Alright Nolan Ryan Collectors - A Contest!

CW

After seeing the discussion about Ryan cards in the thread started
by mudflap02, I decided to offer a free Ryan card to the first person
that posts all the correct answers to a Ryan quiz. The prize card is
a Nolan Ryan "Membership" insert from 2003 Donruss Classics. The card
commemorates his joining the 3,000K club, and is numbered 1306/2500
(#M6 in the set). Pretty cool card, it's free, plus you get to show
off your Ryan knowledge to everyone on the boards. Free shipping, too.


Please, only #2 pencils, no looking at your neighbor's answers, the
quiz begins NOW!

In which round was Ryan drafted?

Cesar Geronimo was Ryan's 3,000 K victim. Coincidentally, Geronimo was
also the 3,000th batter mowed down by which other pitching great?

On June 1st, 1975, Ryan pitched his 4th no-hitter. Just five dayslater,
Nolan came very close to pitching another no-no (he ended up with a 2
hitter). Who broke up Ryan's bid for back to back no-hitters on June
6th of '75?

Where is the Nolan Ryan Museum?

In 1973, the Ryan Express no-hit the Royals on May 15, and he repeated
the feat July 15 against the Tigers. The final out came against first
baseman Norm Cash. Expressing his awareness of the futility of his
task, Cash initially entered the batter's box carrying which object
for a bat?

Bighurt4

Question 1: 12th round

Question 2: Bob Gibson

Question 3: Reggie Jackson

Question 4: Alvin, TX

Question 5: a table leg

Was I first, even if I wasn't, this was fun.

Brent

mudflap02

Pretty sure he was taken in the 8th round. Everything else checks out though.

mudflap02

8th Round, 295th player taken. Here's one that might be a little tougher: what was the name of Nolan's High School Baseball coach?

There's 50 complete sets of Pacific cards for the first one to answer correctly.

Bighurt4

Hi, glad I'm not the only one still up. From /www.baseball-reference.com, "Drafted Nolan Ryan in the 12nd round of the 1965 amateur draft." I think that's right, unless he was drafted more than once.

Brent

PS- Mudflap, which Ryan Master set do you have?

Bighurt4

Was it Jim Watson? If it was, keep the Pacifics. BFI charges me for more than 2 cans of trash, lol.

Brent

mudflap02

It was Jim Watson. I just flipped open a book I had and picked out a random fact - good job on that one. According to the same book, it lists him going in the eighth round. My set is Dabney's set- I've ben meaning to put it in my profile. Nothing too spectacular, but it's a start. I guess my goal with it right now is to bring my average GPA up around 8 (hopefully the cards I have coming later this week will do the trick). The PSA3 1968 and the PSA4 1969 aren't really helping me, but those cards are my babies and they are staying put until I can afford nines.

Bighurt4

It's kind of obvious which one mine is, Brent's. I would like to get mine up to 8.5 and keep it there +/- .1. I am looking forward to this working on this set over the next several years. I would like to get to the top 5 sometime in mid '05 but I can live with where I am until my Thomas collection gets respectable. Anyway, let me know if I can ever be of any assistance and I look forward to further interactions.

Brent

CW

Bighurt4-- Close, but you got at least one answer wrong. The funny
thing is that I get conflicting answers now about which round he
was drafted. Some sites say 12th, a few others say 10th including
the one I used to get that first question, and it looks like mudflap02
has yet another source that quotes 8th round. Hmmmmm... which is it?
(check it out by doing a google search on "which round was nolan
ryan drafted")

Thanks for playing, though. If nobody gets all five right, Bighurt4,
you get the card for being so quick to respond.

CON40

Guess I didn't stay up late enough for this one! I had no idea about number 3 anyway!

Congrats to the eventually sleepy-eyed winner!

pebblyjack

My favorite bit of Nolan Ryan trivia has to do with his first and last no-hitters. In Ryan's first no-hitter on May 15, 1973, against the Royals at Royals Stadium, hitting second, Sandy Alomar sacrificed Vada Pinson to second for the first out of the game. In his seventh no-hitter, which was on May 1, 1991, against the Blue Jays at Arlington Stadium, Ryan struck out Roberto Alomar, batting second, for the final out of the game.

Thanks

Randy

CW

I guess since all the excitement & hoopla over the contest has
died down, I'll post the answers and declare Bighurt4 the winner.

answers:
1. 10th, 12th, who really knows for sure...
2. Gibson
3. Hank Aaron (that wasn't the only time Ryan nearly had
back to back no hitters, believe it or not)
4. Alvin, TX (that was an easy one)
5. Table leg or piano leg (I've heard both accounts)

So you got them all right, Bighurt4, except for #3. Good job!
If you'd like your prize, please email me your address and I'll
get it right out. My email is tst4echo@sprynet.com

BTW, cool bit of trivia about the no-no's, Randy.

TexasHeatWave

Interesting tid bit on Ryan. When the Rangers re-upped him for the last time, they offered him more money in exchange for his agreement to wear the Ranger uniform (if and) when he went into the HoF. Being the modest guy he was and even though he was only two years away from retirement with numerous records locked up (as well as the HoF), he agreed to that provision in his contract, but made them draft the contract such that it made him sound like he was not sure that he would be in the HoF, but if he did, he would go in under the Ranger uniform. That was just Ryan being humble in spite of sure odds that he would make it.

qualitycards

TEXASHEAT - To me Ryan always had class.
I remember when Rickey Henderson passed Brock for the all time stolen bases, that was the same night that Ryan pitched a no hitter (maybe his 5th or 6th). Henderson grabbed the base and proclaimed "I am the greatest!" - When Ryan was interviewed that same night after his no-hitter, he downplayed it w/ his typical aw shucks attitude and gave all the credit to his catcher...jay