Is Nolan Ryan the most intimidating pitcher ever?
doubledragon
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There's a new documentary coming out called "Facing Nolan" and I have to see it.
‘Facing Nolan’ Review: Portrait of Baseball Great Hits the Sweet Spot for Fans of the Game
Bradley Jackson’s “Facing Nolan” tells the story of an agreeable fellow from small-town Texas who married his high school sweetheart, followed his dream of playing major league baseball, pitched for four MLB teams over a 27-year career while operating a cattle ranch during off-season, set records for no-hitters and strikeouts that remain unbroken to this day, held high-profile executive positions with two of his former teams more than a decade after his retirement from the game, and currently resides on the ranch where he and his wife, the loving and supportive life partner he wed back in 1967, are frequently surrounded by their children and grandchildren.
If you were to present this scenario at a pitch meeting, you’d likely be shot down for failing to hype your narrative with suspenseful setbacks, intense conflict and a slew of obstacles for your protagonist to overcome. And if you somehow managed to get your film made anyway, critics would almost surely complain about the many and varied ways credibility was stretched to the breaking point while the hero accomplished one extraordinary feat after another.
But here’s the thing: “Facing Nolan” is a documentary, not a work of fiction. And its lack of manufactured drama is one of the most engaging things about it, especially if you are a baseball fan who has ever marveled at the miracle that was, and is, Nolan Ryan.
Indeed, even viewers without a love for the game could be engrossed and entertained by Jackson’s celebratory film. To be sure, a few some may complain, not without just cause, that sections play more like hagiography than biography, and question whether its subject could really be such an irreproachable Mr. Nice Guy. On the other hand, you wouldn’t expect to have skeletons uncloseted or dark secrets illuminated in what is essentially the cinematic equivalent of an authorized biography. (Nolan and his sons Reid and Reese Ryan are credited as executive producers.) But Jackson argues that beneath the seemingly easygoing and gregarious surface beats the heart of a fierce competitor.
A veteran sportswriter — one of the many on-camera interviewees who share screen time with Ryan himself — recalls the legendary pitcher casually admitting, “Once I cross that white line, I don’t even like myself.” Another observer describes Ryan as “the most intimidating pitcher in the history of the game,” a description echoed in assorted ways by Pete Rose, Rod Carew, Cal Ripken Jr. and other players who batted against him.
Conspicuously absent from the latter group: Robin Ventura, the Chicago White Sox third baseman who made the tactical error of charging the mound after Ryan stuck him with a pitch during an Aug. 4, 1993 game. Although he was 20 years Ventura’s senior, Ryan calmly neutralized the threat by trapping his would-be attacker in the sort of headlock he used on errant calves back at his ranch, then proceeded to punch him several times, thereby igniting a benches-clearing brawl. Footage of the incident (included here, of course) went viral way before viral was a thing, and Ryan — who was not ejected from the game for what umpires judged to be defensive moves — was widely hailed as a hero. And Ventura? A title card says it all: “Robin Ventura declined to be interviewed for this film.”
Every now and then, “Facing Nolan” offers by way of balance a revisionist take on certain elements of the “Ryan Express” mythos, noting that the oft-told story about Ryan developing his 100-mph fast ball at an early age while he was a paperboy delivering The Houston Post to folks around his childhood home in Alvin, Texas, is, well, bunk. (Ryan, a right-handed pitcher, explains that when driving, he had to toss the papers with his left hand.) And he most certainly was not an overnight sensation: During his minor league days, says another interviewee, “His control was like ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh in ‘Bull Durham.’” Ryan admits he was so frustrated by his lack of command during his salad days with the New York Mets that he considered quitting baseball in 1971 — only to be talked out of making that life-changing decision by his wife, Ruth, who impresses here as an invaluably level-headed and straight-talking woman who obviously deserves all the credit her husband gives her.
