Nolan Ryan

Hopping Aboard the Ryan Express: Nolan Ryan Books

You don’t mess with Nolan Ryan, ever. Just ask Robin Ventura.

In our age where pitchers are borderline babied through strict pitch counts and innings limits, Ryan of course takes the contrarian view: throw more, “cause, hell, if it worked for me it’ll work for anyone.” But it’s quite evident that no one born after the deadball era was quite like Nolan Ryan. Pitching till the tender age of 46, he terrified hitters with gas and knee buckling curves ignoring any sort of signs that pitchers post 40 years are supposed to have already hung up their spikes. At 42, he still struck out 302 hitters in a season! Eclipsing 300 strikeouts six times in his career, Ryan is probably the last of a breed of pitchers from yesteryear: imposing guardians of the strike zone, who come in high and tight just for fun. Again, just ask Robin Ventura.

I haven’t read Ryan’s pitcher’s bible yet, but I can imagine it is filled with a bunch of “rub some dirt on it” stories that simply remind me that I am not him. Along with the Pitcher’s bible, Goldman’s definitive biography top my list of must reads. On the lighter side, Ryan’s BBQ guide, and a perspective from his better half are books I’d be willing to take flyers on.

Nolan Ryan’s Pitcher’s Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Power, Precision, and Long-Term Performance by Nolan Ryan and Tom House

Nolan Ryan: The Making of a Pitcher by Rob Goldman

Miracle Man: Nolan Ryan: The Autobiography by Nolan Ryan and Jerry Jenkins

Throwing Heat: The Autobiography of Nolan Ryan by Nolan Ryan and Harvey Frommer

Nolan Ryan: Hall of Fame Baseball Superstar by William W. Lace

Nolan Ryan : The Authorized Pictorial History by Jennifer Briggs

The Meaning of Nolan Ryan by Nick Trujillo

Nolan Ryan by Lois P. Nicholson

Nolan Ryan: The Road to Cooperstown by Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan: Texas Fastball to Cooperstown by Ken Anderson