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In the hearts of Texas Fans share favorite memories of Ryan, both as pitcher and person 07/25/99
Reid Ryan's favorite memory
Our first-born was named Ryan (1975). When the boys were old enough, we started a tradition in the summers called "Hopping Saturday." We would hop in the van, go with the wind and stop at every garage sale, bookstore, card shop looking for unusual Nolan Ryan stuff. Of course, there was a $5 reward for the most unique item. We still talk about the good ol' days. The collection is now over 5,000 items, which leads me to tell you my favorite memory of the man who provided our family with excitement at the ballpark and entertainment on "Hopping Saturdays." In 1997, we were invited to the Nolan Ryan Golf Tournament as a favor for loaning several items to the museum. I was going to actually meet him. When the moment came, I stepped back and just observed the people around him. He was never alone, though his smile was strained at times. He was always the gentleman. That evening, I was standing by a tree waiting for my husband when Nolan walked by me. This was my chance, but out of respect I held back. He tipped his hat. I nodded, then he started toward the banquet tent. He got halfway up the hill, stopped, looked around. Then, realizing he was alone, looked and took in the starry sky. He was lost in silence for a brief moment. Then, reality took hold. He looked down, adjusted his hat, and was soon lost in the demanding crowd. My favorite memory is the silhouette of a true Texan against the horizon on a cool autumn night in Texas.
Leaving home My favorite memory of Nolan occurred in the mid-'60s. I was working at Fuller's Pharmacy in La Marque, Texas, just down the road from Alvin. One of Nolan's high school friends worked part-time at the same pharmacy. Nolan was about 17 years old and visited the friend often. The following year, Nolan signed a contract with the Mets. He was a shy youngster, but he was pretty excited when he came in and told us that he had signed with the Mets. Leaving home was real hard on him, but eventually things worked out. This is my favorite memory because I knew him before he was famous. Twice bitten I was five months pregnant with my first child when my husband and I went to check on his parents' home while they were out of the country. It was a very large house, but as was the custom, a certain door was always unlocked. And with a large German shepherd named Fritz that was infamous for biting, this was considered a safe practice. After checking the back door and finding it locked, Tom jumped the fence and went around to the unlocked door. About that time, Rosalie, a younger sister, heard our knocks and came to let us in. Fritz came out the back door and latched onto my right thigh. Scared and shaken, I phoned my physician, and he told me to proceed to Medical City Hospital. To my horror and my squeamish husband's relief, the staff refused to let my husband accompany me into the exam room. The bite was cleaned. A stitch and a tetanus shot later, I hobbled to the waiting room, where I would finally be reunited with my husband, believing he would be terribly worried about me and the baby. So when I walked out into the waiting room, Tom jumped up and with a look of joy I had never seen before, threw his arms around me and announced, "Nolan Ryan hit a home run!" "What?" I demanded, not believing what he had just said, more out of outrage for not realizing how distraught I was than anything. Then he made matters worse by explaining to me that Ryan was a pitcher, implying that I was the one who was in the dark about the situation. As I looked around the waiting room, it was filled with fathers, husbands, etc., and all were transfixed by the replay. I knew any further discussion was pointless. This was real life. The honeymoon was over. Yes, this was when I realized what marriage and being a mom was all about. Several years later, my brother called asking if he could take my second son to the ballgame for a birthday present (John's birthday was May 5) since Nolan was pitching. My brother always needed an excuse for taking the kids or himself to the game. I decided this was not a good idea since it was a school night. Of course, this was the night of the seventh no-hitter. I will always remember Nolan Ryan, and my children will never let me forget! Groans and grunts I can't remember the specific date, but we saw Nolan in old Arlington Stadium. My family was real young at the time, and for my birthday we bought tickets in early April to see a game on Camera Day. It was a Sunday and my wife, two sons (8 and 5 years old) and daughter (3) arrived around 11:30 a.m. Unfortunately, like many April day games, it was somewhat rainy. So, first the Camera Day was canceled and then the game was delayed. We left at about 3:30. As we drove home, the game got under way at 4:30. I wrote the ticket manager a letter explaining the situation, and he sent me four comp tickets to any game Monday through Thursday that we had to arrange. The tickets were very nice, up somewhat high, but between third base and home. And the Ryan Express just happened to be on the mound that night. Nolan pitched a great game, and my memory was how much effort he put into every pitch. It was the first time I had ever heard him grunt as he let it fly. Being in those seats with my family, hearing Nolan grunt the Rangers to victory will always remain in my mind. That is what baseball and Nolan Ryan are all about. That fall, we got a kitten and the family named him Nolan. We have since moved to Huntsville, Ala., but remain true Nolan Ryan and Ranger fans.
