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| Nolan Ryan 383 SO in 1973, age 26 John Rogers collection [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
Maybe Kruk was overly impressed by Ryan's reputation and attributes more speed than acumen to Ryan's performance. Kruk's 21 plate appearances against Ryan are here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/batter_vs_pitcher.cgi?batter=krukjo01&pitcher=ryanno01
Two singles and one home run in 18 at bats, plus three walks; OPS .619.
Here is the most viewed post on this blog:
Nolan Ryan: more on possible steroid use. Tuesday, August 31, 2010
How come no one challenges Nolan Ryan? He played long enough to have used steroids. His longevity is suspicious. Jose Canseco has admitted using steriods during his MVP season of 1988. Ryan played from 1966 through 1993 (age 46). Ryan and Canseco were even teammates in Texas for 22 games in 1992 and for 60 games in 1993. Ryan's final seasons leading the league in strike outs were at the ages of 40, 41, 42, 43. His previous age as league strike out leader was 32. Ryan went seven years without being strike out king until he recovered the touch in 1987 at age 40. Ryan pitched a record seven no hitters at these ages: 26, 26, 27, 28, 34, 43, 44. This anecdotal evidence is completely ignored. Did Nolan Ryan use banned and/or illegal stuff to enhance his performance? I have no idea but I find it odd that the steroid zealots have such narrow vision.
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Among the comments to that post were two possible explanations for Ryan's unique success in his baseball old age:
- Ryan perfected his changeup around 1987, age 40;
- Ryan's control improved a lot.
The problem with the control theory is that Ryan's control improved in 1979 at age 32. Why did his SO improve at age 40? The changeup? That must have been one whale of a changeup.
Every season Ryan led a league in strike outs (SO) he also led in SO per nine innings pitched (SO9). In 1991 at age 44 Ryan led in SO9 but not in SO (203). Since he pitched in both leagues, one with a DH, one without, it makes sense to look at his SO9 compared to the league average. His first season of 1966 is omitted because he pitched only three innings. Numbers with only one decimal place were copied from baseball-reference.com so the result may be slightly less accurate than it could be but should not reduce the overall understanding. Data for graph below is in this link; also below the graph.
| Age | Pct Dif | Year | League | Ryan | Dif | L | Team |
| 21 | 53.45% | 1968 | 5.8 | 8.9 | 3.1 | N | Mets |
| 22 | 55.00% | 1969 | 6 | 9.3 | 3.3 | N | Mets |
| 23 | 44.07% | 1970 | 5.9 | 8.5 | 2.6 | N | Mets |
| 24 | 50.00% | 1971 | 5.4 | 8.1 | 2.7 | N | Mets |
| 25 | 89.09% | 1972 | 5.5 | 10.4 | 4.9 | A | Angels |
| 26 | 107.84% | 1973 | 5.1 | 10.6 | 5.5 | A | Angels |
| 27 | 102.04% | 1974 | 4.9 | 9.9 | 5 | A | Angels |
| 28 | 73.47% | 1975 | 4.9 | 8.5 | 3.6 | A | Angels |
| 29 | 121.28% | 1976 | 4.7 | 10.4 | 5.7 | A | Angels |
| 30 | 106.00% | 1977 | 5 | 10.3 | 5.3 | A | Angels |
| 31 | 122.22% | 1978 | 4.5 | 10 | 5.5 | A | Angels |
| 32 | 100.00% | 1979 | 4.5 | 9 | 4.5 | A | Angels |
| 33 | 50.98% | 1980 | 5.1 | 7.7 | 2.6 | N | Astros |
| 34 | 73.47% | 1981 | 4.9 | 8.5 | 3.6 | N | Astros |
| 35 | 66.04% | 1982 | 5.3 | 8.8 | 3.5 | N | Astros |
| 36 | 52.73% | 1983 | 5.5 | 8.4 | 2.9 | N | Astros |
| 37 | 73.21% | 1984 | 5.6 | 9.7 | 4.1 | N | Astros |
| 38 | 47.27% | 1985 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 2.6 | N | Astros |
| 39 | 63.33% | 1986 | 6 | 9.8 | 3.8 | N | Astros |
| 40 | 91.67% | 1987 | 6 | 11.5 | 5.5 | N | Astros |
| 41 | 63.16% | 1988 | 5.7 | 9.3 | 3.6 | N | Astros |
| 42 | 105.45% | 1989 | 5.5 | 11.3 | 5.8 | A | Rangers |
| 43 | 78.95% | 1990 | 5.7 | 10.2 | 4.5 | A | Rangers |
| 44 | 85.96% | 1991 | 5.7 | 10.6 | 4.9 | A | Rangers |
| 45 | 66.67% | 1992 | 5.4 | 9 | 3.6 | A | Rangers |
| 46 | 6.90% | 1993 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 0.4 | A | Rangers |
Nolan Ryan, Tom House and steroids. Monday, August 11, 2014
7 comments:
http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/newsstand/discussion/matinale_nolan_ryan_power_pitcher_into_his_40s_did_he_use_steroids
10. Rennie's Tenet Posted: August 11, 2014 at 10:50 AM (#4768448)
If Ryan had arrived today, how would his career have gone? He must have had many games where he would have had early exits due to game or inning pitch counts today.
11. Ron J2 Posted: August 11, 2014 at 10:57 AM (#4768457)
#10 He'd have probably ended up in the bullpen and we'd never have known about his incredible endurance.
He likely used steroids.
But nobody will ever know and he retired before we started noticing guys on the gas.
Garbage article. Nolan Ryan did not use steroids. His strikeout numbers maintained consistency throughout his career, and to suggest that he used PED's is the most asanine thing I've ever heard.
ROB,how sure are you that Nolan Ryan did not use PED? Enough to bet something meaningful? I presented facts. You responded with "garbage". Put a little effort into it rather than just calling something "asanine". Or did you mean asinine. You couldn't even use spell checker.
No reply is necessary.
Ive always thought Ryan used steroids at the end of his career . a similar 4 year period like bonds , and why wouldn't he if mlb basically allowed it
Look at the known steroid users, Bonds, Sosa, Canseco, McGwire and others. They look like football players. When Ryan was in his 40s he didn't have the massive upper body build of the others - like a football player. Plus Ryan didn't gain mph back on his fastball. He was able to throw hard late in his career because he threw much harder than anyone when he was younger. If today's guns were used they would clock him 105-106 mph as opposed to 100.8mph that he was in 1974. Later in his career he wasn't able to pitch as long into games wouldn't steroids help that?
I find it amusing that the anonymous commenter is the only person who cannot believe Ryan used. I grew up in Anaheim and saw two of his no hitters, I saw the climate (steroid) in the area, guys like Brian Downing, and knew about the program growing out of USC guys. The Angels had lots of guys using, Ryan had House as his pitching coach and Ryan FAMOUSLY learned pitches and was someone who took suggestions from coaches... True Downing lifted a lot, I remember the nautilus thing too (I also went to trainer in Orange) by the 80's it was rolling... and by the time Canseco and Sosa and Mac were destroying the ball, I'd bet that 75% of teams were using something... especially relief pitchers... the guys posting the bud harrelson pic don't get it. Lots of guys used but didn't lift. They wanted the recovery aspect... oh well. it doesn't matter now.
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