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[switch flips]
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[soft music]
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[Announcer] Greg Meyers
leading things off bottom
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of the fifth inning
against Nolan Ryan.
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[Narrator] Nolan Ryan,
first ballot Hall of Famer,
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00:00:41,546 --> 00:00:44,298
and holder of 51
Major League records.
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[Announcer] Ryan throws a
fast ball right on by him.
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[Narrator] Now,
I'm a bit confused
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why you'd open a movie on him
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with the second to last
start of his career.
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Shouldn't we start with
something a bit more dramatic?
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00:00:56,477 --> 00:00:59,146
Like one of his
famous no-hitters?
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00:00:59,438 --> 00:01:02,149
Maybe a World Series win.
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00:01:02,441 --> 00:01:06,153
Or maybe that famous
scuffle he got into.
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00:01:06,445 --> 00:01:09,865
Not the fifth inning of some
no-stakes affair in Anima.
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I mean this Big Tex,
The Express.
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Why are we watching him face off
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against a career .255 hitter?
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Not to get too
deep into numbers,
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but like baseball, to
understand old Noley,
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you gotta know his numbers.
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Numbers like 7,
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383,
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100.9,
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and 5,714.
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That was it.
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Nolan's final strike out.
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It earned him
baseball immortality,
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because no one has thrown more
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in the sport's near century
and a half existence.
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- Without a doubt, he is the
most intimidating pitcher
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in the history of the game.
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- He's rubbing the ball,
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he's staring at you.
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00:02:04,587 --> 00:02:06,464
- He had that swagger
and that look to him.
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- I'm the sheriff around here.
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- I remember hearing Nolan say,
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when I step across
that white line,
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I don't even like myself.
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00:02:14,263 --> 00:02:15,348
- He's one of the
best competitors I've
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ever played against.
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- It wasn't a day at the
beach to face that guy.
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- I knew that every
time I face him,
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I'm gonna go 0 for four.
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He was like Superman.
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- He's mythological.
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Something that is bigger
than what it really is.
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00:02:32,907 --> 00:02:34,867
But then we all know
when you do meet him,
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he's,
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he's Nolan Ryan.
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[train engine roaring]
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[phone ringing]
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- Hello?
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00:03:02,269 --> 00:03:04,313
Wup, one minute.
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Can you hear me?
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Yeah, you're on speaker phone.
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I'm in the car
driving through Alvin.
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[Nolan] All right.
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You haven't left yet then?
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00:03:11,904 --> 00:03:14,573
- No, not yet, but I'll
call you when I do.
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[Nolan] All right.
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Well, y'all have fun.
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- Okay, bye.
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[Nolan] Bye.
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- People say, if you
marry a baseball player,
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you really marry baseball,
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and there's a lot of
truth to that statement.
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And Alvin was just a fun,
innocent, safe childhood.
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We rode horses around the school
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with my friends that had horses.
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Gosh, these trees
are so grown up,
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'cause Nolan planted the
tree that's in the yard.
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Yeah, that's it.
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Gosh, that thing,
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look at that thing.
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That thing is huge.
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I remember the first
time I saw Nolan.
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00:04:01,495 --> 00:04:02,580
I was only in the fourth grade,
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00:04:02,872 --> 00:04:04,874
so I wasn't really
thinking about boys,
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00:04:05,166 --> 00:04:07,960
but I did remember
seeing him because
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he was on the Little League
baseball team.
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I just remember
these games going on
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and I could come
and just stand there
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by the fence and look
at the ball games.
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You know, I always
wished I could play
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but they didn't have
girl's teams then.
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I remember Nolan was
on a Little League team
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called The Rangers,
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and probably when I was
in the seventh grade,
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that's when I thought
about him being cute.
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- When you're ready.
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[Interviewer] We are ready.
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[Ruth] I guess I was
in eighth grade
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when he asked me
to go to that movie.
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- I called her up on the phone
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and asked her if she'd
like to go out.
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Obviously she had
to ask her mother.
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Evidently there weren't any
red flags up towards Nolan.
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- There was a movie playing
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00:05:01,305 --> 00:05:06,268
at the Alvin Theater and
it was 'Rome Adventure.'
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00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:07,853
I think it was the
name of the movie.
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[classic music]
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[Man] Did you enjoy it?
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00:05:15,945 --> 00:05:18,113
- Oh, very much, thank you.
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00:05:18,405 --> 00:05:20,199
You know, my mother
has a theory.
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She says that for every woman
on earth is only one man.
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- They both went the
same high school.
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He was voted most handsome and
she was voted most beautiful.
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And she was a star in tennis.
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He was a star in basketball,
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00:05:33,546 --> 00:05:35,923
and baseball later, but
they just hit it off.
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[crowd cheering]
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- For Nolan's and
Ruth's second date,
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he took Ruth to the old ballpark
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next to the Astrodome to
watch Sandy Koufax pitch.
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00:05:52,815 --> 00:05:56,569
- Sandy Koufax is the greatest
lefthanded pitcher in history.
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He was the most dominating
lefthander in history
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[Announcer] Swing and a miss
and struck him out.
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00:06:03,242 --> 00:06:05,661
Look at those Dodgers
congratulate Koufax.
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00:06:06,412 --> 00:06:08,205
- He idolized Sandy Koufax.
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He was watching Sandy pitch.
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He wouldn't talk to me.
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He wouldn't get up.
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00:06:12,668 --> 00:06:14,962
And he was mesmerized.
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- We were sitting
right behind the plate.
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00:06:17,256 --> 00:06:19,425
I got a bird's eye view
of Sandy warming up,
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00:06:19,717 --> 00:06:23,012
and I'd never seen
anybody throw like that.
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00:06:24,054 --> 00:06:27,057
- That's the first time he
saw Sandy Koufax pitch.
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Within 10 years, he'd
broken all his records.
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No one did things
Nolan ever did,
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but no one was raised
like Nolan ever was.
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[Narrator] Every legend
has an origin,
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and Nolan's origin is a doozy.
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00:06:46,201 --> 00:06:47,745
Youngest of six,
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depression era parents
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00:06:50,164 --> 00:06:52,333
from a tiny town no
one ever heard of.
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00:06:53,292 --> 00:06:56,545
Like a page out of the
Humble Beginnings playbook.
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00:06:56,837 --> 00:06:58,380
But how did he get that arm?
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00:06:59,506 --> 00:07:01,759
Legend has it, every
night Nolan's dad
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00:07:02,051 --> 00:07:04,136
would wake him up at
one in the morning
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00:07:04,428 --> 00:07:06,764
and they'd hand deliver
over 1,500 papers
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00:07:07,056 --> 00:07:09,475
across the entire city.
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00:07:09,767 --> 00:07:13,479
Every day, four hours a
day for six years straight.
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00:07:15,814 --> 00:07:18,025
Okay, the fact is he
actually drove a car
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00:07:18,317 --> 00:07:19,526
for his paper route,
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00:07:19,818 --> 00:07:21,487
but Nolan wouldn't mind us
stretching the truth a little,
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would he?
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- The Houston folks used to say,
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well Nolan Ryan developed his
arm from throwing The Post.
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00:07:29,912 --> 00:07:31,705
Well, that's totally false.
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'Cause when you drive a car,
you throw in your left hand.
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[Narrator] Well, guess they
decided to print the legend.
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00:07:42,299 --> 00:07:43,467
- He could throw the ball harder
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than anybody I know about.
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00:07:46,971 --> 00:07:49,306
And he was here for
pitching in Alvin.
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00:07:49,598 --> 00:07:51,392
He'd bring his
catcher mitt and ball.
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00:07:51,684 --> 00:07:55,437
And he would pitch to me
until my hand wore out.
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If you caught it right
in the catchers mitt,
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00:08:01,568 --> 00:08:02,528
it was fine.
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00:08:02,820 --> 00:08:05,030
But if it hit where
your palm was, it hurt.
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00:08:05,614 --> 00:08:09,076
'Cause he was the hardest
chunker I've ever caught.
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00:08:10,703 --> 00:08:13,247
Sometimes he'd burn my hand a
little bit and I'd say, boy,
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how hard are you throwing?
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00:08:15,082 --> 00:08:16,750
And he'd say about
three-quarter speed.
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And that would scare
me a little bit.
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- When I went out as a sophomore
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00:08:26,176 --> 00:08:28,262
for the Varsity Baseball team,
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00:08:28,554 --> 00:08:30,723
I hit my final growth spurt.
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It was like I had
somebody else's arm.
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00:08:35,602 --> 00:08:37,646
- There was a mythology
about Nolan that dates back
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00:08:37,938 --> 00:08:39,273
to when he was at
Alvin High School
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00:08:39,565 --> 00:08:41,984
because he could throw
it harder than anybody.
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00:08:42,276 --> 00:08:43,027
And he was wild.
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- He hit several batters.
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00:08:44,778 --> 00:08:46,655
I remember one game
in particular,
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we were playing Deer Park
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00:08:48,490 --> 00:08:50,743
and he hit the very first
two batters in the game.
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- He hit one of the
players in the head
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and cracked his helmet.
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00:08:53,954 --> 00:08:55,497
The next guy got in line.
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00:08:55,789 --> 00:08:56,915
And when Nolan threw the ball,
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he hit him in the arm
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00:08:58,876 --> 00:09:00,085
and broke his arm.
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00:09:00,502 --> 00:09:01,545
- And the third batter,
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00:09:01,837 --> 00:09:04,131
actually went down to
their coach and asked him
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00:09:04,423 --> 00:09:06,884
if he would consider
pinch hitting for him.
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00:09:07,509 --> 00:09:09,261
As it worked out,
Nolan struck him out
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00:09:09,553 --> 00:09:12,222
on three pitches and he
was so far from the plate,
189
00:09:12,514 --> 00:09:14,600
he couldn't have covered
it if he'd had a broom.
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00:09:15,142 --> 00:09:18,062
At that point, everybody
really took notice
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00:09:18,353 --> 00:09:20,898
that Nolan could be
something very special.
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00:09:23,108 --> 00:09:26,195
[Red] He weighed about 142-145 pounds.
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00:09:26,487 --> 00:09:27,613
About six foot one.
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00:09:27,905 --> 00:09:30,407
So, he was a skinny
right-handed chunker.
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00:09:30,699 --> 00:09:32,993
See, when he threw the
baseball, it just exploded
196
00:09:33,285 --> 00:09:36,205
out of his hand with
almost effortlessly.
197
00:09:38,123 --> 00:09:42,044
- Red Murff pitched for the
Braves during his career.
198
00:09:42,336 --> 00:09:44,004
And then he became a scout.
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00:09:44,296 --> 00:09:46,840
Jim Watson was a
baseball coach in Alvin,
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00:09:47,132 --> 00:09:50,594
and he told Jim not to tell
any other Scouts about Nolan.
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00:09:51,428 --> 00:09:54,056
- Well, he told me I had
the best arm he'd ever seen,
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00:09:54,348 --> 00:09:56,517
and truly believed
that I would pitch
203
00:09:56,809 --> 00:09:57,810
in the big leagues.
204
00:10:00,562 --> 00:10:01,730
[Interviewer] We'll do the
knuckles, there we go.
205
00:10:02,022 --> 00:10:03,273
- Good to see you.
- Good to see you,
206
00:10:03,565 --> 00:10:04,525
how are you?
- Yeah, I'm all right.
207
00:10:04,817 --> 00:10:05,818
- All right.
- Thank you.
208
00:10:06,110 --> 00:10:07,236
[Interviewer] Excited to
talk about Nolan?
209
00:10:07,528 --> 00:10:09,571
- Not really, but
I'm happy to do it.
210
00:10:10,823 --> 00:10:12,950
Yeah, I mean, yes
I am, excuse me.
211
00:10:13,242 --> 00:10:14,326
Fire it up.
212
00:10:14,910 --> 00:10:18,163
My dad's uncle, my
grandmother's brother,
213
00:10:18,455 --> 00:10:21,250
was one of the initial
owners of the New York Mets.
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00:10:21,542 --> 00:10:23,752
What's interesting from
our family's perspective,
215
00:10:24,044 --> 00:10:28,298
is that a young pitcher on
that team was Nolan Ryan.
216
00:10:30,759 --> 00:10:33,095
- A constant theme
in Nolan's life,
217
00:10:33,387 --> 00:10:35,764
from the start, in baseball,
218
00:10:36,056 --> 00:10:37,766
he was always undervalued.
219
00:10:38,058 --> 00:10:40,811
- The Mets were pretty
much the only team on him.
220
00:10:41,103 --> 00:10:43,063
Took him in the 12th round.
221
00:10:43,355 --> 00:10:44,481
They just took a flyer.
222
00:10:44,773 --> 00:10:46,608
They just thought, well,
here's a guy with a good arm,
223
00:10:46,900 --> 00:10:48,402
and let's see what
we end up with.
224
00:10:49,736 --> 00:10:52,197
- He came to me and said,
"I got drafted today."
225
00:10:52,489 --> 00:10:55,200
Well, I thought
he meant the Army.
226
00:10:56,243 --> 00:10:58,787
He was 18 and out of high school
227
00:10:59,079 --> 00:11:01,331
and it was during Vietnam.
228
00:11:01,623 --> 00:11:03,292
A lot of our friends
had gotten drafted.
229
00:11:03,584 --> 00:11:06,753
And he goes, "No,
the baseball draft."
230
00:11:07,045 --> 00:11:09,923
And he said, "I'll be
leaving pretty soon."
231
00:11:10,215 --> 00:11:13,177
And I'm like, oh, you know,
that was a shock to me.
232
00:11:15,304 --> 00:11:17,514
I had plans to go to college
233
00:11:17,806 --> 00:11:21,268
but when Nolan left at
age 18, I was only 16.
234
00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:22,561
I really missed him.
235
00:11:22,853 --> 00:11:24,479
I really wanted to be with him.
236
00:11:24,771 --> 00:11:25,689
Red Murff found out
237
00:11:25,981 --> 00:11:28,692
that we were probably
gonna get married one day.
238
00:11:28,984 --> 00:11:31,236
He said, Ruth, you know that
239
00:11:31,528 --> 00:11:34,281
you're gonna have to share
Nolan with the world.
240
00:11:34,573 --> 00:11:37,993
And I thought, I'm not sharing
Nolan with anybody, you know.
241
00:11:38,660 --> 00:11:41,288
I was very put out that
he said that to me.
242
00:11:41,580 --> 00:11:42,998
And it was so true.
243
00:11:43,290 --> 00:11:46,251
You know, I did end up
sharing him with the world.
244
00:11:46,543 --> 00:11:48,420
I had no idea what
the baseball life
245
00:11:48,712 --> 00:11:50,172
would really be like.
246
00:11:50,464 --> 00:11:52,132
That was a shock. [laughs]
247
00:11:52,424 --> 00:11:55,928
[gentle music]
248
00:11:56,220 --> 00:11:57,763
- All I was concentrating on
249
00:11:58,055 --> 00:12:00,432
were trying to catch that ball.
250
00:12:02,768 --> 00:12:07,105
I didn't have anybody that
threw quite like Nolan did.
251
00:12:09,316 --> 00:12:13,362
Everybody was saying that
Nolan was throwing 101,
252
00:12:13,654 --> 00:12:15,906
maybe 102 miles an hour.
253
00:12:16,865 --> 00:12:18,492
That's wrong.
254
00:12:18,784 --> 00:12:22,371
Nolan was throwing 107,108.
255
00:12:23,330 --> 00:12:24,373
[Interviewer] Do you
believe that?
256
00:12:24,665 --> 00:12:27,125
- Yes, I was there catching it,
257
00:12:27,417 --> 00:12:28,627
or trying to.
258
00:12:28,919 --> 00:12:33,298
[dramatic music]
259
00:12:33,590 --> 00:12:34,508
[ball slapping catcher's mitt]
260
00:12:35,467 --> 00:12:36,885
- There's no question
that Nolan Ryan,
261
00:12:37,177 --> 00:12:38,512
when he first came to the Mets,
262
00:12:38,804 --> 00:12:41,014
was very wild.
263
00:12:41,306 --> 00:12:43,225
His Minor League numbers,
they're right out of
264
00:12:43,517 --> 00:12:45,310
Nuke LaLoosh from
"Bull Durham."
265
00:12:45,602 --> 00:12:46,436
[grunts]
266
00:12:46,728 --> 00:12:47,604
- This guy's crazy.
267
00:12:47,896 --> 00:12:48,855
- Yep.
268
00:12:49,147 --> 00:12:50,941
- And then he gets
called up to the Mets,
269
00:12:51,233 --> 00:12:52,609
pretty young, at
the point work where
270
00:12:52,901 --> 00:12:55,487
he's probably not ready to go.
271
00:12:55,779 --> 00:12:57,864
[Announcer] So Nolan Ryan
makes his Major League debut
272
00:12:58,156 --> 00:13:00,075
against one of the heaviest
hitting teams in baseball,
273
00:13:00,367 --> 00:13:01,618
the Atlanta Braves.
274
00:13:03,203 --> 00:13:06,331
- I can remember coming outta
the bullpen in Shea Stadium
275
00:13:06,623 --> 00:13:08,166
and I'm 19 years old
and I'm gon' be facing
276
00:13:08,458 --> 00:13:11,920
Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews
and Felipe Alou
277
00:13:12,212 --> 00:13:13,422
and those guys.
278
00:13:13,714 --> 00:13:15,882
God, I had those guys'
baseball cards.
279
00:13:16,550 --> 00:13:18,552
[Announcer] Tall and
slender righthander.
280
00:13:20,846 --> 00:13:23,390
[Nolan] Joe Torre
was on that team.
281
00:13:23,682 --> 00:13:25,309
[Announcer] And the
pitch to Joe Torre.
282
00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,394
Fly ball, wild hit to
right field,
283
00:13:27,686 --> 00:13:28,478
way back.
284
00:13:28,770 --> 00:13:30,230
And it's over the wall,
a home run.
285
00:13:32,316 --> 00:13:34,776
- A lot of people
had the same emotions
286
00:13:35,068 --> 00:13:38,030
as the first time they walked
on a major league mound.
287
00:13:38,572 --> 00:13:40,449
And they ask do
they belong there?
288
00:13:40,741 --> 00:13:43,785
And I had no clue whether
I belonged there or not.
289
00:13:44,077 --> 00:13:47,706
[gentle music]
290
00:13:47,998 --> 00:13:52,836
- Nolan never expected
baseball to be a long career.
291
00:13:53,378 --> 00:13:56,256
His goal was to play four years
292
00:13:56,548 --> 00:13:58,592
and you could qualify
for a pension.
293
00:13:58,884 --> 00:14:00,385
- Nolan didn't have a plan.
294
00:14:00,677 --> 00:14:02,429
He was gonna be a vet.
295
00:14:02,721 --> 00:14:04,806
- When he went on road trips,
he would bring his books
296
00:14:05,098 --> 00:14:08,018
about cattle and veterinary
medicine and, you know,
297
00:14:08,310 --> 00:14:10,228
study in his free time.
298
00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,731
He always tried to
prepare himself
299
00:14:13,023 --> 00:14:14,983
for life after baseball.
300
00:14:15,525 --> 00:14:16,860
With the Mets, they had a lot
301
00:14:17,152 --> 00:14:19,279
of good, young arms at the time.
302
00:14:19,571 --> 00:14:22,741
He just didn't know if he
would even get in a rotation.
303
00:14:23,033 --> 00:14:24,659
He was in relief pretty much.
304
00:14:26,244 --> 00:14:28,330
- At this point, you
look back and you go,
305
00:14:28,622 --> 00:14:30,457
Nolan Ryan was a relief pitcher?
306
00:14:30,749 --> 00:14:32,793
But he was young and
he was inexperienced.
307
00:14:33,085 --> 00:14:34,586
They didn't think he'd
be a consistent winner
308
00:14:34,878 --> 00:14:36,880
because he couldn't
control the ball.
309
00:14:37,672 --> 00:14:38,673
[Announcer] High and tight.
310
00:14:38,965 --> 00:14:41,426
- He just wasn't polished.
311
00:14:43,345 --> 00:14:45,222
[Narrator] Growing up
around cattle,
312
00:14:45,514 --> 00:14:48,100
Nolan understood most
calves stand on their own
313
00:14:48,392 --> 00:14:50,185
within the first 30
minutes of birth.
314
00:14:51,436 --> 00:14:52,687
In those early
years with the Mets,
315
00:14:52,979 --> 00:14:54,815
he was still finding his legs.
316
00:14:55,107 --> 00:14:57,150
But in the 1969 playoffs,
317
00:14:57,442 --> 00:14:58,944
he would need to stand tall.
318
00:15:00,028 --> 00:15:01,655
The aptly named Miracle Mets
319
00:15:01,947 --> 00:15:04,783
were one game away
from the World Series.
320
00:15:05,075 --> 00:15:08,453
And Nolan was brought in to
help get them out of a jam.
321
00:15:09,955 --> 00:15:11,748
- The reaction of the Mets,
his teammates,
322
00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:14,251
when they brought him in,
"Are you kidding me?"
323
00:15:15,210 --> 00:15:16,878
They're thinking
Gil Hodges quit.
324
00:15:17,170 --> 00:15:18,463
They're giving up the game.
325
00:15:18,755 --> 00:15:20,048
That's what they
thought of Nolan Ryan,
326
00:15:20,340 --> 00:15:21,550
his teammates did at the time.
327
00:15:21,842 --> 00:15:23,009
They knew he had talent,
328
00:15:23,301 --> 00:15:25,470
but he hadn't shown anything
to be in this position.
329
00:15:26,388 --> 00:15:29,349
The third game of the National
League Championship Series.
330
00:15:29,641 --> 00:15:31,643
[Announcer] With a count
of 1-and-2 on Rico Carty,
331
00:15:31,935 --> 00:15:34,312
runners at second and
third, no one out.
332
00:15:34,604 --> 00:15:39,651
- Rico had gone over and asked
couple of guys on the bench,
333
00:15:39,943 --> 00:15:41,528
"What do I look for?"
334
00:15:41,820 --> 00:15:43,697
And they said,
335
00:15:43,989 --> 00:15:45,073
"Heat."
336
00:15:45,615 --> 00:15:47,200
[Announcer] And the pitch
is swung on and missed.
337
00:15:47,492 --> 00:15:49,661
Ryan strikes out Rico Carty.
338
00:15:51,037 --> 00:15:52,080
- He got outta the inning.
339
00:15:52,372 --> 00:15:54,040
He kept them in the game.
340
00:15:54,332 --> 00:15:56,710
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan with
a tremendous performance.
341
00:15:57,002 --> 00:15:59,212
- I was surprised
as other people were
342
00:15:59,504 --> 00:16:01,965
that Gil stayed with me
the rest of the game
343
00:16:04,050 --> 00:16:06,428
[fans cheering]
344
00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,180
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan,
who came in the ball game
345
00:16:08,472 --> 00:16:10,974
with the Mets behind 2-0 in the third.
346
00:16:12,142 --> 00:16:15,770
One out away from the
National League pennant.
347
00:16:16,229 --> 00:16:18,398
Mets leading 7-4.
348
00:16:18,690 --> 00:16:20,525
[gentle music]
349
00:16:20,817 --> 00:16:21,818
[smack]
350
00:16:22,944 --> 00:16:25,071
Garrett has the ball,
the throw to first,
351
00:16:25,363 --> 00:16:27,574
and the Mets are the
National League champions.
352
00:16:27,949 --> 00:16:28,867
[Commentator] The view
you're looking at,
353
00:16:29,159 --> 00:16:30,410
has turned in one of baseball's
354
00:16:30,702 --> 00:16:32,746
most unbelievable stories.
355
00:16:33,455 --> 00:16:35,081
- The players are going nuts.
356
00:16:35,373 --> 00:16:36,416
They couldn't believe it.
357
00:16:36,708 --> 00:16:39,085
He's the hero, he wins
the pennant for the Mets.
358
00:16:39,377 --> 00:16:41,338
- People didn't know who
he was or what he was.