My favorite memory of Nolan Ryan was the first time I saw him pitch in person. It was his first game as a Houston Astro, opening day against the hated Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cap Day in the Astrodome. Nolan had not been at bat for years, since he had been in the American League. He whacked a three-run homer the first time he came to the plate. We all screamed, yelled and waved our hats for quite a while, making him come out of the dugout for a tip of his hat. Thanks, Nolan! What's more important than seeing Nolan Ryan get his 5,000th strikeout? A wedding? A baby's birth? For a friend, it was bowling. On the day Nolan Ryan went to the mound in his quest for "K-5,000," I remarked to my friend - a season-ticket holder - how great it would be to see the game. Ashamedly, my pal admitted that he had weeks earlier given away his tickets because the game was on a bowling night. I guffawed. I rolled on the floor. After several minutes of laughter, I calmed down to the snickering stage and made two phone calls. I had to share my glee, first with a local sportscaster I know. His response: "What? Bowling? Is the guy an idiot?" More laughter followed. The second call went to another acquaintance, all-time base stealer Rickey Henderson. Rickey was not in his hotel room to share the moment, so I left a message: "Don't be the 5,000th strikeout." Later, of course, that bit of imparted baseball wisdom earned me more than a fair share of derision, when Rickey went down in the history books as Nolan Ryan's 5,000th strikeout victim. We're all still laughing. Coach's wife remembers My husband, the late Mel Wright, was pitching coach for Houston when Nolan Ryan joined the Astros. I was, therefore, fortunate to see Nolan win many games. However, one game will forever stand out in my memory. After two hours of nail-biting baseball, I closed my scorecard with not only another Ryan win, but also another no-hitter. Ryan's fifth no-hitter was definitely a great moment for a great baseball man. I kept that scorecard, and directly below the final tallies is Nolan's autograph he signed for me that evening. Next to that scorecard stands one of the no-hitter game balls Nolan also signed expressing gratitude for Mel's support. Nolan is not only a great pitcher, but also a great man. I am proud to say he and my husband were teammates during those exciting times in the Astrodome. If Mel were here today, he would express the same admiration for this man who gave so much to the game. I treasure the mementos from that memorable no-hitter, along with many other exciting memories Nolan provided during those exceptional years on the mound. Vision of greatness We were relocating from Arlington to Boston. I decided to take my 8-year-old son to one last Ranger game. Didn't know who we were playing, much less who was pitching. Just went to the box office. My son had left his new glasses at home, so I asked for the "best tickets for a little kid who had left his glasses at home." The ticket seller slid me two tickets three rows above the Ranger dugout. A season-ticket holder had just turned them in. I said thank you and asked him who was pitching. He said Nolan Ryan. My son and I together kept score on Nolan's seventh no-hitter! Great luck, great seats and a great performance. It was a special moment for a father and son and one we won't soon forget. Thanks, Nolan! An electric thank you The Rangers were playing the Blue Jays in a night game at home while I was working the night shift in the bowels of the TU Electric basement in downtown Fort Worth. The only radio station you can pick up down there is WBAP; thankfully I was (still am) a lifelong Rangers fan, I liked country music, and I thought that Bill Mack's all-night trucker show with the corny voices was entertaining. After the seventh inning, you could really feel the emotional drama of the game thanks to the great voice of Mark Holtz, whose descriptions almost made that game visible to me. My co-workers and I stopped working the last three innings and crowded around the clearest radio to root for Nolan. We hung on each pitch and cheered for each strike and putout in the top of the eighth and ninth innings. That ninth frame was by far the most thrilling inning of baseball I have ever experienced in 25 years of following the Rangers. Finally, when Nolan got Robbie Alomar to strike out swinging to finish the game, we just went crazy. It seemed unreal. We could not believe Nolan had done it again! Who knew that just five people could make so much noise for so long. Thank you for the memory, Mr. Ryan. Tale of