lot of walks, lots of losses, high ERA.

Tremendous talent, and a tremendous pitcher.

I don't know where I'd put him among all time pitchers, but he'd at least be nudging the top 10.

He's an easy target to slam, because of a number of factors, but there's no doubt that he was great.

Extremely overrated. People point at his 3.19 ERA, but forget the league average when he played was 3.57. Meaning he was just 12% better than the average Joe pitcher. People point to the bad teams...Frank Tanana was on the same team he was on for 5 years...had a better ERA, better WHIP, better winning percentage during that 5 year span. Tanana is and never will be in the HOF. Ryan was good, but to say he's top 5 or even top 10 is insane.

This guy will throw harder when he's eighty than you could when you were twenty. One of the best ever. I named my youngest son after him.

Greatest ever...5714 strikeouts, 7 no-hitters, author of some 38 or so major-league records...Today's fans forget players from just 10-20 years ago. Ryan has been very popular in every poll...In 1999 Mastercard Visa nationwide poll placed him numero uno above Koufax. What about his .500 lifetime win-loss record? Look at the crappy teams he was on...Angels, Astros in the 80's, and Rangers...ERA is 3.19 and Clemens is 3.11, but Clemens, who is on steroids, has fewer losses due to being on offensive-minded teams like Yankees and Red Sox... 100.9 MPH- fastest pitch ever recorded still...in an age of steroids used by Roger Clemens and other pitchers. Watch Ryan's 7th no-hitter at age 44 years old on mlb.com and you will be convinced he is the greatest ever !!!!!!

With many of his records unlikely to be surpassed, perhaps the most glaring omission in the great Nolan Ryan's resume is a Cy Young Award (especially for the 1973 season with his two no-hitters and an ERA of 2.87 for the California Angels). But a 324-292 record with 5,714 career strikeouts and seven no-hitters in the Ryan Express's list of other unbelievable accomplishments more than sufficed for his qualifications to be part Hall of Fame. Notwithstanding his amazing longevity and ability to deliver 100 m.p.h fastballs over homeplate, Nolan Ryan was simply one of the greatest pitchers of all-time.

Threw the best heater in the game during his tenure. No one could touch it, and that was how he liked it. I admire a guy who can throw down consistantly high numbers like he did with consistantly low numbers of days lost to injury. Easy selection to the Hall, if he's not already in (haven't been keeping up on inductions...bad me).

While I won't be doing any commercials for Fox TV's "No Spin Zone", I will opine thta Lynn Nolan Ryan as probablpy the single most intimidating pitcher ever to pick up a ball and that his numbers (statistics, as always, being dependent upon a wide range of factors) do not in any way do him justice. Nolan Ryan was a "Notre Dame" like opponent. The kind of guy who's reputation alone got your knees to shaking and made damn sure that when you dug in at the dish against him (As if anyone ever really dared to!) you'd better be sure that you brought your "A" game. It was gighly repeated that a good day against Ryan was oh for four and hope that you don't get hit by a pitch. He threw harder, longer than any man in the history of the world, struckout more batters than anyone will ever come close to, tossed seven no-hitters and at least a dozen one-hitters, and could have easily won 400 plus games had he not played for four weak-hitting expansion teams. When he was clocked at 100.9 miles per hour it was in the ninth inning of a game in which he had already thrown over 125 pitches. I think that the normally self-promoting hall-of-famer Reggie Jackson said it best when he said of Ryan, "That guy is in a completely different league. I'm a fastball hitter, so that is the pitch that I love to see coming. I like ice cream too. But not when it's served by the truck load." I'm sure that there are about five thousand strikeout victims that would echo Jackson in his sentiments.

He didn't have just a fastball...He had a madball, a pissed off ball, a non discriminatory I dare ya to hold your bat out so I can saw it off ball. Which he just happened to set up with one of the most wicked unhearalded change-ups in the history of the game. Personally the most impressive pitcher I ever saw.

I only saw Ryan pitch once, in 1979 at Fenway Park, when he was with the agents. I sat deep in the bleachers, and as he warmed up, you could hear the cpitcher's glove go POP when each pitch hit home. I had never heard such a thing before or since! Ryan lasted two-thirds of an inning and gave up 6 runs, I think 5 of them earned. (There were two dingers.) Twelve years later I was living in San Francisco Bay Area, and Ryan was pitching that night for the 'Stros. My pal, an old Army buddy, was supposed to get the tickets and pick me up. I waited in vain, and then later that night, he called and said I just heard on the radio Ryan pitched his fifth no-hitter. The sting of missing that was amerliorated somewhat by his sixth no-hitter, to say nothing about his seventh. Nolan Ryan was a pitcher equaled only by Sandy Koufax and Bob Feller in that going to see him pitch was a highly anticipated event as you might be witnessing history. That surely ranks him as one of the greatest ever.

