Nolan Ryan
My job is to give my team a chance to win.Collection: Chance
I am going to spend my time today just thanking the people that played a role in my career, because I truly do believe that I was blessed by a lot of people that paths crossed mine as I went down the road in my career.Collection: Thankful
Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent.Collection: Change
And when I retired, trust me, not only did Nolan Ryan, but the entire Ryan family had withdrawals from baseball. And it was tough.Collection: Trust
Baseball life is a tough life on the family.Collection: Sports
And to play as long as I did and to have a family you have to be very blessed and I was with my wife Ruth. Ruth, I appreciate the job you did, and my three fine children, Reid, Reese, and Wendy.Collection: Family
I had the pleasure, as Robin said, to live a childhood dream as many young Americans and Puerto Rican children live that play youth baseball. And I feel honored and very thankful for that opportunity.Collection: Thankful
One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something.
Everyone has limits. You just have to learn what your own limits are and deal with them accordingly.
It helps if the hitter thinks you're a little crazy.
I always thought that there was going to be life after baseball, and so I designed that in my life I would have other interests after baseball that I would be able to step into. And I didn't realize the grip that baseball had on me and on my family.
And I'm a believer that you take a negative and turn it into a positive, and as it turned out, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. And so I do appreciate the Ranger staff and the Ranger organization for giving me that opportunity.
It took me a while to figure that out and to realize what a gift that I had been given. And when I finally did, I dedicated myself to be the best pitcher I possibly could be, for as long as I possibly could be.
When I got traded to the California Angels, I really wasn't that excited about going to the Angels because it meant changing leagues and also a whole new set of teammates. But shortly after I got there I realized that it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
And that's what makes this a great game, is the support and the commitment that the fans give the game.
I came into the game when I broke into the major leagues, the minimum salary was seven thousand dollars, and I'd have to go home in the wintertime and get a job.
And then when I went to stay in '68, I can honestly say that I was not focused on my career and on what it took to be a major league pitcher and to be a starting pitcher.
And when I went to Houston, they had a conditioning coach by the name of Gene Coleman. And that was the first time I had gone to an organization that had a program with a weight room and designed specifically for pitchers.
Dick Moss, my agent. Dick became my agent in 1979 when I signed my contract with the Houston Astros.
For my children, they spent 15 to 20 years of their life in baseball. And Ruth and I spent so many years of our married life that that was our life. We knew nothing else.
I can honestly say it took two full years for me to get over the fact that I was no longer a baseball player.
I feel very fortunate that I played for the four organizations I did.
I like to refer to my years with the Angels as the foundation of my career.
What man in his 40s would not like to look in the mirror and find Nolan Ryan?
You've got to realize that in any competition there is always a winner and loser. When it turns out that you're the loser on a given day, you can be a graceful loser, but it doesn't mean that you're a loser in the sense that you're willing to accept losses readily. Concede that on that day you weren't the best and that you were beaten in competition. But that should make you more dedicated and hard working. It's wrong to accept defeat as a loser. Be graceful about losing, but don't accept it.Collection: Leadership
A successful pitcher keeps the leadoff hitter from reaching first base and puts the first pitch over for a strike - the two most important rules of pitching.Collection: Softball
Pitching in the big leagues is a dream. Preparing to pitch in the big leagues is a nightmare!Collection: Dream
I grew up with the thought that I wanted to treat people the way I'd like to be treated, and I think if you do that, it's pretty hard to go wrong.Collection: Thinking
Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt.Collection: Ability To Change
Maintaining concentration depends on what I call tunnel vision; nothing else in the world exists but the catcher's target, the hitter and my perfect delivery.Collection: Softball
My ability to throw a baseball was a gift. It was a God-given gift. And I am truly appreciative of that gift.Collection: Baseball
When I had dyslexia, they didn't diagnose it as that. It was frustrating and embarrassing. I could tell you a lot of horror stories about what you feel like on the inside.Collection: Horror Stories
Put the right pitching mechanics together with good health, and there's nothing surprising about lasting a long time.Collection: Baseball
I guess that's what Little League is all about -- trying.Collection: League
I can't imagine Joe DiMaggio was a better all-around player than Dale Murphy.Collection: Player
I never found a place where I wanted to live more than Alvin (Texas).Collection: Texas
I've got a different perception now and it's really enjoyable to be at this point in your life and be able to watch this.Collection: Perception
I cant think of anything more humiliating than losing a ballgame to a guy who steals home on you. It happened to me one time against Kansas City. I had a 2-2 count on the hitter - and Amos Otis broke from third. The pitch was a ball and slid in safe. I felt like a nickel.Collection: Home