the tape I was out at Arlington Stadium looking at potential additional season-ticket seats. All of a sudden, a reporter ran up to me and said, "What do you think?" I was absolutely shocked. I couldn't comprehend why this reporter was filming me or what he was asking me about. He could tell that I was perplexed, so he turned the camera off and told me that the Rangers had just signed Nolan Ryan and that I would be a perfect interview since I was the only fan in the stadium. I agreed to conduct an interview with him. I shared with him that I was a huge Nolan fan and that it would be a thrill of a lifetime to get to see him in person at the stadium. I quickly rushed home to fire up the VCR. They aired my segment on the 6 and 10 o'clock sports right in the middle of this red-hot breaking sports story. During the segment, they showed a graphic under my name that stated, "Cliff Gardner Ranger Fan." My friends have had a lot of fun over the years with that video and nickname. They would put it on during parties and slow it down to the point where my mouth would open and close slowly and look like a guppy. For years they would say "Here comes Cliff Gardner - Ranger fan." This was really a special event for an ordinary fan. For a brief moment, I felt like I was part of the event. First impressions I remember in '89 when I first heard that the Rangers had signed Nolan Ryan. I was thrilled to be able to see such a legend pitch for Texas, but at the same time I reminded myself that he was fast approaching the end of his great career and to not expect very much. Still, I bought a ticket to the very first game Nolan pitched at Arlington Stadium. I watched him warm up before the game, not really impressed with his throws to the catcher. When he was introduced, it was a warm reception but not wildly over-enthusiastic. We had all come to see if the Express had anything left in that golden arm of his. Nolan stood on the mound and with grunts that could be heard throughout the stadium, he mowed down the first batter with nothing but heat. "Wow!" went the crowd. This is not the pitching we were used to. Then the next batter went down on strikes. The people in the stands were beginning to look at each other with raised eyebrows. And, finally, the third batter watched helplessly as he tried in vain to make contact but became victim No. 3. Three up. Three down. Nolan casually walked off the mound, and this time the crowd went wild. It was if he was saying to us, "I'm not finished yet, folks." Indeed. Sign of respect He was with the California Angels and had a no-hitter going into the ninth inning against Oakland. Reggie Jackson came up to bat and hit a single. When Reggie got to first base, Nolan turned to look at him and tipped his hat. I always thought that was totally cool. Great appreciation My favorite memory would have to be Nolan's seventh no-hitter. My wife called me at work the week before to ask if I wanted to go see the game on Wednesday, May 2. Being an avid baseball fan, I looked ahead to see who might be pitching that night. It was supposed to be Kenny Rogers. So, I said, "No, not really." Kenny Rogers was young and struggling at the time, and I knew there was no chance to see Nolan Ryan pitch, because he was on the DL. She explained that Wednesday, May 2 was Arlington Appreciation Night, and that tickets anywhere in the stadium were half price for Arlington residents. So, reluctantly, I changed my mind and said yes. Well, on Friday, April 27, my wife got busy at work and was unable to get off in time to go by the Arlington city offices to buy the tickets. Well, I was starting to really look forward to it and was pretty disappointed. So, on a long shot the next day, my wife decided to drive by the offices and see if anyone happened to be there. (They are closed on Saturday.) Well, there did happen to be someone there, and she sold my wife two tickets. The lady commented that normally she wouldn't have answered the knock on the door, but had been on her way out and knew there were tickets left anyway. Well, as luck or fate would have it, the Rangers announced that Nolan was coming of the DL and would start Wednesday, May 2. And the rest, as they say, is history. 