Nolan Ryan's Mets Years (1966-1971) The Start of a Hall of Fame Career

Nolan Ryan was signed out of high school in 1965 by the Mets. At first his fast ball was just around 90 miles an hour but within the next two years he gained more mph. He was assigned to the Marion Mets in Virginia & then Greenville, where he went 17-2 with 272 strikeouts in 183 innings.

He made his MLB debut with the Mets on September 11th 1966 at Shea Stadium. The Mets lost to the Braves 8-2, Ryan got no decision. Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews stepped in and watched a Ryan fast ball whiz by him; he looked at Jerry Grote “what the hell was that?” On that day Ryan got his 1st career strikeout, pitcher Pat Jarvis. He also gave up his 1st career HR to Joe Torre. He would pitch in only 3 games that September going 0-1 with 6 strikeouts in 3 innings. His control was a problem and he spent 1967 in the minors. In 1968 he went 6-9 with a 3.09 ERA, averaging a strike out an inning, 134 innings pitched in 21 games. He walked 75 batters as control was still an issue; he threw 7 wild pitches, hit 4 batters and allowed 12 HRs.

By 1969 Ryan had become famous for soaking his fingers in pickle brine, due to developing blisters. It was method criticized by some coaches & team mates. On a personal level, Nolan had married his childhood sweetheart Ruth and they kept very much to themselves. They never got accustomed to the Big Apple & NY City’s fast pace life style. Ruth always feared for her safety & the thought of raising children here wasn’t an option. The Ryan’s were friends with the Koosmans, Jerry & Lavonne. (Koosman was also a farm boy from a small town.) Ruth Ryan& Nancy Seaver became good friends as did their future Hall of Fame husbands. The Seavers certainly were not wild party people, but did enjoy the museums, restaurants & arts NY had to offer unlike the Ryan's.

In the 1969 season Gil Hodges used Nolan mostly in relief, he started 10 of the 25 games he appeared in going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA. He struck out 92 batters in 89 innings, walked 53, but only gave up 3 HRs, only hit one batter & had only 1 wild pitch. In the beginning of September he won 2games in four days on a Shea home stand, helping the Mets catch the Cubs in the pennant race. On Sunday September 7th, he pitched 3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win. He came back 3 days later to pitch a 7-1 complete game victory in the 2nd game of a double header, striking out 11 Expos.

His biggest day as a Met came on October 6th, 1969 at Shea Stadium in Game #3 of the NLCS. Ryan came in to relieve Gary Gentry in the 3rd inning; he went the distance to earn the win as the Mets swept the Braves to advance the World Series. In the top of the 9th Tony Gonzales grounded out to Wayne Garrett for the last out as fans stormed the field & Ryan exited running for his life. He only allowed 3 hits & 2 runs (a two run HR to Orlando Cepeda) in 7 innings, striking out 7 and walking 2, as the Mets rolled to the 7-4 win. At the plate he also got two base hits going 2-4 and scoring a run.

In the World Series Ryan pitched in relief at Shea, in Game #3. He came into a bases loaded jam in the 7th inning relieving Gary Gentry once again. He got Paul Blair to line out to retire the side. After a 1-2-3, 8th he loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the 9th. inning. Gil Hodges paced the dugout, but stuck with Ryan, he reared back and got Blair to strikeout looking. The Mets won 5-0 and went up 2 games to 1 in the Series.

In 1970 his best outing was on Saturday afternoon April 10th when he pitched a one hitter against the Phillies, striking out 15 batters while walking 6 in the 7-0 shutout. He started out the season by pitching a one hitter, a two hitter & a three hitter. He ended the season 7-11 striking out 125 batters in 132 innings pitched, allowing 97 walks, 10 HRs, 8 wild pitches and 4 hit batters. He earned 1 save in 8 relief appearances, and as a starter he threw 5 complete games.
By 1971 he was becoming very frustrated between having limited success and with his unhappiness in New York. He considered retirement, and asked Mets management for a trade.

The season started out good again, he was 6-2 at the end of May, having thrown a 3 hitter vs. Houston at Shea on May 11th and a 4 hitter in San Diego two weeks later. But he would have a rough summer, ending the season 10-14 with a 3.97 ERA, 137 Ks in 152 innings. He pitching in his Met season high 26 games but allowed 125 hits, 116 walks,& hit a career high 15 batters.

During that off season, on December 10th, 1971 Ryan was traded along with Leory Stanyon to the California Angels for Jim Fregosi. It turned out to be the worst trade the Mets ever made. The Mets had given up on Ryan's control issues and thought Fregosi was the power hitting 3rd baseman they needed. (See the Jim Fregosi bio coming soon). To give the Mets some slack, Ryan was very unhappy and wanted out of New York. He probably never would have adjusted, but they should have gotten more in return for him.

Ryan credits Tom Seaver as helping him develop into a pitcher instead of just a flame thrower. Changing his high leg kick and over the top delivery, to using more power from the legs, hesitate, knee tucked into chest and come over the top with a ¾ delivery. Ryan is enshrined in Cooperstown and will always be remembered as starting out with the Mets and being a key pitcher on the 1969 World Champion staff.