The Question: Did Nolan Ryan use performance enhancing drugs?
Our investigation has, officially, gotten murky: mysterious, late night phone calls, heavy breathing, angry e-mails, threats & broken bongs.
The closer we get, the uglier it’s getting.
Nolan Ryan is bigger than the state of Texas. That’s saying something. We’re beginning to feel the heat. CIA, FBI, Gaming Control Boards, we’ve seen it all. Phone records seized, bank accounts froze, witnesses intimidated, jurors sequestered & wires tapped. None of it matters. Last time we checked, this is still America. I bet Nolan Ryan agrees.
Strikeouts per 9 IP
1972 AL–10.426–1st (age 25)
1973 AL–10.574–1st (age 26)_
1974 AL–9.929–1st (age 27)
1975 AL–8.454–2nd (age 28)
1976 AL–10.351–1st (age 29)
1977 AL–10.264–1st (age 30)
1978 AL–9.972–1st (age 31)
1979 AL–9.014–1st (age 32)
1980 NL–7.703–3rd (age 33)
1981 NL–8.456–2nd (age 34)
1982 NL–8.808–2nd (age 35)
1983 NL–8.389–2nd (age 36)
1984 NL–9.653–2nd (age 37)
1985 NL–8.108–4th (age 38)
1986 NL–9.809–2nd (age 39)
1987 NL–11.480–1st (age 40)
1988 NL–9.327–1st (age 41)
1989 AL–11.319–1st (age 42)
1990 AL–10.235–1st (age 43)
1991 AL–10.561–1st (age 44)
Career–9.548–4th
The surprise isn’t Ryan’s slight strikeout per inning pitched wane at the age of 33 in 1980. More so, the surprise is how he reestablished himself as the dominant power pitching, strikeout king in the late 80’s, entering his 40s, against competition now known to have been on steroids.
This has been a Max Steingrout, AKA The Chickenhawk, Special Report ™.
