This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum the first of seven officially licensed, limited-edition bobbleheads commemorating the seven no-hitters thrown by Nolan Ryan during his record-breaking 27-year Major League Baseball career. Each bobblehead is unique in capturing the Hall of Fame pitcher’s seven no-hitters, with the first one featuring Ryan’s first no-hitter which he threw on May 15, 1973 with the California Angels. The bobbleheads are being produced exclusively for the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum by FOCO, an official licensee and manufacturer of MLB merchandise.
Each bobblehead features Ryan in various pitching or celebratory poses on a shiny gold base stamped with the team logo. Each bobblehead also has a commemorative scoreboard backing, which includes the complete line-score and date of each no-hitter. The front of the base and back of the scoreboard also indicates which no-hitter the bobblehead represents.
Each bobblehead in the series will be individually numbered to 700 and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads are $45 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. The bobblehead commemorating the first no hitter just arrived and became available for purchase today. Fans who purchase the first no hitter will have access to the other six bobbleheads prior to their release throughout 2021.
Ryan, a hard-throwing right-hander who began his career with the New York Mets, recorded his first four no-hitters in a three-year span as a member the California Angels. In 1973, Ryan blanked the Kansas City Royals, 3-0, on May 15, and he duplicated the feat two months later in a 6-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on July 15. Ryan blanked the Minnesota Twins, 4-0, on September 28, 1974, and the Baltimore Orioles, 1-0, on June 1, 1975. In his second season as a member of the Houston Astros, Ryan threw his fifth no-hitter in a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 26, 1981. That no-hitter broke Sandy Koufax’s record as Ryan became just the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter in each league.
Ryan padded his no-hit record as a member of the Texas Rangers. As a 43-year-old, he blanked the Oakland Athletics, 5-0, on June 11, 1990. As a 44-year-old, he shut down the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-0, on May 1, 1991. Ryan’s seven no-hitters – three more than any other pitcher – spanned three decades. In those seven games, Ryan recorded 94 strikeouts, including 17 vs. the Tigers in 1973. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 with 98.79 percent of the vote, Ryan’s 5,714 strikeouts are an MLB record. An eight-time All-Star, Ryan won 324 games and finished with a 3.19 ERA in his career.
Ryan was born in Refugio, Texas, and was the youngest of six children. When Nolan was six weeks old, the family moved to Alvin, Texas. Growing up, Ryan enjoyed throwing objects at any target, which led his father to encourage him to play baseball. He joined Alvin Little League Baseball at the age of nine and made the all-star team when he was 11 and 12. After graduating from Alvin High School, Ryan was drafted by the New York Mets in the 10th round of the 1965 Major League Baseball draft, with the 295th overall pick. After his illustrious baseball career, Ryan served as President and CEO of the Rangers from 2008 to 2013 and as a Special Assistant for the Houston Astros from 2014 to 2019. He is also the principal owner of Ryan Sanders Sports and Entertainment, which is the ownership group for the Round Rock Express among other businesses.
“Nolan Ryan was one of the most feared pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Nolan’s seven no-hitters and 5,714 strikeouts are records may never be topped and we are excited to commemorate the legendary no-hitters with bobbleheads that will become cherished collectibles for generations of baseball fans.”