Cast:
Interviews and archival footage of various individuals:
Nolan Ryan, Ruth Ryan, Reid Ryan, Pete Rose, Jeff Torborg, Ivan Rodriguez, Craig Reynolds, Joe Posnanski, Eric Nadel, John McClain, Randy Johnson, Art Howe, Tom House, Tom Grieve, Bobby Grich, Randy Galloway, Jose Cruz Sr, Roger Clemens, Rod Carew, Enos Cabell, George W. Bush, George Brett, Craig Biggio, Alan Ashby, among others. Written and Directed by Bradley Jackson.
Review:
Tonight is Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, which features a Texan's dream for those who love the great game of baseball - the Houston Astros against the Texas Rangers for the American League pennant. Obviously it could only mean that I cover this film. Also: Go Astros!
"I grew up in Houston in the '80s and '90s, and if you grow up a sports fan in Texas at the time, then it's mandatory to be a Nolan Ryan fan. His persona, his records and his mythological status are just larger than life." - Bradley Jackson
You probably already know Nolan Ryan, but a little rundown doesn't hurt: to put it mildly, Ryan was the first great Texan pitcher in Major League Baseball, which saw him throw seven no-hitters with 5,714 strikeouts that are both Major League Baseball records. He played his first five years with the New York Mets, which included a trip to the World Series in 1969 before turning his career from thrower to starting regularly with the California Angels for the 1972-1979 seasons. He then spent his final fourteen years in Texas, spending nine seasons with the Houston Astros (while becoming baseball's million-dollar contract man) before closing it out with the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1993. The film covers most of the hallmarks listed there and a couple of others, whether that involves a baseball brawl or going out at the age of 46 when his arm gave out. The man could throw balls really fast but could also throw a great curveball. Incidentally, Ryan would become a key operator of an ownership group that owns the Triple-A team Round Rock Express (which naturally is named after his nickname. Ryan is easy to remember for those familiar with sports stars from our great state, or if you happen to be familiar with the book K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches, which I've read a handful of times when it comes to the baseball fever. Roughly over two dozen people are interviewed for the film, as one figures from the cast list, which involves Ryan, members of his family, and most importantly, the teammates and batters who played with (or against) him...and folks like George W. Bush (before becoming a topic for what America was like when he was president, he had ownership stake in the Rangers, no I'm not joking). Jackson was inspired to do the film after having seen ESPN's documentary series on Michael Jordan (The Last Dance) in 2020. While Ryan wasn't too positive on the idea at first, his family was friendly to the idea, as evidenced by the producer credits.
With caveats, the film is undeniably right for the baseball season. It isn't hard to assess how good Ryan was as a player, because, well, the film shows enough clips of him in action to make anyone see how much finesse it takes to throw a ball that hard and that effectively, but one thing that isn't as easy to see coming is just the sheer talent he had beyond the no-hitters: he has both the record for strikeouts and walks, but how many people can also say they had over 30 games where they allowed just two hits? He won over 300 games, but it sure felt like if his team played jus a bit better, he would've been closer to 400 wins, that's for sure. The man is shown in his element, one who loves to raise cattle on his ranch that really thought he would be dealing with treating animals after his career ended shortly (remember that in the offseason in those years, one would work to make further money, which in this case involved him installing central air units) but instead found a lengthy career. Of course, this is a family story else, because if anyone is the biggest fan of Ryan, it is his wife Ruth above all else who understands him (their second date was a baseball game to watch Sandy Koufax, another legend of baseball, at work).
The perspectives from the players and teammates is about as interesting as you expect, which mostly involve hearing the ferocity that came from a drive to win more than anything (as helped by pitching coach Tom Morgan), whether that comes from legends such as Pete Rose (insert personal reference here) or watchers that would go on to be damn good pitchers in their own right like Roger Clemens. The funny thing is that the film lightly touches upon his playoff performances. He appeared in the playoffs four times in his career (only one of his teams in 27 seasons ever won 100 games), and he was only thought of as a bullpen man for his World Series ring in 1969 (the film covers his NLCS appearance that saw him get the win but not the two innings n the WS). Heck, his start in the 1979 playoffs, his first of seven as a starter (he went 1-2 with a number of no decisions), isn't mentioned, nor is depth spent on the three postseasons with the Astros besides a bit on the ending of his Game 5 start in 1980, when an array of hits led to a 5-2 lead in the 8th implode. Honestly, I also wanted to see the perspective of Ryan when it came to his business interests, whether that involved him serving as team president and CEO of the Texas Rangers or executive adviser for the Houston Astros (where he got to work with his son Reid). But hey, the film is really a love story, so maybe this is just a bit of a nitpick. Of course, the biggest bone I have to pick is the narration. Technically, as a buildup of a tall tale to eventually reveal a man, it makes sense, but, well, it is corny as hell and you can do without it when it comes to crafting a documentary of perspective. Call me an offbeat man, but I could almost do without covering the tale of him being confronted by Robin Ventura on the mound that resulted in a good ol' fashioned brawl (not exactly surprising Ventura declined to be interviewed). The mechanics of his pitching and just how good he was when he finally had a pitching coach is what matters, especially since one obviously can't have a clip for every great Ryan start (not just the no-hitters, which are cool anyway). That's the stuff that makes for entertainment in baseball. As a whole, this is a worthy celebration of a Texan that managed to captivate so many people when it comes to his sport of choice that is still fascinating to view in the lens of how much the game of baseball has shifted in the three decades since his retirement. The legend was more than his strikeouts, no-hitters, or intimidating presence on the mound, he was a man of integrity that loved his family as much as he loved the game that saw him be rewarded in both fields. It is the imperfect ideal for a guy like Nolan Ryan.
Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.
Next time: Back to horror - The Black Cat (1934).
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