Watching the news just now and Nolan was speaking at Sam Houston today. He said he wanted to play for Texas A&M but Chandler told him that he should go to Community College first. Then he committed to Sam Houston but never made it because the NY Mets came a calling. The rest is history.

Did not know that tie was there...interesting

Never heard that before either. Doesn't matter if Chandler would've called - he was headed for MLB either way. Still...

That's pretty cool stuff.. I learned to pitch watching Nolan's instructional videos! Haha.

Nolan still loves us. He loves coming here and bringing 800 head of slaughtered cattle to the beef convention we hold in the late summer.

I am 36 yrs old and that is the one autograph I am still trying to land! Looks like I may have to cave and send in a donation through his Foundation. I'll give it a bit longer to see if I can figure out some other avenue to obtain it.

Have a Nolan authenticated autograph from after no hitter against Toronto!!

AgDiehard - you got to get lucky, we ran across him coming out of El Ranchito in Seguin one night, apparently has land around Gonzales and came to the "Big City" to eat. He could not have been nicer to our son. Bound to be some Ranger deal you could catch him at...

I'm gonna get him to sign one of his ribeye steaks I bought at Kroger.

I'm hoping to be lucky one day! Got lucky with Von Miller at the tu basketball game this past season! I do this more for my son now (21 mos.)

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Got lucky with Von Miller at the tu basketball game this past season!

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Might want to review your wording choice and sentence structure...






But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Got his autograph at a steakhouse in Cotulla while on a hunting trip when I was about 12 yrs old. My cousin (2 yrs older) whispers to me, "hey look behind you, is that Nolan Ryan?" The steakhouse had a general store/gift shop attached to it. I remember us buying like 30 packs of baseball cards hoping to get a Nolan Ryan. Had to settle for a coaster from the bar, but got the signature. Great childhood memory! My cousin was wearing an Indians hat and he told him he needed a new one. haha.

Nolan and his family are some of the greatest people in the world. very genuine.

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AgDiehard - you got to get lucky, we ran across him coming out of El Ranchito in Seguin one night, apparently has land around Gonzales and came to the "Big City" to eat. He could not have been nicer to our son. Bound to be some Ranger deal you could catch him at...

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Yes, he has land near Gonzales. I even remember when I was a young kid being out on the lake with my family. We saw a calf that had fallen off of a steep bank down into the river and couldn't get back up. My dad and brother finally got the calf back up on the bank, and my dad told me that was Nolan Ryan's land and calf. Unfortunately, I was very young, so I couldn't really appreciate what had just happened.

Also, when my mom worked at a title company there, he came into the office every couple of months or so.

I have a Leroy Nieman/ Nolan Ryan oil painting picture framed, worth about 12k.

Have heard that story MANY times... hey, it happens... he was pretty wild in his youth.

"Today, we showed the resolve of the United States. Today we made a statement to the world... That you can hit us, you can knock us down, but we're gonna get up. And when we do, we will find you and kick your ass!"
- Robert E Clark II, Cpt USN, Commandant of Midshipmen May 1, 2011

Lance Berkman wanted to play here as well.

at my son's 9/10 yr old baseball practice, I called a kid Nolan Ryan, the only kid who knew who he was was my son...he didn't know he was a HoF pitcher, just thought he owned the Rangers.

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Got his autograph at a steakhouse in Cotulla while on a hunting trip when I was about 12 yrs old. My cousin (2 yrs older) whispers to me, "hey look behind you, is that Nolan Ryan?" The steakhouse had a general store/gift shop attached to it. I remember us buying like 30 packs of baseball cards hoping to get a Nolan Ryan. Had to settle for a coaster from the bar, but got the signature. Great childhood memory! My cousin was wearing an Indians hat and he told him he needed a new one. haha.

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JJ's?

Nolan Ryan's brother went to my church when I was a kid and every once in a while, he'd show up for service... He was having a hell of a career with the stros' during that time... Never wanted to bother him for an autograph, but was cool just having him join us for service...

One of my pieces collected over 33 years of Aggie baseball ... autographed K by Nolan when he pitched at Olsen for the Astros

Kman (retired)

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One of my pieces collected over 33 years of Aggie baseball ... autographed K by Nolan when he pitched at Olsen for the Astros

Kman (retired)

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That might be the coolest autographed memorabilla out there.

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One of my pieces collected over 33 years of Aggie baseball ... autographed K by Nolan when he pitched at Olsen for the Astros

Kman (retired)

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Did Nolan actually pitch in that game? I was in high school, but listened to the Astros radio broadcast on KTRH. It seems to me like Charlie Kerfeld started that game for the 'Stros. I remember it being the last exhibition game of the spring and the Astros playing a bunch of marginal guys to see who would make the final roster. I think it ended 2-2 after 9.

What I remember the most is listening to Milo Hamilton talk about Olsen. It was really warm and muggy at first pitch but a strong cold front moved through fairly early in the game, and he went on and on about the wind and how frigid it was. I can't tell you how many times that happened to me in the following years, Milo. He also couldn't get enough of the student section and all of their ragging.

Yep I was there for that Astros vs Aggies game at Olsen Field. I think Nolan pitched one inning and of course Kerfield pitched as well.

A few years ago I found stories in old issues (microfilm) of The Batt that had the Cincy Reds playing at Kyle (baseball) Field. Too bad that kind of thing doesn't happen anymore.

I remember the Rangers playing at t.u. my Freshman year, 1991. Nolan was still with them, and his son Reid played for the sips. Reid got very little playing time that season and wound up transferring to TCU after it.

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Have heard that story MANY times... hey, it happens... he was pretty wild in his youth

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I remember a story that Nolan pitched a no hitter in a HS playoff game, but he had hit the first three batters of the game.

I've seen him tell the story...Chandler thought he was too small...

It happens, we even cut Boone Pickens after his freshman year here on the basketball team...

You're welcome OSU

That's pretty common Aggie Lore about Nolan. Pretty sure the same type of story is true of Drew Brees (minus the Community College comment).

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Chandler thought he was too small...

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Have you ever seen Ryan's rookie card? He was pretty small. He didn't start putting anything on his frame besides sinew until midway through his time with the Angels.

Nolan Signed the contract with the Mets after a game in Galveston... At "Bernard Davis Pony Colt stadium"...

i love the stories about people who were supposedly coming to A&M.

non-baseball related, but i was class of '97 and i remember a bunch of rumors about Mark-Paul Gosselaar aka "Zack Morris" coming to A&M......

Terry Bradshaw was another "suppose to come here" apparently he was too dumb for college.

have also heard chandler said nolan was too small.

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Yep I was there for that Astros vs Aggies game at Olsen Field. I think Nolan pitched one inning and of course Kerfield pitched as well.

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the only baseballs nolan touched that day were to autograph.

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Nolan said he wanted to play for Texas A&M.

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AMAZING the talent that passes thru Texas A&M.