Ryan Nolan - Nolan Ryan: the making of a pitcher

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Dedicated to the memory of Robert Wallen, md

Contents

Part I: Alvin, Ruthie, and Raw Talent: 196364

Part II: The Minors: A Test of Faith: 196567

Part III: Lost in New York: The New York Mets: 196871

Part IV: The Altar of Speed: The California Angels: 197279

Part V: Building the Perfect Beast: The Houston Astros: 198088

Part VI: The Perfect Storm: The Texas Rangers: 198993

Part VII: The View from the Top: 1994

I think you have a large task to get Nolan Ryan in a book, because its bigger than a book. Its more like an encyclopedia. Cause theres the baseball Ryan, theres the business Ryan, theres the cowboy Ryan, and theres the family Ryan, but they all integrate, they all work with each other. Its pretty cool.

Nolan is more than the sum of his partscall it what you want, hes a legend plus. What youre writing about is the plus. And I dont think the plus has ever been written about.

Tom House

Foreword by Reid Ryan

It is a special pleasure to introduce this book about my father.

Rob Goldman is a close family friend who knew Dad back in their days with the Angels, when Rob was a batboy for the team. His biography covers territory and issues not explored by other Nolan Ryan books.

For one, it weaves together my fathers personality with his achievements in a way never presented before. It shows how Dads work ethic, his no-nonsense Texas character, his openness to new ideas about training, and, most significantly, his relationship with my mother, all worked together to enable him to achieve what most thought was impossiblepitching for 27 seasons at the top of his game, throwing seven no-hitters, amassing 5,714 strikeouts, and achieving 324 victories.

The way Rob went about researching The Making of a Pitcher gives the book a depth that makes it a classic. He spent five years interviewing those who coached, trained, and played with and against Nolan. In this book are eyewitness accounts of key moments as viewed from the field, the press box, and the stands.

Robs personal stories about time shared in the dugout and at home on the ranch reveal so much about how my parents feel about each other, and about their concept of friendship and loyalty. They also shine a very welcome light on the character of my parents.

I am glad to see Dads story told so fully, and to see my mother given her rightful place beside him. This is a treasure for our family, as I expect it will be for Nolan Ryan fans and for anyone who wants to better understand the game and how my dad helped to change it during his long career.

The Making of a Pitcher is also a story told by Dads peers.

More than 80 former teammates and adversaries contributed; all the greats of his era are represented. From Reggie Jackson, we learn of Nolans love of competition and challenge. Pete Rose testifies to his aggressiveness and their mutual respect. Don Baylor, Randy Johnson, and Rod Carew talk about the uniqueness they witnessed firsthand.

Stretch Suba, his bullpen catcher at Houston, talks about Dads sense of humor. Jeff Russell and Mike Stanley, who caught Dads sixth and seventh no-hitters, respectively, provide insight about his focus and desire.

There has been a lot written about Dads 27 seasons; most is about what he did but not how he did it. This is where The Making of a Pitcher really shines. My dads career wasnt pure happenstancethere was always a plan of attack and focus. He was born with unique gifts, but it was up to him to maximize them.

Thankfully, he had help along the way.

From the Angels Jeff Torborg, we learn of how he harnessed his wildness; from Dr. Gene Coleman, Nolans conditioning coach in Houston, how he used research and experimentation to slow the aging process; from Tom House, Dads pitching coach in Texas, how they maximized his talent through constant refinement in the weight room and cutting-edge fitness routines.

Finally, The Making of a Pitcher is about Texas and Texans. The Ryan clan has been in America since the late 18 th century. They have been farmers, church builders, and soldiers. My dad took a little something from each generation, and in so doing, kept their Lone Star traditions and values alive.

So this is much more than a baseball book. It weaves together a great sports story with American and Texas history. Its also a primer on values and perseverance, and a love story.

Other books about Nolan Ryan tell the story of no-hitters and strikeouts, but none so thoroughly present the back story and themes that give us rare insight into the times and the man who put his indelible imprint on them and baseball history.

Reid Ryan

Reid Ryan, the eldest son of Nolan Ryan, was a minor league pitcher and co-founder of Ryan-Sanders Baseball. He is currently the president of the Houston Astros.

Preface

I was in Creedmoor, Texas, headed for Nolan Ryans 60 th birthday bash. I had just exited Hwy 35 and passed the sign for the TDS Ranch. It was unfamiliar territory. As I rolled along the Texas-style private drive I glanced down at the invitation, a simple card emblazoned with a pair of caricature cowboy boots and a horseshoe. Nolans message was equally simple: RobGlad to be able to invite you to my 60 th . Dress Western casual .

Since this wasnt one of Nolans ranches, I checked the map for reassurance that I was going the right way. When I looked up I got the surprise of my life. I had expected the familiar sight of grazing cattle, but instead all of a sudden there were gazelles racing around and a herd of water buffalo gazing at me. I glanced again at the card. It said nothing about creatures from the Serengeti.

Man, I was a long way from home and the crowded freeways of Los Angeles. I took a deep breath and smiled. This was going to be one amazing Texas hoedown, Nolan Ryanstyle.

Weaving the car past a pair of zebras, I arrived at the main ranch house. Entering the foyer I was relieved to see the host wearing his familiar Stetson, not a safari hat. The only animals inside were the stuffed heads of zebras and gazelles hanging from the ceiling. I guess they hadnt been as swift as the ones outside.

Nolan and his wife, Ruth, greeted each guest warmly and made everyone feel welcome.

The setting was informal. There were no nameplates on the tables, and the crowd of ranchers, bankers, ex-ballplayers, and friends mingled freely as we feasted not on fried gazelle or water buffalo steaks but on Nolan Ryans Natural Beef.

After dinner it was time for entertainment. Gospel singers started things off, followed by a clever puppeteer who brought down the house. Charming and hokey, she set the stage for longtime Ryan friend Charley Pride, the country music legend, whose set included his classic hits Kiss an Angel Good Mornin and Is Anybody Goin to San Antone.

Most of the guests were cattlemen, and the room was peppered with Stetsons. Luminaries in the crowd included former Dallas Cowboy Lee Roy Jordan and exHouston Oilers coach Bum Phillips. The only former California Angels present were Ron Jackson, then the hitting coach with the Round Rock Express, team physician Jules Rasinskiand me, a former Angels batboy.

No former Mets were there, but some ex-Astros and Rangers were, including former pitching coach Tom House and infielders Jeff Huson and Steve Buechele.

The diversity and character of the crowd impressed the perceptive House, who, as Ryans cutting-edge coach and confidant in Texas, had helped add four years to the fireballers career. No matter what occupation they were in, House later recalled about that night, from bankers to secretaries to ranch workers to owners to cattle peoplethey were all real. I dined with a bunch of cattlemen and I could just as easily have been sitting with a group of ballplayers, because they all had one thing in common: all were authentic individuals who didnt have any hidden agendas. What you saw is what you got. They all wore the hat and they all rode the horse.