With 5,714 career strikeouts and seven seasons of no-hitters career, Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr., aka The Ryan Express, is an American Major League Baseball Pitcher and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros. He attended Alvin High School, where he met his future wife. The New York Mets drafted him in the 12th round of the 1965 MLB Draft. His MLB debut was on September 11, 1966, and his last appearance was on September 22, 1993, after playing for nearly 27 years. For his incredible performance, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 with incredible voting of 98.8% on the first ballot.
Lynn was born on January 31, 1947, under the star sign Aquarius. He was born in Refugio, Texas, United States. During his active career, hitters feared to stand at the plate for his pitch. Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson once spoke in an interview that they were afraid of hitting his pitch which traveled at 100.9 miles per hour.
Nolan Ryan is a motivational figure in the baseball industry and one of the most notable figures in the world, with an estimated net worth of $80 million. He has been living a luxurious life with his wife in the Cimarron Hills community in Georgetown. The 75-year-old has a long history in Major League Baseball. During his entire career, he has played for four teams: Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers, making him the first player to play in all four original expansion teams.
Coming to his contracts, his salary in the New York Jets and California are reported to be around $250,000-$300,000, according to various sources. However, that wasn't the case in his latter contract with the Astros and the Rangers.
| Years | Team |
| 1966, 1968-1971 | New York Mets |
| 1972-1979 | California Angels |
| 1980-1986 | Houston Astros |
| 1989-1993 | Texas Rangers |
The contract with the Houston Astros was one of the legendary contacts in baseball history, making him the highest-paid player of the decade, playing alongside Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens by signing a Four-years, $4.5 million contract on November 19, 1979. He was the first player to receive a million-dollar salary in a year.
Nolan Ryan for the Rangers SOURCE: IMDB Not only is Astros, but the Ryan Express reportedly earned $2 million annually in the Texas Rangers. After retiring from baseball, Ryan has indulged himself in many occupations. Nolan is the principal owner of Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment, established in 1998. He partnered with Dan Sanders, who manages 38 offices worldwide and handles over $18 Billion in assets.
Among his other interests, Ryan has co-written six books:
In addition, he was also the majority owner and chairman of Express Bank of Alvin until 2005. He owned a restaurant in Three Rivers, Texas, and served on the Wildlife Commission from 1995 to 2001. Nolan also appeared as a Spokesperson for Advil for several years and in several television commercials.
In February 2008, he became the president of the Rangers, and in 2009, along with Chuck Greenberg, they submitted a bid to purchase the Rangers from Owner Tom Hicks. They gained ownership of the Rangers on August 5, 2010, for a final bid of $385 million.
After Greenberg left his position as President in March 2011, Nolan became the CEO of the Rangers while keeping his position as president. He stepped down from his position as CEO and President on October 31, 2013. He then was called by the Houston Astros for the position of executive advisor, where his son Reid Ryan was the president. After the Astros demoted his son from his position, he sent a mail to the Astros indicating that he wouldn't attend the 2020 season. He stayed with the Astros until 2019.
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The Pitcher for the Rangers is married to his high school sweetheart Ruth Holdorf. Shortly after graduating from Alvin High School, the couple tied the knot on June 25, 1967. Ruth Played Tennis during her high school career and was a state champion.
Nolan Ryan with his Wife Ruth Ryan SOURCE: American Diabetes Association Together, they have been blessed with three children, Reid Ryan, Reese Ryan, and Wendy Ryan, who are all grown into wonderful adults and have started their journey in life. Reid Ryan was announced as the Houston Astros president on May 17, 2013. Currently, the couple resides in the Cimarron Hills community in Georgetown, a suburb of Austin, which was roughly valued at $2 million in 2008.
| Win-loss Record | 324-292 |
| Earned Ru Average | 3.19 |
| Strikeouts | 5,714 |
| Games Played | 807 |
| Games Started | 773 |
| Complete Game | 222 |
| Homerun | 321 |
| Shutouts | 61 |
| Innings Pitched | 5386 |
| Hit | 3923 |
| Earned Run | 1911 |
| Base on the Ball (walk) | 2795 |
| Wild Pitch | 277 |
| Hit by Pitch | 158 |
A collective item created in 1968 from the Topps set labeled #177 features Nolan Ryan alongside Jerry Koosman, known as the Rookie Card of both players. It is by far one of the most valuable cards in the collection.
Nolan Ryan Rookie Card SOURCE: PSA cards Coming to its value, the price is based on the PSA grade. An undamaged PSA Grade 5 card will guarantee $300-400 dollars. A near-perfect card that gets a PSA Grade 9 will easily be valued at $20-30 Thousand dollars. There were a total of 8000 productions, and one card has graded "Gem Mint 10" in 2016 and was sold in an auction for $600,000.
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