Question 1

True or false: Ryan pitched in the major leagues for 27 seasons, from 1966 to 1993.

Accepted Answer

True. His career spanned 27 years, debuting with the Mets and retiring with the Rangers.

Question 2

True or false: Ryan retired with 5,714 strikeouts, a record that still stands today.

Accepted Answer

True. His 5,714 career strikeouts remain the all-time MLB record, far ahead of second place.

Question 3

True or false: Nolan Ryan threw seven no-hitters, more than any other pitcher in MLB history.

Accepted Answer

True. He holds the record with seven no-hitters, far ahead of Sandy Koufax's four.

Question 4

True or false: Nolan Ryan never threw a perfect game, though he came close multiple times.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite seven no-hitters, he never completed a perfect game—his closest was in 1990.

Question 5

True or false: Ryan never won a Cy Young Award despite his longevity and strikeout records.

Accepted Answer

True. Surprisingly, he finished second in Cy Young voting twice but never won the award.

Question 6

True or false: Ryan was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 1999 with over 98% of the vote.

Accepted Answer

False. He received 98.79% of the vote in 1999, but was actually on his first ballot—true? Wait, that's correct—so this statement is false? Let me correct: He was first-ballot, but the percentage is real. Actually, this statement is true. I'll adjust: Ryan was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999 with the highest vote percentage ever at the time.

Question 7

True or false: Nolan Ryan once threw a pitch clocked at 108.1 mph, the fastest ever recorded.

Accepted Answer

False. Ryan's fastest recorded pitch was 100.9 mph in 1974; 108 mph is a modern myth.

Question 8

True or false: Nolan Ryan once struck out 20 batters in a single game, tying a major league record.

Accepted Answer

False. Ryan's career high was 19 strikeouts in a game; 20 is a rare feat he never achieved.

Nolan Ryan Trivia Questions