By Gerry Fraley/ The Dallas Morning News

Reprinted from Aug. 1, 1990 editions

Box score

MILWAUKEE - Nolan Ryan, once branded a loser, joined baseball's most exclusive group of winners Tuesday night.

Ryan, who already has the most no-hitters (six) and the most strikeouts (5,219) in baseball history, became only the 20th 300-game winner as the Rangers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 11-3, before a sellout crowd of 51,533 at County Stadium.

Ryan watched the final four outs from the dugout. When center fielder Gary Pettis caught Robin Yount's fly ball for the final out, Ryan's teammates ushered him onto the field for a celebration. The crowd joined in with a rousing three-minute standing ovation.

"I'm relieved it's over," said Ryan, who reached 300 on his second try. "The last 15 days emotionally have been as tough as any 15 days I've had.

"I wanted to get it done tonight after what happened [last Wednesday] at Arlington Stadium. I didn't want this to become an on-going deal. I appreciate my teammates for the support they gave me."

Ryan promised to keep to his routine and begin working out Wednesday morning in anticipation of his next scheduled start: Sunday against Toronto at Arlington Stadium. That game is a sellout.

"Every game he pitches from now on will have a full house, but that's not the important thing," said George W. Bush, the Rangers' managing general partner. "What we have is a real live Texas hero with Texas virtues. We have a tradition that we can build on, that legends can be spun from. It's big now, but 10 or 15 years from now it'll be bigger."

Ryan, 43, pitching with an aching back, tried to join the 300-victory club in grand style with a complete game but failed because of his defense.

After the seventh inning, Ryan told manager Bobby Valentine, "I'm fine, but get someone ready." Ryan's fastball was clocked at 96 mph in the eighth, but that could not overcome two errors by second baseman Julio Franco.

The errors led to two unearned runs and kept Ryan from finishing the inning. With the tying run on base in a 5-3 game, Valentine kept his word to manage for a win and pulled Ryan with two out.

"It was a physically demanding game," said Ryan, who threw 146 pitches in 7 2/3 innings. "I didn't anticipate finishing the game."

As Ryan and Valentine stood on the mound waiting for reliever Brad Arnsberg, shortstop Jeff Huson began applauding. The crowd joined in, chanting "Nol-an . . . Nol-an" during a thunderous 50-second standing ovation.

Ryan waved to the crowd as he entered the dugout. Valentine, as he expected, was booed.

Arnsberg finished, and the Rangers made it easy by scoring six runs in the ninth. Franco made up for his errors with a grand slam in the inning.

"Hey, Julio," left fielder Pete Incaviglia yelled afterward. "You drove in more than you let in."

The bad back that twice nearly caused this start to be postponed did not appear to bother Ryan. He had only one bad flurry, in the third and fourth innings.

Louis DeLuca / The Dallas Morning News Ryan celebrates after his 300th career win.

The magnitude of Ryan's accomplishment is best measured by those who never reached the goal.

Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Whitey Ford and Robin Roberts did not win 300 games. Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax, Ryan's boyhood hero, did not win 300 games. Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Catfish Hunter, Juan Marichal and Jim Palmer, Ryan's contemporaries, did not win 300 games.

"To me, it means relief," Ryan said. "What it's going to mean to me personally, I don't know. I've gotten a lot of satisfaction out of what I've accomplished here late in my career.

"I'm not one to reflect back on my career yet. I'm sure at some point in my life I will. I'm going to get ready for my next start, and that's the way I'm going to approach the rest of the season."

Commissioner Fay Vincent attended Ryan's first try for the milestone but bypassed this game. According to a Major League Baseball official, no slight was intended.

The official said that Vincent believed he would draw attention from Ryan and detract from his moment by attending. On Monday, Vincent banished New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The commissioner did not want to mar the occasion by having to field questions on that decision at Ryan's game.

Ryan had about 40 family members and friends at the game. Red Murff, the New York Mets scout who recommended signing Ryan, attended the game. So did about 250 members of the media.

Sons Reid and Reese were in uniform and with their father on the bench during the game.

Ryan stayed in his hotel room until the team bus left for the park at 5 p.m. He followed his usual pre-game routine and spent a considerable amount of time in the trainer's room. Teammates ribbed him.

"Big game's tomorrow," said pitcher Charlie Hough, who will start against the Brewers on Wednesday.

As Ryan walked into the trainer's room, American League special assistant Dick Wagner told him, "Let's go get 'em."

"Let's get this done as soon as possible for everyone's sake," Ryan said.

How about for your sake, Ryan was asked.

He nodded.

The home crowd sided with the visitor. Ryan, son Reese at his side, received a 30-second standing ovation as he walked in from the bullpen after warmups.

The cheers were repeated when Ryan's name was flashed on the scoreboard with the lineup and again when he took the mound for the first inning.

As the Rangers went ahead in the fifth inning, the roars grew to an explosion with Huson's two-run triple that put the Rangers ahead, 4-1.

"The way I perceived it, it was their way of saying they appreciated my efforts and career," Ryan said of the crowd. "What was exciting to me was the Milwaukee fans being so supportive. It speaks well of them as a baseball community."

The victory culminated a 26-year journey by Ryan. Signed out of Alvin High School by the Mets in 1965, Ryan, who has 267 career losses, won his first major league game with them in 1968.

Ryan had a 19-24 record with the Mets and was included in a five-player trade with California after the 1971 season. The Angels let Ryan sign with Houston as a free agent after the 1979 season, and California general manager Buzzie Bavasi said all he needed to replace Ryan was "two 8-7 pitchers."

"I wonder if Buzzie ever found those two 8-7 pitchers," Ryan said with a smile recently.