Daily Dirt: Wonder how Calamity Jane might have fared against the Ryan Express?

Daily Dirt for Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022

I once had a girlfriend who reminded me of Annie Oakley … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 393 of The Daily Dirt.

1. The old west is known for a lot of things … gunfights, cowboys and Indians, wagon trains, Matt Dillon and bathing like once a month, to name a few. Often overlooked were some of the colorful comments to emerge from that period of U.S. history. Here are some hell-acious examples (pun intended):

• Gold medal: “If I owned hell and Texas, I’d rent out Texas and live in hell.” — Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman.
• Silver medal: “Leave me alone and let me go to hell by my own route.” — Calamity Jane.
• Bronze medal: “Y’all can go to hell (in Tennessee). I am going to Texas.” — Davy Crockett.
• Honorable mention: “I ain’t afraid to love a man. I ain’t afraid to shoot him either.” — Annie Oakley.

2. One of the more interesting items I came across this week concerned the TV audience for last Saturday’s much-anticipated Notre Dame-at-Ohio State college football game. The contest drew 10.5 million viewers, the largest regular-season TV audience for a college football game since 2017. I’ve got a feeling that record will fall later this season, maybe a couple of times.

3. In recent days, I’ve had a lot of fun looking at Facebook responses to an item I had shared about Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. It dealt with Ryan throwing seven no-hitters but never winning a Cy Young Award, while Clemens won seven Cy Youngs but never threw a no-no.

The large majority of the comments dealt with the prodigious career and accomplishments of Ryan, while Clemens took an expected beating due to his alleged PED use.

I was always a huge fan of Ryan and decided to put together my 10 favorite accomplishments of his during an incredible Hall of Fame career. Ryan was elected to Cooperstown the first year he was eligible (1999) and by the fifth-highest percentage in history.

• Ryan’s seven no-hitters are three more than the next closest pitcher, some guy named Koufax.
• On June 11, 1990, at 43 years and 131 days old, Ryan became the oldest pitcher in AL/NL history to toss a no-hitter. Less than a year later, Ryan topped himself at the age of 44 years and 90 days, firing the seventh and final no-no of his career.
• Ryan is the only MLB pitcher to strike out more than 5,000 batters and walk more than 2,000. That translates into 38 percent of all batters he faced during his career never put the ball in play.
• In addition to his seven no-hitters, Ryan threw 12 one-hitters, tied with Bob Feller for the most since at least 1901. He also had 18 two-hitters, tied with Walter Johnson for the most in that same span.
• On June 14, 1974, Ryan threw 235 pitches in a start against the Red Sox. Ryan’s stat line from that game: 13 innings, 19 strikeouts, 10 walks, 58 batters faced, three runs allowed. 
• Ryan pitched in four decades, debuting as a 19-year-old for the Mets in 1966 and playing his last game for the Rangers as a 46-year-old in 1993. He’s the only pitcher in AL/NL history to appear in the Majors as a teenager and in his age-45 season or older.
• Ryan never led his league in wins or even finished among the top three, but he won 10 or more games 20 times, tied for the second most in history.
• Ryan made such an enormous impact during his time with the Angels, Astros and Rangers that his number — 30 with the Angels, 34 with the Astros and Rangers — is retired by all three clubs. Ryan is the only player to have his number retired by as many as three franchises.
• Ryan led his league in strikeouts 11 times. Only Walter Johnson did it more (12).
• Ryan holds the all-time record (min. 1,000 innings) for the lowest hits-per-nine-innings mark of 6.56.

Steve Thought O’ The Day
We’ve only had three weeks of high school football, but it’s going to take an amazing concession stand to beat what is offered at the home games of Central High School just outside of Camp Point. Last year my favorite stop was the concession offerings at Highland High School near Ewing, Mo.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Just ask him what he ate before Friday night’s game at Camp Point.