| Birthdate | 1/31/1947 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1966 |
| Year of Induction | 1999 |
| Teams | Angels, Astros, Mets, Rangers |
| Position | Pitcher |
Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 Ks and 2,795 walks rank 1st on the all-time list. He is one of only four HoF pitchers to have more Ks than innings pitched.
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A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Nolan Ryan amassed 5,714 career strikeouts to go with his 324 wins. In the collection is an endorsement questionnaire asking the eight-time All Star if he currently has any licensing contracts or product endorsements. At the time the contract was signed in 1974, even the game’s superstars were thin on money-making away from the diamond.
Nolan Ryan played in a Major League record 27 seasons from 1966-1993. During that time he made started 773 games, topped only by the 815 made by legendary hurler Cy Young. When Ryan made his 700th start on August 28, 1990, he joined an exclusive club of only five members, the aforementioned Young, Don Sutton (756), Phil Niekro (716), Steve Carlton (709), and Tommy John (exactly 700). Since Ryan’s retirement Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens have joined the club with 740 and 707 respectively.
In the collection is the lineup card from the dugout on the day Ryan made career start #700. The Ryan Express went the distance against the Angels that night in Anaheim twirling a tidy 3-hitter while striking out 11. Ryan’s only hiccup occurred in the 3rd inning. Aided by a walk, a wild pitch, the Halos put together a run on a groundout and another on a throwing error. It was enough to hand Ryan the loss.
Interestingly, on the night he joined just five other pitching greats in the 700-start club, his loss total reached 270, a total reached by five other Hall of Fame hurlers – Cy Young (315), Pud Galvin (310), Walter Johnson (279), and Phil Niekro (274).
The New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America created the William J. Slocum Award in 1930. Today it remains one of the longest-standing and most distinguished honors in the game.
When the scribes bestowed it upon Nolan Ryan in 1994, he joined a list of baseball titans to receive it. More than 50 members of the Hall of Fame including 15 first-ballot Cooperstown selections have added the Slocum to their trophy cases.
Ryan joined Walter Johnson, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux, and CC Sabathia as the five pitchers to receive the honor.
In the collection is the William J. Slocum Award given to Dodger announcer Vin Scully who enjoyed 67 years behind the mic.
The Bill Slocom Award is one of the most prestigious awards baseball has to offer. The little-known honor has been given to more than 50 members of the Hall of Fame.
Read More >"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball…"
~Jacques Barzun, 1954
