Nolan Ryan, No. 4
On June 1, 1975, California Angels right-hander Nolan Ryan threw his fourth career no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles at Anaheim Stadium — tying Sandy Koufax's all-time record. Final: Angels 1, Orioles 0.
Ryan was 28 years old and absurd. He struck out 9 in the no-hitter, walked 4, threw an estimated 130+ pitches. He'd already thrown two no-hitters in 1973 alone — the only pitcher to throw multiple no-hitters in a single season since the deadball era.
The fourth no-no tied a record that had stood for almost a decade. Most fans assumed Ryan would eventually pass Koufax — and they were right. He'd throw three more no-hitters before he was done, ending his career with seven — a record that has not been threatened since.
Ryan retired in 1993 at age 46 with 5,714 career strikeouts (still the all-time record by 839), seven no-hitters, and a wing of Cooperstown built in his name. The June 1 game in 1975 was the night he caught Sandy Koufax. By the time he was done, he was alone.
