Today on the blog we have a "missing" 1971 "Baseball's Greatest Moments" card for uber-star Nolan Ryan, who was just starting out his historic baseball carer as a member of the New York Mets:
In
the ninth-game of the 1970 season, the reigning World Champion Mets had
their young starter put in the type of game he would become famous for
later on in his Hall of Fame career, tossing a 15-strikeout one-hit
shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies, absolutely dominating the
game aside from his six walks.
A
day after being shut out by Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, the Phillies
found themselves victims of an even more dominating performance, this
time by the young righty from Texas, allowing only a Denny Doyle single
on his way to his first Major League Shutout.
Well, as we all know, it certainly would NOT be the last shutout of his career!
What really needs to be said about a guy who has become more myth than baseball legend?
300+ wins, 5700+
strikeouts, 60+ shutouts, and oh yeah SEVEN no-hitters, two of which
came when he was well into his 40’s while with the Texas Rangers!
I used the 1974
template since he was fresh off his record-breaking 383 strikeout season
of 1973, his second consecutive 300+ strikeout season, and on his way
to make the Mets regret BIG TIME for letting him
go.
I love thinking
about the fact that he did all of this in the American League, with the
designated hitter. Now imagine how many strikeouts he could have had in
his prime pitching in the National League where
the pitcher batted?!
Would it be safe to say you could add 20-30 strikeouts a season to his total?
Hey, you never know…
Nevertheless, the
man became a baseball God, eventually finding his place in the Hall of
Fame upon his first year of eligibility as an absolute no-brainer.
I just thank the skies above that I got to see him pitch in-person!