Nolan Ryan: Making Texas Shine
by Rahul Ray
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr., also popularly known as Nolan Ryan, was born in Refugio, Texas and was the youngest child in his family. His parents, Lynn Nolan Ryan Sr. and Martha Lee Hancock Ryan, moved the family from Refugio, Texas to Alvin, Texas when Ryan was just six weeks old. Ryan grew up in this quiet area outside Houston. He loved to ranch and had a talent of throwing things and hitting the correct target.
This talent helped Ryan become a good baseball player. Ryan began playing baseball in the Alvin Little League when he was nine years old. He showed his natural talent when he pitched a no-hitter and made it to two All-Star teams. A no-hitter in baseball is when a team has batted all the innings with no recorded hits. Later, Ryan played baseball at Alvin High School, where he became famous for his surprisingly good arm strength. He held a school record for 44 years by striking out 21 hitters in a 7-inning game. In 1963, Ryan caught the attention of pitcher John Robert Murff, also known as "Red Murff," when he was scouting for the New York Mets. In baseball, a scout travels extensively over the country to watch athletes play and then puts in a recommendation for the athletes based on their talent and skill.
Ryan was eventually recruited by the New York Mets in 1965 after he graduated from high school. What followed later was an amazing career of several ups and downs, new records, and recruitment in different teams like California Angels, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers. He earned his nickname "Ryan Express" because of the speed at which he pitched balls. In August 1974, a speed detector timed Ryan's pitches twice at 100.9 miles per hour! Even as he grew older, he didn't stop breaking records. During his major league career, Ryan set a record by pitching seven no-hitters in the span of three decades.
Ryan acquitted himself of his career as a major league baseball player by the end of 1993 due to an injury. But he continued contributing to baseball, even after his injury, in some way or another. In 1995, the Texas Legislature named a state highway, which passes near Alvin, the Nolan Ryan Expressway. He was initiated into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. Many people love baseball and consider Nolan Ryan as one of their idols.
The organizational pattern of the selection allows the author to —
A.
compare Nolan Ryan with other baseball players
B.
explain the issues faced by Nolan Ryan
C.
highlight only the achievements of Nolan Ryan
D.
describe the life of Nolan Ryan in detail