'Pop, pop, pop' A friend and I were walking into the Astrodome for a game one day. As we handed the guy our tickets and started walking to the ramps to go to our seats, we could hear a pop, pop, pop. We couldn't figure out what could make that noise. When we came out into the Dome, it turned out to be Nolan, warming up! I will never forget that sound. Old and new I'll never forget being in Arlington Stadium when Nolan Ryan pitched in what was Pudge Rodriguez's home debut. An Oakland runner was foolish enough to attempt to steal second. Ryan threw heat to the plate, and Pudge gunned a strike to second, getting the runner by a country mile. It was the best of the old and the new, baseball's past and the Rangers' future. What a memory. The nicest people I am not sure if this counts, but my favorite memory of Nolan Ryan is how polite a man he is. I was a manager of a movie theater in Austin, and he and his family came into the theater to view a film. They were the nicest, most polite family I had ever met. I instructed my staff not to hound him for autographs, but the patrons began asking for autographs and he politely signed papers for them. I just thought it was incredibly nice that he took time away from his enjoyment to sign autographs for his fans. What a nice man. Positioned to please A number of years ago when Nolan Ryan was playing for the Astros, my daughter, Janell King Luce, was in charge of the "Beat the Pro" golf promotion for the TV station. Ryan was the pro for the day. Janell has been around sports all her life. However, when she interviewed Ryan, she did not at the moment remember that he was a pitcher. She asked, "Mr. Ryan, what position do you play?" He answered, "I try to pitch a little." She did not put it all together until after the interview. When she told me about it, I laughed and laughed. He was very kind to a budding TV director. Now we kid her often about her interview. Not only was Ryan gracious, he has also given us many moments of pleasure as we joke with each other. We often use the phrase, "What position do you play?" The result is always a smile and a moment of joy. Two fighters link up Our memories of Nolan Ryan are intertwined with those of my oldest son, Nick. Both mother and baby had difficulties, and Becky and I found a welcome distraction at the hospital in radio coverage of Ryan's 5,000th strikeout on Aug. 22, 1989. Mother and baby recovered, and we attended Nick's first Rangers game on May 27, 1990, Camera Day. We had our spot along the rope, me holding Nick - dressed in a diminutive Rangers outfit with Ryan's name and No. 34 posted conspicuously on the back. Some Rangers players noticed Nick and remarked regarding Ryan's "shrinkage." I alluded it to an unexpected effect of the back spasms that Ryan had been fighting at the time. Later Charlie Hough, Pete Incaviglia, coach Dave Oliver and Ryan came by in another group. Charlie and Pete spotted Nick and persuaded Ryan to stand with us while coach Oliver took our picture. A curtain would later fall; Nick's developmental difficulties would ultimately result in a formal diagnosis of autism. We still keep that little outfit of Nick's and a special set of pictures as a memory of two strong, durable and dedicated fighters - briefly together one spring afternoon. Mementos for a sick boy I have a friend named Kerry who got leukemia when he was 14, two years ago. Kerry had always loved sports, and one of his many heroes was Nolan Ryan. I decided to collect autographs for Kerry and fill his hospital room walls with wishes of hope from his heroes. One of the few sports celebrities that sent Kerry a photograph and a response was Mr. Ryan. It wasn't just a cheap picture with a facsimile of his signature. It was three photos, with a small note of encouragement, and his hand-signed signature. I appreciate the tiny bit of time that Nolan Ryan gave to send this to Kerry. It made a sad little boy very happy. Today, Kerry is fine. His leukemia is in remission, hopefully forever. Out of the hospital I am a 23-year-old senior at Eastern New Mexico University. My favorite Nolan Ryan memory was in the summer of 1985. I was in Houston for open-heart surgery at the age of 9. I was in Children's Heart Hospital, and I could see the Astrodome from my window. One day, my dad came in with two tickets to go see the Astros and Mets. I had no idea who Nolan Ryan was at this time, but evidently my dad did. We went to the game and saw Nolan Ryan pitch. This was also the game that Nolan struck out Danny Heep for his 4,000th strikeout of his career. The enormity of open-heart surgery, combined with a future Hall of Famer's milestone, made this a truly unforgettable day. To this day, I still have that ticket. Time out for a serviceman My son grew up loving baseball. He was a pitcher on teams in grade school, high school and college. And he played on an American Legion All-Star team, pitching three no-hitters in one year, earning him a tryout with the Phillies. He did not make it