Lineup cards: Let’s see what’s out there.

[Scott Garner]

Here are some of my favorite game used dugout and umpire lineup cards to significant Nolan Ryan milestones. I have accumulated these through 46 years of collecting Nolan. Here you go:

1) California Angels dugout card to the last time that HOF Nolan Ryan faced HOF Hank Aaron. I lent this to the Ryan Center Museum in Alvin, TX when it opened in 1999. I had Mr. Aaron sign this dugout card for me in 1997 and Nolan signed it (for free-nice ) prior to returning it to me in about 2003. The placard that accompanied it in the museum says it all.

2) California Angels dugout card, Nolan Ryan is the starting pitcher in what ends up being 595 consecutive starts to end his career. 7/30/74 @ CAL

3) Both home and visitor umpire lineup cards from Nolan's 3,509th strikeout on 4/27/83 @ Montreal. This allowed Nolan to pass HOF Walter Johnson for the most career strikeouts in the major leagues. Nolan, of course, ended up being the all-time Strikeout King with 5,714 career K's. Expos PH Brad Mills ended up becoming Nolan's milestone strikeout

4) Texas Rangers (Home) umpire lineup card to the game played on 9/8/90 @ Texas. In this game Royals hitter Bo Jackson skipped a ball off of Nolan's mouth creating one of the most indelible images of the determination of The Ryan Express on the mound. Nolan continued to pitch instead of coming out of the game. Imagine being a hitter and facing this guy. He loved to compete!

5) Chicago White Sox dugout card to the game played on 6/11/91 @ Texas.
In this game Nolan Ryan gets his 61st and final career shutout and his 306th career win. Win # 305 was Nolan's 7th no-hitter, BTW.

6) Boston Red Sox dugout card to the game played on 7/23/91 @ Texas. In this game Nolan Ryan gets his 308th career win and amazingly HOF Goose Gossage comes in to close the game to get his 308th career save. Weird & cool! There was a baseball card created to commemorate this event.

7) Both home and away (visitor) umpire lineup cards to the famous Ryan vs. Ventura fight on 8/4/93 @ Texas. The home umpire card is signed at the bottom by both Ryan and Ventura. Robin Ventura has notoriously not signed items related to this game, making this combo pretty unusual. Also note the home plate umpire Dale Ford's notes about the fight on the back of the home white card. Cool!! NOTE: I also own the Visitor dugout card to this game, but it currently is out of pocket being signed...

8) Cleveland dugout card to Nolan's final career win #324 on 8/15/93 @ CLE.
I also own Nolan's complete uniform to this game as well as a game used ball and other artifacts from this game. Signed and inscribed by Nolan at the bottom of the dugout card