Narrator Mike MacRae pushes his folksy tone rather insistently throughout “Facing Nolan” — it’s probably not a good idea to engage in a drinking game that requires taking a shot each time he refers to “Ol’ Nollie” — but it’s a near-perfect fit for a tall tale that just happens to be true. Ryan acknowledges disappointments (despite his prodigious accomplishments, he never was voted a Cy Young Award), and vividly recalls the time notoriously tight-fisted Houston Astros owner John McMullen made what Ryan viewed as an insultingly low-ball offer to re-sign with the team. Yet he also admits that living well, and pitching phenomenally, can be the best revenge.
After leaving the Astros, Ryan signed as a free agent at age 42 with the Texas Rangers in 1989 (right around the time George W. Bush, another admiring interviewee, was part-owner and CEO), went on to pitch the sixth and seventh no-hitters of his career, and retired only after raising his strikeout number to 5,714. Just how amazing is that number? “I’m second to him in strikeouts,” says another legend, Randy Johnson, “and he’s got a thousand more strikeouts than me.”
If Nolan Ryan had never existed, “Facing Nolan” strongly suggests, no screenwriter would ever get away with making him up.
Comments
I would think that if not Nolan, it would have to be either Randy Johnson at 6'10" and that sidearm motion or Bob Gibson.
Nolan is a great choice though.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Not a chance.
Randy Johnson would fit that role better
John Kruk and a nameless bird says Randy Johnson.
I'd go with this guy too...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYXTV51GdUs
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This is my favorite Randy Johnson story.
Even though Robin Ventura would pick the Ryan express.
I also heard about a pitcher called Ryne Duren in the 1950s.
He was known for the combination of his blazing fastball and his very poor vision. With his thick eyeglasses, few batters dared to dig in against Duren. Casey Stengel said, "I would not admire hitting against Ryne Duren, because if he ever hit you in the head you might be in the past tense."
Goose Gossage was intimidating as a closer, here is a great read about him.
Gossage’s game was pure intimidation
If Rockies’ fantasy baseball camp doesn’t exactly sound like the ideal setting to understand Rich Gossage, there’s a story you need to hear.
Gossage, then in his 50s, fell back into character as he stood on a mound in Tucson. He still popped the glove, and didn’t like giving up hits. So when an inning got a little sideways and the next hitter got a little too comfortable, Gossage became the Goose.
“He was nasty. He hit a girl in fantasy camp. Yes, he did!” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle recalled. “I said, ‘What the (heck) are you doing?” He said she kept moving forward and that he wanted to move her off the plate a little bit. I said ‘For the love of God, Goose. You broke her hand.”
More than 5,000 days after he threw his last pitch, Gossage, the greatest player in Colorado history, will exit the bullpen Sunday and walk into the open doors of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. His statistics long created a compelling argument for his overdue induction.
But Gossage is better remembered for his intimidation. He was straight out of central casting. The low hat, the Fu Manchu and a moody fastball whose breath reeked of gasoline. So, as Gossage prepares to embrace his rightful place in baseball history, thanking his parents, coaches and family in a speech that he promised will last longer than Bill Mazeroski’s 2-minute, 15-second blink, we asked victims what it was like to dig in against him.
“When he became a closer, he was absolutely lethal. There were only two guys that I faced where I moved back in the batter’s box,” said Don Baylor, a former American League MVP. “Nolan Ryan was one, and Goose was the other. You had to give yourself a chance. I don’t know if Goose knew he was throwing a sinker or a four-seamer. He just threw it hard.”
According to legend, Gossage’s heater blinked radar guns anywhere from 96 to 102 mph. A lot of guys bring it. What made Gossage different was everything that happened before he released the pitch. His arms and legs moved like whirling nunchuckas, creating a visual that was awkward at best, unfair at worst.
“I faced him many times when he was with the White Sox and the Yankees. He was very, very intimidating,” Rockies bench coach Jamie Quirk said. “He would snort, just coming at you with everything he had.”