359
00:16:41,630 --> 00:16:43,673
Just some Texan with a drawl
360
00:16:43,965 --> 00:16:45,759
everybody in New York
made fun of,
361
00:16:46,051 --> 00:16:47,802
but when the batter
stood in the box,
362
00:16:48,094 --> 00:16:50,263
nobody was making fun
of Nolan's drawl.
363
00:16:51,515 --> 00:16:52,724
[Announcer] This has got
to be the happiest day
364
00:16:53,016 --> 00:16:53,767
of all for you.
365
00:16:57,896 --> 00:17:00,148
- That night, there
was a big celebration
366
00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:01,816
in the Diamond Club.
367
00:17:02,108 --> 00:17:05,820
That was the first time I had
ever had a glass of champagne.
368
00:17:06,112 --> 00:17:09,074
And the last time I ever
had a glass of champagne.
369
00:17:10,909 --> 00:17:13,954
[Narrator] And wouldn't you
know it, ten days later,
370
00:17:14,246 --> 00:17:16,915
the Miracle Mets won
the whole damn thing.
371
00:17:17,207 --> 00:17:20,168
[Announcer] The Mets are
the world champions.
372
00:17:21,044 --> 00:17:23,171
[Narrator] At the
tender age of 22,
373
00:17:23,463 --> 00:17:26,299
Nolan Ryan had a
World Series ring.
374
00:17:26,967 --> 00:17:29,553
He and his teammates sure
had a lot to sing about.
375
00:17:30,554 --> 00:17:34,182
♪ You gotta have heart ♪
376
00:17:34,474 --> 00:17:37,018
♪ All you really
need is heart ♪
377
00:17:37,310 --> 00:17:39,479
- We were on the
Ed Sullivan Show.
378
00:17:39,771 --> 00:17:41,439
All of us, the whole team.
379
00:17:41,731 --> 00:17:45,569
♪ Wait 'til next year
and hold ♪
380
00:17:47,821 --> 00:17:49,739
- None of us could sing.
381
00:17:50,031 --> 00:17:53,285
The dogs were howling
big time after that.
382
00:17:53,618 --> 00:17:56,997
♪ First you gotta have heart ♪
383
00:17:59,457 --> 00:18:01,418
[Nolan] That whole thing
was a whirlwind deal
384
00:18:01,710 --> 00:18:03,837
for about four or five days.
385
00:18:04,129 --> 00:18:07,549
And being on the Ed Sullivan
Show, to a ticker tape parade,
386
00:18:07,841 --> 00:18:10,552
and being world champions,
and then going home
387
00:18:10,844 --> 00:18:14,472
and kinda stepping back
into our normal lives.
388
00:18:14,764 --> 00:18:20,270
[gentle music]
389
00:18:20,562 --> 00:18:24,691
I'd go home, get a job
so I could survive
390
00:18:24,983 --> 00:18:26,234
until next spring training
391
00:18:26,526 --> 00:18:28,737
and try to go to school too.
392
00:18:32,324 --> 00:18:33,742
- Yeah.
393
00:18:36,077 --> 00:18:39,247
- I installed central
heating and air conditioning.
394
00:18:40,206 --> 00:18:41,750
This is Nolan Ryan
for American Standard
395
00:18:42,042 --> 00:18:43,460
Heating and Air Conditioning.
396
00:18:45,587 --> 00:18:48,298
Back in those days, you only
got paid during the season.
397
00:18:48,590 --> 00:18:52,552
And my first contract
with the Mets was $7,000.
398
00:18:52,844 --> 00:18:56,097
And so, you know, you
didn't have extra money.
399
00:18:57,474 --> 00:18:59,059
[Announcer] Look at this scene.
400
00:18:59,351 --> 00:19:01,019
[Ruth] When the Mets
won the World Series,
401
00:19:01,311 --> 00:19:03,730
he got a little bit of a bonus.
402
00:19:04,397 --> 00:19:07,525
He helped his parents
pay off their house
403
00:19:07,817 --> 00:19:10,695
and he put some money down
on a piece of property.
404
00:19:13,531 --> 00:19:14,658
- We're back home.
405
00:19:14,949 --> 00:19:17,702
I'm in San Antonio,
he's in Alvin,
406
00:19:17,994 --> 00:19:21,414
and I'm with his
real estate broker,
407
00:19:21,706 --> 00:19:22,916
looking for a ranch.
408
00:19:24,334 --> 00:19:28,046
Ranching is a way of
life here in Texas.
409
00:19:28,338 --> 00:19:33,802
[gentle music]
410
00:19:34,344 --> 00:19:36,262
[Nolan] How y'all doing?
411
00:19:39,891 --> 00:19:42,143
- Nolan is a cowboy.
412
00:19:43,311 --> 00:19:44,688
I think it's in his blood.
413
00:19:44,979 --> 00:19:46,648
It's in his nature.
414
00:19:47,732 --> 00:19:50,026
Likes being out in
the Texas prairie.
415
00:19:51,778 --> 00:19:53,655
- Since the time I
was about 5 years old,
416
00:19:53,947 --> 00:19:55,198
I had an attraction to cattle.
417
00:19:55,490 --> 00:19:56,741
Why that is, I don't know.
418
00:19:57,033 --> 00:19:59,452
I think I was just meant
to be in that business
419
00:19:59,744 --> 00:20:02,080
and I've always had
a passion for it.
420
00:20:10,839 --> 00:20:12,090
Come on. You're nervous.
421
00:20:12,841 --> 00:20:13,758
Come on by.
422
00:20:14,050 --> 00:20:15,051
Hey.
423
00:20:16,010 --> 00:20:17,846
[cows mooing]
424
00:20:19,264 --> 00:20:21,224
- I'm the ranch manager
for Mr. Nolan Ryan
425
00:20:21,516 --> 00:20:23,768
for about 30 years.
426
00:20:24,894 --> 00:20:26,688
- That's a cut, David.
427
00:20:27,063 --> 00:20:29,232
- When I first met him, I
knew the kind of guy he was.
428
00:20:29,524 --> 00:20:31,276
He's gonna do right
and everything.
429
00:20:31,568 --> 00:20:34,738
He was, one's you really
would wanna work for.
430
00:20:36,322 --> 00:20:37,323
- That's a cut.
431
00:20:39,284 --> 00:20:40,326
- Keeper.
432
00:20:40,785 --> 00:20:42,078
- It's a cow and calf operation.
433
00:20:42,370 --> 00:20:44,414
It's a real business,
just like any other one.
434
00:20:44,706 --> 00:20:45,582
- That's a cut.
435
00:20:45,874 --> 00:20:46,374
Keeper.
436
00:20:46,666 --> 00:20:47,834
Cut.
437
00:20:48,126 --> 00:20:49,377
- We was sorting some heifers,
some keeping heifers
438
00:20:49,669 --> 00:20:51,129
and heifers we're
gonna try to sale.
439
00:20:51,421 --> 00:20:53,006
- That's a keeper.
440
00:20:53,298 --> 00:20:54,716
- See if we can make
a little money.
441
00:20:57,010 --> 00:20:59,095
- Everybody knows Mr. Nolan
Ryan, the baseball player
442
00:20:59,387 --> 00:21:00,764
but he's a rancher.
443
00:21:01,347 --> 00:21:02,766
As I got older,
I understood one thing,
444
00:21:03,057 --> 00:21:04,184
when you get out of the game,
445
00:21:04,476 --> 00:21:06,519
you have to find that
thing in your life
446
00:21:06,811 --> 00:21:08,062
that you loved to do.
447
00:21:09,939 --> 00:21:11,775
- I'm very at peace
with what I'm doing
448
00:21:12,066 --> 00:21:14,778
and it's where my
comfort level is.
449
00:21:16,404 --> 00:21:18,698
[busy city noise bustling]
450
00:21:19,073 --> 00:21:21,284
I was accustomed
to being outdoors
451
00:21:21,576 --> 00:21:24,829
and being in a more
relaxed atmosphere.
452
00:21:25,121 --> 00:21:27,791
And I didn't really
take to New York.
453
00:21:28,082 --> 00:21:32,712
[somber music playing]
454
00:21:33,004 --> 00:21:34,589
- I was alone a lot.
455
00:21:34,881 --> 00:21:36,257
Those times he
went on road trips.
456
00:21:36,549 --> 00:21:38,343
So I was kind of scared
457
00:21:38,635 --> 00:21:41,262
sometimes, living in
a apartment building.
458
00:21:42,639 --> 00:21:44,390
It was just a different world.
459
00:21:44,682 --> 00:21:46,267
And I wouldn't trade any of it.
460
00:21:46,559 --> 00:21:48,228
All that was good experience.
461
00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,481
It was an exciting
kind of life, in a way.
462
00:21:52,982 --> 00:21:54,734
We depended on each other.
463
00:21:55,026 --> 00:21:57,403
We were just two kids
trying to get by.
464
00:21:58,029 --> 00:21:58,988
[crowd cheering]
465
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:01,366
- The highlight
of his Mets career
466
00:22:01,658 --> 00:22:03,409
was the playoffs in the series.
467
00:22:04,410 --> 00:22:07,038
Because he came
back in 70 and 71,
468
00:22:07,330 --> 00:22:10,166
they tried to start him
but he had no consistency.
469
00:22:11,501 --> 00:22:13,795
In the meantime, the Gentrys,
the Koosmans, the Sievers,
470
00:22:14,087 --> 00:22:15,380
I mean, they're taking on.
471
00:22:17,006 --> 00:22:18,550
There's no place for Nolan.
472
00:22:22,428 --> 00:22:24,639
- The manager, he's
worrying about winning games
473
00:22:24,931 --> 00:22:28,601
and I'm sure Nolan's wildness
drove some of them crazy.
474
00:22:28,893 --> 00:22:30,061
- The lack of success
475
00:22:30,353 --> 00:22:33,439
and not accomplishing what
you think you could do.
476
00:22:35,692 --> 00:22:38,278
I was so frustrated
in my inconsistency
477
00:22:38,570 --> 00:22:41,197
and the fact that I wasn't
pitching on a regular basis.
478
00:22:41,489 --> 00:22:42,782
- He didn't really
have like say,
479
00:22:43,074 --> 00:22:46,077
a pitching coach that
took him under his wing.
480
00:22:46,369 --> 00:22:50,164
He felt like he wasn't a
important part of the team.
481
00:22:50,456 --> 00:22:51,457
- I started thinking,
482
00:22:51,749 --> 00:22:55,295
oh maybe this isn't
what I'm meant to do.
483
00:22:55,587 --> 00:22:58,464
- He said he was almost
ready to quit baseball.
484
00:23:02,093 --> 00:23:07,557
- People do not realize
how strong Ruth Ryan is.
485
00:23:07,849 --> 00:23:10,602
Ruth talked Nolan
outta quitting.
486
00:23:10,894 --> 00:23:13,813
She is the strength
behind Nolan.
487
00:23:16,482 --> 00:23:20,028
- I said, "Nolan, I
think you have talent.
488
00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,864
So I really wish you
would stick it out
489
00:23:23,156 --> 00:23:25,074
just a little bit longer."
490
00:23:25,366 --> 00:23:26,409
[Announcer] Ryan pitch,
491
00:23:26,701 --> 00:23:28,661
strike him out with a fastball.
492
00:23:28,953 --> 00:23:31,956
- I think Nolan was
ready to leave New York
493
00:23:32,248 --> 00:23:35,335
after the 1971 season.
494
00:23:36,961 --> 00:23:38,880
I was about seven
months pregnant.
495
00:23:39,172 --> 00:23:42,842
And he told me we're leaving
after the game is over.
496
00:23:43,134 --> 00:23:44,552
And I said, in the
middle of the night?
497
00:23:44,844 --> 00:23:46,554
And he goes, yes.
498
00:23:46,846 --> 00:23:49,807
I don't really think that
I'll be back here next year.
499
00:23:51,559 --> 00:23:53,978
In November, our son,
Reed was born.
500
00:23:54,270 --> 00:23:55,063
And two weeks later,
501
00:23:55,355 --> 00:23:56,439
I answered the phone and I said,
502
00:23:56,731 --> 00:23:58,733
"It's Bob Scheffing with
the New York Mets."
503
00:23:59,025 --> 00:24:00,777
And he just looked
at me and he said,
504
00:24:01,069 --> 00:24:02,570
"I think I'm gonna
be traded."
505
00:24:05,531 --> 00:24:10,078
[upbeat pop music]
506
00:24:10,370 --> 00:24:12,747
♪ Everybody is talking at me ♪
507
00:24:14,165 --> 00:24:16,501
♪ I don't hear a word
they're saying ♪
508
00:24:17,961 --> 00:24:22,298
♪ Only the echoes
of my mind ♪
509
00:24:25,385 --> 00:24:28,346
♪ I'm going where the
sun keeps shining ♪
510
00:24:28,721 --> 00:24:31,057
- Bob Scheffing, he was
General Manager of the Mets.
511
00:24:31,349 --> 00:24:32,809
He said, "Nolan, I just
wanted to call and tell you,
512
00:24:33,101 --> 00:24:34,477
you're going to sunny
California."
513
00:24:34,769 --> 00:24:37,230
And I thought, all right,
I'm gonna be a Dodger.
514
00:24:37,522 --> 00:24:41,442
♪ And skipping over the
ocean like a stone ♪
515
00:24:41,734 --> 00:24:43,569
"You're going to
California Angels."
516
00:24:43,861 --> 00:24:45,822
And I mean, I could've died.
517
00:24:49,325 --> 00:24:51,786
- The Angels back then,
they're a doormat.
518
00:24:52,078 --> 00:24:54,288
The redheaded stepchild
compared to the LA Dodgers,
519
00:24:54,580 --> 00:24:55,999
the marquee Dodgers.
520
00:24:56,958 --> 00:25:00,003
♪ Riding the range once more ♪
521
00:25:00,670 --> 00:25:01,838
- The highlight of being traded
522
00:25:02,130 --> 00:25:03,172
to the California Angels
523
00:25:03,464 --> 00:25:05,550
was I was gonna get
to meet Gene Autry.
524
00:25:05,842 --> 00:25:08,720
Growing up in Texas, Gene was
a big deal, you know,
525
00:25:09,012 --> 00:25:12,306
the singing cowboy and I
had watched all his movies.
526
00:25:12,598 --> 00:25:15,184
♪ I go my way ♪
527
00:25:15,476 --> 00:25:19,355
♪ Back in the saddle again ♪
528
00:25:19,647 --> 00:25:21,524
It was a really good move for me
529
00:25:21,816 --> 00:25:23,484
because I was going to a team
530
00:25:23,776 --> 00:25:25,903
that was in the
development stages
531
00:25:26,195 --> 00:25:29,323
so probably was gonna get
the pitch on a regular basis.
532
00:25:31,868 --> 00:25:38,374
[rock music]
533
00:25:38,666 --> 00:25:42,253
- The biggest thing
that changed Nolan Ryan
534
00:25:42,545 --> 00:25:45,548
into the Hall of Fame
pitcher that he is,
535
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:47,050
came when he had
a pitching coach
536
00:25:47,341 --> 00:25:49,552
by the name of Tom Morgan.
537
00:25:49,927 --> 00:25:51,012
- I never had a pitching coach
538
00:25:51,304 --> 00:25:53,306
until I got to the big leagues.
539
00:25:53,598 --> 00:25:57,101
He was the first person that
really got me thinking about
540
00:25:57,393 --> 00:25:58,853
what I had to do in my delivery
541
00:25:59,145 --> 00:26:00,730
to get more consistent.
542
00:26:01,022 --> 00:26:02,148
- Big thing with
Nolan back then,
543
00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,485
he was overthrowing and
he'd fall off the mount.
544
00:26:05,777 --> 00:26:07,320
That's the main thing
that Tom Morgan sees.
545
00:26:07,612 --> 00:26:08,946
- He stood in front of Nolan
546
00:26:09,238 --> 00:26:11,574
and made him stride out past him
547
00:26:11,866 --> 00:26:13,284
so that he didn't
spin off the ball.
548
00:26:13,576 --> 00:26:15,620
- So Nolan can't fall
through to the left
549
00:26:15,912 --> 00:26:16,996
or it'll hit Tom Morgan.
550
00:26:17,288 --> 00:26:19,499
So he straightens
out his fundamentals.
551
00:26:19,791 --> 00:26:22,293
[baseball crowd cheering]
552
00:26:22,585 --> 00:26:24,837
[Announcer] Holy cow,
what smoke.
553
00:26:25,129 --> 00:26:25,797
- It was incredible.
554
00:26:26,089 --> 00:26:27,757
It was like a
light bulb went on.
555
00:26:28,925 --> 00:26:30,760
- The three years that
Morgan was there,
556
00:26:31,052 --> 00:26:33,846
Nolan won 62 games.
557
00:26:34,138 --> 00:26:36,891
Pitched over 900 innings.
558
00:26:37,183 --> 00:26:39,894
That laid the foundation for
his whole pitching career.
559
00:26:40,186 --> 00:26:45,525
[rock music]
560
00:26:45,817 --> 00:26:47,276
- He was ready.
561
00:26:48,361 --> 00:26:49,862
Being in the background
in New York,
562
00:26:50,154 --> 00:26:52,824
the guy that couldn't get
an everyday assignment,
563
00:26:53,116 --> 00:26:53,866
it pushed him.
564
00:26:54,158 --> 00:26:55,535
Now, he saw his opportunity
565
00:26:55,827 --> 00:26:57,537
and I don't think he
was gonna pass that up.
566
00:26:57,829 --> 00:27:00,123
♪ I'm ready for you ♪
567
00:27:00,706 --> 00:27:05,294
♪ I hope you're
ready for me. ♪
568
00:27:06,295 --> 00:27:07,797
- My principal goal
is to win 20 games,
569
00:27:08,089 --> 00:27:09,173
but if I'd win 20 games
570
00:27:09,465 --> 00:27:10,633
and also set a new
strikeout record,
571
00:27:10,925 --> 00:27:12,093
I'll definitely gonna try.
572
00:27:12,385 --> 00:27:14,053
- 73, it goes ballistic.
573
00:27:16,264 --> 00:27:18,307
He wins 21 games that year.
574
00:27:20,101 --> 00:27:22,478
[baseball crowd cheering]
575
00:27:22,770 --> 00:27:24,772
- The no-hitters
came very quickly.
576
00:27:25,064 --> 00:27:27,567
- I think I was as
surprised as anyone
577
00:27:27,859 --> 00:27:28,818
that I threw a no-hitter.
578
00:27:29,110 --> 00:27:30,319
- He did it.
579
00:27:30,611 --> 00:27:32,697
Nolan Ryan has a
no-hit no-run game.
580
00:27:32,989 --> 00:27:36,492
And they swarm the 26-year-
old, Alvin, Texas native.
581
00:27:37,493 --> 00:27:39,078
- It was one of those
special nights.
582
00:27:39,370 --> 00:27:41,956
And then 60 days later,
I throw number two.
583
00:27:43,875 --> 00:27:46,085
- Some people say they
don't think about it
584
00:27:46,377 --> 00:27:49,755
but I thought about it from
probably the third inning on.
585
00:27:50,047 --> 00:27:52,091
I'm thinking, oh, he
hasn't given up any hits.
586
00:27:52,383 --> 00:27:55,178
And then, it just gets more
exciting as it builds up.
587
00:27:56,179 --> 00:27:59,348
- First seven innings,
he's got 16, 17 strikeouts.
588
00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,601
The last batter of
the game is Norm Cash.
589
00:28:01,893 --> 00:28:04,437
- I looked at him as he
walks in the batter's box
590
00:28:04,729 --> 00:28:05,646
and I didn't know what he had,
591
00:28:05,938 --> 00:28:07,481
but I knew he didn't have a bat.
592
00:28:07,773 --> 00:28:10,860
- He had taken a leg off of
a table in the clubhouse,
593
00:28:11,152 --> 00:28:13,905
came out there to bat
with this table leg.
594
00:28:14,197 --> 00:28:15,615
- I told Ron Luciano the umpire,
595
00:28:15,907 --> 00:28:17,325
he can't hit with that.
596
00:28:17,617 --> 00:28:18,868
And he said, it
doesn't matter, Ron.
597
00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:21,204
He says I can't hit him anyway.
598
00:28:21,495 --> 00:28:22,788
- Leave it to Norman
for a little levity
599
00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,125
and Ron Luciano is breaking
up behind the play.
600
00:28:27,585 --> 00:28:30,338
And the stands now
cheering for Nolan Ryan.
601
00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:31,422
Here it comes.
602
00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:34,091
He pops it up.
603
00:28:34,383 --> 00:28:36,010
A tough play.
604
00:28:37,136 --> 00:28:37,887
No hit.
605
00:28:38,179 --> 00:28:39,722
Nolan Ryan.
606
00:28:40,014 --> 00:28:42,225
Ryan has become
only the fifth man
607
00:28:42,516 --> 00:28:43,976
in modern Major League history
608
00:28:44,268 --> 00:28:48,231
to throw two no-hit no-run
games in the same season.
609
00:28:48,522 --> 00:28:50,650
And it's a standing
ovation from the fans
610
00:28:50,942 --> 00:28:52,526
in Detroit, Michigan.
611
00:28:52,818 --> 00:28:58,699
[dramatic music]
612
00:29:00,409 --> 00:29:02,453
[Announcer] Five strikeouts
for Koufax.
613
00:29:03,412 --> 00:29:05,414
Fast ball got him,
strikeout number eight.
614
00:29:05,998 --> 00:29:07,541
[Narrator] In 1965,
615
00:29:07,833 --> 00:29:11,420
Sandy Koufax set baseball
single season strikeout record
616
00:29:11,712 --> 00:29:14,048
with 382.
617
00:29:14,340 --> 00:29:16,634
No one thought it
could be broken.
618
00:29:16,926 --> 00:29:18,594
Well, having someone
to chase after
619
00:29:18,886 --> 00:29:20,846
was great motivation for Nolan.
620
00:29:21,138 --> 00:29:24,934
And in 1973, he was
hot on Sandy's heels.
621
00:29:25,643 --> 00:29:27,770
In his final start
of the season,
622
00:29:28,062 --> 00:29:30,231
Nolan was 16 strikeouts away
623
00:29:30,523 --> 00:29:32,692
from breaking his idol's record.
624
00:29:32,984 --> 00:29:35,695
[Announcer] There is 375.
625
00:29:36,362 --> 00:29:37,655
Here is the pitch to
kill over a fastball.
626
00:29:37,947 --> 00:29:38,990
Hey, good job.
627
00:29:39,282 --> 00:29:40,574
There is 380.
628
00:29:40,866 --> 00:29:41,993
- Guys are coming back and says,
629
00:29:42,285 --> 00:29:45,621
"Boys, we're in for a
tough night tonight.
630
00:29:45,913 --> 00:29:47,123
They were swinging
and missing."
631
00:29:48,249 --> 00:29:50,918
[baseball crowd cheering]
632
00:29:51,210 --> 00:29:53,170
[Announcer] One more strike
that would tie Koufax.
633
00:29:53,462 --> 00:29:55,089
Ryan straightens,
here's the pitch.
634
00:29:55,381 --> 00:29:56,424
He's got it.
635
00:29:56,716 --> 00:29:59,176
[baseball crowd cheering]
636
00:29:59,468 --> 00:30:01,637
- Ruth was at the game
with me that night.
637
00:30:01,929 --> 00:30:03,472
The end of nine innings,
the score's tied,
638
00:30:03,764 --> 00:30:05,933
he's got 15 strikeouts
for the night.
639
00:30:06,225 --> 00:30:08,227
He's tied with Koufax.
640
00:30:09,270 --> 00:30:13,065
- I had pulled my hamstring
in one of the extra innings.
641
00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,527
- He had cramps in his legs,
he could hardly walk,
642
00:30:16,819 --> 00:30:18,362
but he kept going.
643
00:30:19,238 --> 00:30:21,532
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan will
have fought into the 11th.
