Nolan Ryan what if's

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by 100backstroke

Found some stats:

1973 - Ryan pitched 2 no hitters, won 21 games, ERA 2.87, struck out 383 (new record) in 326 innings pitched. Palmer won it with 22 wins, struck out 158 in 296 innings.

1974 - Pitched another no hitter, won 22 games, struck out 367 in 333 innings, allowed only 221 hits, ERA 2.89. Catfish Hunter won it with 25 wins, struck out 143 in 318 innings, allowed 268 hits.

1972 - Ryan struck out 329 in 284 innings, ERA 2.28, won 19 games for lowly Angels. Gaylord Perry won it with 24 wins, 234 strikeouts in 343 innings.

1981 - Strike shortened year. Ryan pitched 5th no hitter, ERA 1.69, struck out his 3,300 batter. Fernando Valenzuela won it with ERA 2.48, struck out 180, won 13 games.

Ryan has over 10 one-hitters. And nearly 30 three-hitters.

What does a guy have to do to win the Cy Young? Maybe the voters were waiting for him to cure cancer.

??? It's a single-season award - plenty of great pitchers have been left out simply because other pitchers had even greater years. The Cy Young doesn't seem to be like the Oscars where they eventually hand you one just because you've had a great career (cough, cough...Clint Eastwood)

Scott <=== attended one of Ryan's no-hitters and one of his one-hitters