Game-Saver of ’69 Mets, Ryan Is Back in the Series
By PAT BORZI
Published: October 23, 2010
ARLINGTON, Tex. — As a pitcher and a Texan, Nolan Ryan always had fire in his belly. Now, as the 63-year-old president of the Texas Rangers, Ryan has an ample belly to go with it.
Barton Silverman/The New York Times
Nolan Ryan held the American League championship trophy Friday night in Texas as president and part-owner of the Rangers. More Photos »
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Nolan Ryan took the ball from Jerry Grote after saving Game 3 of the 1969 World Series for the Mets against the Orioles at Shea Stadium. More Photos »
Erich Schlegel for The New York Times
The Texas Rangers celebrated after winning the pennant Friday night by beating the Yankees in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. More Photos »
On Friday night, standing on a platform atop a field covered with red, white and blue confetti, Ryan hugged something shiny, new and coveted to that belly, the American League championship trophy. He received it from Jackie Autry, the widow of Gene Autry, who owned the California Angels during Ryan’s eight seasons with the team.
The red-clad sellout crowd of 51,404 roared as Ryan raised the trophy over his head. He did not cry as he gazed into the stands at Rangers Ballpark, watching fans celebrate the first pennant in the franchise’s 50 years. But no one would have blamed him if he had.
In 27 seasons as the greatest strikeout pitcher in major league history, Ryan played in one World Series, as a smooth-cheeked 22-year-old with the Mets against Baltimore in 1969. He appeared only once, in Game 3, working two and a third scoreless innings in relief of Gary Gentry for a save in a 5-0 victory most remembered by Mets fans for Tommie Agee’s two great catches.
Four other times, Ryan’s team made the playoffs — the Angels in 1979, and the Houston Astros in 1980, ’81 and ’86. Each time, it fell short of the World Series. In two of those years, Ryan started the deciding game of the series but failed to win.
Now, after 41 years, he is finally going back, thanks to the Rangers’ American League Championship Series victory over the Yankees. Texas wrapped it up with a 6-1 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.
“You don’t know where life is going to take you,” Ryan said after the trophy ceremony. “Baseball is a roller coaster, and you just have to keep charging forward.
“To be here on this field today, if you had asked me about that two or three years ago, I wouldn’t have thought it was realistic. But this is one of those magical years. This is a team that has heart and never thinks it’s out of it. It’s rewarding to be associated with that.”
Ryan felt so gratified he even offered a World Series prediction: Rangers in seven. “I have no reason to think different,” he said.
Long ago, Ryan said, he stopped entertaining thoughts of being part of another World Series. “You have to think that part of your life is behind you,” he said.
But the steady leadership Ryan showed after becoming the Rangers’ president in February 2008, and again this summer when he and Chuck Greenberg bought the franchise from Tom Hicks out of bankruptcy, is often credited for bringing the organization to this point.
While the postgame celebration roared on in the clubhouse, Jon Daniels, the Rangers’ youthful general manager, spoke about Ryan’s influence in a nearby hallway. Over his shoulder, at the far end of the corridor, hung a copy of the famous 1993 photo showing Ryan pummeling the White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura, who had charged the mound after Ryan hit him with a pitch.
“I think that speaks to what he stands for, as far as the pride and standing your ground and belief in yourself,” Daniels said of the image of Ryan. “But that’s not his outward attitude. He’s a tremendous listener, a good people person. He’s actually kind of a soft-spoken leader in a lot of ways.
“You couldn’t come up with two different backgrounds than he and I do. I joke that we’re kind of like the baseball odd couple. I think we also complement each other in different ways. It was a rough time this summer — bankruptcy, you don’t know how the sale process is going to end. I know Nolan’s presence was very calming to the employees, his sense of stability in a period that was otherwise unstable.”
Rangers fans know that Ryan cannot hide his emotions when watching his team play. In Game 1 here, television cameras caught Ryan slumped in his seat and grimacing as the Rangers’ bullpen frittered away a lead in a 6-5 loss. Ryan said he sweated out the last nine outs on Friday.
“I was quite nervous,” he said. “I’ve seen enough things happen in these kind of games that you never think you’ve got it put away until you get that last out. I’m quite aware of what could happen. I tried not to let myself get too high about it, and hoped the guys were able to do what they’ve been doing.”
Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton, the most valuable player of the series, said: “I can’t imagine how he feels. I probably feel the way he felt when he went to his first one. He said it’s a lot different, a lot more nerve-racking sitting there than it ever was playing.”
Ryan tried to explain the sensation.