644
00:30:21,907 --> 00:30:23,117
[Nolan] When you talk
about pain,
645
00:30:23,409 --> 00:30:25,161
I call it discomfort.
646
00:30:25,453 --> 00:30:26,662
You learned to pitch with it.
647
00:30:26,954 --> 00:30:28,831
And that just came
with the territory.
648
00:30:29,123 --> 00:30:32,335
[Announcer] And Ryan does
not have much left.
649
00:30:35,796 --> 00:30:36,756
There goes Carew,
swing and a miss,
650
00:30:37,048 --> 00:30:38,132
the throw to second base.
651
00:30:38,424 --> 00:30:39,508
Not in time.
652
00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,136
And the crowd wanted
Carew to be safe.
653
00:30:42,428 --> 00:30:44,889
Ryan now has two
strikes on Rich Reese.
654
00:30:45,181 --> 00:30:49,852
[tense music]
655
00:30:50,144 --> 00:30:51,312
Two-strike pitch coming up.
656
00:30:51,604 --> 00:30:52,980
Ryan's set. Here it is.
657
00:30:53,272 --> 00:30:54,523
Swing and a miss!
658
00:30:55,399 --> 00:30:56,776
Nolan Ryan
659
00:30:57,068 --> 00:31:00,988
is the major league
strikeout king of all time!
660
00:31:01,447 --> 00:31:03,949
- He was letting it all
out there, all that he had.
661
00:31:04,241 --> 00:31:06,327
383, that's a lot.
662
00:31:07,119 --> 00:31:10,331
- 383 strikeouts in
the season, is,
663
00:31:10,623 --> 00:31:11,916
it's still the record, yeah.
664
00:31:12,208 --> 00:31:13,084
[Announcer] And ladies
and gentlemen,
665
00:31:13,376 --> 00:31:15,378
we have seen one of
the finest young men
666
00:31:15,669 --> 00:31:17,630
ever to wear a baseball uniform
667
00:31:17,922 --> 00:31:19,799
record one of the most
incredible records
668
00:31:20,091 --> 00:31:22,051
in Major League history.
669
00:31:22,343 --> 00:31:24,053
- It meant a lot to Nolan,
670
00:31:24,345 --> 00:31:27,056
just because of whose
record he broke.
671
00:31:27,348 --> 00:31:29,517
It was a fun night
at the ballpark.
672
00:31:30,059 --> 00:31:31,477
[Reporter] Nolan, anyone
who looks at the record books
673
00:31:31,769 --> 00:31:34,188
will find that there aren't
many left for you to conquer.
674
00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:36,399
[Nolan] [laughs]
Well, I don't give
675
00:31:36,690 --> 00:31:38,025
a whole lot of
emphasis on statistics.
676
00:31:38,317 --> 00:31:40,361
I just try to go out and
win every game I pitch in,
677
00:31:40,653 --> 00:31:42,488
and hope that I
improve every year.
678
00:31:45,449 --> 00:31:47,493
- It's 1973, he's
out on his ranch
679
00:31:47,785 --> 00:31:49,161
and he gets a call from Ruth
680
00:31:49,453 --> 00:31:52,248
that Jim Palmer won
the Cy Young Award.
681
00:31:55,292 --> 00:31:56,252
- The Cy Young Award
682
00:31:56,544 --> 00:32:00,131
is what the sports writers
vote in each league,
683
00:32:00,423 --> 00:32:03,592
what they think is the best
pitcher for that season.
684
00:32:03,884 --> 00:32:05,511
Nolan, it didn't bother him,
685
00:32:05,803 --> 00:32:07,304
but it did bother me.
686
00:32:07,721 --> 00:32:09,890
- Jim Palmer was
a great pitcher,
687
00:32:10,182 --> 00:32:12,101
but he did not
certainly outshine Ryan
688
00:32:12,393 --> 00:32:13,978
in that particular season.
689
00:32:14,270 --> 00:32:17,690
- Two no-hitters, 21 wins,
makes the strikeout record.
690
00:32:24,864 --> 00:32:25,656
- Four.
691
00:32:25,948 --> 00:32:26,740
- Cy Youngs? Four.
692
00:32:27,700 --> 00:32:28,576
- Uh, three.
693
00:32:28,868 --> 00:32:30,035
- I don't think he won any.
694
00:32:30,327 --> 00:32:30,995
It's crazy.
695
00:32:31,287 --> 00:32:32,079
- Zero?
696
00:32:32,371 --> 00:32:33,164
- You gotta be kidding.
697
00:32:33,456 --> 00:32:35,958
- Nolan Ryan never won
a Cy Young Award?
698
00:32:36,250 --> 00:32:37,168
- Well, that's a joke.
699
00:32:37,460 --> 00:32:38,586
- I thought he had won
three or four or five.
700
00:32:38,878 --> 00:32:39,795
- Yeah, I have no idea
701
00:32:40,087 --> 00:32:42,548
how Nolan didn't win
a Cy Young Award,
702
00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:43,257
because he had to be knocking
on the door for that,
703
00:32:43,549 --> 00:32:44,800
many times.
704
00:32:45,092 --> 00:32:47,178
[Announcer] Ryan winds,
and the 3-2 pitch,
705
00:32:47,470 --> 00:32:49,180
he struck him out!
706
00:32:49,472 --> 00:32:53,058
He has not allowed a Yankee
hit for seven innings.
707
00:32:53,350 --> 00:32:55,352
- It is surprising that
he's never won one,
708
00:32:55,644 --> 00:32:56,937
but I don't think that has
really tarnished his
709
00:32:57,229 --> 00:33:00,107
reputation or his legacy.
710
00:33:00,399 --> 00:33:01,942
[Announcer] Here's
Ryan's payoff pitch.
711
00:33:02,568 --> 00:33:03,652
And he walked him.
712
00:33:04,069 --> 00:33:05,863
- He led the world in walks,
713
00:33:06,155 --> 00:33:08,866
but he also led the
world in strikeouts.
714
00:33:09,158 --> 00:33:10,534
- He didn't need
a Cy Young Award
715
00:33:10,826 --> 00:33:12,453
to be the biggest thing going.
716
00:33:12,745 --> 00:33:13,954
He was Nolan Ryan,
717
00:33:14,246 --> 00:33:16,540
the guy with the Guinness
record for the fastest pitch.
718
00:33:16,832 --> 00:33:18,667
[Narrator] Some of the
smartest scientists
719
00:33:18,959 --> 00:33:20,294
west of the Rio Grande
720
00:33:20,586 --> 00:33:23,797
used some fancy equipment
to clock Nolan's fastball
721
00:33:24,089 --> 00:33:27,384
at 100.9 miles per hour.
722
00:33:28,844 --> 00:33:31,555
Using the more accurate
technology of today,
723
00:33:31,847 --> 00:33:36,852
that number really comes
out to 108.1 miles per hour.
724
00:33:37,895 --> 00:33:38,979
Yes, sir.
725
00:33:39,813 --> 00:33:41,982
The legend of the Ryan Express
726
00:33:42,274 --> 00:33:44,944
was most definitely
picking up steam.
727
00:33:45,361 --> 00:33:46,820
- His time with the Angels
728
00:33:47,112 --> 00:33:50,074
is entirely unique
in baseball history.
729
00:33:50,366 --> 00:33:52,284
Look at the numbers
that he put up.
730
00:33:52,576 --> 00:33:54,787
The strikeout numbers
in particular.
731
00:33:55,079 --> 00:33:56,497
They're unheard of.
732
00:33:56,789 --> 00:34:00,292
I don't believe there's ever
been a stretch like that.
733
00:34:03,254 --> 00:34:04,129
[Announcer] Two-strike pitch.
734
00:34:05,089 --> 00:34:06,090
Gone!
735
00:34:06,966 --> 00:34:08,175
Bye, bye.
736
00:34:08,467 --> 00:34:09,635
I tell you,
737
00:34:09,927 --> 00:34:11,512
that's gotta be a 100 mile
an hour pitch right there.
738
00:34:12,346 --> 00:34:14,473
- When you're throwing
100 miles an hour,
739
00:34:14,765 --> 00:34:15,933
you feel this sense of
740
00:34:16,225 --> 00:34:17,893
this game is right here.
741
00:34:18,185 --> 00:34:20,729
And you're right here
in the palm of my hand.
742
00:34:21,021 --> 00:34:23,774
- Nolan set the standard
for a power pitcher.
743
00:34:24,066 --> 00:34:26,610
He could throw hard,
be a fierce competitor.
744
00:34:26,902 --> 00:34:29,154
He was not afraid to
use some intimidation,
745
00:34:29,446 --> 00:34:30,823
'cause he's gonna
buzz you if he has to.
746
00:34:31,115 --> 00:34:33,075
[electric guitar surges]
747
00:34:33,367 --> 00:34:35,786
- Intimidation was
part of his game.
748
00:34:36,078 --> 00:34:39,206
He had the ability to put you
on your toes at any moment.
749
00:34:39,498 --> 00:34:40,791
- He could be conveniently wild,
750
00:34:41,083 --> 00:34:42,001
if you know what I mean.
751
00:34:42,293 --> 00:34:44,795
- He might throw one up
and in on your chin,
752
00:34:45,087 --> 00:34:47,423
and the next one would be
low and away on the corner.
753
00:34:47,715 --> 00:34:49,925
So that's conveniently wild.
754
00:34:50,217 --> 00:34:51,385
- He had that aura about him,
755
00:34:51,677 --> 00:34:53,012
that the hitter just
isn't quite sure
756
00:34:53,304 --> 00:34:54,597
where they're coming from.
757
00:34:54,888 --> 00:34:56,890
That's always a good
thing for a pitcher.
758
00:34:59,935 --> 00:35:03,606
- I used it to my
advantage when I could.
759
00:35:05,733 --> 00:35:08,819
- Throw inside. [chuckles]
760
00:35:09,987 --> 00:35:11,655
- Look out. Inside.
- Wow.
761
00:35:11,947 --> 00:35:12,865
- If you're gonna be a
successful pitcher,
762
00:35:13,157 --> 00:35:14,950
you have to pitch inside.
763
00:35:15,242 --> 00:35:16,702
I don't care how hard you throw.
764
00:35:16,994 --> 00:35:18,329
So you have to pitch in
and out, up and down,
765
00:35:18,621 --> 00:35:19,788
and move the ball
around a little bit.
766
00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,207
And he was masterful at it.
767
00:35:22,499 --> 00:35:24,084
[Announcer] High and tight
to Frank Robinson.
768
00:35:24,376 --> 00:35:27,129
- With that mindset, you're
gonna hit some people.
769
00:35:29,298 --> 00:35:30,341
- The first time I faced him,
770
00:35:30,633 --> 00:35:32,134
Jim Wohlford was
hitting ahead of me.
771
00:35:32,426 --> 00:35:34,219
And for some reason he got hit,
772
00:35:34,511 --> 00:35:36,847
and I'm seeing Wolfie
on the ground,
773
00:35:37,139 --> 00:35:37,681
trying to breathe.
774
00:35:37,973 --> 00:35:39,058
He couldn't breathe,
775
00:35:39,350 --> 00:35:40,601
and I'm going, "Oh my God,
I gotta face this guy?"
776
00:35:41,352 --> 00:35:42,936
- He drilled a guy
in the rib cage.
777
00:35:44,063 --> 00:35:46,190
I said, "Did you hit
that guy on purpose?"
778
00:35:46,482 --> 00:35:48,984
And he goes, "George,
sometimes you just have to
779
00:35:49,276 --> 00:35:51,612
take control of the
situation."
780
00:35:51,904 --> 00:35:52,696
[chuckles]
781
00:35:52,988 --> 00:35:55,282
[dramatic music]
782
00:35:55,574 --> 00:35:57,242
- He hated players
to bunt on him.
783
00:35:57,534 --> 00:36:00,204
Don't bunt on him and
don't steal on him.
784
00:36:00,496 --> 00:36:02,623
'Cause he's gonna
hit you. [laughs]
785
00:36:02,915 --> 00:36:03,832
- When you get in
that batter's box,
786
00:36:04,124 --> 00:36:05,250
and you're like toeing in,
787
00:36:05,542 --> 00:36:08,087
you know, digging that
hole, that back foot,
788
00:36:08,379 --> 00:36:09,546
and he's ready to go,
789
00:36:09,838 --> 00:36:11,423
you about to get one
in your earhole, man.
790
00:36:14,927 --> 00:36:16,929
- I didn't wanna get hit
in head by Nolan Ryan.
791
00:36:17,221 --> 00:36:18,555
Even if I had a helmet on.
792
00:36:18,847 --> 00:36:20,599
[laughs]
793
00:36:20,891 --> 00:36:23,727
- I think that summed up
how some people felt.
794
00:36:31,652 --> 00:36:33,070
[Woman] Pete, this is the shoe
we're gonna have you sign
795
00:36:33,362 --> 00:36:34,571
"The Hit King."
796
00:36:34,863 --> 00:36:37,700
And Nolan, we're gonna have
you sign "The No-hit King."
797
00:36:38,575 --> 00:36:39,993
[Nolan] You gonna
sign it right here.
798
00:36:40,285 --> 00:36:41,203
[Pete] I'm gonna sign it, right?
799
00:36:41,495 --> 00:36:42,788
[Nolan] Okay I'll sign those
[Pete] "Pete Rose."
800
00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:44,707
[Bystander] Those look like
Usain Bolt shoes, right there.
801
00:36:44,998 --> 00:36:46,500
[Nolan] They're great.
802
00:36:48,001 --> 00:36:49,128
[Nolan] Good, Bob.
803
00:36:49,420 --> 00:36:51,547
- This is as close as
I wanna be to this guy.
804
00:36:51,839 --> 00:36:53,215
- Oh, you love me, Pete.
805
00:36:54,174 --> 00:36:56,260
I'm gonna go down and
say hi to some folks.
806
00:36:56,552 --> 00:36:57,511
[Pete] Well, you're
from Texas, you got to.
807
00:36:57,803 --> 00:36:58,721
- Yeah, I'll see you down there.
808
00:36:59,012 --> 00:36:59,847
[Pete] You own this ballpark,
809
00:37:00,139 --> 00:37:01,598
you got to.
[Nolan laughs]
810
00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:10,691
[Emcee] Let's bring
him up to the stage.
811
00:37:10,983 --> 00:37:12,192
I'm gonna turn it
over to him and Pete.
812
00:37:12,484 --> 00:37:13,819
Mr. Nolan Ryan, come on up.
813
00:37:14,111 --> 00:37:16,989
[crowd cheers,
whistles, and applauds]
814
00:37:17,281 --> 00:37:19,074
[Pete laughs]
815
00:37:19,366 --> 00:37:20,993
- It was the fifth
game of the playoffs.
816
00:37:21,285 --> 00:37:22,494
And I was pitching that day,
817
00:37:22,786 --> 00:37:25,247
and I went out and
take batting practice.
818
00:37:25,539 --> 00:37:26,707
Pete was down there
and I got in the cage
819
00:37:26,999 --> 00:37:28,292
and took my swings.
820
00:37:28,584 --> 00:37:31,170
And when I was walking
out, he goes, "Hey, Nolan."
821
00:37:31,462 --> 00:37:32,463
I go, "Yeah, Pete?"
822
00:37:32,755 --> 00:37:34,965
He says, "I wish you'd get
that curve ball of yours
823
00:37:35,257 --> 00:37:37,301
over just one time."
824
00:37:37,593 --> 00:37:39,762
And I go, "Yeah?
Why is that, Pete?"
825
00:37:40,053 --> 00:37:40,929
And he says, "'Cause
I'm gonna hit it
826
00:37:41,221 --> 00:37:42,848
off your blanking forehead."
827
00:37:43,140 --> 00:37:44,475
[crowd laughs]
828
00:37:44,767 --> 00:37:47,478
I thought, "Well,
we'll see about that."
829
00:37:47,770 --> 00:37:49,396
So the first two
times up in the game,
830
00:37:49,688 --> 00:37:51,982
I got him out on fast balls.
831
00:37:52,274 --> 00:37:53,150
Third time up,
832
00:37:53,442 --> 00:37:55,736
I figured now's the time
to throw my curve ball.
833
00:37:56,028 --> 00:37:58,363
And as soon as I released it,
and he read curve ball,
834
00:37:58,655 --> 00:38:01,033
his eyes lit up like stars.
835
00:38:01,325 --> 00:38:03,160
And he hit the most
vicious line drive
836
00:38:03,452 --> 00:38:05,579
that would've hit
me right in the face
837
00:38:05,871 --> 00:38:06,872
if I hadn't got my glove up.
838
00:38:07,164 --> 00:38:09,166
It hit off the heel of
my glove, fell down,
839
00:38:09,458 --> 00:38:10,459
I picked it up
and threw him out.
840
00:38:10,751 --> 00:38:12,085
And he was running
to first base,
841
00:38:12,377 --> 00:38:13,712
pointing at me the whole time.
842
00:38:14,004 --> 00:38:17,674
[crowd laughs]
843
00:38:17,966 --> 00:38:18,759
[Emcee] Do you
remember that story
844
00:38:19,051 --> 00:38:20,093
the same way he told it?
845
00:38:20,385 --> 00:38:21,470
- Yes. Yes.
846
00:38:21,762 --> 00:38:23,555
Yeah, I don't have as
many records as him.
847
00:38:23,847 --> 00:38:25,015
How many records you got?
848
00:38:25,307 --> 00:38:26,183
[Emcee] 51? 51.
849
00:38:26,475 --> 00:38:27,267
[Pete] 51?
850
00:38:28,685 --> 00:38:33,690
[laughing]
851
00:38:36,068 --> 00:38:36,944
[Reporter] Of course you
have three no-hitters
852
00:38:37,236 --> 00:38:38,237
to your credit,
853
00:38:38,529 --> 00:38:39,404
which is another
tremendous accomplishment
854
00:38:39,696 --> 00:38:41,365
at the young age, just
how old are you now?
855
00:38:41,657 --> 00:38:42,783
[Nolan] I'm 28.
856
00:38:43,075 --> 00:38:44,117
[Reporter] Oh my God,
you're still a spring chicken.
857
00:38:44,409 --> 00:38:46,203
[Nolan] Ha ha, well, I hope so.
858
00:38:46,495 --> 00:38:47,913
[Narrator] At that time,
859
00:38:48,205 --> 00:38:52,334
only four pitchers in history
had three or more no-hitters.
860
00:38:52,626 --> 00:38:56,129
Nolan threw three
in just 16 months.
861
00:38:56,421 --> 00:38:59,007
I mean, this was
mind-boggling stuff.
862
00:38:59,299 --> 00:39:01,718
But he wasn't satisfied yet.
863
00:39:02,010 --> 00:39:05,848
In 1975, the chase of
his idol continued.
864
00:39:06,139 --> 00:39:08,809
- Sandy had the record at four.
865
00:39:09,101 --> 00:39:10,769
Once I got number three,
866
00:39:11,061 --> 00:39:14,481
I was in hopes that I
could accomplish that too.
867
00:39:16,233 --> 00:39:19,528
- June 1st, 1975, he
can't get out of bed.
868
00:39:19,820 --> 00:39:21,196
He can't move his arm.
869
00:39:21,488 --> 00:39:22,531
He can't brush his teeth.
870
00:39:22,823 --> 00:39:23,949
He can't tie his shoes.
871
00:39:24,241 --> 00:39:25,701
Ruth has to do it for him.
872
00:39:25,993 --> 00:39:28,203
- I developed bone
chips in my elbow.
873
00:39:28,495 --> 00:39:29,663
Those chips would move around
874
00:39:29,955 --> 00:39:31,081
and they would get in the joint
875
00:39:31,373 --> 00:39:33,083
and then keep me from extending.
876
00:39:33,375 --> 00:39:34,459
- He's slated to start
a Sunday day game
877
00:39:34,751 --> 00:39:36,587
versus Baltimore Orioles.
878
00:39:36,879 --> 00:39:37,963
I'm bat boy that day.
879
00:39:38,255 --> 00:39:42,259
- Well, evidently I warmed up
and it, it all worked out.
880
00:39:43,051 --> 00:39:44,553
[Announcer] There's no
one at the exit today,
881
00:39:44,845 --> 00:39:46,221
they're watching
Ryan and cheering.
882
00:39:46,513 --> 00:39:48,515
Many of them on their feet now,
883
00:39:48,807 --> 00:39:50,475
a no-hitter on the line.
884
00:39:52,436 --> 00:39:54,479
- The top of the ninth inning,
I was third up, and I went,
885
00:39:54,771 --> 00:39:57,941
"Oh, oh, I could be the last
out here for the no-hitter."
886
00:39:58,233 --> 00:40:00,485
[Announcer] Ryan, two balls,
two strikes, the count.
887
00:40:00,777 --> 00:40:02,154
Two outs in the ninth innings.
888
00:40:02,446 --> 00:40:05,324
[dramatic music]
889
00:40:05,616 --> 00:40:08,035
- Throwing two fast balls
and he fouled them off.
890
00:40:09,244 --> 00:40:11,455
[Announcer] And Rich is
making it tough on everyone.
891
00:40:11,747 --> 00:40:13,457
- So I'm looking fastball
and he threw it
892
00:40:13,749 --> 00:40:15,000
and I saw it coming,
and I stepped out,
893
00:40:15,292 --> 00:40:16,460
but it never got there.
894
00:40:16,752 --> 00:40:19,171
I'm going [gags] and he
threw a two-two change up.
895
00:40:19,463 --> 00:40:21,423
[suspenseful music]
896
00:40:21,715 --> 00:40:23,675
[Announcer] The two-two
pitch. Change.
897
00:40:23,967 --> 00:40:26,053
[suspenseful music]
898
00:40:26,345 --> 00:40:27,512
- I had no chance.
899
00:40:27,804 --> 00:40:29,681
I mean, that was the last
thing in the world I expected
900
00:40:29,973 --> 00:40:32,726
in the ninth inning,
was his third best pitch.
901
00:40:33,018 --> 00:40:34,603
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan
[indistinct].
902
00:40:37,230 --> 00:40:38,607
You know, you tip
your hat and you go,
903
00:40:38,899 --> 00:40:40,067
"Nolan, nice going, buddy.
904
00:40:40,359 --> 00:40:42,486
But I guess I'm in the
record book too." [chuckles]
905
00:40:42,778 --> 00:40:46,073
[dramatic music]
906
00:40:49,034 --> 00:40:51,787
[Ruth] We never
thought about fame.
907
00:40:52,454 --> 00:40:53,997
I think after the no-hitters,
908
00:40:54,289 --> 00:40:57,000
he became more famous.
909
00:40:57,292 --> 00:40:58,794
[Nolan] I think at times
you like being recognized
910
00:40:59,086 --> 00:41:00,796
and other times you don't.
911
00:41:01,088 --> 00:41:02,631
You have to accept the fact that
912
00:41:02,923 --> 00:41:04,800
it comes with the territory.
913
00:41:05,092 --> 00:41:08,011
[Ruth] I would cope with
that sometimes with women.
914
00:41:08,303 --> 00:41:09,638
Like, some woman would come up
915
00:41:09,930 --> 00:41:13,225
and she'd hand me
her camera and say,
916
00:41:13,517 --> 00:41:14,643
"Here, take our
picture," you know?
917
00:41:14,935 --> 00:41:17,104
And then she'd go
give Nolan a big hug.
918
00:41:17,396 --> 00:41:21,066
So you get that feeling that
you're sort of invisible.
919
00:41:22,484 --> 00:41:26,238
The longer he played there,
it became a lot tougher,
920
00:41:26,530 --> 00:41:27,280
I guess, for me,
921
00:41:27,572 --> 00:41:30,200
as far as dealing with the fame.
922
00:41:30,492 --> 00:41:33,161
I was trying to raise three
little kids at the time.
923
00:41:34,496 --> 00:41:36,748
[Nolan] I don't know
that when you have a child
924
00:41:37,040 --> 00:41:40,502
that you're really prepared
for that responsibility
925
00:41:40,794 --> 00:41:43,839
and the impact that
it has on your life.
