The Dallas Morning News
Ryan winds up in classic form.
"My only claim to fame with Nolan is that I kept him in shape, didn't hurt his arm and made sure he was ready to go."
- Alvin High School baseball coach Jim Watson

"Nolan Ryan doesn't belong to me or to you. He doesn't belong to Alvin, or to Texas, or to the United States. He belongs to the world."
- New York Mets scout Red Murff, to Ruth Holdorff, on June 26, 1967, the day she married Nolan Ryan

"He's the only guy in the league who really scares you."
- Kansas City Royals designated hitter Hal McRae

"Nobody throws harder than Nolan Ryan. Not even God."
- Former Boston 1B George Scott

"It helps if you don't tense up, because you might have to run for your life."
- Kansas City Hall of Famer George Brett, on the best approach to facing Ryan

"Ryan's the only guy who puts fear in me. Not because he could get me out, but because he could kill me."
- New York Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson

"If there was a big game to be pitched, I'd give him the ball any day of the week. And maybe twice on Sunday."
- Oakland Athletics manager Art Howe, a teammate of Ryan's in Houston from 1980-82

"Facing guys like that, your 'A' game had to be going all the time. He was one of those guys that if you happened to get one hit, then you go home happy. If you made good contact, you could go home feeling like you had four hits."
- Former major league player Juan Samuel

"The ball was pretty close to my head. I can't remember thinking of anything but death at that point."
- Former New York Yankees outfielder Walt Williams, recalling a particularly close encounter with a Ryan fastball

"Everybody likes fastballs, just like everybody likes ice cream. But you don't like it when someone is stuffing it into you by the gallon. That's how it feels when Nolan Ryan is throwing balls by you."
- Reggie Jackson

"One night, I leaned out into a Ryan pitch and it was coming right at my head. Man, I was so scared that I froze. Froze! Nothing like that has ever happened to me, but I just closed my eyes and waited for the pain. Somehow, the ball missed me. When I opened my eyes, the ball had hit the backstop and bounced all the way back to the plate. I said to the umpire, 'Oh, Lord, please let me have time out.' "
- Former Kansas City Royals 1B John Mayberry

"In Houston, the fans had mixed feelings about Nolan [leaving the Astros]. Some miss him every day of their lives, and some just miss him every fifth day."
- Longtime Houston sports writer Mickey Herskowitz, reflecting on Nolan Ryan's defection from the Astros to the Rangers

"I try to tell some of these young kids not to fool around with an old mule. They'll kick you up the side of your head."
- Former Rangers coach Jackie Moore, one day after Robin Ventura charged Ryan on the mound in 1993

"My reputation for being wild works for me as far as batters are concerned, and against me as far as umpires are concerned."
- Nolan Ryan