Editor’s note – This article originally appeared on AstrosConnection.com.
Nearly 20 years ago, in the fall of 1979 the Houston Astros made history. They signed a free agent who was on what was supposed to be the downside of his career by the name of Lynn Nolan Ryan. The Astros would make Ryan the first million dollar-a-year man in baseball. The team he was leaving claimed that any .500 pitcher could replace Ryan.
It was an easy story for everyone in Southeast Texas to feel good about. Ryan, born in Refugio and raised in Alvin, was the first superstar who wanted to play for the Astros. He was popular with management, popular with his teammates and basically a god in the city of Houston.
Larry Dierker, then a broadcaster with the Astros, remembers, “Well, he was the first major free agent that we signed, he was a recognized star and a local kid. He had a tremendous impact on our image as a team, on our desire to win. Also in our public relations…it was a very popular thing to do. Not only did it signal that we were about to win but it was also a warm-fuzzy feel good type of thing to do because of the local interest.”
Ryan brought to Houston a national presence and recognition that they rarely had for anything besides the building they played in. Like the Randy Johnson trade 18 years later, it signaled good things to his future teammates.
Alan Ashby, the primary catcher for the Astros during the Ryan years remembers Ryan as “a touch with greatness. He was already a legend so he was a bit intimidating. But he became a teammate, he became a guy that was a friend and a funny guy and an enjoyable guy to play with but when it came to the day that he pitched you just always admired him and I think we were all in awe of watching Nolan Ryan pitch.”
A pitcher on that 1980 team, Vern Ruhle figured the Astros were ready to make some noise. “In 1979 there were some improvements. We made some real strides. JR Richard was healthy and he had 300 strikeouts or 303 or something that year and there was (Ken) Forsch and (Joe) Niekro. I came over and I started a little bit. We finished only out of the race a couple of games and he was kind of that extra ingredient that possibly could mean the difference in us winning.”
Unfortunately like Johnson after him, Ryan never delivered the World Series, although he did contribute mightily to 3 playoff teams and brought Houston fans memories of strikeouts, records and wins. His fifth no-hitter, which only about 25,000 fans attended (but everyone in Houston claims they were at) was an especially sweet memory, as was striking out former Astro Danny Heep for number 4,000.
For a lot of fans, Nolan Ryan was the Houston Astros. He was the heart and soul of the Astros, and that was a feeling that has never totally been replaced.
Nearly 11 years ago, in the fall of 1988 the Texas Rangers made history. They signed a free agent who was on what was supposed to be the downside of his career by the name of Lynn Nolan Ryan. The Rangers would give Ryan a 20 percent pay raise. The team he was leaving claimed Jim Clancy could replace Ryan.
Sunday, Ryan went into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY wearing a Rangers cap. With the Rangers he threw 2 more no-hitters. With the Rangers he threw his 5,000th and 5,714th strikeouts. With the Rangers he sold Advil and Sprint and whatever evil Dairy Queen asked him to sell. And that’s pretty much how the world remembers Ryan…with the Rangers.
It’s a wound in the Astros organization that has never quite healed, even 11 years later, and especially on Sunday.
To the Astros, Nolan brought respectability. He brought competitiveness. He brought leadership. He brought camaraderie. He brought the Astros and their fans a reason to follow the team, no matter how mediocre their record was. When he went to the Rangers, Ryan took all of that with him to Arlington.
They’ve got other stars here in Houston now. Craig Biggio actually was on the roster for Nolan’s last 50 games as an Astro…Ken Caminiti for 93. They’re the bridge, and this franchise remade itself in the 1990’s, and did so by cashing in on its history, bringing back former Astro stars like Art Howe and Dierker to manage and Jose Cruz, Ashby, Ruhle and Harry Spilman to coach. Heck, even Tal Smith and Gerry Hunsicker are on their second tour of duty with the Stros. But we all can’t help but remember the one who got away.
The Astros and their fans will never be maudlin enough to turn Ryan’s departure into a Curse of the Bambino (90 years of mis-management) situation. And also unlike Boston, we will eventually win a World Series…maybe even this year. But on Sunday, there was a palatable sense of something missing. It was mingled in with the pride that most all of Texas has in Ryan, but it was still there.
Oddly enough, Ashby summed it best when he said, “I don’t think you ever recover from the memories of having lost someone like Nolan Ryan and the fact that he’s going to go into the Hall of Fame with a Texas Ranger cap and gear I think is really sad.”
And so it goes in Houston. Like a loss in the family – you eventually learn to move on, but you never really forget. In the end that’s a lot for Astros fans to hold on to.
Congratulations Nolie, from your Fans.
Astro of The Week…Mike “Bulldog” Hampton set the tone by blanking the high-octane Tribe a week ago and then hanging around long enough to beat the Padres on Friday. Even with a throbbing wrist, he’s finally putting together a full season, and at only 26 years of age. If the Stros don’t screw up and play around with his contract, he should finally fulfill all that “next Tom Glavine” hype he’s had to sweat the last couple of years.
DisAstro of The Week…Jack Howell. Okay I know it’s not his fault for getting hurt again, but if the guy has any pride, he needs to hang up the spikes or at the very least stay hurt the rest of the year. A pinch hitter can’t get wood on the ball, much less generate power with bad wrists and hands and legs and arms and whatever else is wrong with him. It’s time, Thurston, to call it a career.