For those of you who believe Ryan was overrated... you are fools. Take a peak at his lifetime ERA, 3.19. His high number of losses is attributed to the teams he played for, over which he had litte control. If he had played for run producing teams, he would likely have flirted with 400 wins. To illustrate my point, in 1972 he had an ERA of 2.28 and 9 shutouts (how many pitchers have had 9 shutouts in one season?) and lost 16 games!!! If he had been with a good team he would have flirted with 30 wins.

The most powerful pitcher in baseball history, Nolan led his league in strikeouts 11 times, including 1973 when he set a single-season record with 383 strikeouts. His 5,714 strikeouts and seven career no-hitters are both Major League records that may never be broken.

Amazing pitcher.

One of the five greatest pitchers ever.

I think he is good but extremly over rated all though he pitched like 6 or 7 no hitters. He still in reality almost had about as much wins as he did losses. He was a great player but again portreyed as a better player then he really was.

With a blazing fastball that approached 100 mph and a work ethic like no other, Nolan Ryan dominated hitters for an unparalleled 27 seasons on his way to an all-time record 5,714 strikeouts. During four decades of prominence, he totaled 324 victories and a host of a major league records. Most notable of his milestones are a mystifying seven no-hitters and 12 one hitters, The eight-time All-Star fanned a record 383 batters in 1973, and his career strikeouts encompassed 1,176 different players. Nolan Ryan was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999.

Class act - did everything he did without any offense to back him up for most of his career. The best pitcher of all time.

One of the more overrated players in any sport. While I admit his strikeouts and no hitters were remarkable, he was extremely selfish. When a ground ball double play was what he and his team needed, he would walk a guy because he was trying so hard to strike him out. And that's nice that he was a family man, but I believe this category has nothing to do with life off the field.

Well I've been a Nolan Ryan fan since I got my first pack of baseball cards in little league '81 and the first card I got was yep...Nolan Ryan. Yes I know there are better pitchers.. His Strikeouts are overrated.. he walked a lot of people.. lost a lot of games. I'll tell you though his last few seasons I've never seen anybody pitch so many games that were near no hitters.. It seemed like every other game he was a least flirting with one, and he of course got nos 6 and 7 at that time. He was rather unlucky with his teammates too.. He would have games like.. 8IP 1H 1ER Loss followed by 7IP 2H 0ER No decision etc. he would then have games where he seemed to lose it and give up 6 or 7 Earned runs in one inning which just about ruined his ERA for the whole season. But hey, he was 45 years old for pete's sake.. no pitcher was as exciting or intimidating.. and I wish I had had the opportunity to face the Ryan Express myself...

Great ball player but not 10th all-time

Nolan Ryan is one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Nolan was not best known for his wins, or his ERA, but he was known for his strikeouts in a season. He played 27 years and had a record of 324 wins, 292 losses, 3.19 ERA, and 5,714 strikeouts. Nolan Ryan started in the majors in 1966 then was put back in the minors for the 1967 season and became and offical rookie in the 1968 season. 1968 was the only year he won a world series. He played on four teams during a 27 year career. (Mets:1966, 1968 - 1972, Angels: 1972 - 1979, Astros: 1980 - 1988, Rangers: 1989 - 1993). He had the most strikeouts on the Angels but the most wins on the Astros. At the age of 44 in 1991 playing with Texas he had 301 strikeouts the only pitcher ever to do that age. He had seven no-hitters the most ever by a pitcher. He only played in 5 all-star games and he never won the Cy Young award but he was still great. He played on weak teams with bad defense thats partly to do with his bad winning percentage. In 1973 and 1974 Nolan posted a record of 21-16 and 22-16 and in 1973 was the record year when he had 383 strikeouts. He has 5,714 strikeouts a record that will nevr be touched. Look at Steve Carlton or Roger Clemens, Nolan has over 1,584 strikeouts more than any of them Steve - 4130 and Roger - 4099. In 1999 Nolan Ryan was elected to The Hall of Fame with a percent vote of 98.8.

he almost has as many losses as he has wins. way overrated

Considering he beat the tar out of Robin Ventura, he is definately the greatest.

By far the GREATEST player of ALL TIME. Not only was he the greatest pitcher on the field, he is a true gentleman, family man and a great role model for any young boy who dreams of playing in THE SHOW. long live the Ryan Express.

he threw harder for longer than anyone else. when he dies his arm should be stuffed and put on display in the hall of fame.

Overrated, not even the best pitcher in his day. Never really had a standout season except for his strikeouts. Sometimes he would rather strike a lot of batters out than worry about winning the game, and that made him rely on his curveball to much. Randy Johnson is a better strikout pitcher, and his record (324-292) is crap.

