MLB Cooperstown Collection 1998 Series Nolan Ryan No. 28108 Kenner NRFB

Many a batter has had his bat reduced to a twig by the great Nolan Ryan! Some say he invented the RYAN "fastball" - one of which clocked in at 100.8 mph - but a continuous line of opposing team members walking away from the batter's box in a daze was as much his trademark as his infamous speed.

Ryan developed his speed and agility throwing balls against the barns around his family's cattle ranch in Texas. Selected by the New York Mets™ in the eighth round of the 1965 free-agent draft, the 18 year-old Ryan spent two seasons in the minors, then went to the majors in 1968, where he struck out 133 batters in 134 innings in his rookie season. The list of strikeout victims - and his record book - was just beginning to form.

In 1970, Ryan was traded to the California Angels™ in what was to be the worst trade in Mets'T™ history - and the best thing to happen to Ryan. There he developed a curve and change-up that complemented his power-packed fastball, dubbed "the Ryan Express." Needing a change of scenery by 1980, Ryan went to the Houston Astros™ and signed baseball's first $1 million contract. His stats continued to rewrite the record books. Then, in 1989, when it seemed as if there were no more records to break, the 42-year-old Ryan signed with the Texas Rangers™ and proceeded to break his own records.

Ryan finally called it quits in 1993, ending the longest pitching career in MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL™. His legacy is matchless, while the smoke of his fastball remains pressed between the pages of time.

Poseable for dynamic action poses! - Figure features authentically styled team uniform and equipment. - Contains: Figure and outfit - Ages 4 to 104. - Kenner 1998

The box has heavy wear and damage in the form of scuffed corners, bent and buckled edges, busted plastic, and tearing. Please zoom in on the photos to get the most accurate representation of the item.