926
00:41:44,131 --> 00:41:47,551
Obviously, kids make
your life more complete.
927
00:41:47,843 --> 00:41:50,595
You grow into that and
you develop that ability
928
00:41:50,887 --> 00:41:54,433
and the care and love that
you experience for a child.
929
00:41:54,725 --> 00:42:01,398
[somber music]
930
00:42:01,690 --> 00:42:04,234
It's worst kind of
phone call you can get,
931
00:42:04,526 --> 00:42:06,987
that something happened
to one of your children.
932
00:42:08,947 --> 00:42:11,908
To make it even worse is
that you're not there.
933
00:42:13,952 --> 00:42:14,995
It was one of the worst things
934
00:42:15,287 --> 00:42:17,581
that had happened in our lives.
935
00:42:17,873 --> 00:42:21,168
[somber music]
936
00:42:21,460 --> 00:42:25,005
[Ruth] It was May the
ninth of 1979.
937
00:42:25,297 --> 00:42:29,634
Reed was seven years old.
938
00:42:29,926 --> 00:42:32,387
I was out in the yard with
the two and three-year-old
939
00:42:32,679 --> 00:42:35,432
while Reed was across the
street playing baseball.
940
00:42:35,724 --> 00:42:38,351
Kids were teasing him about
his little baseball shirt.
941
00:42:38,643 --> 00:42:39,936
They were gonna
take his shirt away.
942
00:42:40,228 --> 00:42:43,648
And so he was running
back to our yard.
943
00:42:43,940 --> 00:42:46,026
Of course, he didn't look, and
this girl turned the corner
944
00:42:46,318 --> 00:42:47,569
and he ran out in the street,
945
00:42:47,861 --> 00:42:49,196
right when she turned
into the neighborhood
946
00:42:49,488 --> 00:42:51,490
and knocked him up in the air.
947
00:42:51,782 --> 00:42:54,493
[somber music]
948
00:42:54,785 --> 00:42:57,370
Reed said, "Mom,
am I gonna die?"
949
00:42:57,662 --> 00:42:59,206
That was what he said to me.
950
00:42:59,498 --> 00:43:01,917
So that, just like, tore me up.
951
00:43:05,003 --> 00:43:14,262
[somber music]
952
00:43:14,554 --> 00:43:16,681
I called the ballpark in Boston
953
00:43:16,973 --> 00:43:18,850
because that's where
Nolan was playing.
954
00:43:22,020 --> 00:43:23,605
When I heard Nolan's voice,
955
00:43:23,897 --> 00:43:25,774
I just broke down in tears.
956
00:43:26,066 --> 00:43:28,318
And I was like, hah, you know,
957
00:43:28,610 --> 00:43:29,945
I still wanna cry.
958
00:43:31,863 --> 00:43:35,575
He lost a kidney and
959
00:43:35,867 --> 00:43:37,119
he lost spleen,
960
00:43:38,453 --> 00:43:40,956
but he recovered
from everything.
961
00:43:43,834 --> 00:43:47,796
[Reid] I left that experience
feeling blessed to be alive,
962
00:43:48,088 --> 00:43:52,759
blessed to be able-bodied still.
963
00:43:53,051 --> 00:43:54,386
Really, from that moment on,
964
00:43:54,678 --> 00:43:56,263
I just decided that I
was gonna be positive
965
00:43:56,555 --> 00:43:58,765
the rest of my life because
every day is a gift.
966
00:43:59,057 --> 00:44:02,519
[somber music]
967
00:44:02,811 --> 00:44:04,813
[Nolan] That kinda
reaffirmed my feelings
968
00:44:05,105 --> 00:44:08,275
about hoping that I could
pitch closer to home.
969
00:44:08,567 --> 00:44:12,946
[somber music]
970
00:44:13,238 --> 00:44:14,197
I grew up as a Texan.
971
00:44:14,489 --> 00:44:15,282
I am a Texan,
972
00:44:15,574 --> 00:44:16,783
and I'm proud to be a Texan.
973
00:44:17,075 --> 00:44:19,119
And there's a mystique about it.
974
00:44:19,411 --> 00:44:20,871
It's in my blood.
975
00:44:23,206 --> 00:44:27,669
[country music]
976
00:44:27,961 --> 00:44:29,379
- When we left Anaheim
for the last time,
977
00:44:29,671 --> 00:44:31,256
dad had a single-cab
pickup truck
978
00:44:31,548 --> 00:44:34,551
and we rode from
Anaheim to Alvin
979
00:44:34,843 --> 00:44:38,722
which is like 24-hour drive
in the bed of the truck.
980
00:44:39,014 --> 00:44:41,558
That was before seat belt
laws and and everything else.
981
00:44:41,850 --> 00:44:43,560
We had one of those
sliding glass windows.
982
00:44:43,852 --> 00:44:45,562
And so Reed and I could
crawl back and forth
983
00:44:45,854 --> 00:44:48,356
between, you know, being
in the front with my dad
984
00:44:48,648 --> 00:44:49,774
and being in the
back with the dogs
985
00:44:50,066 --> 00:44:52,402
and these green army men
that he had bought us.
986
00:44:52,694 --> 00:44:54,237
We thought it was the
greatest thing in the world.
987
00:44:57,157 --> 00:44:58,116
[Narrator] Wanting to come home
988
00:44:58,408 --> 00:45:01,745
was one of the reasons
Nolan left the Angels,
989
00:45:02,037 --> 00:45:03,496
but that's not the whole story.
990
00:45:06,374 --> 00:45:09,628
During contract
negotiations in 79,
991
00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:11,129
the top brass at Anaheim
992
00:45:11,421 --> 00:45:14,758
thought Nolan was getting a
bit too big for his britches.
993
00:45:15,050 --> 00:45:16,635
With the general manager,
Buzzie Bavasi,
994
00:45:16,927 --> 00:45:18,470
even saying in the press,
995
00:45:18,762 --> 00:45:19,679
he could just sign two
996
00:45:19,971 --> 00:45:22,224
eight and seven pitchers
to replace Nolan
997
00:45:22,515 --> 00:45:24,643
who was 16 and 14 that season.
998
00:45:26,436 --> 00:45:28,104
Talk about a slap in the face.
999
00:45:29,105 --> 00:45:30,607
Undervalued again.
1000
00:45:32,108 --> 00:45:35,737
Well, one team's loss
was another team's gain.
1001
00:45:38,698 --> 00:45:41,201
[Barry] Nolan had
a manifest destiny
1002
00:45:41,493 --> 00:45:44,037
of finishing his
career in Texas,
1003
00:45:44,329 --> 00:45:47,958
and no better place
than 35 miles away
1004
00:45:48,250 --> 00:45:50,585
from where he played
high school ball
1005
00:45:50,877 --> 00:45:52,921
and fell in love with Ruth.
1006
00:45:53,672 --> 00:45:55,257
[Narrator] Nolan signed
a free-agent contract
1007
00:45:55,548 --> 00:45:56,841
with the Houston Astros
1008
00:45:57,133 --> 00:46:00,762
to become baseball's
first million-dollar man.
1009
00:46:01,054 --> 00:46:04,015
And not just in baseball,
in any sport,
1010
00:46:04,307 --> 00:46:05,141
period.
1011
00:46:05,892 --> 00:46:09,646
- He said, "Well, if they
got the money,
1012
00:46:09,938 --> 00:46:11,815
I'll be more than
happy to take it."
1013
00:46:13,608 --> 00:46:16,236
- He broke the barrier,
started players actually
1014
00:46:16,528 --> 00:46:18,738
getting paid what they
really deserved.
1015
00:46:19,030 --> 00:46:21,199
And I tip my hat to him.
1016
00:46:21,491 --> 00:46:22,450
Thank you, Noley.
1017
00:46:22,742 --> 00:46:23,994
[Don] It was a big number.
1018
00:46:24,286 --> 00:46:27,414
And in those days it
got a lot of attention.
1019
00:46:27,706 --> 00:46:30,333
But I think because
it was Nolan Ryan,
1020
00:46:30,625 --> 00:46:31,793
it was not a,
1021
00:46:32,085 --> 00:46:34,921
"Gosh, this athlete's being
paid more than his worth."
1022
00:46:35,213 --> 00:46:36,464
Whatever you would've paid him,
1023
00:46:36,756 --> 00:46:39,384
you've said, "Hey
this guy's worth it."
1024
00:46:44,889 --> 00:46:46,099
[audience cheering]
1025
00:46:46,391 --> 00:46:47,976
[Enos] When I first
got here in 75,
1026
00:46:48,268 --> 00:46:49,519
we couldn't beat anybody.
1027
00:46:49,811 --> 00:46:51,271
And then the atmosphere
started to change
1028
00:46:51,563 --> 00:46:52,355
and we started to win.
1029
00:46:52,647 --> 00:46:54,065
We thought we could win.
1030
00:46:54,357 --> 00:46:56,109
And then when we got Nolan,
1031
00:46:56,401 --> 00:46:58,153
we weren't afraid of anybody.
1032
00:47:00,363 --> 00:47:02,240
[Craig] As important as
pitching is in baseball,
1033
00:47:02,532 --> 00:47:03,825
it is, the first game
Nolan pitched
1034
00:47:04,117 --> 00:47:05,744
was not about his pitching.
1035
00:47:06,036 --> 00:47:08,621
[Pete] I bet there's one
thing Nolan ever talked about,
1036
00:47:08,913 --> 00:47:11,082
his batting average.
1037
00:47:11,374 --> 00:47:12,751
[chuckles] And I don't
think he liked to hear it.
1038
00:47:15,587 --> 00:47:17,088
[Alan] I was the base
runner in second base
1039
00:47:17,380 --> 00:47:20,050
and I [chuckles] thought,
"You gotta be kidding me."
1040
00:47:20,342 --> 00:47:22,552
[audience cheering]
[upbeat music]
1041
00:47:22,844 --> 00:47:24,512
Nolan Ryan just hit a home run.
1042
00:47:24,804 --> 00:47:26,598
- And he couldn't hit.
[laughs]
1043
00:47:26,890 --> 00:47:28,183
- Somebody told you it
was coming, Noley.
1044
00:47:29,517 --> 00:47:30,894
[Enos] And it him
took about a hour
1045
00:47:31,186 --> 00:47:33,104
to get around the bases
because he wasn't fast.
1046
00:47:33,396 --> 00:47:35,065
[fans cheering]
1047
00:47:35,357 --> 00:47:37,067
[Ruth] They thought, "Oh gee,
this guy can pitch and hit."
1048
00:47:37,359 --> 00:47:38,985
You know? [laughs]
1049
00:47:39,277 --> 00:47:40,236
Not.
1050
00:47:40,528 --> 00:47:42,572
His lifetime batting averages.
1051
00:47:42,864 --> 00:47:45,658
- Somebody brought it to my
attention that it was 1-10.
1052
00:47:45,950 --> 00:47:47,285
That's not good for anybody.
1053
00:47:47,952 --> 00:47:49,204
[Barry] Nolan, as poorly
as you hit,
1054
00:47:49,496 --> 00:47:50,747
they could put a Saturn rocket
1055
00:47:51,039 --> 00:47:52,749
from our friends down at NASA,
and still may not help you.
1056
00:47:53,041 --> 00:47:55,377
- Yeah, but if I ever
make contact, Barry.
1057
00:47:55,668 --> 00:47:57,379
- Hair will grow on my head.
1058
00:47:57,670 --> 00:47:59,089
[chuckles] I doubt it.
1059
00:47:59,381 --> 00:48:00,340
- Say goodbye, Nolan.
1060
00:48:00,632 --> 00:48:02,008
- Chirp. All right.
1061
00:48:02,300 --> 00:48:03,301
See you later.
1062
00:48:07,389 --> 00:48:08,807
[Roger] A friend of a friend
1063
00:48:09,099 --> 00:48:11,851
knew a person that worked the
back gate in the Astrodome.
1064
00:48:12,143 --> 00:48:13,561
- Go, Nolan.
1065
00:48:13,853 --> 00:48:15,021
[Roger] I was only
allowed to go in
1066
00:48:15,313 --> 00:48:16,481
when Nolan was pitching.
1067
00:48:16,773 --> 00:48:19,067
I snuck in to just
watch him warm up.
1068
00:48:20,235 --> 00:48:21,861
Nolan's throwing a 93, 95,
1069
00:48:22,153 --> 00:48:23,488
it sounds like 105.
1070
00:48:23,780 --> 00:48:25,115
- You could hear the ball,
1071
00:48:25,407 --> 00:48:26,866
it sounded like bacon
in a frying pan.
1072
00:48:27,158 --> 00:48:29,619
- You'd hear that sizzle
[sss-pow],
1073
00:48:29,911 --> 00:48:31,246
hitting that glove.
1074
00:48:31,955 --> 00:48:33,623
- Nolan's fastball,
1075
00:48:33,915 --> 00:48:35,917
there was no other
sound like it.
1076
00:48:36,209 --> 00:48:37,127
[fss] You could hear it.
1077
00:48:37,419 --> 00:48:38,336
- Whoosh.
1078
00:48:38,628 --> 00:48:40,839
- Whoo-pop. It just
come in there, [pop].
1079
00:48:41,131 --> 00:48:41,923
- Phuh.
1080
00:48:42,215 --> 00:48:43,299
Phuh.
1081
00:48:43,591 --> 00:48:50,932
[upbeat music]
1082
00:48:51,224 --> 00:48:52,976
[Announcer] Career
strikeout number 3,000.
1083
00:48:53,268 --> 00:48:54,269
♪ Tell me can you feel it ♪
1084
00:48:54,561 --> 00:48:55,854
♪ Tell me can you feel it ♪
1085
00:48:56,146 --> 00:48:57,564
♪ Tell me can you feel it ♪
1086
00:48:58,481 --> 00:48:59,983
♪ The heat is on ♪
1087
00:49:00,984 --> 00:49:01,693
♪ Yeah ♪
1088
00:49:01,985 --> 00:49:03,445
♪ The heat is on ♪
1089
00:49:03,736 --> 00:49:05,113
[Announcer]
Strike three called.
1090
00:49:05,405 --> 00:49:06,489
And there's the record-breaker.
1091
00:49:06,781 --> 00:49:07,949
♪ Burnin' burnin' burnin' ♪
1092
00:49:08,241 --> 00:49:09,492
♪ It's on the streets ♪
1093
00:49:09,784 --> 00:49:12,912
[Announcer] Strikeout number
4,000 for Nolan Ryan.
1094
00:49:13,204 --> 00:49:14,414
♪ The heat is on ♪
1095
00:49:14,706 --> 00:49:16,666
[Randy] Hitters that faced
him, they were gonna say,
1096
00:49:16,958 --> 00:49:19,878
"Facing him on a day where
he's got 100 mile an hour
1097
00:49:20,170 --> 00:49:23,548
fastball and a curve ball
that was 12 to 6,"
1098
00:49:25,091 --> 00:49:25,758
♪ On. ♪
1099
00:49:26,050 --> 00:49:27,010
"It was no fun."
1100
00:49:27,302 --> 00:49:29,179
- He threw a lot
of bastard pitches.
1101
00:49:29,471 --> 00:49:31,014
Guy makes a great pitch,
1102
00:49:31,306 --> 00:49:32,807
we call him a bastard.
1103
00:49:33,558 --> 00:49:34,726
[Dave] You have
to look fastball.
1104
00:49:35,018 --> 00:49:37,812
And then when that curve
comes in there,
1105
00:49:38,104 --> 00:49:40,732
jelly leg, you know, they
call it, you know, oh-ho.
1106
00:49:41,024 --> 00:49:42,317
[George] If Nolan Ryan
was on his game,
1107
00:49:42,609 --> 00:49:44,068
and he had that
curve ball working--
1108
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:45,111
[Announcer] Look at that.
1109
00:49:45,403 --> 00:49:47,071
- You're not gonna hit that.
1110
00:49:47,363 --> 00:49:48,406
You're not gonna hit it.
1111
00:49:48,698 --> 00:49:50,074
If he was getting that over,
it's goodnight, Irene.
1112
00:49:54,454 --> 00:49:56,539
[Announcer] We're looking
at the top of the Astrodome.
1113
00:49:56,831 --> 00:49:58,791
Here in Houston they
refer to the Astrodome
1114
00:49:59,083 --> 00:50:00,543
as the Eighth Wonder of
the World.
1115
00:50:00,835 --> 00:50:01,878
And this afternoon,
1116
00:50:02,170 --> 00:50:04,297
the Dodgers and the
Houston Astros.
1117
00:50:04,589 --> 00:50:06,925
It'll be Nolan Ryan
against Ted Power.
1118
00:50:08,468 --> 00:50:11,304
- I keep the video on my phone.
1119
00:50:11,596 --> 00:50:12,639
[Interviewer] Can you play it?
1120
00:50:16,559 --> 00:50:18,937
[on phone] Since walking
Landreaux in the third inning,
1121
00:50:19,229 --> 00:50:20,939
here's the pitch on
the way to Scioscia.
1122
00:50:21,231 --> 00:50:23,525
Fly ball to right center
field and he hit it deep.
1123
00:50:25,610 --> 00:50:27,362
[Announcer] And Nolan Ryan,
along with Sandy Koufax,
1124
00:50:27,654 --> 00:50:28,696
only two men in baseball history
1125
00:50:28,988 --> 00:50:30,615
to have pitched four no-hitters.
1126
00:50:30,907 --> 00:50:32,909
- I guess I'd really
gotten to where I thought
1127
00:50:33,201 --> 00:50:36,663
the no-hit aspect of my
career was probably behind me.
1128
00:50:37,163 --> 00:50:39,249
- He hasn't had a
no-hitter in six years.
1129
00:50:39,541 --> 00:50:41,209
[Announcer] Ballgame
just underway.
1130
00:50:42,126 --> 00:50:44,045
Overhead curve ball gets him.
1131
00:50:44,337 --> 00:50:45,255
Three, two to Scioscia.
1132
00:50:45,547 --> 00:50:46,256
Curve ball!
1133
00:50:46,548 --> 00:50:47,465
Oh, that got him!
1134
00:50:47,757 --> 00:50:48,800
Three strikeouts
and every one of them
1135
00:50:49,092 --> 00:50:50,802
been on big up with Charlie.
1136
00:50:54,389 --> 00:50:57,642
Nolan Ryan, gets strike
out number eight.
1137
00:50:58,309 --> 00:50:59,978
So he will go into
the sixth inning,
1138
00:51:00,270 --> 00:51:01,896
still with a no-hitter
in his sight.
1139
00:51:04,983 --> 00:51:06,484
- Oftentimes, you'd
come back to the dugout
1140
00:51:06,776 --> 00:51:07,819
and guys would be saying,
1141
00:51:08,111 --> 00:51:08,778
"Is he gonna get one tonight?
1142
00:51:09,070 --> 00:51:09,654
Is this it?
1143
00:51:09,946 --> 00:51:11,114
Has he got it?"
1144
00:51:11,406 --> 00:51:13,908
It had no chance to talk with
Nolan in-between innings.
1145
00:51:14,200 --> 00:51:16,202
It was taboo to even
approach a guy,
1146
00:51:16,494 --> 00:51:18,955
especially if his uniform
said Ryan on the back.
1147
00:51:19,247 --> 00:51:21,291
- The pitcher don't
wanna hear that.
1148
00:51:21,583 --> 00:51:22,834
You already know that
he pitching a no-hitter,
1149
00:51:23,126 --> 00:51:24,669
so don't mention it.
1150
00:51:24,961 --> 00:51:25,962
Stay quiet.
1151
00:51:26,254 --> 00:51:27,463
- You don't wanna
put the curse on him.
1152
00:51:27,755 --> 00:51:28,673
[Announcer] Cruz!
1153
00:51:28,965 --> 00:51:29,924
[Jose Cruz, Sr] And be
there, you know.
1154
00:51:30,216 --> 00:51:31,551
Somebody throwing
like a no-hitter,
1155
00:51:31,843 --> 00:51:32,969
you playing the outfield.
1156
00:51:33,261 --> 00:51:35,888
Sometimes you say my God,
I gotta be ready.
1157
00:51:36,180 --> 00:51:37,515
I gotta try to make a good play.
1158
00:51:37,807 --> 00:51:38,933
[Announcer] There has
not been a ball hit hard
1159
00:51:39,225 --> 00:51:40,893
off Nolan Ryan in
this ball game.
1160
00:51:41,185 --> 00:51:42,395
[crowd cheers]
1161
00:51:42,687 --> 00:51:44,188
[Announcer] Get deep,
the right center field!
1162
00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:46,232
Puhl going back.
1163
00:51:46,524 --> 00:51:47,567
[crowd cheers]
1164
00:51:47,859 --> 00:51:49,569
[Announcer] He makes the catch!
1165
00:51:49,861 --> 00:51:51,988
- Remember catching the ball
with my glove just to
1166
00:51:52,280 --> 00:51:55,491
scoop it up, to hold it
in the glove at the end.
1167
00:51:55,783 --> 00:51:57,619
And for me, that was
a good play.
1168
00:51:57,910 --> 00:51:58,828
[laughs]
1169
00:51:59,120 --> 00:52:00,455
[Announcer] And that's the
closest they've come
1170
00:52:00,747 --> 00:52:02,040
to breaking a no-hitter.
1171
00:52:02,332 --> 00:52:04,208
- And often times, there
is one play that propels
1172
00:52:04,500 --> 00:52:05,835
a no-hitter to its finish.
1173
00:52:06,127 --> 00:52:07,378
[crowd cheers]
1174
00:52:07,670 --> 00:52:09,005
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan goes
out here in the ninth inning
1175
00:52:09,297 --> 00:52:10,423
to try to nail down
the three outs
1176
00:52:10,715 --> 00:52:11,633
that give him the no-hitter.
1177
00:52:12,759 --> 00:52:14,469
- Dusty Baker comes up.
1178
00:52:14,761 --> 00:52:16,054
All the players,
we had butterflies.
1179
00:52:16,346 --> 00:52:17,263
We're all nervous.
1180
00:52:17,555 --> 00:52:19,557
I'm thinking to myself,
I hope he hits it to,
1181
00:52:19,849 --> 00:52:20,850
you know, Craig Reynolds
at short
1182
00:52:21,142 --> 00:52:22,393
instead of me or whatever.
1183
00:52:23,561 --> 00:52:24,729
[smack]
1184
00:52:25,647 --> 00:52:26,522
[Announcer] This may be it!
1185
00:52:26,814 --> 00:52:27,690
- He has got it.
1186
00:52:27,982 --> 00:52:28,941
[crowd cheers]
1187
00:52:29,233 --> 00:52:30,193
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan!
1188
00:52:30,485 --> 00:52:31,778
No-hitter number five!
1189
00:52:32,070 --> 00:52:35,031
[crowd cheers]
1190
00:52:35,323 --> 00:52:37,241
- I was so happy
I made the play,
1191
00:52:37,533 --> 00:52:38,868
and did it for Nolan.
1192
00:52:40,161 --> 00:52:41,621
- I have this, these
moments that are just
1193
00:52:41,913 --> 00:52:44,415
they're frozen in time.
1194
00:52:44,707 --> 00:52:46,584
You see those and it's really
cool to remember 'em,
1195
00:52:46,876 --> 00:52:48,086
probably just, especially
when it's somebody
1196
00:52:48,378 --> 00:52:50,088
that's your friend and
you're so excited for them.
1197
00:52:50,380 --> 00:52:51,547
You see it's a part
of history they gave
1198
00:52:51,839 --> 00:52:53,216
and you think I got
to be a part of that.
1199
00:52:53,508 --> 00:52:54,592
How cool is that?
1200
00:52:54,884 --> 00:52:56,844
[Announcer] The first
man ever to pitch
1201
00:52:57,136 --> 00:52:59,305
five career no-hitters.
1202
00:53:00,431 --> 00:53:03,226
- He's beat Sandy Koufax
and his legend stature
1203
00:53:03,518 --> 00:53:04,560
just went up a notch.
