Looking back: May 1, 1991 and Nolan Ryan’s seventh no-hitter
As he walked into the Rangers’ locker room in Arlington Stadium, Nolan Ryan didn’t feel at all like pitching that evening, May 1, 1991, against the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander had agreed to pitch on only four days rest instead of his usual five because it was Arlington Appreciation Night, a tribute to the fans in the city midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Ryan felt he owed the crowd an appearance, but he was hurting. He had awakened that morning with more than the usual aches expected of a pitcher in his 25th major league season.
Aches aside, Ryan’s physical appearance contrasted with his young teammates, as noted by sportswriter Alan Greenberg at the time. “Walking around the dressing room in his shorts, he looks every inch the middle-aged, 44-year-old man he is. Despite being a fitness fanatic who religiously rides a stationary bike, the balding Ryan has a slight paunch, concave chest and slender arms.”
Ryan first pitched in the majors on Sept. 11, 1966, for the New York Mets. After several mediocre seasons, the Mets traded him to the California Angels after the 1971 season. It was with the Angels (1972 through 1979) that his career flourished.
In 1972, Ryan finished 19-16 with a 2.28 ERA, and led the majors with 329 strikeouts. But 1973 was even better.
Ryan pitched his first no-hitter on May 15, 1973, against the Kansas City Royals in their home park, with the Angels winning 3-0. Two months later, on Sunday July 15, Ryan faced Detroit in Tiger Stadium in front of a big crowd of 41,000. Shortstop Rudy Meoli made a great play in the ninth to preserve a no-hitter and 6-0 win.
Ryan notched his third no-hitter on September 28, 1974, beating the Twins in Anaheim, 4-0. No. 4 came at home against the Orioles on June 1, 1975.
After the 1979 season, Ryan signed with the Houston Astros. He pitched his record-breaking fifth no-hitter against the Dodgers in the Astrodome in front of his wife, Ruth, on September 26, 1981.
By 1989 he was 42 years old and a member of the Texas Rangers.
He pitched no-hitter No. 6 on June 11, 1990, against the Athletics in Oakland. After a poor pregame warmup and a slow start, Ryan’s pitches became masterful by the fifth and his teammates began shunning him in the dugout for fear of a jinx. But in the sixth, his back became quite painful – it was diagnosed later as a stress fracture of a lower back vertebrae – but he persevered and Texas won 5-0. He struck out 14 and walked only two.
On May Day 1991, after urging Tom House and Bobby Valentine to have a reliever ready, Ryan left the dugout for the mound to start the game. With his assorted pains deadened by Advil, he would have to gut it out on Arlington Appreciation Night against the Blue Jays.
Ryan struck out 16 and his two walks ruined a perfect game. The Blue Jays were leading the majors that day with a .276 average, but Lee’s short fly out to center in the sixth to Pettis was the closest the team came to a hit.
“I had the best command of all three pitches. This is the best,” Ryan said of his seven no-hitters to reporters later. “This is my most overpowering night.”
Clearing the bases
St. Louis Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo will undergo right knee replacement surgery next month and won’t return to the team this season. Oquendo has been the third base coach for 16 seasons. … Saturday’s game between the Cubs and Atlanta Braves in Chicago was postponed because of rain. No makeup date was announced.