to the pros, but to this day he loves the game. In 1990, while in the Navy and shortly after the invasion of Kuwait, he was sent to Saudi Arabia to begin installing vital communication links for the looming crisis. As he was to be there for his birthday, I wrote his hero asking if it were possible for Mr. Ryan to send a birthday message to my son. Not only did he send birthday greetings, but wrote a note thanking my son for his service to our country, this along with numerous autographed articles and pictures to share with the men in his company. My son returned safely from Desert Storm but has since suffered many ongoing health problems. However, the one bright light in all this chaos is his treasured letter from Nolan Ryan. Thank you again, Mr. Ryan. You are truly a hero to this family. One wonders if today's "stars" would take the time. We can only hope. Nothing but cheers I was born and raised in Baltimore. I don't remember how old I was, but I'll never forget the first time I watched Nolan Ryan in action. As is the case in the Northeast, the home-team fans never give a visiting player a break. You can imagine my amazement when Nolan Ryan was introduced, and nearly the entire Memorial Stadium crowd gave him a round of applause. I was used to booing Bucky Dent or Reggie Jackson! Applause for a member of the opposition? Well, the Orioles were hot that night. If memory serves, Nolan Ryan was pulled sometime in the fifth inning. Again, the applause I wasn't expecting came from everywhere as he made his way from the pitcher's mound to the dugout. A slight tip of his hat was made to acknowledge the crowd. I look back on that night, and will always remember the level of respect shown to an athlete so deserving. I can only hope that my son will be able to see heroes like that when he's old enough to go to Rangers games. A family for one night It was the summer of '76 when I first heard the voice. My father was a former minor league catcher (sound familiar?) who used to put me to sleep with stories about a young man who could throw a baseball 100 mph. My parents had been separated years before, and I was torn between rebellion and wishing Dad would come home. The phone rang on the 200th anniversary of our country, and the voice on the other end was that of my father. "I've just completed the pictorial on How to Pitch by Nolan Ryan, and to celebrate the whole family is going to watch Nolan pitch against Fergie Jenkins Friday night." Was I really going to see the man, Nolan Ryan? Could we really be a "family?" Aside from a few yahoos that had made their way up from Alvin, my family and I were the only ones cheering for Nolan against the Rangers. My father's voice could be heard all over Arlington Stadium. Then my brother would join in. Then I found myself screaming, "Bring the heater, Nolie!" Nolan was off that night, but we weren't. The next day, we went back beside the Angels' locker room and a tall, muscular, country gentleman wearing No. 30 walked outside and shook my father's hand. He posed for a picture with my brother and I and signed an old baseball that we later knocked down Virgil Green's sewer. That weekend was the greatest of my childhood. I thought then that there would be other days. Little did I know that was the only day. I never saw my father again until I went to his funeral in 1985. I followed Ryan's career from the summer of '76 on, and in doing so tried to relive that fantastic weekend in July when a father and son were introduced for the first and last time. Although he didn't walk out of a cornfield in Iowa, Nolan Ryan will always be my "Shoeless Joe." It will be nice to hear that voice again making an acceptance speech in Cooperstown. Signature moment My grandson, Chris Weir of Tyler, then 15, and I were at at luncheon in the Arlington Convention Center during the meeting of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Nolan Ryan was the speaker, reflecting on his unique career. After he finished people took baseballs, programs and whatnot for an autograph. After a spell of this the MC, the late Mark Holtz, in his booming voice shouted, "That's all! No more autographs." Nolan kept signing. Chris, respectful of authority, wanted to get out of line. I pushed him forward and he took his turn for an autograph even as Mark was saying "No more!" And Nolan quit only when there was nothing left to sign. Chris has the mounted ball in his room, remindful of his brush with fame and now Hall of Famer. |
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Should Nolan Ryan have entered the Hall of Fame as a Ranger, Astro or Angel?