More on possible steroid use by Nolan Ryan. (August 31, 2010)
Click the link to read that post. It is the most viewed Radical Baseball post of all time, about 80% more than the next: Derek Jeter v. Alex RodrÃguez (June 9, 2011).
The Nolan Ryan post also has the most comments. It has been suggested that learning to throw the changeup explains Ryan's unprecedented late career resurgence in strike outs.
Brian said...
I believe it is because Ryan finally perfected his changeup around 1987. He was a two pitch pitcher up to that point, IMO. Having watched many of his starts on television. His fastball mph numbers show a steady decline as his age advanced. I think his late numbers were a hint at what he could have achieved earlier in his career had he developed a reliable 3rd pitch.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Matt Smallwood said...
I think you're right on, Ken. It defies logic that his numbers would he have declined in his mid and late 30's and then out of nowhere, spectacular numbers in his 40's. And let's honest here, how many starters who didn't juice pitch into their forties? If you're not a knuckleballer, your arm might fall off. LOL. The new changeup would have made a slight difference, but changed the end of his career? Don't think so....
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Brian said...
Ryan's fastball did nothing but decline over the course of his career. Its not like he gained 5-8 mph once he hit 40. Like another poster said, he had perfected his changeup to compensate for his declining fastball by 1987.
Reds broadcaster Joe Nuxhall showed him the circle change grip during the 1981 strike because Ryan was impressed with Mario Soto and inquired about his changeup to Nuxhall.
Adding the quality 3rd pitch late in his career to me is a big what might have been had he done this 15 years earlier
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
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Brian states that Ryan learned the changeup in 1981 but did not perfect it until 1987 when the magic elixir effect kicked in. Slow learner. Did Ryan use the changeup in his two 1986 playoff games against the Mets: 10.9 SO/9? Regular season: 9.8 up from 8.1 in 1985.
2 comments:
Ryan's fastball didn't decline over the course of his career. I saw him pitch in 1988, at the age of 41, and he was consistently in the 97-98 mph range. He was blowing the ball by hitters when he was with the Rangers late in his career. He was consistently throwing 94-98 mph in Texas. I don't know where you got your info, but you don't know what in the heck you're talking about.
Hey, before you run your mouth read my post again. I was highlighting someone else's comment to my main post about Ryen.
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