Nolan Ryan Strikes Out His 5,000th Batter

On August 22, 1989, Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers struck out Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics to become the first pitcher in major league history to record 5,000 career strikeouts. The moment came in the fifth inning at Arlington Stadium, with Ryan sitting on 4,999 and Henderson leading off. Ryan ran the count full, then blew a 96-mile-per-hour fastball past the fastest man in baseball. Henderson swung and missed. The crowd of 42,869 erupted.

Ryan had entered the game needing six strikeouts to reach the milestone. He fanned the first five batters he faced that night, setting up the encounter with Henderson. The matchup could not have been scripted better. Henderson was the game's premier leadoff hitter, a future Hall of Famer with the quickest bat in the Oakland lineup. Ryan overpowered him with pure heat.

After the game, Henderson told The New York Times, "It was an honor to be the 5,000th. As Davey Lopes says, 'If he ain't struck you out, you ain't nobody.'" Henderson's grace about being on the wrong end of history added to the moment's charm.

Ryan finished the night with 13 strikeouts while allowing just five hits and two walks, but the Rangers lost 2-0. The defeat barely registered. The story was the milestone, and the fact that a 42-year-old man was still throwing 96 miles per hour after more than two decades in the majors.

Ryan had debuted with the New York Mets in 1966, won a World Series ring as a 22-year-old in 1969, and spent the 1970s and 1980s setting records with the California Angels and Houston Astros. By 1989, he was pitching for his home-state Rangers and showing no signs of slowing down.

He retired after the 1993 season with 5,714 strikeouts. The next pitcher on the all-time list, Randy Johnson, finished with 4,875. Ryan's record has stood for more than three decades, and the gap between first and second place suggests it will stand for many more.