1204
00:53:04,852 --> 00:53:09,232
[crowd cheers]
1205
00:53:09,524 --> 00:53:10,900
[Announcer] Mrs. Ryan,
have you seen all of oth-
1206
00:53:11,192 --> 00:53:12,443
Nolan's other, uh no-hitters?
1207
00:53:12,735 --> 00:53:14,237
- No, this is the first one.
1208
00:53:14,529 --> 00:53:15,363
[crowd cheers]
1209
00:53:15,655 --> 00:53:17,407
- It wasn't just a no-hitter.
1210
00:53:17,699 --> 00:53:21,035
It was a no-hitter
by a hometown kid.
1211
00:53:21,452 --> 00:53:26,499
He would always shine the
spotlight on a teammate.
1212
00:53:29,460 --> 00:53:32,755
- I'm sitting in front of
my locker and Nolan
1213
00:53:33,047 --> 00:53:36,259
shows up and I'm looking
at him and he says,
1214
00:53:36,551 --> 00:53:38,136
TP, nice catch.
1215
00:53:38,428 --> 00:53:42,056
He's got all this stuff going
on with him and he had the,
1216
00:53:42,348 --> 00:53:45,643
the reserve in him to, to come
over to my locker and say,
1217
00:53:45,935 --> 00:53:48,271
hey nice catch, 10 minutes
after the ball game.
1218
00:53:48,563 --> 00:53:50,314
I was like, I mean
that's, that's,
1219
00:53:50,606 --> 00:53:51,983
that's pretty special.
1220
00:53:52,275 --> 00:53:53,901
- Terry Puhl, a long
way to go for it,
1221
00:53:54,193 --> 00:53:56,279
making a running
catch for the out.
1222
00:53:56,571 --> 00:53:57,613
[indistinct]
1223
00:53:57,905 --> 00:53:59,323
[laughs]
1224
00:54:01,325 --> 00:54:03,327
- But that's the play.
1225
00:54:06,080 --> 00:54:08,082
- When Nolan came to the Astros,
1226
00:54:08,374 --> 00:54:10,668
we were now big
kids on the block.
1227
00:54:13,129 --> 00:54:16,799
[Announcer] These Astros,
collectively, it's good team.
1228
00:54:17,091 --> 00:54:19,844
- The Astros never got
respect nationally.
1229
00:54:20,136 --> 00:54:22,805
Nolan gave them
respect nationally.
1230
00:54:23,097 --> 00:54:25,099
[Announcer] Steps on first and
the Astros have won
1231
00:54:25,391 --> 00:54:27,143
the National League West.
1232
00:54:27,435 --> 00:54:30,062
- Making the playoffs
really catapulted the Astros
1233
00:54:30,354 --> 00:54:32,398
even higher than
the football team.
1234
00:54:32,690 --> 00:54:35,109
[crowd cheers]
1235
00:54:35,401 --> 00:54:36,819
[Announcer] Game five
from the Astrodome
1236
00:54:37,111 --> 00:54:39,989
in Houston, Texas and for
the third time in 12 years,
1237
00:54:40,281 --> 00:54:41,407
the National League
Championship Series
1238
00:54:41,699 --> 00:54:43,409
will go the limit.
1239
00:54:43,701 --> 00:54:44,744
- It was the best of five series
1240
00:54:45,036 --> 00:54:45,995
to get to the world series.
1241
00:54:46,287 --> 00:54:47,538
That's kind of hard to believe,
1242
00:54:47,830 --> 00:54:49,499
but that was cool because
we had Nolan on the mound
1243
00:54:49,791 --> 00:54:51,083
for game five.
1244
00:54:51,793 --> 00:54:52,919
[Narrator] Top of the eighth,
big Tex toe in the rubber,
1245
00:54:55,004 --> 00:54:56,798
and only six outs
to send the 'stros
1246
00:54:57,089 --> 00:54:59,258
to their first
ever World Series.
1247
00:55:00,134 --> 00:55:01,803
Let's watch Nolan
channel some of that old
1248
00:55:02,094 --> 00:55:03,679
miracle Mets magic.
1249
00:55:05,181 --> 00:55:06,265
[crowd cheers]
1250
00:55:06,557 --> 00:55:08,226
[Announcer] You don't give
this big guy on the mound
1251
00:55:08,518 --> 00:55:10,686
a lead going into the
eighth or ninth inning
1252
00:55:10,978 --> 00:55:13,523
because he's held that lead
well over a hundred times
1253
00:55:13,815 --> 00:55:14,816
in his career.
1254
00:55:16,067 --> 00:55:17,068
That's a little looper,
1255
00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:18,986
and it's passed Reynolds.
1256
00:55:19,278 --> 00:55:22,114
Here's Boone with Bowa on first.
1257
00:55:22,406 --> 00:55:24,534
Back, off the pitchers glove.
1258
00:55:24,826 --> 00:55:25,701
There'll be no play.
1259
00:55:25,993 --> 00:55:27,620
That's gotta be a double play.
1260
00:55:27,912 --> 00:55:30,623
It's right there, but behind
him just a little bit.
1261
00:55:31,874 --> 00:55:35,127
- Greg Gross drops down a
perfect bunt, bases loaded.
1262
00:55:35,419 --> 00:55:37,380
And then the top of
the order came up.
1263
00:55:37,672 --> 00:55:39,048
[Announcer] 3-2, nobody out.
1264
00:55:40,508 --> 00:55:41,926
It's outside, ball four.
1265
00:55:42,218 --> 00:55:43,636
Forces in a run.
1266
00:55:45,096 --> 00:55:47,473
- The next thing you know,
all hell broke loose.
1267
00:55:48,599 --> 00:55:50,017
[Announcer] Phillies
have scored five runs
1268
00:55:50,309 --> 00:55:51,435
in the eighth inning.
1269
00:55:53,396 --> 00:55:57,942
- It was the most crushing
game in Astros history,
1270
00:55:58,234 --> 00:56:01,529
because they were just
so close to World Series.
1271
00:56:01,821 --> 00:56:03,239
[Announcer] Maddox going...
it's over!
1272
00:56:04,365 --> 00:56:06,075
The Phillies win it.
1273
00:56:06,367 --> 00:56:12,164
[gentle piano music]
1274
00:56:12,456 --> 00:56:15,626
- In the 1980 season, I just
think after being a free agent
1275
00:56:15,918 --> 00:56:18,129
and having a million dollar
contract and the people's
1276
00:56:18,421 --> 00:56:21,799
expectations of what you
coming to a ball club
1277
00:56:22,091 --> 00:56:25,261
meant to that club and
then us getting so close
1278
00:56:25,553 --> 00:56:28,514
and not getting it done,
I think probably
1279
00:56:28,806 --> 00:56:32,268
stuck with me more than just
about any other season.
1280
00:56:33,728 --> 00:56:35,855
The game breaks
your heart a lot.
1281
00:56:37,857 --> 00:56:40,151
- Both of those years,
1282
00:56:40,443 --> 00:56:42,612
for all the good parts,
those were tough losses.
1283
00:56:44,113 --> 00:56:45,948
[Announcer] Three and
two to Bass.
1284
00:56:46,240 --> 00:56:46,824
[crowd cheers]
1285
00:56:47,116 --> 00:56:48,534
[Announcer] Strike him out!
1286
00:56:48,826 --> 00:56:50,745
New York Mets have won
1287
00:56:51,037 --> 00:56:53,915
the 1986 National
League pennant.
1288
00:56:55,374 --> 00:56:58,544
- After 86, we kinda took a
turn in the wrong direction.
1289
00:56:58,836 --> 00:57:00,588
I, I can't tell you why.
1290
00:57:01,464 --> 00:57:03,049
- I'm getting to a stage
of my career where I don't
1291
00:57:03,341 --> 00:57:04,842
have that much longer
to play and uh-
1292
00:57:05,134 --> 00:57:05,843
- How many more years?
1293
00:57:06,135 --> 00:57:07,386
- Well, you know, who knows.
1294
00:57:08,804 --> 00:57:10,431
- He was not gonna be
satisfied with the team
1295
00:57:10,723 --> 00:57:12,725
not competing nor
should he have been.
1296
00:57:13,851 --> 00:57:16,395
- 1987, they put 'em
on a pitch count.
1297
00:57:16,687 --> 00:57:17,897
100 pitches, you're
out of the game.
1298
00:57:18,189 --> 00:57:19,065
Pitching great, I don't care.
1299
00:57:19,357 --> 00:57:20,483
100 pitches, you're
out of the game.
1300
00:57:20,775 --> 00:57:24,362
- I remember Nolan angrily
laughing at pitch count.
1301
00:57:24,654 --> 00:57:26,197
What are you talking
about, 100 pitches?
1302
00:57:26,489 --> 00:57:29,408
- When I started the game, my
intent was to finish the game
1303
00:57:29,700 --> 00:57:31,285
and I really wasn't
interested in
1304
00:57:31,577 --> 00:57:33,245
turning it over to the bullpen.
1305
00:57:35,247 --> 00:57:36,791
- He took it as
a personal insult
1306
00:57:37,083 --> 00:57:38,501
if he didn't finish a game.
1307
00:57:38,793 --> 00:57:42,088
Today, it's a miracle if a
pitcher throws nine innings.
1308
00:57:43,130 --> 00:57:46,801
Nolan, anything like a
pitch count was ridiculous.
1309
00:57:47,093 --> 00:57:48,803
- It was just a crazy year.
1310
00:57:49,095 --> 00:57:52,682
I was 8-16, but led
the league in ERA and,
1311
00:57:52,974 --> 00:57:54,433
and strike outs.
1312
00:57:54,725 --> 00:57:57,269
- Only more miserable
than his record,
1313
00:57:57,561 --> 00:58:00,064
was life in the dugout with
Nolan during those days.
1314
00:58:00,356 --> 00:58:01,482
He was tough to be around
1315
00:58:01,774 --> 00:58:03,317
because he was
demanding that the
1316
00:58:03,609 --> 00:58:04,944
offense gets something done.
1317
00:58:05,903 --> 00:58:06,988
- Strike!
1318
00:58:07,279 --> 00:58:09,490
- We didn't score, but
our standing joke was
1319
00:58:09,782 --> 00:58:10,574
I get you one today.
1320
00:58:10,866 --> 00:58:11,993
I get you one.
1321
00:58:12,284 --> 00:58:13,911
I said that better hold up.
1322
00:58:14,203 --> 00:58:15,705
Cause these other guys,
they ain't hitting today.
1323
00:58:15,997 --> 00:58:16,956
[laughs]
1324
00:58:17,248 --> 00:58:18,791
- He had 15 starts
where we scored
1325
00:58:19,083 --> 00:58:20,710
two runs or fewer.
1326
00:58:21,002 --> 00:58:23,004
And another stat
that I looked up,
1327
00:58:23,295 --> 00:58:25,214
in July he was 0-5.
1328
00:58:25,506 --> 00:58:27,508
We scored seven runs
in five games.
1329
00:58:27,800 --> 00:58:28,926
[Announcer] The 0-2 pitch,
1330
00:58:29,218 --> 00:58:30,177
got it!
1331
00:58:30,469 --> 00:58:33,931
The Astros have stranded
1332
00:58:35,182 --> 00:58:37,018
[Narrator] Adding insult
to injury,
1333
00:58:37,309 --> 00:58:38,519
the next season in 88,
1334
00:58:38,811 --> 00:58:41,272
Nolan tangled with
mercurial Astros owner
1335
00:58:41,564 --> 00:58:44,316
John McMullen during
contract negotiations.
1336
00:58:44,608 --> 00:58:47,486
[somber music]
1337
00:58:47,778 --> 00:58:52,491
- McMullen was a difficult
person to be involved with.
1338
00:58:53,492 --> 00:58:56,162
John was gonna ask
Nolan to take a pay cut.
1339
00:58:56,787 --> 00:58:59,957
- The owner, who I used
to refer to on the air,
1340
00:59:00,249 --> 00:59:02,418
as the ayatollah McMullen,
1341
00:59:02,710 --> 00:59:06,714
offered him a 20%
hometown discount.
1342
00:59:08,424 --> 00:59:11,093
[Reid] My dad, he never
asked for a raise.
1343
00:59:11,385 --> 00:59:14,722
From 80 to 88,
nine seasons, no raise
1344
00:59:15,014 --> 00:59:17,308
because he wanted
that money to go
1345
00:59:17,600 --> 00:59:19,518
to building a better team.
1346
00:59:19,810 --> 00:59:23,856
[somber music]
1347
00:59:24,148 --> 00:59:26,609
He pulled the family together
around the dinner table
1348
00:59:26,901 --> 00:59:28,194
and said, look guys, we
don't know what's out there.
1349
00:59:28,486 --> 00:59:30,571
We're gonna, we're gonna see.
1350
00:59:30,863 --> 00:59:32,823
The Yankees called,
1351
00:59:33,115 --> 00:59:34,408
the Angels called,
1352
00:59:34,700 --> 00:59:36,786
we had a team in Japan call,
1353
00:59:37,078 --> 00:59:38,579
and then the Rangers were there.
1354
00:59:38,871 --> 00:59:40,414
And it wasn't really
about the money
1355
00:59:40,706 --> 00:59:42,208
or the quality of the club,
1356
00:59:42,500 --> 00:59:43,959
as much as it was about
1357
00:59:44,251 --> 00:59:46,670
he wanted to be as close
to home as possible.
1358
00:59:50,925 --> 00:59:52,301
- All right, we get everybody?
1359
00:59:52,593 --> 00:59:54,011
- Dear Lord, thank
you for this day
1360
00:59:54,303 --> 00:59:56,347
and this week that we all
get to spend together.
1361
00:59:56,639 --> 00:59:57,932
Please bless this meal
going in to our bodies
1362
00:59:58,224 --> 01:00:00,851
and let us continue to work
in all we do to glorify you.
1363
01:00:01,143 --> 01:00:01,852
Jesus, I pray. Amen.
1364
01:00:02,144 --> 01:00:02,895
[Everybody] Amen.
1365
01:00:03,187 --> 01:00:04,480
[Man] All right, ladies first.
1366
01:00:04,772 --> 01:00:05,940
Y'all lead the way, ladies.
- Okay, I'll go first.
1367
01:00:07,483 --> 01:00:10,820
- Nolan Ryan is a person
who prioritizes family.
1368
01:00:11,112 --> 01:00:13,072
And he's had a great career,
a lot of fame
1369
01:00:13,364 --> 01:00:15,491
but he always put
his family first.
1370
01:00:16,283 --> 01:00:18,077
- When we were at home,
1371
01:00:18,369 --> 01:00:19,411
he was dad.
1372
01:00:19,703 --> 01:00:22,790
And then the minute he
walked into the clubhouse,
1373
01:00:23,082 --> 01:00:25,584
he was Nolan Ryan
the competitor,
1374
01:00:25,876 --> 01:00:27,253
and then he didn't come out
1375
01:00:27,545 --> 01:00:31,382
of the clubhouse until he
was ready to be dad again.
1376
01:00:31,674 --> 01:00:33,217
He never brought that home.
1377
01:00:33,509 --> 01:00:34,510
Hey, to family.
1378
01:00:34,802 --> 01:00:36,053
[family toasting]
1379
01:00:36,345 --> 01:00:38,639
To Nana and Papa,
who started it all.
1380
01:00:39,265 --> 01:00:40,558
- His persona's this
like this giant of a man
1381
01:00:40,850 --> 01:00:42,184
who's amazing at baseball.
1382
01:00:42,476 --> 01:00:44,019
You think of him
like this tough guy,
1383
01:00:44,311 --> 01:00:46,772
but he's really
sweet and intentional
1384
01:00:47,064 --> 01:00:47,857
with all of the grandkids.
1385
01:00:48,149 --> 01:00:49,859
He loves coming to
our sporting events,
1386
01:00:50,151 --> 01:00:52,111
doing everything he
can to support us.
1387
01:00:53,904 --> 01:00:55,948
And also he just loves
the family being together.
1388
01:01:02,580 --> 01:01:04,874
- My grandmother,
we call her Nanamoo.
1389
01:01:05,166 --> 01:01:06,625
- She's like who I
wanna be in life.
1390
01:01:06,917 --> 01:01:10,504
She is the most selfless
person I've ever known.
1391
01:01:10,796 --> 01:01:11,755
She's my--
1392
01:01:12,047 --> 01:01:13,340
I don't know, I love her.
1393
01:01:13,632 --> 01:01:15,092
She's nurturing and supportive,
1394
01:01:15,384 --> 01:01:17,678
but also the most competitive
person I've ever met,
1395
01:01:17,970 --> 01:01:19,638
which is funny when
your grandfather's like,
1396
01:01:19,930 --> 01:01:21,432
arguably the best baseball
pitcher of all time,
1397
01:01:21,724 --> 01:01:22,641
to say my grandmother's
1398
01:01:22,933 --> 01:01:24,393
significantly more competitive.
1399
01:01:24,685 --> 01:01:26,312
- My mom is definitely the
most competitive person
1400
01:01:26,604 --> 01:01:27,354
in our family.
1401
01:01:27,646 --> 01:01:28,564
- By far.
1402
01:01:28,856 --> 01:01:32,985
- My mom was a 1965 state
doubles tennis champion.
1403
01:01:33,861 --> 01:01:35,779
It was really good
in my dad's career
1404
01:01:36,071 --> 01:01:38,657
to have somebody at home that
didn't give you the like,
1405
01:01:38,949 --> 01:01:40,743
"Oh, that's okay
you lost, Nolan."
1406
01:01:41,035 --> 01:01:43,329
Really, she pushed him to
be the best he could be.
1407
01:01:43,621 --> 01:01:44,663
- After the games,
1408
01:01:44,955 --> 01:01:47,625
my adrenaline would be
going pretty big.
1409
01:01:47,917 --> 01:01:50,711
I would wanna rehash the
games with him and he did not.
1410
01:01:51,003 --> 01:01:52,630
That was over and done with.
1411
01:01:52,922 --> 01:01:56,717
Now, I can watch a game
and enjoy it more
1412
01:01:57,009 --> 01:02:00,137
because I'm not just
dying with every pitch
1413
01:02:00,429 --> 01:02:03,182
and it's not like your
livelihood depends on
1414
01:02:03,474 --> 01:02:05,434
what's going on out there.
1415
01:02:05,726 --> 01:02:09,605
[gentle music]
1416
01:02:09,897 --> 01:02:11,941
- I can remember going to
Eddie Chiles, our owner,
1417
01:02:12,233 --> 01:02:15,444
and saying, "We might have
a chance to sign Nolan
1418
01:02:15,736 --> 01:02:18,405
but it doesn't appear that
he fits in our budget."
1419
01:02:18,697 --> 01:02:19,865
And Eddie Chiles said,
1420
01:02:20,157 --> 01:02:21,200
"You go sign Nolan Ryan,
1421
01:02:21,492 --> 01:02:23,911
let me worry about where the
money's gonna come from."
1422
01:02:24,203 --> 01:02:25,454
- I remember vividly,
1423
01:02:25,746 --> 01:02:30,084
Tom Grieve and I in this
silly hotel hallway,
1424
01:02:30,376 --> 01:02:32,253
jumping up and down,
1425
01:02:32,544 --> 01:02:35,339
doing like spins in the air,
1426
01:02:35,631 --> 01:02:37,675
slapping each other five,
1427
01:02:37,967 --> 01:02:40,803
thinking we just pulled
off the impossible.
1428
01:02:41,095 --> 01:02:44,014
- The Texas Rangers have
entered into a contract
1429
01:02:44,306 --> 01:02:45,557
with Nolan Ryan.
1430
01:02:45,849 --> 01:02:46,976
- They're probably 10 members
1431
01:02:47,268 --> 01:02:49,603
of the Dallas Fort
Worth media there.
1432
01:02:49,895 --> 01:02:52,356
Not one of us had a clue
1433
01:02:52,648 --> 01:02:54,149
and everybody's kinda
looking at each other,
1434
01:02:54,441 --> 01:02:56,777
like, "This is great!"
1435
01:02:57,069 --> 01:02:59,905
And then like in the
next breath it's,
1436
01:03:00,197 --> 01:03:02,199
"Wait a minute.
How old is Nolan?"
1437
01:03:02,491 --> 01:03:04,118
And, now there were
no smartphones,
1438
01:03:04,410 --> 01:03:07,162
so we actually had
go to the books.
1439
01:03:07,454 --> 01:03:09,957
He's gonna be 41,
1440
01:03:10,249 --> 01:03:12,876
but in Houston,
they still cuss it.
1441
01:03:13,168 --> 01:03:14,420
Even today,
1442
01:03:14,712 --> 01:03:17,298
all these years later
they'll be cussing that one.
1443
01:03:17,840 --> 01:03:20,301
- He was always
such a class guy,
1444
01:03:20,592 --> 01:03:22,428
but you knew when he
went to the Rangers,
1445
01:03:22,720 --> 01:03:24,179
he wanted to...
1446
01:03:24,471 --> 01:03:25,764
to John McMullen.
1447
01:03:26,390 --> 01:03:27,850
- The day we signed Nolan Ryan,
1448
01:03:28,142 --> 01:03:31,103
it was like we became
a Major League team.
1449
01:03:31,395 --> 01:03:32,021
[phone ringing]
1450
01:03:32,313 --> 01:03:33,188
Sorry about that.
- Oh, no worries.
1451
01:03:33,480 --> 01:03:34,690
- That's mine.
1452
01:03:34,982 --> 01:03:37,192
- Hey, just go grab it.
[phone ringing]
1453
01:03:38,319 --> 01:03:41,238
- That afternoon, the phone
started ringing in Arlington
1454
01:03:41,530 --> 01:03:43,949
and we had 250,300 calls
1455
01:03:44,241 --> 01:03:47,661
for people inquiring about
season tickets for 1989.
1456
01:03:47,953 --> 01:03:49,663
And for us, believe me,
that was a lot.
1457
01:03:49,955 --> 01:03:52,666
- There's no better way
to sell tickets in Texas
1458
01:03:52,958 --> 01:03:55,669
than to say "Buy a ticket and
come and watch Nolan Ryan."
1459
01:03:55,961 --> 01:03:58,047
He's a hero to many Texans.
1460
01:03:58,589 --> 01:04:00,424
- I used to watch him
when I was a little kid.
1461
01:04:00,716 --> 01:04:01,467
This is a legend
1462
01:04:01,759 --> 01:04:03,469
and now he's coming
to the Rangers.
1463
01:04:03,761 --> 01:04:08,140
- Being with the team that had
very little notoriety at all
1464
01:04:08,432 --> 01:04:10,434
it was like Elvis
had come aboard.
1465
01:04:10,726 --> 01:04:13,228
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
1466
01:04:13,520 --> 01:04:16,940
♪ Happy birthday dear Nolan ♪
1467
01:04:17,232 --> 01:04:20,319
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
1468
01:04:20,611 --> 01:04:23,739
[cheers and applause]
1469
01:04:24,031 --> 01:04:27,117
- The fans just loved the fact
that he was in his forties
1470
01:04:27,409 --> 01:04:29,953
and he was still pitching
and competing with these,
1471
01:04:30,245 --> 01:04:31,246
you know, youngsters.
1472
01:04:31,538 --> 01:04:34,333
[cheering]
1473
01:04:34,625 --> 01:04:36,835
That is what gave him that aura
1474
01:04:37,127 --> 01:04:39,254
of being something special.
1475
01:04:40,047 --> 01:04:41,673
- I didn't feel old.
1476
01:04:41,965 --> 01:04:42,925
I'd sit in that clubhouse
1477
01:04:43,217 --> 01:04:44,385
and I was older
than the manager,
1478
01:04:44,676 --> 01:04:45,552
and older than the coaches,
1479
01:04:45,844 --> 01:04:47,304
and older than the
general manager.
1480
01:04:47,596 --> 01:04:49,056
Then some of my teammates,
1481
01:04:49,348 --> 01:04:51,350
I was older than their parents.
1482
01:04:51,642 --> 01:04:52,976
Then you start thinking,
1483
01:04:53,268 --> 01:04:54,478
maybe you are old.
