On this day in 1981, gifted Houston Astro pitcher Nolan Ryan (1947–) threw his fifth no-hitter against the LA Dodgers, 5–0. He would pitch two more no-hitters—after age 40—before retiring in 1993.

With a fastball that blazed past batters, Ryan dominated the game with power and heart. He holds (or shares) an incredible 48 Major League Baseball records, including seven no-hitters, 5,714 strikeouts, and 12 one-hitters over 27 seasons with the Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers.

“If you haven't been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you're nobody,” said Rickey Henderson, Ryan’s 5,000th strikeout in August 1989. Ryan called that moment his “most treasured record” because it reflected both longevity and consistency.

Born in Texas, the youngest of six children, Ryan was just seven when his father gifted him his first baseball glove—a treasured gift that guided him through Little League and beyond. Drafted by the Mets in 1965, he soared to Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility.

Baseball legend Pete Rose once called Ryan “the greatest arm that ever lived.” Toronto’s Kelly Gruber added, “He’s more than a marvel. He’s the model for what we all should be.”

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