There are many words that could be used to describe Nolan Ryan: tough, intimidating, feared, dominating. In a career that stretched from 1966 to 1993, Ryan was one of the best pitchers to ever play the game of baseball. Thanks to a fastball that routinely topped 100 miles per hour, he still stands as the all-time strikeout leader with 5,714 K’s and threw more no-hitters – seven – than any other pitcher.
With that kind of resume, would you call Nolan Ryan tender? Try telling that to Robin Ventura, the Chicago White Sox third baseman who once infamously charged Ryan on the mound and ended up in a headlock as Ryan rained punches on his head.