1484
01:04:55,187 --> 01:04:57,147
[upbeat music]
1485
01:04:57,439 --> 01:04:59,358
[Announcer] One run in
in the fourth for Detroit.
1486
01:04:59,650 --> 01:05:02,778
- In that first game,
Nolan was struggling a bit.
1487
01:05:03,070 --> 01:05:03,862
Bobby sent me out.
1488
01:05:04,154 --> 01:05:06,073
I said, "Nolan,
how you doing?"
1489
01:05:06,365 --> 01:05:07,408
He said, "Tom, I'm
doing horse shit
1490
01:05:07,699 --> 01:05:08,867
but it's way better than
what you got warming up
1491
01:05:09,159 --> 01:05:10,369
in that bullpen.
1492
01:05:10,661 --> 01:05:11,995
Get the hell off my mound."
1493
01:05:12,287 --> 01:05:13,580
So I did.
1494
01:05:14,248 --> 01:05:15,416
Bobby said,
"What did he say?"
1495
01:05:15,707 --> 01:05:17,167
I said, "Bobby, you
don't wanna know."
1496
01:05:17,459 --> 01:05:20,379
- It really wasn't an
enjoyable act
1497
01:05:20,671 --> 01:05:21,505
of going to the mound
1498
01:05:21,797 --> 01:05:23,257
and taking him out of the game.
1499
01:05:23,549 --> 01:05:24,842
- We learned early on,
1500
01:05:25,134 --> 01:05:26,885
that if he thought
he had something left
1501
01:05:27,177 --> 01:05:28,470
and it was better than
what we had warming up,
1502
01:05:28,762 --> 01:05:30,556
you were not gonna get
him off that mound.
1503
01:05:30,848 --> 01:05:31,807
[Announcer] Another K goes up.
1504
01:05:32,099 --> 01:05:33,392
- I took a lot of
pride in the fact
1505
01:05:33,684 --> 01:05:35,060
that I was still able to compete
1506
01:05:35,352 --> 01:05:37,438
on that level at that age.
1507
01:05:37,729 --> 01:05:39,440
♪ Nolan, Nolan, Nolan ♪
1508
01:05:39,731 --> 01:05:41,316
♪ Nolan, Nolan, Nolan ♪
1509
01:05:41,608 --> 01:05:42,359
- He got better.
1510
01:05:42,651 --> 01:05:43,777
That's the amazing thing.
1511
01:05:44,069 --> 01:05:46,447
How many power pitchers
can you think of,
1512
01:05:46,738 --> 01:05:48,157
get better as they get older?
1513
01:05:48,449 --> 01:05:49,283
♪ Ryan ♪
1514
01:05:49,575 --> 01:05:50,659
That's not the way it works.
1515
01:05:50,951 --> 01:05:52,744
[Announcer] He just blew it by.
1516
01:05:53,036 --> 01:05:55,747
- It was the talk of baseball.
1517
01:05:56,039 --> 01:05:57,458
How can this guy still pitch
1518
01:05:57,749 --> 01:05:59,168
and be so effective at his age?
1519
01:05:59,460 --> 01:06:00,502
And then they start
talking about,
1520
01:06:00,794 --> 01:06:01,837
okay, what does he do?
1521
01:06:02,129 --> 01:06:05,007
♪ Keep the legend
growing, Ryan ♪
1522
01:06:05,299 --> 01:06:06,884
- I used to work out
with Nolan Ryan.
1523
01:06:07,176 --> 01:06:10,220
His workout routine was
rigorous for a 20-year-old,
1524
01:06:10,512 --> 01:06:11,722
much less, a 40-year-old.
1525
01:06:12,014 --> 01:06:14,808
[Newsreader] His arm is the
most feared in baseball.
1526
01:06:15,100 --> 01:06:16,727
♪ Throwing 95 miles an hour ♪
1527
01:06:17,019 --> 01:06:18,187
[Announcer] Got him swinging.
1528
01:06:18,479 --> 01:06:19,354
♪ You've still got the power ♪
1529
01:06:19,646 --> 01:06:23,066
♪ That big heat still
blazing through the sky ♪
1530
01:06:23,358 --> 01:06:24,151
- Comes to the ballpark,
1531
01:06:24,443 --> 01:06:26,069
ride that bicycle for two hours
1532
01:06:26,361 --> 01:06:27,779
and then to the trainer room,
1533
01:06:28,071 --> 01:06:29,198
and then go out running,
1534
01:06:29,490 --> 01:06:30,616
and then comes in,
1535
01:06:30,908 --> 01:06:32,117
and then do weights.
1536
01:06:32,409 --> 01:06:34,661
He does that day in and day out,
1537
01:06:34,953 --> 01:06:36,663
except the day before he pitch.
1538
01:06:36,955 --> 01:06:37,873
♪ Throw the heat,
toss the curve ♪
1539
01:06:38,165 --> 01:06:39,124
♪ You have plenty
in reserves ♪
1540
01:06:39,416 --> 01:06:40,918
♪ Smoke 'em in,
strike 'em out ♪
1541
01:06:41,210 --> 01:06:42,586
♪ Ryan ♪
1542
01:06:42,878 --> 01:06:43,962
- That was the goal,
1543
01:06:44,254 --> 01:06:48,217
to recover as fast as I
could from the last start,
1544
01:06:48,509 --> 01:06:51,845
so I would be at my peak
for the next start.
1545
01:06:52,137 --> 01:06:52,888
♪ Nolan! ♪
1546
01:06:53,180 --> 01:06:53,931
[Announcer] Call strike three,
1547
01:06:54,223 --> 01:06:55,349
there's 300.
1548
01:06:55,641 --> 01:06:58,519
Nolan Ryan for the
sixth time in career
1549
01:06:58,810 --> 01:07:01,230
has struck out 300
or more batters.
1550
01:07:01,522 --> 01:07:03,607
[crowd cheering]
1551
01:07:06,693 --> 01:07:09,404
- That time was the
perfect storm, so to say.
1552
01:07:09,696 --> 01:07:11,114
We had the best of old school
1553
01:07:11,406 --> 01:07:13,534
and everything that
Nolan represented
1554
01:07:13,825 --> 01:07:15,035
and the best of the new school,
1555
01:07:15,327 --> 01:07:17,955
which was technology
and science.
1556
01:07:18,247 --> 01:07:19,957
- We were filming Nolan
1557
01:07:20,249 --> 01:07:25,212
with the little balls all over
his body in a 3D environment
1558
01:07:25,504 --> 01:07:28,590
to try to figure out
the best way to throw,
1559
01:07:28,882 --> 01:07:30,217
the best way to be conditioned.
1560
01:07:30,509 --> 01:07:32,177
- And just, pull the books.
1561
01:07:32,469 --> 01:07:37,140
He was actually a better
pitcher from age 39 to 46
1562
01:07:37,432 --> 01:07:39,309
than at any time in his career.
1563
01:07:40,269 --> 01:07:41,979
- Well, I have two books here--
1564
01:07:44,439 --> 01:07:47,776
We list alphabetically
the strikeouts.
1565
01:07:48,068 --> 01:07:51,154
From Hank Aaron, who he
struck out four times,
1566
01:07:51,446 --> 01:07:54,408
Paul Zuvella, who
he struck out once.
1567
01:07:54,700 --> 01:07:57,578
Claudell Washington
sits at the top at 39,
1568
01:07:57,869 --> 01:08:00,831
and he struck out 61 players,
1569
01:08:01,123 --> 01:08:02,457
15 or more times.
1570
01:08:02,749 --> 01:08:04,876
27 Hall of Famers,
1571
01:08:05,168 --> 01:08:07,170
seven father and
son combinations,
1572
01:08:07,462 --> 01:08:08,630
brothers.
1573
01:08:08,922 --> 01:08:12,426
The three Alous, Felipe,
Jesus, Matty Alou.
1574
01:08:12,718 --> 01:08:14,094
Joe and Phil Niekro.
1575
01:08:14,386 --> 01:08:15,929
Cal and Bill Ripkin.
1576
01:08:16,221 --> 01:08:18,265
Just, you know, Hall of Famers,
1577
01:08:18,557 --> 01:08:19,474
just all over the map.
1578
01:08:19,766 --> 01:08:20,726
- My brother, Billy
and I would laugh.
1579
01:08:21,018 --> 01:08:22,311
We're on his list.
1580
01:08:23,020 --> 01:08:25,731
- I faced him when they
said he didn't throw hard.
1581
01:08:26,023 --> 01:08:29,026
So he was throwing as hard
as anybody in the league.
1582
01:08:29,318 --> 01:08:31,278
- Records are meant to be
broken, but not this one.
1583
01:08:31,570 --> 01:08:33,030
Tonight, Nolan Ryan went
after career strikeout
1584
01:08:33,322 --> 01:08:34,740
number 5,000.
1585
01:08:35,032 --> 01:08:37,618
[gentle music]
1586
01:08:37,909 --> 01:08:39,161
[Announcer] The spotlight
of the baseball world
1587
01:08:39,453 --> 01:08:42,331
is on this man tonight,
Nolan Ryan.
1588
01:08:42,623 --> 01:08:45,959
4,994 strikeouts
1589
01:08:46,251 --> 01:08:48,962
in his 22nd year in
the major leagues.
1590
01:08:49,713 --> 01:08:51,757
[soft dramatic music]
1591
01:08:52,049 --> 01:08:53,008
- When I introduced Nolan Ryan
1592
01:08:53,300 --> 01:08:55,135
as the starting pitcher,
1593
01:08:55,427 --> 01:08:56,928
"And on the mound
for the Rangers,
1594
01:08:57,220 --> 01:08:59,222
number 34, Nolan..."
1595
01:08:59,514 --> 01:09:01,350
And that's about as far
as anybody would hear
1596
01:09:01,642 --> 01:09:03,435
because by that time,
the crowd's roaring.
1597
01:09:03,727 --> 01:09:08,690
[crowd cheering]
1598
01:09:08,982 --> 01:09:10,525
[Announcer] Well, you know
something's up in baseball
1599
01:09:10,817 --> 01:09:12,277
when the President's
office calls
1600
01:09:12,569 --> 01:09:14,738
during the day of the game
1601
01:09:15,030 --> 01:09:16,531
to get the coordinates for
the satellite transmission
1602
01:09:16,823 --> 01:09:19,076
so that the President
on vacation can watch.
1603
01:09:19,368 --> 01:09:22,829
[suspenseful music]
1604
01:09:23,121 --> 01:09:25,207
And here is by far the
easiest Oakland hitter
1605
01:09:25,499 --> 01:09:26,500
to strike out.
1606
01:09:26,792 --> 01:09:28,543
He strikes out about
one every three times.
1607
01:09:28,835 --> 01:09:31,004
[crowd cheering]
1608
01:09:31,296 --> 01:09:32,089
[Announcer] Breaking ball.
1609
01:09:32,381 --> 01:09:34,007
[crowd roars]
1610
01:09:34,299 --> 01:09:37,469
4,995.
1611
01:09:39,805 --> 01:09:41,014
Strike three!
1612
01:09:41,306 --> 01:09:44,309
4,996.
1613
01:09:44,601 --> 01:09:47,229
[crowd cheers]
1614
01:09:47,521 --> 01:09:50,107
4,997.
1615
01:09:50,399 --> 01:09:53,735
[crowd roars]
1616
01:09:54,027 --> 01:09:57,406
4,998.
1617
01:09:57,698 --> 01:09:58,573
[crowd roars]
1618
01:09:58,865 --> 01:09:59,658
Fast ball.
1619
01:09:59,950 --> 01:10:03,245
Four, nine, nine, nine.
1620
01:10:03,537 --> 01:10:05,372
[crowd roars]
1621
01:10:05,664 --> 01:10:08,417
And now Nolan Ryan, closing in.
1622
01:10:08,709 --> 01:10:13,755
[dramatic music]
[crowd cheers]
1623
01:10:14,047 --> 01:10:16,299
Ricky Henderson leading off
at the top of the fifth.
1624
01:10:17,342 --> 01:10:19,052
- Before the game, he told me,
1625
01:10:19,344 --> 01:10:20,470
for the 5,000th strikeout,
1626
01:10:20,762 --> 01:10:21,722
he was gonna strike out
1627
01:10:22,013 --> 01:10:24,558
either Ricky Henderson or
Jose Canseco.
1628
01:10:27,310 --> 01:10:32,441
[crowd roars]
1629
01:10:32,733 --> 01:10:33,942
[Announcer] Everybody
here's perched
1630
01:10:34,234 --> 01:10:35,902
on this historic moment.
1631
01:10:36,445 --> 01:10:37,404
- Voila!
1632
01:10:37,696 --> 01:10:39,489
The moment we've
been waiting for.
1633
01:10:39,781 --> 01:10:41,700
And as he threw the pitch,
1634
01:10:41,992 --> 01:10:45,537
the entire stadium went up
in like one big flash bowl.
1635
01:10:45,829 --> 01:10:46,455
[light bulb flashes]
1636
01:10:46,747 --> 01:10:48,498
Like this, of light.
1637
01:10:48,790 --> 01:10:52,002
The ball went in at 97 and
Ricky Henderson fouled it off.
1638
01:10:52,294 --> 01:10:53,462
I don't know how he did it.
1639
01:10:53,754 --> 01:10:57,924
[crowd cheering]
1640
01:10:58,216 --> 01:11:00,260
- I was sitting with
Bart Giamani,
1641
01:11:00,552 --> 01:11:02,637
Barbara and Jenna, and Laura.
1642
01:11:03,263 --> 01:11:05,348
I'll never forget Jenna saying,
1643
01:11:05,640 --> 01:11:07,184
"Dad, it looks like
there's a lot of fireflies
1644
01:11:07,476 --> 01:11:08,935
in the stadium."
1645
01:11:11,021 --> 01:11:12,189
[Interviewer] I just want
to get your take on.
1646
01:11:12,481 --> 01:11:13,440
- Okay.
1647
01:11:13,732 --> 01:11:14,691
- You don't have to
watch the whole thing.
1648
01:11:14,983 --> 01:11:16,401
- Well, if I'm in there,
I might as well, right?
1649
01:11:16,693 --> 01:11:17,652
How do you make it work?
1650
01:11:17,944 --> 01:11:18,820
Oh.
1651
01:11:19,446 --> 01:11:20,947
[Announcer] Two,
exploding breaking ball.
1652
01:11:21,239 --> 01:11:22,866
- First of all, you
can hear the crowd.
1653
01:11:23,158 --> 01:11:25,911
[crowd roars]
1654
01:11:26,203 --> 01:11:27,537
[Announcer] Three balls,
two strikes.
1655
01:11:27,829 --> 01:11:37,130
[dramatic music]
1656
01:11:37,422 --> 01:11:43,553
[suspenseful music]
1657
01:11:43,845 --> 01:11:44,679
[crowd cheers]
1658
01:11:44,971 --> 01:11:46,014
- Strike three!!
1659
01:11:46,306 --> 01:11:48,266
Strike out number 5,000.
1660
01:11:48,558 --> 01:11:50,894
It's history for Nolan Ryan.
1661
01:11:51,186 --> 01:11:53,355
- Okay, I mean, he kinda
tips his hat,
1662
01:11:53,647 --> 01:11:55,732
he doesn't glorify
in the moment.
1663
01:11:57,025 --> 01:11:58,610
That's unbelievable.
1664
01:11:58,902 --> 01:12:00,821
[crowd cheers]
1665
01:12:01,112 --> 01:12:03,907
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan
gets number 5,000.
1666
01:12:04,199 --> 01:12:07,410
[crowd cheers]
1667
01:12:07,702 --> 01:12:09,913
[Reporter] Well Nolan,
5,000 been approached,
1668
01:12:10,205 --> 01:12:11,414
what about 6,000?
1669
01:12:11,706 --> 01:12:12,624
[laughs]
1670
01:12:12,916 --> 01:12:13,875
- I can honestly say Norm,
1671
01:12:14,167 --> 01:12:15,752
I don't think I'll
be around for it.
1672
01:12:16,044 --> 01:12:21,633
[crowd cheers]
1673
01:12:21,925 --> 01:12:23,134
- Here we are in
Arlington Stadium
1674
01:12:23,426 --> 01:12:24,469
where my father, Nolan Ryan,
1675
01:12:24,761 --> 01:12:26,555
and the doctor, Tom House,
1676
01:12:26,847 --> 01:12:29,641
had been working on a
week-long rehab program.
1677
01:12:29,933 --> 01:12:31,810
So you think you're gonna
be ready to pitch the 19th?
1678
01:12:32,102 --> 01:12:33,103
- Oh, I don't know.
1679
01:12:33,395 --> 01:12:35,438
A couple more months and
I'll be ready for the
1680
01:12:35,730 --> 01:12:37,399
Mr. Universe Contest.
1681
01:12:37,691 --> 01:12:39,317
- He's getting in shape so
that he can try to beat me
1682
01:12:39,609 --> 01:12:41,027
on the tennis court.
1683
01:12:41,319 --> 01:12:43,113
[Reese] Have your biceps
gotten larger?
1684
01:12:43,405 --> 01:12:45,031
- You can come over to
the French Riviera
1685
01:12:45,323 --> 01:12:47,659
next summer when I'm in
competition and look.
1686
01:12:49,286 --> 01:12:51,830
My picture will be on the
cover of 40 and older.
1687
01:12:52,497 --> 01:12:54,040
[Reese] Fit and over 40, huh?
1688
01:12:54,332 --> 01:12:55,917
- Fit and over 40,
Mr. Universe.
1689
01:12:56,209 --> 01:12:57,627
[Reese] Fit and way
over 40, huh?
1690
01:12:57,919 --> 01:13:00,046
- I'm gonna bring the
crown home to the U.S.
1691
01:13:01,381 --> 01:13:02,549
- Pete really thought he
was gonna go to Arlington
1692
01:13:02,841 --> 01:13:03,800
and play one more year.
1693
01:13:04,092 --> 01:13:06,136
And we would talk, you know,
in the off season,
1694
01:13:06,428 --> 01:13:07,637
and he'd say, "Reese,
I need to keep playing,
1695
01:13:07,929 --> 01:13:08,889
I have to keep playing."
1696
01:13:09,180 --> 01:13:10,974
He was enjoying it and
he was competitive.
1697
01:13:11,266 --> 01:13:12,309
He was actually dominant.
1698
01:13:12,601 --> 01:13:14,269
[Announcer] Payoff pitch,
got him swinging.
1699
01:13:14,561 --> 01:13:16,730
Strikeout number
12 for Nolan Ryan,
1700
01:13:17,022 --> 01:13:18,231
and he has not
thrown a no-hitter
1701
01:13:18,523 --> 01:13:21,776
since September the 26th, 1981.
1702
01:13:22,068 --> 01:13:23,528
- I don't think that
you can retire
1703
01:13:23,820 --> 01:13:25,572
when you're pitching no-hitters.
1704
01:13:25,864 --> 01:13:27,407
[Announcer] A 2-0 pitch.
1705
01:13:28,158 --> 01:13:29,951
Fly ball, right field.
1706
01:13:30,243 --> 01:13:34,372
[crowd cheers]
1707
01:13:34,664 --> 01:13:36,958
- Number six to Nolan Ryan.
1708
01:13:37,250 --> 01:13:38,168
[crowd cheering]
1709
01:13:38,460 --> 01:13:40,837
The express has
done it once again.
1710
01:13:41,129 --> 01:13:43,757
- When we signed Nolan,
we never anticipated
1711
01:13:44,049 --> 01:13:45,967
that these things
were gonna happen.
1712
01:13:46,259 --> 01:13:48,219
Nolan's sixth no-hitter,
1713
01:13:48,511 --> 01:13:50,847
5,000 strikeouts,
1714
01:13:51,139 --> 01:13:52,432
300 wins.
1715
01:13:52,724 --> 01:13:56,061
[Announcer] Nolan Ryan,
his 300th career victory.
1716
01:13:56,353 --> 01:13:57,729
- So as that unfolded,
1717
01:13:58,021 --> 01:14:01,191
it just built the
legend up more and more.
1718
01:14:03,485 --> 01:14:04,653
[Narrator] The bright
lights on Nolan
1719
01:14:04,945 --> 01:14:07,072
were somehow getting
even brighter.
1720
01:14:07,364 --> 01:14:09,491
[crowd cheers]
1721
01:14:09,783 --> 01:14:10,867
[Narrator] This was a
whole new generation
1722
01:14:11,159 --> 01:14:12,786
of hitters he was facing.
1723
01:14:13,078 --> 01:14:16,498
New superstars who wanted to
take the old legend head on.
1724
01:14:18,583 --> 01:14:21,044
- Bo Jackson said
bats were epic.
1725
01:14:21,336 --> 01:14:23,380
I remember people running
out of the clubhouse
1726
01:14:23,672 --> 01:14:25,215
to see Nolan and Bo.
1727
01:14:26,132 --> 01:14:28,677
- Two big-horned sheep
bucking heads, right there.
1728
01:14:28,969 --> 01:14:30,595
[crowd cheers]
1729
01:14:30,887 --> 01:14:31,638
[Announcer] He hits it well,
1730
01:14:31,930 --> 01:14:33,348
it could be very deep
1731
01:14:33,640 --> 01:14:34,849
and it's gone!
1732
01:14:35,141 --> 01:14:36,601
- He hit one of the
longest home runs
1733
01:14:36,893 --> 01:14:38,061
that I've ever seen
1734
01:14:38,353 --> 01:14:40,522
and that's not even the event
1735
01:14:40,814 --> 01:14:43,066
that people remember most
between Bo Jackson and Nolan.
1736
01:14:43,358 --> 01:14:44,818
[camera clicks]
1737
01:14:45,110 --> 01:14:46,778
- The next 20, 25 years,
1738
01:14:47,070 --> 01:14:48,571
you could not go to a sports bar
1739
01:14:48,863 --> 01:14:52,617
in America, Canada, Mexico,
1740
01:14:52,909 --> 01:14:54,160
been to all of them,
1741
01:14:54,452 --> 01:14:56,579
and that picture
wasn't up there.
1742
01:14:57,455 --> 01:14:59,833
- It's amazing how you
keep telling a story,
1743
01:15:00,125 --> 01:15:03,086
how it grows and
grows and grows.
1744
01:15:03,378 --> 01:15:05,422
Well, I think anytime you
put Bo Jackson and Nolan Ryan
1745
01:15:05,714 --> 01:15:06,798
in the same sentence,
1746
01:15:07,090 --> 01:15:08,675
it's got a chance to.
1747
01:15:13,430 --> 01:15:14,347
- Everybody says,
1748
01:15:14,639 --> 01:15:16,599
"Oh, Bo hit a rocket
right off of his mouth."
1749
01:15:16,891 --> 01:15:18,268
It was a routine ground ball.
1750
01:15:18,560 --> 01:15:19,769
[man laughs]
1751
01:15:20,061 --> 01:15:21,521
- He hits a little topper,
1752
01:15:21,813 --> 01:15:24,357
and the ball got lost
in the rain drops.
1753
01:15:24,649 --> 01:15:26,317
- The ball split his lip open.
1754
01:15:26,609 --> 01:15:29,112
Nolan could stick his tongue
through his lip, right here.
1755
01:15:29,404 --> 01:15:31,740
'Cause it was, like,
cut from there down.
1756
01:15:32,490 --> 01:15:34,868
He finished that inning somehow.
1757
01:15:35,160 --> 01:15:38,079
In between innings he
went into the clubhouse,
1758
01:15:38,371 --> 01:15:40,498
Dr. Makowski
stitched him up,
1759
01:15:40,790 --> 01:15:42,417
went back out and
finished the game.
1760
01:15:42,709 --> 01:15:45,962
[dramatic music]
1761
01:15:46,254 --> 01:15:48,757
- You think he was
intimidating before?
1762
01:15:49,049 --> 01:15:50,383
[crowd roars]
1763
01:15:50,675 --> 01:15:52,427
Try facing him with
his Ranger uniform
1764
01:15:52,719 --> 01:15:54,512
just covered with blood.