“It’s so exciting,” he said. “It’s just a different feeling at this point in time in my life, to be associated with a group of players like this, and an organization. It’s such a team effort and an organizational effort. It gives you a totally different perspective. It’s just a special feeling. The best thing I can relate it to is watching your children play and be successful, but this is on such a bigger stage.”
Daniels said Ryan did not need to articulate every emotion.
“He takes a lot of pride, as much as anybody I’ve ever met, in his community, and pride in being a Texan,” Daniels said. “The look on his face today, he was beaming at the thought of being in the middle of 54,000 of his fellow Texans. I think that meant a lot to him.”
The red-clad sellout crowd of 51,404 roared as Ryan raised the trophy over his head. He did not cry as he gazed into the stands at Rangers Ballpark, watching fans celebrate the first pennant in the franchise’s 50 years. But no one would have blamed him if he had.
In 27 seasons as the greatest strikeout pitcher in major league history, Ryan played in one World Series, as a smooth-cheeked 22-year-old with the Mets against Baltimore in 1969. He appeared only once, in Game 3, working two and a third scoreless innings in relief of Gary Gentry for a save in a 5-0 victory most remembered by Mets fans for Tommie Agee’s two great catches.
Four other times, Ryan’s team made the playoffs — the Angels in 1979, and the Houston Astros in 1980, ’81 and ’86. Each time, it fell short of the World Series. In two of those years, Ryan started the deciding game of the series but failed to win.
Now, after 41 years, he is finally going back, thanks to the Rangers’ American League Championship Series victory over the Yankees. Texas wrapped it up with a 6-1 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.
“You don’t know where life is going to take you,” Ryan said after the trophy ceremony. “Baseball is a roller coaster, and you just have to keep charging forward.
“To be here on this field today, if you had asked me about that two or three years ago, I wouldn’t have thought it was realistic. But this is one of those magical years. This is a team that has heart and never thinks it’s out of it. It’s rewarding to be associated with that.”
Ryan felt so gratified he even offered a World Series prediction: Rangers in seven. “I have no reason to think different,” he said.
Long ago, Ryan said, he stopped entertaining thoughts of being part of another World Series. “You have to think that part of your life is behind you,” he said.
But the steady leadership Ryan showed after becoming the Rangers’ president in February 2008, and again this summer when he and Chuck Greenberg bought the franchise from Tom Hicks out of bankruptcy, is often credited for bringing the organization to this point.
While the postgame celebration roared on in the clubhouse, Jon Daniels, the Rangers’ youthful general manager, spoke about Ryan’s influence in a nearby hallway. Over his shoulder, at the far end of the corridor, hung a copy of the famous 1993 photo showing Ryan pummeling the White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura, who had charged the mound after Ryan hit him with a pitch.
“I think that speaks to what he stands for, as far as the pride and standing your ground and belief in yourself,” Daniels said of the image of Ryan. “But that’s not his outward attitude. He’s a tremendous listener, a good people person. He’s actually kind of a soft-spoken leader in a lot of ways.
“You couldn’t come up with two different backgrounds than he and I do. I joke that we’re kind of like the baseball odd couple. I think we also complement each other in different ways. It was a rough time this summer — bankruptcy, you don’t know how the sale process is going to end. I know Nolan’s presence was very calming to the employees, his sense of stability in a period that was otherwise unstable.”
Rangers fans know that Ryan cannot hide his emotions when watching his team play. In Game 1 here, television cameras caught Ryan slumped in his seat and grimacing as the Rangers’ bullpen frittered away a lead in a 6-5 loss. Ryan said he sweated out the last nine outs on Friday.
“I was quite nervous,” he said. “I’ve seen enough things happen in these kind of games that you never think you’ve got it put away until you get that last out. I’m quite aware of what could happen. I tried not to let myself get too high about it, and hoped the guys were able to do what they’ve been doing.”
Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton, the most valuable player of the series, said: “I can’t imagine how he feels. I probably feel the way he felt when he went to his first one. He said it’s a lot different, a lot more nerve-racking sitting there than it ever was playing.”
Ryan tried to explain the sensation.
“It’s so exciting,” he said. “It’s just a different feeling at this point in time in my life, to be associated with a group of players like this, and an organization. It’s such a team effort and an organizational effort. It gives you a totally different perspective. It’s just a special feeling. The best thing I can relate it to is watching your children play and be successful, but this is on such a bigger stage.”
Daniels said Ryan did not need to articulate every emotion.
“He takes a lot of pride, as much as anybody I’ve ever met, in his community, and pride in being a Texan,” Daniels said. “The look on his face today, he was beaming at the thought of being in the middle of 54,000 of his fellow Texans. I think that meant a lot to him.”
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