Ryan and run support

[cardsagain74]

Most people talk about Ryan as if he's always been considered a mythical figure, but he wasn't really the toast of the town (especially his card values) until those final years in Texas. The no-hitter in '81 caught everyone's attention. But for the rest of the '80s he was somewhat forgotten for a long time.

So for the first half of the junk wax boom, his cards weren't a key in every pre 1980 set or highly sought after. He was just another HOF level pitcher to many.

But getting that 5000th strikeout, the last two no-hitters, Robin Ventura noogies, and putting up great numbers for someone in their mid-40s changed everything, and for good reason. Plus he always had the shiny thing factor of throwing a million mph going for him.

So even though his lifetime effectiveness wasn't at the elite level that his strongest pundits believe, it's easy to understand the lore behind his legacy.