Veteran baseball writer Tim Brown joins Adam Weinrib to discuss his new book, NOLAN: The Singular Life of an American Original, an in-depth look at the life and career of legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.
Brown explains why Ryan’s career could never happen in today’s game, how modern pitching development would have changed him forever, and why baseball may never allow another Nolan Ryan to exist again.
The conversation dives deep into Ryan’s legendary fastball, his complicated legacy, his relationship with scouts and coaches, the myth vs. marvel of his career, the unbelievable workload he carried, and the evolution of pitching from Nolan Ryan’s era to modern MLB.
Plus, Brown shares incredible stories about Rod Carew changing his batting stance just to face Ryan, Ryan’s upbringing in Alvin, Texas, the famous “myth” label from New York writers, and where Nolan Ryan ranks among the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
#NolanRyan #MLB #Baseball #TimBrown #AdamWeinrib #HallOfFame #BaseballHistory #Pitching #Mets #TexasRangers
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Video Chapters:
0:00 Why Nolan Ryan feels larger than life
1:30 Why modern baseball would never allow another Nolan Ryan
4:07 Myth vs. marvel: understanding Ryan’s legacy
6:03 How scouts almost missed Nolan Ryan entirely
9:05 Ryan’s rapid rise to the Mets
10:27 The miracle Mets and Ryan’s lone World Series
12:13 Nolan Ryan vs. modern analytics
13:09 Why Ryan’s win-loss record was misunderstood
16:24 Tim Brown’s favorite Nolan Ryan era
17:24 The craziest Nolan Ryan facts and stories
19:13 Growing up in Alvin, Texas
21:38 Rod Carew changed his stance because of Nolan Ryan
24:15 Was Nolan Ryan the hardest thrower ever?
26:15 Does Nolan Ryan belong on baseball’s Mount Rushmore?
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27 mins