European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 7, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes july 1985 simple formula leaves Houston Ryan 0 strikeouts away from plateau Michael Lutz Houston a a Pitcher with a hankering to strike out major league batters would do Well to follow Nolan ryans anybody that got a strikeout Type someone who averages one strikeout per youd have to say Hes got a Chance if he stays if he pitches something like 18 to 20 years and if he gets enough Nolan Ryan has followed that formula for 19 from the september Day in 1966 when he recorded his first strikeout while pitching for the new York to his last when he increased his total to saturday against the Montreal baseballs Al time strike out King takes dead aim on it is a staggering the crowning touch in a career littered with achievements a record five nine five 300strikcout Over 150 games with 10 or More he has averaged strikeouts per nine innings through his even at age 38 and with Over innings behind the Pace is almost a strikeout an consider that Walter Johnsons record of strikeouts stood for 55 until Ryan broke it in but consider also that two other Philadelphia Steve Carlton and the recently retired Gaylord have also passed and Tom Seaver of the Chicago White sox is Only 45 Wimbledon giant killer strikes again by Hal Bock England a Call him the Kevin again prospering on the grass courts of the All England charged into the mens final of the Wimb Ledon Tennis championships destroying two time Champion Jimmy con nors two Days the eight seeded cur Ren wiped out defending Champion John Mcenroe with the same kind of straightest the twin Triump Lis gave Curren twp of the most startling consecutive upsets in recent Wimbledon he is hardly considered in the Mcenro Connors a situation he does not i prefer to play As an he when a lot is written about like its Tough to play As a its better to play a Low profile Connors bowed in 1 32 minutes minutes less than it took Curren to dispatch Mcenroe As the 27yearold totally dominated his More highly regarded on grass Ive proven i can play with said who was born in South Africa but is a naturalized citizen and now lives in id love to be among the worlds top five ranked players in a he but Ive got to Deal with it i dont think in that gifted on Allim too too but on grass on currens booming serve has served him Connors simply could not handle Curren had 17 aces against one of Tennis Best returners of he throws it Boom All in five of the nine pitchers to re Cord strikeouts arc still and Carlton is Only 92 away from when i came into this they never thought Walter Johnsons record would fall and its fallen by a considerable Ryan they didst think babe ruths record would fall and it so in sure that if i end up the All time strikeout someone will come along and break the consensus is that Dwight the new York mets 20yearold Sensa is the likeliest candidate to someday eclipse Carlton and but that where ryans formula comes into even at a Pace of 250 strikeouts a Gooden pass the Mark be fore the end of the there Are so Many factors involved in accomplishing numbers of this magnitude its hard to make a Ryan you cant talk about because they have to agreed Tim my who caught batted against Ryan and now watches Gooden As a broadcaster for the look How Long it took Ryan and Carl Mccarver you need natural but there Are just too Many things that can happen on the Road to striking out were just in one of those cycles where people Are pitching said who pitched for the California Angels for eight years before signing with the hous ton astros in i think its from the fact that we Are benefiting from increased knowledge in nutrition and athletes Are More advanced today than they were 20 years ago when i came into the even though he still routinely throws a 98 Mph those modern athletes Are no easier to strike he i struck out a lot More people in the 70s than i have in the he i faced probably As Many Hall of Farmers or future Hall of Farmers in the period Ive pitched As any Pitcher that pitched in the big Mccarver and another player from his Philadelphia Phillies pitching coach Claude look on Ryan and the other strikeout leaders As the first of a new generation of there coming out of College with More than two Osteen said of the modern in addition to a Slider and refined they also have trick unorthodox pitches Good split Finger fastballs and a variety of of Speed pitch it want until Ryan and Carlton mastered a variety of pitches that each began the trek towards Mccarver Carlton didst develop the Slider until about the time Ryan developed the ability to get the breaking Ball you could always get up to the fastball when he get things that where the strikeouts came a photo Nolan Ryan overcame the is a photo Wimbledon finalist Kevin Curren its better to play Low Low profile the Connors when Hes Hes when Hes holding the he controls the its Tough to coun two years in this same grass courts Curren had eliminated con then the defending in Wimbledon fourth 76 with 33 he was 16 Short Connors said Connors had won their last two matches neither of them on grass and held a 42 Overall Edge before fridays but this one went All currens before they could Start their Curren and Connors waited through a 90 minute rain delay As a violent Thunder storm drenched officials had been warned of the weather and had the famed Centre court covered when it so although water had cascaded Down in sheets on the the grass courts were Bone dry for the i knew the air would be very heavy and it would be very humid because of the Curren i let him it helped me on his gave me time to play Curren took charge breaking Connors in the second game and again in the sixth game of the open ing which he captured in just 32 the second game of the second set went 8v4 minutes As Connors avoided another service it was just a temporary As Curren broke in the fourth and sixth games to take the set in the third Connors dropped five straight games before finally hanging on to his serve in the sixth then cur Ren finished him off and became the Low est seed to reach Wimbledon finals since 9 Ken Rosewall of Australia did it in
