Making sense of Nolan Ryan's stats and a belated hello

[Exhibitman]

Ryan needs to be put into context to understand his appeal. From 1972-1979 he was the most exciting pitcher in baseball. Led the league in K's 6 times in those 7 years, five of them over 300Ks. That left an indelible mark on the baseball consciousnesses of all the kids of the 1970s. He went back to it in 1987 with another 5 years of league-leading Ks as he went far beyond everyone else in Ks and no-hitters. That takes it to the kids of the late 1980s. Basically, two generations of collectors see Ryan as one of the most exciting, greatest performers in history. Those kids are the main collecting cohort today. No amount of statistical analysis will erase those impressions. The greatest pitching performance I ever saw was Jack Morris against the Braves in the WS. The most exciting performance I ever saw was Nolan Ryan dominating the Angels with the Rangers one game.