Nolan Ryan documentary to hit U.S. cinemas on May 24

Nolan Ryan’s career as a baseball pitcher has been immortalized in a documentary, coming out next Tuesday, May 24, in 850 U.S. cinemas. Facing Nolan details his career in baseball, starting from his debut to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Nolan Ryan is one of the best pitchers of all time. He first debuted in the MLB for the New York Mets on September 11, 1966. He garnered eight All-Star titles, world series champion, twice NL ERA leader, and eleven strikeout leader. He was also named to the MLB All-Century Team.

The Ryan Express, as they call him, appeared in 807 games throughout his career. He managed to keep his ERA to 3.19 with 5386.0 IP. He struck out 5714 players with a record of WHIP of 1.25. He won 324 games and lost 292. He is known for consistently pitching a fastball of high velocity reaching above 100 mph and throwing fast 12-6 curveballs.

Besides the New York Mets, he also played for the California Angels and Houston Astros while active. He made his last appearance on September 22, 1993, for the Texas Rangers.

His No. 30 jersey in the Los Angeles Angels and his No. 34 in the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers have all been put in retirement. He was included in the Angels, Astros, and Rangers Hall of Fame in 1999 for his achievements. He was also voted and inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

He later became the CEO of the Rangers after retiring in 1993. He also served as the executive advisor to the Astros.

Besides his achievements, the movie also tells the story of Ryan’s 27 years in Major League Baseball and how close he was to quitting far earlier if not for his wife, Ruth Ryan. He actually intended to stop his career at 22, when he and his team Miracle Mets got into the National League in 1969.

“Without Ruth … he might not have pitched for 27 years,” said Bradley Jackson, director of the documentary.

The movie will be released next Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in U.S. cinemas. It will be available to stream later this year.

More on Ryan

Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. was born in 1947 in Refugio, Texas, and is now 75 years old. He married his high school sweetheart Ruth in 1967. He has three children, two of whom followed their father’s footsteps in baseball.

Reid Ryan was the first pitcher for the TCU Horned Frogs with his brother Reiss before joining the minor league. Reid later became the president of the Houston Astros in 2013.

“I really thought that it would be more focused on on my career and what happened in my career. And I really didn’t know what to expect,” Ryan said. “I guess I really never even thought about the family aspect of it and the involvement with our children and our grandchildren. And I’m really thrilled that they did that.”

About Facing Nolan

Facing Nolan is a documentary about Nolan Ryan and his career in Major League Baseball.

“When I watch the film, I really kind of reflect back on how long 27 years is,” said Ryan. “It almost made me tired, and the commitment that I had to make to compete for that long. But I took a lot of pride in being in shape and being able to compete with people that were half my age.”

The movie is directed by Bradley Jackson (Dealt (2017)). The 105-minute-long movie is produced by The Ranch Productions.

Nolan Ryan himself is the executive producer of the movie as also Reid Ryan, David Check, Reese Ryan, Don Sanders, and Ricky Stuart II.