Lynn Nolan Ryan is one of the best pitchers of our generation, and possibly the game. She had the longest career of any major league player; him pitching 27 seasons for the Mets (66.68-71), Angels (72-79), Astros (80-88) and Texas Rangers (89-93). He is currently the manager, president and co-owner of the Rangers. His induction into the Hall of Fame was in 1999.

Nolan Ryan is known for his ferocious fastball, which regularly clocked over 100 miles per hour. In the last game of his career, two before his announced retirement date, he tore a ligament in his shoulder. He threw one final pitch with the injury: a 98-mph fastball.

In his prime, Nolan received a lot of accolades: he was an 8-time All-Star selection, was on the All-Century team, and was part of the World Series-winning Mets. He holds the record for most strikeouts in his career: His 5,714 beat second-best pitcher Randy Johnson by 839.

Nolan Ryan is best known for his ability to throw no-hitters. His seven far outperformed the competition. He also had 12 hits and 18 hits, but was never able to throw a perfect game. That feat has only been accomplished by 20 men, 2 in the 2010 season.

His number has been retired by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (#30), Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers (both #34). He never got a chance to prove himself as a Met within his strong-shooting lineup; he was not happy in New York and requested his 1972 trade to the Angels. It was in Anaheim that he flourished as a pitcher; that season was his first as a starter. He threw a league-leading 329 strikeouts; the fourth highest total punch in the 20th century. But he didn’t finish: in the next five seasons he broke that record four times.

Since his retirement, Ryan has co-written six books and threw out the honorary first pitch at the 2005 White Sox-Astros World Series.