Top 100 Angels: Nolan RYAN #4

by Rev Halofan on Mar 31, 2009 9:25 PM PDT in 100 Top Angels

#4 NOLAN RYAN, RH SP

Think about it for a minute or two.

Nolan Ryan was the Angels for the 1970s.

Can you think of another player who, had he not been an Angel, that the franchise itself might have folded or moved?

Nolan Ryan carried the team for almost a decade. Easily the greatest baseball player ever pitch in the Angels uniform, he sustained the fan base and the media attention in an otherwise empty decade.

He singlehandedly separated the team from the bottom two-thirds of the majors simply by showing up.

He was the first superstar. Only Vlad and Reggie come close to the electric greatness his very presence on the team meant.

Nolan Ryan's Single Season Angel Records:

22 Wins in 1974 (tied with Clyde Wright)

Fewest Hits Per 9IP:
5.26 in 1972

10.57 K/9 in 1973

332.2 IP in 1974

383 Ks in 1973
the all time Major League mark

41 Games Started in 1974

26 complete games in 1973

Of course, among the Single season leader boards, his name is speckled amidst all of these categories for many seasons, as well as being edged out for the leadership in a category by a player who se name only appears that once, while Ryan has as many as 7 of the Top Ten records in said category.

As far as leading the franchise, Ryan still holds some impressive records.
Nolan Ryan's Angel Franchise Records:

156 complete games
next closest, Frank Tanana with 92

40 Shutouts
next closest, Tanana with 24

2,416 strikeouts
Chuck Finley had 2,151 and Mike Witt had the 3rd most with 1,283

And these are just the categories in which Ryan holds the lead - he is all over the leaderboards in counting stats as well as averaged-out numbers.

The only thing bad about the guy that can be said is that he is not wearing an Angels cap in Cooperstown.

0 recs | 24 comments

Comments

Huh. Wasn't expecting Ryan to fall this far.

I have to say, I’m not sure I agree with it. I know he snubbed us and everything, but… it’s freaking NOLAN RYAN, for crying out loud. :-P

Zu Long - March 31, 2009 reply

Oh, come on...

Two 8-7 pitchers would be just as good as Ryan!

red floyd - March 31, 2009 reply

Thanks Buzzie...

…was there a more idiotic GM statement ever?

sothball - March 31, 2009 reply

Doddering, drooling idiocy passed on to his son, no doubt.

PieceOfAase - April 1, 2009 reply

He may have snubbed us,

but he did name one of his sons after Jimmy Reese.

halofan4life - March 31, 2009 reply

Stripped to it's most basic element, baseball is about one simple premise...

…“I throw, you try to hit”.
No pitcher in our lifetime – perhaps in the history of the game – brought greater raw talent and skill to the “throw” side of that equation and provided more misery/frustration to the “hit” side of that simple premise.
There are so many statistics that can be cited. The most telling? 7 no-hitters. SEVEN. The next closest has 4.
Comparison? Roger Clemens dominated his era with similar ability. He pitched almost as many years. He had a total of …0 no-hitters.

sothball - March 31, 2009 reply

Indeed

the most unhittable pitcher in the history of the game.

jjackflash - March 31, 2009 reply

Never heard of him.

Stirrups - March 31, 2009 reply

Ok, time for my Ryan story again

As I was entering puberty, the Angels did a horrible, horrifying, and terrible thing. They traded Fregosi to the Mets for Ryan. My hero for some putz.

My father’s favorite player was also Fregosi. He was so pissed off that he changed his favorite team to the Mets. As devastated as I was, I really never considered changing my favorite team. Not after listening to a thousand games on my little transistor radio, rooting for all my boys on the Angels. I guess that was the first time I made up my own mind and didn’t follow my dad.

I love Ryan, but to this day, Fregosi will alway be the number one Angel to me.

vladtheimpaler - April 1, 2009 reply