Nolan Was Great. His Record May Not Say So, But He Was On Medciore Teams Throughout His Carrer. Example: In 1986 He Lead MLB In ERA at 2.72 But because of a stupid pitchlimit by Dick "Pothead" Wagner He Went 8-16. Ryan has 5,712 K's and 7 No' No's.

A great stikeout artist but only an average 500 pitcher .In the end it isn't about the stikeouts it about the wins and loses.

How could anyone give the greatest pitcher of all time less than 5 stars? The man's a legend. It's an honor to drive on Nolan Ryan expressway in Arlington, TX. And that time when that guy from the White Sox charged the mound and Nolan put the loser in a headlock and opened up a can.....now that was unforgettable; especially for a guy in his 40s to be putting the hurt on a younger, cockier player.

Put this guy on some of the great Yankee, Reds, A,s or Braves teams or any team with a half decent bullpen and how many 20 win seasons would he have he gotten? One man does not constitute a team!! He took to the mound every game, the pressure that if he didn,t win it, his team sure wasn,t going to!!!

The hands down greatest of all time!

All-time strikeout king.

Yep...he was on some bad teams, but we're not ranking teams here. Throwing "no-hitters" is the single greatest individual effort a peron can contribute to a team win (as long as one of your other 8 guys crosses the plate). He not only PLAYED through THREE DECADES, he FIRED BULLETS through them! Great competitor, athelete and gentleman.

nolan ryan is easily the most overrated ballplayer of all time. I know he was on a lot of bad teams, but so was Walter Johnson.

Greatest pitcher in the history of the game!!!!

The fun of rating baseball figures is that you can play so many games with the statistics. The same number can be bandied to and fro in both a pro and con argument about a player or period of time. Example: Ruth's 60 home run explosion (in '23, I think) signalled both the beginning of a new, exciting time -- the "live ball era" -- in baseball (good) and the end of the istrategy and defense-dominated period that preceeded it (bad). So with that in mind, I'll pitch the following figure to all the rhetorical cleanup hitters out there: In 1987, at the age of 40, Ryan led the National League with a 2.76 ERA and 270 strikeouts. Having undergone elbow surgery the preceeding offseason, Ryan put up these numbers while being held to a 110 pitch count or seven innings per outing. Had he played for a media darling or a playoff team that year, we might still be talking about this feat. But instead Ryan played for the Houston, which featured Billy Hatcher (20 HR) and Dickie Thon as its power tandem, and Frank DiPino (who?) as a closer. Never has a pitcher more often left a game with a lead only to watch his bullpen blow it. Ryan's record that year: 8-16. This happened throughout his career; had he played up the coast, for the A's, instead of in Anaheim for the Angels in the 70's, he might have approached 400 wins. Instead, he finished with a mere 324, and armchair pundits point to his 292 losses and feel just in calling him 'average.' I'm not ready to elevate him to Walter Johnson or Christy Mathewson status, but this is a pitcher for the Pantheon.

He played for some awful teams, and that hurt his record and his ERA, but he was not even one of the ten or fifteen best pitchers of all-time. I'd take Christy Mathewson, Walter Joghnson, Rube Waddell, Pete Alexander, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Whitey Ford, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Warren Spahn...well, you get the idea. Ryan was too wild, but he was as hard to hit as anyone.

To perform at a high level for so many years is awesome.

People forget that along with his 300+wins are 300+ losses. Speed kills.

Ryan was one of the best pitchers of all time. He has broken countless records that wil stand a while.

If I was to choose a staff of all time pitchers he would not be on it. Give me Gibson, Koufax, Maddux, and Carlton. As a Texan, I love Ryan but as a fan he's .500 at best. Longevity cannot be the only determining factor for immortality.

A great pitcher on bad teams-- but despite an overpowering repetoire, he never seemed to truly put it all together. He never seemed to have one of those awesome years despite his team like Steve Carlton did in 1980. Obviously great, but alltime leader in walks does not help

Not great because he never played with a team on which he really made them great. Fastest ball ever and he did it for a lot of seasons.

Look at his ERA -- he is simply not one of the all-time greats.

Come on? Nolan had an amazing arm and stayed durable for a remarkable period of time, but the game is about winning. His win% and ERA don't compare to other pitchers on the list...

Nolan Ryan is one of the best pitchers of all time and holds many records. He is also a born and raised TEXAN!

Nolan Ryan is the most dominating pitcher of all-time. I'd pick him as my ace any day.

Nolan Ryan is the best pitcher of all time

Without a doubt, Nolan Ryan was and will be the best pitcher to play in the MLB.