Ryan, Nolan (1947-…), ranks among the greatest pitchers in baseball history. During his major league career, Ryan struck out 5,714 batters, a record. In 1973, Ryan set a major league record of 383 strikeouts for a single season. He pitched 7 no-hit games and 12 one-hit games in the major leagues. No other pitcher has more than 4 major league no-hitters. During Ryan’s career, he won 324 games. Ryan is one of 24 pitchers in major league history to win 300 games. Ryan became especially famous for his blazing fast ball and his durability.
Lynn Nolan Ryan was born on Jan. 31, 1947, in Refugio, Texas. He began his major league career with the New York Mets in 1966 and pitched again for the Mets from 1968 to 1971. He then played for the California Angels (now Los Angeles Angels) from 1972 to 1979 and the Houston Astros from 1980 to 1988. He ended his career with the Texas Rangers from 1989 to his retirement after the 1993 season. Ryan was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2008, he became president of the Texas Rangers. In 2011, Ryan became chief executive officer. He retired in 2013.
