Texas Rangers fans, get ready to hate me. The same goes for all you fans of the Astros, Angels and Mets!
I’ve had this opinion for a few years now and have no intention of changing it.
This opinion is a controversial one, but I have my reasons for it. Therefore, I’ll get right to it.
Nolan Ryan is one of the most overrated players in baseball history, if not the most overrated.
Now, I probably have about 20 minutes before rabid Texans and crazy Ryan fans storm my front door, ambush me and then leave with my head impaled on a stick, so I’ll do my best to keep this concise.
Let’s start off with Ryan’s career accomplishments. Overall, they’re not bad. He made eight All-Star teams and won a World Series with the New York Mets in 1969. On top of that, his seven career no-hitters are a record that will most definitely never be broken.
Now let’s have a look at his career numbers. Again, they’re pretty good. His career record stands at 324 wins and 292 losses. Regarding ERA, it’s a very impressive 3.19. Yet the number that blows everyone’s mind is the career strikeout total: 5,714. To go with the seven no-nos, this is a number that will never be surpassed. It’s just a fact.
I know, I know. I’ve presented you with amazing statistics but still haven’t changed my opinion. Well, let me tell you why.
First off, despite all of his success, Nolan Ryan never won a Cy Young Award. The closest he ever came to winning one was as a member of the then-California Angels in 1973, when he finished with a 21-16 record, 2.87 ERA and a record 383 strikeouts. He ultimately lost the award to Jim Palmer.
Second, let’s analyze his record. The wins are certainly there, but the losses seem a little inflated considering how dominant Ryan was in his prime. The 324-292 record gives us a winning percentage of .526, which, while respectable, is still mediocre. It’s not even in the top 100.
Finally, let’s tie the stats together with Ryan’s career strikeout total of 5,714. Yes, Ryan was a dominant strikeout pitcher throughout most of his career, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I still think he’s overrated. Why? Because the man pitched for 27 seasons!
Let’s be honest: If Nolan Ryan were pitching today, he would not be as dominant. He was a fireballer, and now everybody in baseball is trying to be one. Combine that factor with today’s pitching coaches monitoring pitch counts, the steroid era and hitters being better prepared for hard fastballs, and he would be just another face in the crowd.
The same can be said about his seven career no-hitters. If I was a pitcher in that era and throwing 98 mph, I could probably throw seven no-hitters. Point being this: I don’t care if Ryan was on a lot of bad teams in his career. His stuff was good enough that he should have wiped the floor with any opposing hitter that stepped up to face him.
On top of that, his career stats are ridiculously inflated. Nobody pitches for 27 seasons anymore, and if they did, they would definitely not be as dominant as Ryan was.
Yet despite my feelings about Ryan as a player, I have to say I’ve come to gain a lot of respect for him in recent years. After stepping away from the field for some time following his retirement, Ryan is now back in the game as owner of the Texas Rangers.
He was the president of the 2010 squad that represented the American League in the World Series, and given the balance of veterans and youth on that team, plus some amazing pitching, Ryan as shown himself to be not just one of the more overrated players in history, but possibly the most underrated executive in baseball as well.
To understand Nolan Ryan’s executive genius, we need to go back to when he first became president of the Texas Rangers in 2008. After he was introduced, he announced his intention to make the team’s pitching into the AL’s best. To start, he would do away with the pitch count philosophy that had consumed all of baseball. There was no pitch count limit when he was a player, so why should there be one now?
Before Ryan took over, the Rangers were an AL West division team that had a lot of good young talent, but whose pitching just wasn’t enough to compete with the division rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Oakland Athletics. The offense was there, thanks in large part to the Ballpark in Arlington being very hitter-friendly, but this also allowed opposing hitters to have a field day against the Texas pitching.
In each of Ryan’s three seasons as president of the Rangers, the team has improved. They finished third in the division in 2008, second place in 2009 and first place in 2010 on their way to the World Series, where they lost to an equally talented San Francisco Giants team.
Much of the Rangers’ 2010 success has been attributed to its pitching, so let’s break it down. In the starting rotation, there were young guns that simply surprised us all. Tommy Hunter came out of nowhere and impressed with a 13-4 record, and C.J. Wilson was impeccable in his transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation.
After pitching for one season in Japan, Colby Lewis was possibly the biggest sleeper in all fantasy baseball leagues—and of course, we don’t need to go into detail about Ryan trading for Cliff Lee midseason.
The bullpen was just as effective. Rookie standout Neftali Feliz saved 40 games en route to winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award.
On offense, the team was dangerous. Vladimir Guerrero had a comeback season, silencing his critics. Outfielder Nelson Cruz was effective despite a nagging hamstring injury. Shortstop Elvis Andrus was a pest in the field and an even bigger one whilst running the bases.
Most importantly, outfielder Josh Hamilton put a cap on his inspirational story. A former drug addict, Hamilton batted .359 with 32 home runs and 100 RBI, winning himself the AL MVP Award.
Why are these players significant? Because with the help of his young GM, Jon Daniels, Nolan Ryan brought these men to Texas after most teams had written them off as has-beens and/or underachievers. A World Series appearance later, the Rangers have silenced their doubters.
Will some of their players be on different teams next season? Yes, possibly the most important piece is gone in Cliff Lee. However, I have no doubt that the Rangers will return to the playoffs to once again hush their critics and prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.
When the team is on the field proving its worth to the masses, you’ll find Nolan Ryan in his usual seat, behind home plate.
Sir, while you may be considered overrated by some (myself included), I can only hope that you will one day be commended for your accomplishments as an executive and owner. It’s truly a shame that you’re already in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a player, and I mean that with all due respect. Regardless, there should be another plaque prepared for you, this time as one who changed the game.
NOTE TO MY READERS: THIS WILL BE MY LAST ARTICLE UNTIL THE NEW YEAR. AFTER CRANKING OUT IDEAS MONDAY-FRIDAY (MINUS YESTERDAY’S BRAIN RECHARGE DAY), IT IS TIME FOR ME TO JOIN MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS. I WILL BE BACK JANUARY 3, 2011, BRINGING YOU NEW ARTICLES AND OPINIONS THAT I KNOW YOU WILL ALL ENJOY.
SO, TO ALL OF MY READERS: HAPPY BELATED CHANUKAH, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY KWANZAA. BUT MOST OF ALL, HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2011!!!
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