1765
01:15:55,180 --> 01:15:56,765
Now, that's intimidating.
1766
01:15:57,057 --> 01:15:57,682
[camera clicks]
1767
01:15:57,974 --> 01:15:58,975
- This is Big Tex.
1768
01:15:59,267 --> 01:16:01,561
His legend can't grow anymore.
1769
01:16:01,853 --> 01:16:04,522
Then you have the
Robin Ventura moment.
1770
01:16:04,814 --> 01:16:11,237
[dramatic western music]
1771
01:16:11,529 --> 01:16:12,697
- I'll run into somebody
1772
01:16:12,989 --> 01:16:15,575
and that might be the
third question they ask me.
1773
01:16:15,867 --> 01:16:19,079
I find it amusing
that of all the things
1774
01:16:19,370 --> 01:16:20,163
that happened in my career,
1775
01:16:20,455 --> 01:16:22,665
that's one of the things
I'm remembered for.
1776
01:16:22,957 --> 01:16:25,251
[Announcer] 46-year-old
veteran, Nolan Ryan.
1777
01:16:26,086 --> 01:16:28,797
- It'll go down in
Texas sports lore
1778
01:16:29,089 --> 01:16:30,965
as a defining moment.
1779
01:16:31,257 --> 01:16:32,050
[laughs]
1780
01:16:32,342 --> 01:16:33,760
Texans just love that.
1781
01:16:37,430 --> 01:16:39,015
[Announcer] There's a base
hit into the left field.
1782
01:16:39,307 --> 01:16:40,308
There comes Carl.
1783
01:16:40,600 --> 01:16:42,227
They're waving him around
as Gonzales gets to it.
1784
01:16:42,602 --> 01:16:43,561
[Narrator] Okay, now.
1785
01:16:43,853 --> 01:16:44,979
For those uninitiated,
1786
01:16:45,271 --> 01:16:47,732
this isn't the iconic
moment we're talking about.
1787
01:16:48,024 --> 01:16:49,943
Don't worry, we'll get there.
1788
01:16:50,235 --> 01:16:52,237
But to truly appreciate it,
1789
01:16:52,529 --> 01:16:53,571
let's rewind it back a bit.
1790
01:16:53,863 --> 01:16:56,449
[tape rewinds]
1791
01:16:57,450 --> 01:16:59,327
- It's my last
season in San Diego,
1792
01:16:59,619 --> 01:17:01,871
and I'm gonna be the top
free agent on the market.
1793
01:17:02,163 --> 01:17:02,956
I'm gonna play hard,
1794
01:17:03,248 --> 01:17:04,707
but I'm certainly gonna
protect myself.
1795
01:17:04,999 --> 01:17:09,629
Nolan Ryan came up and in
on me three times that game.
1796
01:17:11,756 --> 01:17:13,383
- And I said, "Oh hell!"
1797
01:17:13,675 --> 01:17:15,135
I was running so fast
trying to get Dave
1798
01:17:15,426 --> 01:17:17,011
before he got to Nolan.
1799
01:17:17,303 --> 01:17:19,514
'Cause Dave was huge
and Nolan's big.
1800
01:17:19,806 --> 01:17:23,017
I said it's a bull
hitting a big-ass horse.
1801
01:17:24,227 --> 01:17:26,062
- Enos Cabell and the
guys are grabbing,
1802
01:17:26,354 --> 01:17:27,772
"Hey, Winnie, stop, stop!"
1803
01:17:28,064 --> 01:17:29,649
We laugh about it later on,
1804
01:17:29,941 --> 01:17:32,318
but that was truly, I think,
one of the few times
1805
01:17:32,610 --> 01:17:35,071
that I, you know, you lose it.
1806
01:17:35,488 --> 01:17:37,323
- I realized after he came out
1807
01:17:37,615 --> 01:17:39,450
that his intent was to hurt me.
1808
01:17:39,742 --> 01:17:41,077
And I was going to
take the position,
1809
01:17:41,369 --> 01:17:43,538
that if anybody ever
came to the mound again
1810
01:17:43,830 --> 01:17:45,331
then I was gonna
be the aggressor.
1811
01:17:46,875 --> 01:17:48,209
[Announcer] Welcome
to Arlington stadium
1812
01:17:48,501 --> 01:17:50,128
for game three of
this four-game series
1813
01:17:50,420 --> 01:17:53,339
between The Sox and
The Texas Rangers.
1814
01:17:53,631 --> 01:17:55,550
- The White Sox were actually
in the American League West
1815
01:17:55,842 --> 01:17:56,551
at that time.
1816
01:17:56,843 --> 01:17:58,261
Had Bo Jackson.
1817
01:17:58,553 --> 01:18:01,431
And the Rangers had had these
battles with these guys.
1818
01:18:01,723 --> 01:18:02,932
[Announcer] His only
Major League homer.
1819
01:18:03,224 --> 01:18:04,392
Coming off of Nolan.
1820
01:18:04,684 --> 01:18:05,768
What? Ooh.
1821
01:18:07,562 --> 01:18:08,521
Oh, he's hit.
1822
01:18:12,650 --> 01:18:14,110
Oh my goodness, look at this.
1823
01:18:15,403 --> 01:18:18,364
- And so this one night,
the White Sox said,
1824
01:18:18,656 --> 01:18:21,159
"If Nolan hits anybody
tonight, whoever it is,
1825
01:18:21,451 --> 01:18:22,243
you're gonna go
to the mound."
1826
01:18:22,535 --> 01:18:25,622
- There was a bounty
on Nolan's head.
1827
01:18:25,914 --> 01:18:29,500
If you get hit by Nolan and
you don't charge the mound,
1828
01:18:29,792 --> 01:18:31,294
it's gonna cost you
1829
01:18:32,128 --> 01:18:35,340
Ventura happened to be the
first one that day to get hit.
1830
01:18:37,258 --> 01:18:40,470
- When Robin Ventura
went out there,
1831
01:18:40,762 --> 01:18:42,805
I just thought he
wasn't quite serious.
1832
01:18:44,682 --> 01:18:46,142
He wasn't fully committed.
1833
01:18:47,227 --> 01:18:48,770
- Most guys who
charge the mound,
1834
01:18:49,062 --> 01:18:50,480
if you had a microphone on him,
1835
01:18:50,772 --> 01:18:52,190
you could hear him say
"Grab me catcher,
1836
01:18:52,482 --> 01:18:53,107
grab me catcher,
1837
01:18:53,399 --> 01:18:54,901
I don't want to
get out there."
1838
01:18:56,361 --> 01:18:57,570
- Before you could blink,
Nolan had him
1839
01:18:57,862 --> 01:19:00,031
like a baby calf in a headlock.
1840
01:19:00,323 --> 01:19:01,950
- Grabbing like he
was grabbing a bull.
1841
01:19:02,242 --> 01:19:04,577
I was right there,
best seat in the house.
1842
01:19:05,203 --> 01:19:12,585
[intense music]
1843
01:19:12,877 --> 01:19:19,842
♪ ♪
1844
01:19:20,134 --> 01:19:21,678
- When I went down,
I was on the bottom
1845
01:19:21,970 --> 01:19:24,931
of the pile and I was laying
face first into the dirt.
1846
01:19:26,057 --> 01:19:29,018
It was one of the scariest
moments of my life.
1847
01:19:29,310 --> 01:19:32,438
[intense rock music]
1848
01:19:32,730 --> 01:19:33,856
I couldn't breathe.
1849
01:19:34,148 --> 01:19:37,568
And I really truly thought
that I was gonna pass out.
1850
01:19:37,860 --> 01:19:41,364
- I'm really upset because
I never saw Nolan get up.
1851
01:19:41,656 --> 01:19:44,492
- Then all of a sudden this
big arm came into the pile
1852
01:19:44,784 --> 01:19:46,828
and reached under my
shoulder and pulled me out.
1853
01:19:47,120 --> 01:19:48,204
And it was Bo Jackson.
1854
01:19:48,496 --> 01:19:51,582
[intense rock music]
1855
01:19:51,874 --> 01:19:53,960
[crowd cheers]
1856
01:19:54,252 --> 01:19:55,545
- You know, at first
I was just like,
1857
01:19:55,837 --> 01:19:57,422
get him dad, get him.
1858
01:19:58,965 --> 01:20:01,467
But then I was also thinking
I'm never gonna get a date.
1859
01:20:01,759 --> 01:20:03,261
People were already intimidated
1860
01:20:03,553 --> 01:20:05,096
by my dad being Nolan Ryan.
1861
01:20:05,388 --> 01:20:06,639
And now I thought, great.
1862
01:20:06,931 --> 01:20:08,474
You know, nobody's
gonna ask me out.
1863
01:20:09,017 --> 01:20:09,809
- I loved it.
1864
01:20:10,101 --> 01:20:11,311
I absolutely loved it.
1865
01:20:11,602 --> 01:20:13,146
And then Robin get kicked out,
1866
01:20:13,438 --> 01:20:15,606
but Nolan didn't,
that was even better.
1867
01:20:15,898 --> 01:20:18,401
[Announcer] So Ventura
definitely has been ejected.
1868
01:20:20,778 --> 01:20:21,738
- Ryan holds a lot of records,
1869
01:20:22,030 --> 01:20:23,406
but this may be a new one.
1870
01:20:23,698 --> 01:20:26,701
Most punches thrown
without getting thrown out.
1871
01:20:27,618 --> 01:20:30,246
- And the momentum had shifted
and they come back and win.
1872
01:20:30,538 --> 01:20:31,414
I mean, that's amazing.
1873
01:20:31,706 --> 01:20:33,708
[Announcer] Ryan's setting
down 12 of the next 13
1874
01:20:34,000 --> 01:20:36,336
many faced without
allowing a hit.
1875
01:20:37,503 --> 01:20:39,672
- I think it became
such a legendary moment
1876
01:20:39,964 --> 01:20:43,468
because the photographers got
such great pictures of it.
1877
01:20:45,094 --> 01:20:46,679
- That photo seemed
to make it everywhere
1878
01:20:46,971 --> 01:20:49,307
from t-shirts to billboards.
1879
01:20:49,599 --> 01:20:50,558
And at the end of
my dad's career
1880
01:20:50,850 --> 01:20:53,394
it ended up being the
most purchased photo.
1881
01:20:53,853 --> 01:20:55,980
Basically for everybody
in their 40s,
1882
01:20:56,272 --> 01:20:57,815
it was kind of a
rallying cry of,
1883
01:20:58,107 --> 01:21:00,109
"Hey, don't count
us out yet."
1884
01:21:05,907 --> 01:21:13,623
[crickets chirp]
1885
01:21:13,915 --> 01:21:16,876
[reels whir]
1886
01:21:17,335 --> 01:21:18,294
- Keep pulling.
1887
01:21:18,586 --> 01:21:19,545
Swing it over here.
1888
01:21:19,837 --> 01:21:22,048
[laughter]
1889
01:21:24,008 --> 01:21:25,134
- Papa, we got some bad news,
1890
01:21:25,426 --> 01:21:27,887
the girls are dominating
the guys out here today.
1891
01:21:28,179 --> 01:21:30,431
- Yeah, I don't know
what the deal is.
1892
01:21:31,516 --> 01:21:32,308
- He got the most.
1893
01:21:34,936 --> 01:21:36,270
- Ella has you beat.
1894
01:21:38,064 --> 01:21:39,565
- Yep, Ella caught
that big fish.
1895
01:21:39,857 --> 01:21:40,983
I think Lela won,
she got the most.
1896
01:21:41,275 --> 01:21:42,568
- Yeah, Lela got two.
1897
01:21:42,860 --> 01:21:44,695
- I think whenever
he's with the family,
1898
01:21:44,987 --> 01:21:47,448
he's very different than
whenever we're out and about.
1899
01:21:47,740 --> 01:21:50,535
It's fun to see him joking
around and just hanging out.
1900
01:21:51,077 --> 01:21:52,203
- Sometimes we'll be at
dinner and stuff
1901
01:21:52,495 --> 01:21:53,413
and they'll be like, oh my God,
1902
01:21:53,704 --> 01:21:56,457
can you sign this
baseball or sign this card?
1903
01:21:56,749 --> 01:21:58,000
He's like, sure.
1904
01:21:59,043 --> 01:22:00,086
That's really it though.
1905
01:22:00,378 --> 01:22:01,671
[Interviewer] Wait, do
that impression again.
1906
01:22:01,963 --> 01:22:03,131
- Uh, sure.
1907
01:22:04,924 --> 01:22:07,135
- We have some comedians
in our family.
1908
01:22:07,427 --> 01:22:09,053
- I'm Nolan Ryan,
1909
01:22:09,345 --> 01:22:11,389
and I'm here to sell you Advil.
1910
01:22:11,681 --> 01:22:14,392
Hi, I'm Nolan Ryan and I'm
here to sell you some Advil.
1911
01:22:14,684 --> 01:22:15,476
[laughter]
1912
01:22:15,768 --> 01:22:17,687
- It's good!
1913
01:22:17,979 --> 01:22:20,523
- Here to sell you some
Advil, I like that.
1914
01:22:20,815 --> 01:22:22,525
- It's the medicine
doctors recommend most
1915
01:22:22,817 --> 01:22:23,651
for sprains and strains,
1916
01:22:23,943 --> 01:22:24,735
Advil.
1917
01:22:25,027 --> 01:22:26,404
- For me, it's a couple of Advil
1918
01:22:26,696 --> 01:22:28,739
and those muscle aches
are long gone.
1919
01:22:29,031 --> 01:22:30,491
- He had the Advil commercials,
1920
01:22:30,783 --> 01:22:32,285
which basically played
in perfectly
1921
01:22:32,577 --> 01:22:34,454
to a 42-year-old pitcher.
1922
01:22:34,745 --> 01:22:36,080
He got a lot of grief
from the clubhouse
1923
01:22:36,372 --> 01:22:37,957
from the younger
players about that.
1924
01:22:38,249 --> 01:22:39,333
- We'd bust his chops
a little bit.
1925
01:22:39,625 --> 01:22:40,793
Hey Noley, you're gonna
go have a couple Advil
1926
01:22:41,085 --> 01:22:41,919
after you just got done.
1927
01:22:42,211 --> 01:22:43,171
You know, just kind of
messing with him
1928
01:22:43,463 --> 01:22:44,005
a little bit.
1929
01:22:44,297 --> 01:22:45,381
- It was fun.
1930
01:22:45,673 --> 01:22:47,925
I always loved the ones that
he and my mom did together.
1931
01:22:48,217 --> 01:22:49,969
- I take it for
my arthritis pain
1932
01:22:50,261 --> 01:22:51,929
so we can exercise together.
1933
01:22:52,221 --> 01:22:54,557
- Advil stronger than pain.
1934
01:22:54,849 --> 01:22:57,185
- If you weren't a
hardcore baseball fan,
1935
01:22:57,477 --> 01:22:58,811
you've got to know Nolan Ryan.
1936
01:22:59,103 --> 01:22:59,937
- They're not getting older.
1937
01:23:00,229 --> 01:23:01,314
They're just getting better
1938
01:23:01,606 --> 01:23:03,483
[John Blake] Because of
that national exposure.
1939
01:23:04,484 --> 01:23:05,818
- Hey, I wouldn't
steer you wrong.
1940
01:23:10,323 --> 01:23:11,491
[Narrator] While Noley
was becoming quite
1941
01:23:11,782 --> 01:23:13,701
adept at pitching products,
1942
01:23:13,993 --> 01:23:15,411
many folks wondered if
he'd ever lose steam
1943
01:23:15,703 --> 01:23:18,372
pitching fast balls.
1944
01:23:18,664 --> 01:23:21,000
The express couldn't
run forever.
1945
01:23:22,210 --> 01:23:25,630
- I watched him during
his warmup and it's ugly.
1946
01:23:25,922 --> 01:23:27,548
It's not good at all.
1947
01:23:27,840 --> 01:23:30,927
- I had a back problem and
I told Tom warming up.
1948
01:23:31,219 --> 01:23:33,179
I said, "Look you might
want to tell Bobby
1949
01:23:33,471 --> 01:23:34,847
to get somebody ready."
1950
01:23:38,768 --> 01:23:41,938
- As I watched him begin to
go up the steps of the dugout,
1951
01:23:42,230 --> 01:23:44,482
he looked down and said,
1952
01:23:44,774 --> 01:23:46,234
"This might be it."
1953
01:23:48,110 --> 01:23:51,697
[Announcer] Here comes
44-year-old Nolan Ryan.
1954
01:23:51,989 --> 01:23:54,575
An arousing ovation
from his Texas fans
1955
01:23:54,867 --> 01:23:56,202
as he takes the mount.
1956
01:23:56,494 --> 01:23:58,329
- And I called down
to the bullpen
1957
01:23:58,621 --> 01:24:01,123
and had the relief
pitcher get loose
1958
01:24:01,415 --> 01:24:03,793
while Nolan was getting
loose out on the field.
1959
01:24:04,085 --> 01:24:08,256
And I literally thought
before that game started
1960
01:24:08,548 --> 01:24:10,883
that I was gonna have
to explain to people
1961
01:24:11,175 --> 01:24:13,803
that it was over for Nolan Ryan.
1962
01:24:16,264 --> 01:24:17,390
[crowd cheers]
1963
01:24:17,682 --> 01:24:18,558
[Announcer] Strikes him out.
1964
01:24:18,849 --> 01:24:21,519
- We're standing 13 pitches,
1965
01:24:21,811 --> 01:24:23,813
get a couple of 97s, 98s
1966
01:24:24,105 --> 01:24:26,607
off of that terrible warmup.
1967
01:24:28,109 --> 01:24:30,278
[Announcer] And Ryan gets the
job done for the Rangers.
1968
01:24:30,570 --> 01:24:31,737
They're coming to bat
in a moment.
1969
01:24:34,740 --> 01:24:36,200
- When we went off the field
1970
01:24:36,492 --> 01:24:37,535
in the first inning,
1971
01:24:37,827 --> 01:24:39,579
Jeff Houston and I
1972
01:24:39,870 --> 01:24:43,291
looked at each other
with that look like,
1973
01:24:43,583 --> 01:24:44,250
he's got it.
1974
01:24:44,542 --> 01:24:46,586
So let's bear down.
1975
01:24:46,877 --> 01:24:48,337
- And he looks to the
guys around him
1976
01:24:48,629 --> 01:24:49,672
and he said, "Boys!"
1977
01:24:49,964 --> 01:24:52,383
And everybody stops
'cause Nolan is talking.
1978
01:24:52,675 --> 01:24:54,093
He said, "Get me one.
1979
01:24:54,385 --> 01:24:55,886
It's all I'm gonna
need today."
1980
01:24:56,178 --> 01:24:57,013
That's all I'm gonna need.
1981
01:24:57,305 --> 01:24:59,015
I said, okay, this
fucking game is over.
1982
01:24:59,307 --> 01:25:00,975
[upbeat rock music]
1983
01:25:01,267 --> 01:25:02,476
[Announcer] That's his
sixth strike out!
1984
01:25:02,768 --> 01:25:04,395
[crowd cheers]
1985
01:25:04,687 --> 01:25:07,023
[Announcer] Seven
strike outs now!
1986
01:25:07,607 --> 01:25:09,817
- The longer I threw,
I developed more rhythm
1987
01:25:10,109 --> 01:25:12,653
and my back wasn't to the
point that I couldn't throw.
1988
01:25:12,945 --> 01:25:15,031
And so it just
all came together.
1989
01:25:16,490 --> 01:25:18,451
[crowd cheers]
1990
01:25:18,743 --> 01:25:20,870
[Announcer] Ryan in
no-hit range once again
1991
01:25:21,162 --> 01:25:22,496
here in Texas tonight.
1992
01:25:24,832 --> 01:25:27,585
- He went to that zone where
all the superstars go.
1993
01:25:27,877 --> 01:25:30,880
[dramatic music]
1994
01:25:31,172 --> 01:25:34,216
The quantitative
definition of the zone
1995
01:25:34,508 --> 01:25:37,595
is when thinking is
inversely proportionate
1996
01:25:37,887 --> 01:25:40,389
to the stimulus of
the environment.
1997
01:25:40,681 --> 01:25:44,560
So in those high octane,
no-hitter situations.
1998
01:25:44,852 --> 01:25:46,270
When the crowds going nuts,
1999
01:25:46,562 --> 01:25:48,189
all this chaos is going on.
2000
01:25:48,481 --> 01:25:52,610
[crowd roars]
2001
01:25:52,902 --> 01:25:54,070
You know what his world is like?
2002
01:25:57,573 --> 01:26:01,661
[humming]
2003
01:26:02,411 --> 01:26:04,789
Pitch, glove, pitch, glove,
nothing else exists.
2004
01:26:07,375 --> 01:26:10,252
[crowd cheers]
2005
01:26:10,544 --> 01:26:12,630
- And this game was not
on local television.
2006
01:26:12,922 --> 01:26:14,674
So you had to be
following the radio.
2007
01:26:14,965 --> 01:26:17,218
And it created a buzz.
2008
01:26:18,219 --> 01:26:20,221
- I remember a friend calling
me and saying, you know,
2009
01:26:20,513 --> 01:26:23,516
my sons are driving to
Arlington right now.
2010
01:26:23,808 --> 01:26:26,560
And he said, because
they think Nolan Ryan
2011
01:26:26,852 --> 01:26:28,646
is gonna complete his no-hitter.
2012
01:26:29,188 --> 01:26:31,649
- The crowd got bigger
as the night went on.
2013
01:26:31,941 --> 01:26:33,150
- The bleachers were filling up.
2014
01:26:33,442 --> 01:26:34,819
The tension was rising.
2015
01:26:35,945 --> 01:26:38,197
[Announcer] Lee makes contact
2016
01:26:38,489 --> 01:26:40,616
coming hard has
managed to keep...
2017
01:26:40,908 --> 01:26:41,826
[crowd cheers loudly]
2018
01:26:42,118 --> 01:26:43,077
The no-hitters intact!
2019
01:26:43,369 --> 01:26:44,870
- Being a pitcher, you're
watching him going out
2020
01:26:45,162 --> 01:26:47,957
again at that age just
saying here I am, man.
2021
01:26:48,249 --> 01:26:49,792
I'm coming at you
with my best stuff.
2022
01:26:50,668 --> 01:26:53,212
[Announcer] Number 14.
2023
01:26:53,504 --> 01:26:54,755
Lights out on the eighth inning.
2024
01:26:55,047 --> 01:26:57,007
Fifteen strike outs.
2025
01:26:57,299 --> 01:27:00,553
Ryan, three outs away from
no-hit number seven.
2026
01:27:00,845 --> 01:27:03,180
Stay with us right here on CTV.
2027
01:27:03,472 --> 01:27:05,683
Canada's no-hit network.
2028
01:27:05,975 --> 01:27:09,478
[crowd cheers]
2029
01:27:09,770 --> 01:27:12,648
And now the only man
standing between Nolan Ryan,
2030
01:27:12,940 --> 01:27:14,483
the seventh career no-hitter,
2031
01:27:14,775 --> 01:27:17,361
is Toronto second baseman
Roberto Alomar.
2032
01:27:18,654 --> 01:27:25,327
[tense music]
2033
01:27:25,619 --> 01:27:27,913
[crowd roars]
2034
01:27:28,205 --> 01:27:28,873
[Announcer] Like everybody
else tonight,
2035
01:27:29,165 --> 01:27:29,915
he's 0 for three.
2036
01:27:30,207 --> 01:27:31,333
And that's strike one.
2037
01:27:31,625 --> 01:27:33,669
- Robby Alomar used to
take pitching lessons
2038
01:27:33,961 --> 01:27:36,088
from my dad, his dad and
my dad were teammates
2039
01:27:37,882 --> 01:27:39,550
[Announcer] Strike two!