Remember, this was before YouTube and reality TV. Gossage wasn’t looking for his 15 minutes of fame. He was bent on recording the final three — or six or nine in some cases — outs. Perhaps nothing speaks to the fear Gossage inspired than his work in the clutch. He posted a 2.87 ERA in 19 playoff games and clinched seven division titles, playoff series and world championships.
“There were times when we were teammates that (catcher) Thurman Munson wouldn’t even give Goose signs. He would just wave his hands and say, ‘Come on, bring it,’ ” Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson said. “You knew the game was over.”
It is with a bit of irony that Gossage’s most memorable confrontation came against a hitter — Carl Yastrzemski — who wore him out. Yastrzemski finished his career 12-for-32 against the right-hander, second only to Roy White (10-for-21). The duel came in 1978 in the one-game playoff at Fenway Park for the American League crown.
With the Yankees leading 5-4 with two runners aboard and two outs in the ninth, Gossage fell behind 1-0 against the Sox legend. Calm came over him as he fired a fastball that ran so hard in on Yaz you would have thought it was fleeing the police. Yaz popped up to third. The Yankees popped champagne.
“I was put into situations that God couldn’t get out of, and I got out of them,” Gossage said. “The intimidation factor was a big part of my success.”
I thought we had a most intimidating pitcher thread afew years back. There is a difference between greatness and being intimidating. I would place Sam McDowell ahead of Ryan on the intimidation scale. I see McDowell, Marichal and Drysdale as more intimidating than Ryan.
It would be interesting to ask Frank Howard as he was a feared slugger back in the day and he faced Gibson and Marichal while on the Dodgers and McDowell while on the Senators and Nolan Ryan while on the Rangers.
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Pedro Martinez was a nasty little beast of a pitcher who hit a lot of guys in pinstripes, headhunted and threw a 70 year old man to the ground.
Nasty. Just nasty.
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Lee Smith was an intimidating presence on the mound.
I love this photo of a blood covered Nolan Ryan, he looks very intimidating, and a bit crazy.
Never mind, was a fake link.
There was a pitcher Ted Williams said he couldn’t even see the ball. No guns back then but they said he threw 110 mph consistently. Had control problems though. Can’t think of his name
Steve Dalkowski, very unassuming looking, threw the ball hard as hell.
There is a book about Steve Dalkowski as well.
Thanks. Just ordered it for my dad
He grew up in Worcester in the 40s and 50s
You're welcome, I've always been fascinated by guys that can throw hard, I played baseball in my younger days and I can never forget that feeling you get when you step up to the plate against a guy that can throw serious heat!
Nope. In his prime, Sandy Koufax was unhitable, and before he got his control down pat, he was probably scary as well. During the 1964 World Series when the Dodgers swept the Yankees, Mickey Mantle asked, “How can you hit this sh*t?”
Sam McDowell should be in the conversation.
Steve
Norm Cash would probably vote for Nolan Ryan
I agree with you 100%, Bill. Just yesterday an old friend dropped by for an unannounced visit! A baseball man...... a player, A pitcher. I brought the subject of this thread up with regards to Nolan Ryan......his opinion....... Nolan Ryan was in no way intimidating....... What he was?......FRUSTRATING.......and YES...KOUFAX in his prime was the best ever.....unhitable......AND.....he had the intimidation factor going for him at the time because evey once in a while he would let one loose OUT OF CONTROL SCARY. Hey, I saw that personally........ Koufax was the man......his legacy suffers because he played for a California team.....the place everyone loves to hate.......if the Dodgers had never left Brooklyn, Koufax would be universally acknowledged as the greatest pitcher of all time......hands down.....that's just reality.
P.S.,........RANDY JOHNSON!
Is Nolan Ryan the most intimidating pitcher ever?
Folks from Alvin, Texas would say yes.
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Not only intimidating, but a little wild as well, which of course, was intimidating. Baseballs coming out of the sky at 100 mph never knowing where they are going to go - over plate, or into you........ Nice pick.
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