By Michael Adler
Before "The Rocket" and "The Big Unit," there was "The Ryan Express."
And when it came to no-hitters, Nolan Ryan eclipsed them all.
The most durable flamethrower in baseball history, the ageless Ryan
became the first man to post 5,000 career strikeouts when he fanned future
Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson on August 22, 1989. Less than a year
later, Ryan again made history by holding Henderson's A's hitless -- fifty-two
years to the day after Johnny Vander Meer hurled the first of his two
consecutive no-hitters.
At the age of 43 years, 4 months, and 12 days,
Ryan became the oldest pitcher to ever hurl a
no-hitter and the first to throw one with three
teams (Angels, Astros, and Rangers) in three
separate decades. Nine years earlier, as a
member of the Houston Astros, Ryan had hurled
his record-breaking fifth career no-no against the
eventual World Champion Dodgers.
Holding the defending World Champion Athletics
hitless in their own ballpark was no easy task
for any pitcher, let alone a 43-year-old who was
making only his second start after being
disabled for three weeks with back woes. Led by
the speedy Henderson and "Bash Brothers"
Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, the A's were
headed for their third World Series in as many years. "I think we fit right in
with the great teams," Rickey Henderson had announced before the season,
comparing his club to the A's dynasty of the early 1970s. "That team won
three World Series in a row. I feel this team can do that."
But this game belonged to Texas. The Rangers got off to a quick start
against Oakland's Scott Sanderson, who surrendered a pair of two-run
blasts to second baseman Julio Franco and a solo shot to catcher John
Russell. Meanwhile, Ryan -- working for the first time with Russell behind
the plate -- cut through Tony LaRussa's lineup like a hot knife through
butter. "He's amazing," said a dazed LaRussa after Willie Randolph flied out
to end the game. "There's nobody like him."
Without McGwire or Canseco in the lineup, the A's managed just two walks
(Walt Weiss and Mike Gallego paced the overmatched A's with one apiece)
against Ryan, who struck out 14. The key to his success was a
well-spotted fastball; once he established his heater, the veteran hurler had
little trouble tempting the A's aggressive sluggers with circle changeups out
of the strike zone. It was a simple -- but devastating -- strategy.
No-one was more surprised by the achievement than Ryan himself. "I was
concerned with my back problems and I said, 'Well, I'll just go seven
innings,'" Ryan told reporters after the game. "Then I got through seven and
decided I'm not going to give in to it because I just needed six more outs."
Ignored by his teammates in the late innings, Ryan took the mound to a
thunderous ovation by the Oakland fans in the ninth.
It was the 294th win of Ryan's career; he would win his 300th later that year
against the Milwaukee Brewers. The following season, Ryan threw yet
another no-hitter, striking out 16 Blue Jays on May 1 at Arlington Stadium.
Ironically, it was the same day that Rickey Henderson (who had angered
Ryan by refusing to sign several balls after becoming strikeout victim
#5,000) had eclipsed Lou Brock's all-time career mark with his 939th career
stolen base.
By the time he retired in 1993, Ryan owned or shared 53 major-league
records. Over the course of his 27-year career, he racked up 324 career
wins, 5,714 strikeouts, and seven no-hitters.
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