2040
01:27:39,842 --> 01:27:42,344
- And so the fact that this
little boy he used to
2041
01:27:42,636 --> 01:27:45,598
play catch with is now
who he has to strike out--
2042
01:27:45,890 --> 01:27:47,391
To accomplish his task
is pretty amazing.
2043
01:27:47,683 --> 01:27:58,486
[crowd cheers]
2044
01:27:58,778 --> 01:28:02,615
[dramatic music]
2045
01:28:03,699 --> 01:28:06,619
[Announcer] One ball
and two strikes,
2046
01:28:06,911 --> 01:28:08,412
fly ball left field deep.
2047
01:28:08,704 --> 01:28:12,208
Toward the wall and
it is over and out
2048
01:28:12,500 --> 01:28:13,876
It is a grand slam home run.
2049
01:28:16,128 --> 01:28:18,255
[Narrator] Not what you
were expecting, huh?
2050
01:28:19,215 --> 01:28:21,467
Nolan Ryan is a legend.
2051
01:28:21,759 --> 01:28:22,843
No doubt.
2052
01:28:23,135 --> 01:28:24,804
But he is human.
2053
01:28:25,596 --> 01:28:28,349
After all the strikeouts,
2054
01:28:28,641 --> 01:28:30,434
all the records,
2055
01:28:30,726 --> 01:28:33,979
only time could
stop the express.
2056
01:28:34,855 --> 01:28:36,774
[Announcer] And Seattle
has a five-nothing lead
2057
01:28:37,066 --> 01:28:38,609
with nobody out in the first.
2058
01:28:38,901 --> 01:28:42,863
[ominous music]
2059
01:28:43,155 --> 01:28:44,824
- My elbow was
bothering me a lot.
2060
01:28:49,245 --> 01:28:50,162
I tried to pitch through it
2061
01:28:50,454 --> 01:28:52,748
hoping that it would get
better, but it didn't.
2062
01:28:53,040 --> 01:29:00,589
[ominous music]
2063
01:29:00,881 --> 01:29:02,800
[Announcer] There's
Maggot in two-one pitch
2064
01:29:03,092 --> 01:29:04,510
inside three and one.
2065
01:29:05,135 --> 01:29:06,387
- It just popped.
2066
01:29:07,930 --> 01:29:09,181
[Announcer] And now Dan,
oh boy, Danny Wheat's
2067
01:29:09,473 --> 01:29:10,558
coming out to talk to Nolan.
2068
01:29:10,850 --> 01:29:12,434
That's not good.
2069
01:29:13,185 --> 01:29:16,105
- I knew that I'd torn
that tendon in my elbow.
2070
01:29:18,774 --> 01:29:20,609
- And I knew that was it.
2071
01:29:22,945 --> 01:29:25,406
[dramatic music]
2072
01:29:25,698 --> 01:29:26,532
[Announcer] Oh boy.
2073
01:29:27,616 --> 01:29:29,994
[fans cheering]
2074
01:29:30,286 --> 01:29:31,203
[Commentator]
Oh, you just hope
2075
01:29:31,495 --> 01:29:33,080
this isn't the way
the rocket ends.
2076
01:29:34,415 --> 01:29:38,460
[fans cheering]
[dramatic music]
2077
01:29:38,752 --> 01:29:39,962
- That was a hard moment
2078
01:29:40,254 --> 01:29:42,172
to see a legend like
that walking out.
2079
01:29:45,092 --> 01:29:47,803
His time in the majors
was unbelievable.
2080
01:29:50,764 --> 01:29:53,893
- I don't usually
cry at a ball game,
2081
01:29:54,184 --> 01:29:57,438
but I cried because
it's just sad to see him
2082
01:29:57,730 --> 01:29:59,690
not finish that game.
2083
01:30:02,276 --> 01:30:05,404
We just had to be thankful
for what he had accomplished,
2084
01:30:05,696 --> 01:30:07,865
what he proved to himself,
2085
01:30:08,157 --> 01:30:10,367
and just be happy with that.
2086
01:30:11,160 --> 01:30:12,703
Even though it was sad.
2087
01:30:13,829 --> 01:30:22,046
[fans cheering]
2088
01:30:27,801 --> 01:30:30,471
- You know the first
spring training I missed,
2089
01:30:30,763 --> 01:30:34,016
boy, I had this feeling I
should be doing something,
2090
01:30:34,308 --> 01:30:35,726
working out, throwing.
2091
01:30:36,018 --> 01:30:36,769
- Mm-hmm [affirmative].
2092
01:30:37,061 --> 01:30:40,481
- And it was really weird that,
2093
01:30:40,773 --> 01:30:42,816
that wasn't part
of my life anymore.
2094
01:30:46,362 --> 01:30:49,281
I always said that there's
life after baseball.
2095
01:30:50,074 --> 01:30:53,035
Even though you prepare yourself
2096
01:30:53,327 --> 01:30:54,745
and you think you should
be able to handle it,
2097
01:30:55,037 --> 01:30:57,456
it's still a
challenge, you know.
2098
01:30:58,082 --> 01:31:01,961
It took me two years,
not being a player,
2099
01:31:02,252 --> 01:31:04,505
to finally put it behind me.
2100
01:31:05,547 --> 01:31:08,717
- He pitched 27 years.
2101
01:31:09,009 --> 01:31:10,135
He's an iron man.
2102
01:31:11,011 --> 01:31:13,514
Talk about donating your organs.
2103
01:31:13,806 --> 01:31:15,265
Nolan should donate
his right arm
2104
01:31:15,557 --> 01:31:17,685
to the Cooperstown when he dies
2105
01:31:17,977 --> 01:31:19,561
'cause there's never
been one like it.
2106
01:31:26,193 --> 01:31:28,112
[Jackson] Anybody on there
surprise you at all,
2107
01:31:28,404 --> 01:31:29,113
by numbers?
2108
01:31:29,405 --> 01:31:30,447
[Nolan] Well Gaylord, you know,
2109
01:31:30,739 --> 01:31:32,116
he wasn't really a
strikeout pitcher,
2110
01:31:32,408 --> 01:31:34,326
but he pitched so long.
2111
01:31:34,618 --> 01:31:36,829
[Jackson] First Bob Gibson,
then him, more.
2112
01:31:37,121 --> 01:31:39,707
[Nolan] Mm-hmm [affirmative].
2113
01:31:39,999 --> 01:31:42,501
- The baseball Hall
of Fame is probably
2114
01:31:42,793 --> 01:31:45,587
the most difficult
sports club to enter.
2115
01:31:45,879 --> 01:31:47,214
You think about the
total number of people
2116
01:31:47,506 --> 01:31:49,550
who've ever put on a
Major League uniform.
2117
01:31:49,842 --> 01:31:53,095
It's literally one percent,
the best of the best,
2118
01:31:53,387 --> 01:31:54,638
that end up here with
their plaque on the wall
2119
01:31:54,930 --> 01:31:56,974
in Cooperstown.
2120
01:31:57,266 --> 01:31:59,184
- Over here on the left.
2121
01:32:00,728 --> 01:32:05,024
[dramatic music]
2122
01:32:06,025 --> 01:32:07,317
- A fierce competitor
2123
01:32:07,609 --> 01:32:10,821
and one of baseball's
most intimidating figures.
2124
01:32:11,655 --> 01:32:14,450
On the pitching mound
for four decades,
2125
01:32:14,742 --> 01:32:18,120
his overpowering fastball
and unappealing longevity
2126
01:32:18,412 --> 01:32:20,456
produced 324.
2127
01:32:20,748 --> 01:32:22,207
- Unparalleled.
2128
01:32:22,708 --> 01:32:24,543
- Unparalleled longevity.
2129
01:32:24,835 --> 01:32:25,711
- You want her to start over?
2130
01:32:26,003 --> 01:32:27,171
[Director] No, that's great,
that's great.
2131
01:32:27,463 --> 01:32:32,009
- His overpowering fastball
and unparalleled longevity
2132
01:32:32,301 --> 01:32:37,806
produced 324 victories and a
host of Major League records.
2133
01:32:38,098 --> 01:32:43,228
- Lifetime benchmarks
include 5,714 strikeouts.
2134
01:32:43,520 --> 01:32:45,272
[Announcer] He stuck
him out swinging.
2135
01:32:45,564 --> 01:32:47,232
- I'm second to
him in strikeouts
2136
01:32:47,524 --> 01:32:50,319
and he's got a thousand
more strikeouts than me.
2137
01:32:50,611 --> 01:32:53,447
- Congratulations, Nolan,
and welcome to Cooperstown.
2138
01:32:53,739 --> 01:33:00,245
[fans cheering]
2139
01:33:00,537 --> 01:33:01,205
- Thank you.
2140
01:33:01,497 --> 01:33:06,168
[fans cheering]
2141
01:33:06,460 --> 01:33:07,795
Thank you.
2142
01:33:08,087 --> 01:33:10,464
This is indeed a special day
and I'm privileged to be here.
2143
01:33:13,092 --> 01:33:14,384
It took me a while to realize
2144
01:33:14,676 --> 01:33:16,470
what a gift that
I had been given.
2145
01:33:16,762 --> 01:33:19,306
And when I finally did,
I dedicated myself
2146
01:33:19,598 --> 01:33:22,226
to be the best pitcher
I possibly could be
2147
01:33:22,518 --> 01:33:24,520
for as long as I
possibly could be.
2148
01:33:24,812 --> 01:33:28,148
- For Nolan to pitch 27
years in the Major Leagues,
2149
01:33:28,440 --> 01:33:31,819
it takes so much work
behind the scenes.
2150
01:33:32,111 --> 01:33:34,613
Ups and downs inside
your mind and your heart
2151
01:33:34,905 --> 01:33:38,200
and your body to go out there
and do it time and time again.
2152
01:33:39,618 --> 01:33:41,120
- I'd like to say thank you
2153
01:33:41,411 --> 01:33:44,581
to the guys that I
faced over my career.
2154
01:33:44,873 --> 01:33:48,127
I can honestly say that
I'm enjoying seeing 'em now
2155
01:33:48,418 --> 01:33:50,712
more than I ever have.
2156
01:33:51,004 --> 01:33:52,464
And I really didn't
particularly care for 'em
2157
01:33:52,756 --> 01:33:54,466
when they had their uniforms on.
2158
01:33:54,758 --> 01:33:57,427
So guys, I appreciate it.
2159
01:33:57,719 --> 01:33:59,513
- First time I really
got to know Nolan
2160
01:33:59,805 --> 01:34:01,974
was when we both went in
the Hall of Fame that year,
2161
01:34:02,266 --> 01:34:04,309
and guess what, I was
still intimidated.
2162
01:34:04,601 --> 01:34:05,435
I didn't have to face him.
2163
01:34:05,727 --> 01:34:07,187
I was nervous being around him.
2164
01:34:07,479 --> 01:34:09,356
- And to play as long as I did,
2165
01:34:09,648 --> 01:34:10,816
and to have a family,
2166
01:34:11,108 --> 01:34:12,860
you have to be very blessed.
2167
01:34:13,152 --> 01:34:15,571
And I was with my wife, Ruth.
2168
01:34:15,863 --> 01:34:18,073
[fans clapping]
2169
01:34:18,365 --> 01:34:20,951
And my three fine children,
Reed, Reese and Wendy.
2170
01:34:21,910 --> 01:34:24,246
Baseball life's a tough
life on your family.
2171
01:34:24,538 --> 01:34:25,622
- One, two, three.
2172
01:34:25,914 --> 01:34:28,792
[Nolan] And to be able
to play as long as I did,
2173
01:34:29,084 --> 01:34:33,005
and have the support that
I had from my family.
2174
01:34:34,339 --> 01:34:37,009
I can't tell you how, how
much that means to me.
2175
01:34:37,634 --> 01:34:39,219
- We would be here all
day if I had to list
2176
01:34:39,511 --> 01:34:41,889
all the ways that my dad's
made a difference
2177
01:34:42,181 --> 01:34:43,432
in my life.
2178
01:34:43,724 --> 01:34:47,811
Just the example of the kind
of human being I want to be,
2179
01:34:48,103 --> 01:34:49,855
and I want my children to be.
2180
01:34:50,147 --> 01:34:51,982
I'm extremely lucky.
2181
01:34:52,774 --> 01:34:55,152
- I may be gone, but
I won't forget you.
2182
01:34:55,444 --> 01:34:59,448
And I appreciate all those times
2183
01:34:59,740 --> 01:35:03,410
that you supported me over
the 27 years that I played,
2184
01:35:03,702 --> 01:35:04,369
and my family.
2185
01:35:04,661 --> 01:35:05,454
Thank you.
2186
01:35:05,746 --> 01:35:12,252
[fans clapping]
2187
01:35:12,544 --> 01:35:14,546
- There was certain
lions in the league
2188
01:35:14,838 --> 01:35:16,632
and there was a lot of lambs.
2189
01:35:16,924 --> 01:35:18,258
Nolan was a lion.
2190
01:35:21,470 --> 01:35:22,763
- When the books are written,
2191
01:35:23,055 --> 01:35:26,058
Nolan's going to be up there
with all the greats.
2192
01:35:26,850 --> 01:35:30,020
There's not ever gonna
be another Nolan Ryan.
2193
01:35:31,396 --> 01:35:33,899
- Out of the many records
that Nolan Ryan has,
2194
01:35:34,191 --> 01:35:36,318
the seven no-hitters is
never gonna be broken.
2195
01:35:36,610 --> 01:35:38,737
- The man has more strikeouts
than anybody will ever have
2196
01:35:39,029 --> 01:35:40,739
in the history of the game.
2197
01:35:41,031 --> 01:35:42,199
Nobody's ever gonna break it.
2198
01:35:42,991 --> 01:35:44,034
No chance.
2199
01:35:44,534 --> 01:35:46,995
- He's struck out
5,700 plus hitters.
2200
01:35:47,287 --> 01:35:48,580
I'm not one of them.
2201
01:35:48,872 --> 01:35:51,458
And the only reason that is
is that I've never faced him.
2202
01:35:52,542 --> 01:35:53,627
[Announcer] Swing and miss.
2203
01:35:53,919 --> 01:35:56,630
- Ryan did every
element of pitching
2204
01:35:56,922 --> 01:36:00,384
in a bigger way than anybody
who ever played the game.
2205
01:36:00,676 --> 01:36:01,677
He didn't just walk hitters.
2206
01:36:01,969 --> 01:36:03,929
He walked the most ever,
struck out the most ever.
2207
01:36:04,221 --> 01:36:05,222
He allowed the fewest hits ever.
2208
01:36:05,514 --> 01:36:06,807
Threw the most no-hitters ever.
2209
01:36:07,099 --> 01:36:11,311
So every part of him is this
Paul Bunyan-esque character.
2210
01:36:11,603 --> 01:36:13,605
He's just this larger
than life figure.
2211
01:36:13,897 --> 01:36:14,606
But at the end, you're like
2212
01:36:14,898 --> 01:36:15,816
"where does it
Nolan Ryan stand?"
2213
01:36:16,108 --> 01:36:17,109
And there's no
good answer to that
2214
01:36:17,401 --> 01:36:19,361
because there's nobody
to compare him to.
2215
01:36:20,112 --> 01:36:21,738
[Cal] He's an icon to the
game of baseball.
2216
01:36:22,030 --> 01:36:23,156
It's almost folklore.
2217
01:36:23,448 --> 01:36:25,117
When you think about what
he was able to accomplish
2218
01:36:25,409 --> 01:36:26,785
and how long he did it.
2219
01:36:27,077 --> 01:36:29,121
I don't remember facing
anybody like him.
2220
01:36:30,455 --> 01:36:31,665
- Ultimately in life,
2221
01:36:31,957 --> 01:36:33,750
you can have success
on the field
2222
01:36:34,042 --> 01:36:35,335
but really what matters
in the long term
2223
01:36:35,627 --> 01:36:37,963
is a good set of values.
2224
01:36:38,255 --> 01:36:40,757
And that's what
Nolan Ryan exemplifies.
2225
01:36:43,385 --> 01:36:48,181
- His legacy will be that
he had a God-given talent
2226
01:36:48,473 --> 01:36:50,851
and he worked hard
at his talent.
2227
01:36:51,143 --> 01:36:53,854
I'm really proud of that
2228
01:36:54,146 --> 01:36:56,481
but I'm just so proud
of him as a person.
2229
01:36:57,190 --> 01:36:59,192
I guess I'm just
his biggest fan.
2230
01:37:01,737 --> 01:37:04,364
- My mom played a huge role.
2231
01:37:04,656 --> 01:37:06,992
Without Ruth Ryan,
Nolan Ryan's career would
2232
01:37:07,284 --> 01:37:10,495
never have lasted 27 years
in the Major Leagues.
2233
01:37:10,787 --> 01:37:14,583
She has given up so much
for our family.
2234
01:37:19,254 --> 01:37:22,591
- I never dreamed this would
happen, but, then again,
2235
01:37:22,883 --> 01:37:24,343
I just wanted to be with him.
2236
01:37:27,346 --> 01:37:29,389
- Three, two, one.
[whoosh]
2237
01:37:30,974 --> 01:37:33,727
- Everything about Nolan Ryan
is rather mythical.
2238
01:37:34,019 --> 01:37:35,062
[fireworks popping]
2239
01:37:35,354 --> 01:37:37,064
And I think it always will be.
2240
01:37:37,356 --> 01:37:39,066
Long after us,
2241
01:37:39,358 --> 01:37:41,109
it'll still be mythical.
2242
01:37:43,195 --> 01:37:45,364
- I guess it was kinda like,
2243
01:37:45,655 --> 01:37:47,157
I was born to be a pitcher.
2244
01:37:51,578 --> 01:37:54,289
[Announcer] That's it,
number seven is in the books.
2245
01:37:54,664 --> 01:37:57,209
The remarkable Ryan
has done it again.
2246
01:38:03,256 --> 01:38:04,257
[Narrator] Now you
didn't really think
2247
01:38:04,549 --> 01:38:06,927
we'd leave out the seventh
no-hitter, did you?
2248
01:38:08,678 --> 01:38:11,515
Here's to one hell
of run, Big Tex.
2249
01:38:11,807 --> 01:38:21,525
[crowd cheering]
2250
01:38:21,817 --> 01:38:31,535
[crowd cheering]
2251
01:38:31,827 --> 01:38:41,545
[crowd cheering]
2252
01:38:41,837 --> 01:38:51,555
[crowd cheering]
2253
01:38:51,847 --> 01:38:55,308
[crowd cheering]
2254
01:38:55,600 --> 01:39:05,819
[gentle music]
2255
01:39:06,111 --> 01:39:12,993
♪ ♪
2256
01:39:13,285 --> 01:39:21,334
♪ ♪
2257
01:39:25,630 --> 01:39:27,799
- They don't even know
what a soap opera is.
2258
01:39:31,845 --> 01:39:32,596
- Yeah, I have it.
2259
01:39:32,888 --> 01:39:34,014
Oh, you're watching
it right now?
2260
01:39:34,306 --> 01:39:35,098
- Hello, Nolan.
2261
01:39:35,390 --> 01:39:36,433
- Hi, Mary.
2262
01:39:36,725 --> 01:39:38,185
I just wanted to come by
and thank you for yesterday
2263
01:39:38,477 --> 01:39:39,561
and drop this picture
off you asked for.
2264
01:39:39,853 --> 01:39:41,188
- Oh, how nice of you.
2265
01:39:41,480 --> 01:39:42,898
- You had hair!
2266
01:39:43,190 --> 01:39:43,982
[laughing]
2267
01:39:44,274 --> 01:39:45,150
- Well, I guess I better go.
2268
01:39:45,442 --> 01:39:46,943
I just want to drop
that picture by.
2269
01:39:47,235 --> 01:39:49,237
Oh, well you just come by
anytime you're in town.
2270
01:39:49,529 --> 01:39:50,655
Most appreciated.
2271
01:39:50,947 --> 01:39:52,032
- Yes ma'am, thank you.
2272
01:39:52,324 --> 01:39:52,908
Nice seeing you.
2273
01:39:53,200 --> 01:39:54,201
- Goodbye.
2274
01:39:54,493 --> 01:39:55,785
- Hey, after watching this,
let me tell you,
2275
01:39:56,077 --> 01:39:57,370
it's a good thing you
stuck with baseball,
2276
01:39:57,662 --> 01:39:58,872
not acting.
2277
01:39:59,414 --> 01:40:02,292
- ♪ Well, one of these
days gonna pay the road. ♪
2278
01:40:02,959 --> 01:40:06,421
♪ Yeah, one of these days
going to run for fun. ♪
2279
01:40:07,130 --> 01:40:10,675
♪ Yeah one these days,
when you're all alone. ♪
2280
01:40:11,593 --> 01:40:16,139
♪ Out back wishing for
the grass to grow, oh ♪
2281
01:40:17,432 --> 01:40:20,268
- Do, I think my dad's the
greatest pitcher of all time.
2282
01:40:20,560 --> 01:40:22,812
In some ways I would say no.
2283
01:40:23,104 --> 01:40:24,564
And in some ways I'd say yes.
2284
01:40:24,856 --> 01:40:25,982
- When you pitch
as deep as he did
2285
01:40:26,274 --> 01:40:27,526
and you pitch it for
as long as he did,
2286
01:40:27,817 --> 01:40:29,152
there's gonna be numbers
that if somebody
2287
01:40:29,444 --> 01:40:31,696
wants to make the argument,
well, you know
2288
01:40:31,988 --> 01:40:33,448
he's the all-time walk leader.
2289
01:40:33,740 --> 01:40:35,534
Or he has nearly
2290
01:40:35,825 --> 01:40:37,118
Well, that's a valid argument,
2291
01:40:37,410 --> 01:40:39,329
but that is also what
comes with the territory
2292
01:40:39,621 --> 01:40:40,705
when you are a power pitcher
2293
01:40:40,997 --> 01:40:42,082
and you pitch as long as he did.
2294
01:40:42,374 --> 01:40:43,124
- You know, you got
Randy Johnson,
2295
01:40:43,416 --> 01:40:44,668
you got Roger Clemens
2296
01:40:44,960 --> 01:40:46,044
you got Tom Sever,
and I'm being biased.
2297
01:40:47,337 --> 01:40:50,298
But I think, bar none,
Nolan, as a power pitcher,
2298
01:40:50,590 --> 01:40:52,425
is at the head of that list.
2299
01:40:52,717 --> 01:40:55,428
- Nolan Ryan definitely
top five of all time.
2300
01:40:55,720 --> 01:40:56,471
No doubt about it.
2301
01:40:56,763 --> 01:40:57,681
- I caught that dude, man.
2302
01:40:57,973 --> 01:40:59,266
I mean, I caught Nolan Ryan.
2303
01:40:59,558 --> 01:41:00,475
I caught him.
2304
01:41:00,767 --> 01:41:01,726
- He can rank right up there
2305
01:41:02,018 --> 01:41:04,771
with some of the old pitchers,
Sandy Koufax,
2306
01:41:05,063 --> 01:41:06,273
people that have
accomplished enormous
2307
01:41:06,565 --> 01:41:08,024
success in baseball.
2308
01:41:08,316 --> 01:41:10,652
- There has been pitchers
that have won more than him
2309
01:41:10,944 --> 01:41:12,779
that have a better ERA.
2310
01:41:13,071 --> 01:41:15,073
But in the history of baseball,
2311
01:41:15,365 --> 01:41:18,159
he was the most
dominating pitcher
2312
01:41:18,451 --> 01:41:20,120
that the game has ever seen.
2313
01:41:22,914 --> 01:41:23,832
- We gotta end on that.
2314
01:41:24,124 --> 01:41:25,041
That was perfect.
2315
01:41:25,333 --> 01:41:26,084
- That was perfect.
2316
01:41:26,376 --> 01:41:27,377
- Yeah, it felt like,
wow, that was--
2317
01:41:27,669 --> 01:41:29,337
- You nailed it.
2318
01:41:29,629 --> 01:41:31,756
- Wow, I was looking in the
camera and I felt, wow.
2319
01:41:33,091 --> 01:41:35,302
Well that's the way a
documentary should end.
171829
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