already firmly established at that young age.

Ryan truly blossomed as a pitcher after being traded to the California Angels in 1972. Even though the Angels were a sub-.500 team and remained one for most of his time there, he began winning between 19 and 22 games a season regularly. In 1973, he set his first record when he struck out 383 batters in one season, eclipsing Sandy Koufax's old mark by one. 

Ryan later played for the Houston Astros where he became the first player to make $1 million a year. On September 26, 1981, Ryan threw his fifth no-hitter to finally break Koufax's mark. That season, he won the National League ERA title with a miserly 1.69.

He threw his sixth no-hitter and earned his 300th win in 1990 on July 30th against the Milwaukee Brewers. Before the 1993 season, Ryan announced his retirement, effective at the end of that season. His seemingly bionic arm finally gave out in Seattle on September 22, 1993, when he tore a tendon, ending his career two starts earier than planned.

Ryan ranks first all-time in strikeouts (5714), fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.56), fifth in innings pitched (5386), second in games started (773), seventh in shutouts (61) and tied for 13th in wins (324). Ryan played more seasons than any other player in baseball history.

His current business interests include ownership of two minor league teams ? the Corpus Christi Hooks, which play in the Class AA Texas League, and the Round Rock Express, a Class AAA team in the Pacific Coast League. Both teams are affiliates of the Houston Astros.

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