I
don’t know how I forgot THIS highlight in baseball during the decade,
but at least I remembered and created a card for Nolan Ryan’s fourth
no-hitter, which tied him for the Major League record with the Dodgers’
Sandy Koufax:
On June 1st of 1975, Ryan went out and no-hit the Baltimore Orioles 1-0,
with light-hitting Dave Chalk driving in the game’s only run in the
third inning.
That sole run was more than enough as the Orioles just could no do a
thing against the “Ryan Express”, as Ryan struck out nine batters while
walking “only” four.
Sadly for Ross Grimsley and Wayne Garland, they lost out on a nicely
pitched game as they allowed a single run on nine hits while walking
only one, with Grimsley getting tagged for the tough loss.
Ryan was in his stud prime in 1975, yet little did anyone know that he
would go on to pitch another EIGHTEEN YEARS before giving his golden
right-arm a rest!
324 career wins, 5714 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and SEVEN no-hitters, with TWO of them pitched after he turned 42!
Just ridiculous, stupendous, astonishing.
I remember being at a Yankee-Rangers day game some time in 1989 or 1990,
and just hearing his grunts after every pitch, with the ball looking
like a PEA, just amazing!