European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Montana continued from Page 15 taken in the 1979 nil draft he had. After Al played at notre Dame where he alternated As the starter with Rusty such. He Wai the for to pick in the third round following three first round quarterbacks Jackie Thompson Phil Simms and Steve Fuller and he was. In fact at least the second passer on san Francisco s list. Simms himself a super bowl map with the giants in 1987. Says that coach Bill Walsh told him before the draft that san Francisco would take him if it got the Chance. So Montana went to san Francisco became a starter in his second year and a Star in his third when the 49ers went from 6-10 to 13-3. They beat the bengals 26-21 in the super bowl that year but that Victory was overshadowed by the 28-27 Victory Over Dallas America s team in the National football conference title game. It was the game in which Montana engineered his first of Many clutch drives 89 Yards in 13 plays capped by the six Yard pass to Dwight Clark who leaped High near the Back line of the end zone to catch it. Ii went on that Way. In 1984, he led the 49ers to their second super bowl Victory and earned his second most valuable player trophy passing for a record 331 Yards and setting another record by running for 59 More. Two years later he ruptured a disc in his Back trying to throw to the right while running to the left. The surgery was supposed to leave him out for the year it Cost him just those eight games. But in a playoff game against the giants a 49-3 toss that was perhaps the worst game of the Montana Era for san Francisco he was knocked cold by new York s Jim Burt and carried from the Field.  people told him. Forget it Montana said. He came Back to have one of his Best seasons in 1987, throwing for a team record 31 touchdowns in just 13 games in the strike shortened season leading the league with a 102.7 rating and setting an nil record with 22 straight completions Over two games still he was lifted in a playoff loss to Minnesota in favor of Steve Young whose Shadow hovered Over him As Montana entered the 1988 season. He started Strong throwing three third Quarter touchdown passes to rally san Francisco from a 17-7 halftime deficit to a 34-33 Victory on opening Day against new  following week he hit Jerry Rice for a 78-Yard touchdown with 42 seconds left to beat the giants 20-17. He also a keeled a 93-Yard drive in the fourth Quarter to give the 49ers a 24-21 win Over the rams. Then he had three touchdown passes in each of san Francisco s two playoff victories Over Minnesota and Chicago. But none of that matched Jan. 22 in Miami when obviously unruffled he took Over on his own 8-Yard line with three minutes left and the 49ers Down 16-13 in the super bowl. Nine passes and eight completions later he found John Taylor in the end zone from 10 Yards out with 34 seconds remaining and the 49ers were the nil s team of the decade made so by the player of the decade. Even i have to say this is the Best comeback we be Ever had Montana said. And he had a few of them. Nolanryan King of the k by Ben Walker associated press Jack Morris got More victories. Roger Clemens go More by Young awards. Ore Hershiser got More Money. But no Pitcher in the decade of the 80s got More attention than Nolan Ryan. From his record fifth no hitter in 1981 to his record 5,000th strikeout in 1989, Ryan attracted the most fans and fanned the most batters in baseball. And he did a lot better than most folks figure. Quickie quiz of the pitchers with at least 1.500 innings this decade which one had the Best earned run average Fernando Valenzuela he was second. Bob Welch Good guess but also wrong. Rick Reuschel. Jerry Reuss and Charlie Hough were contenders not champions. Nope it was of Nolan. His 3.14 Era albeit helped by All of those years in Houston was Best of All. And he did it while pitching More than 2,000 innings. Of course he lost something Over the years at age 42, his fastball is now Down to around 98 Mph. He won too. A lot More than All those people who always claimed he was no More than a strikeout Pitcher. Ryan was 122-104 during the decade for a Fine .540 winning percentage. Morris 162 victories with a 3.67 Era were the most in the decade but he had the luxury of playing for the team with the second Best winning percentage in the period. He also was in the american league where pitchers get More decisions and in Morris Case Detroit usually won. Last season the tigers dipped Well below .600 and so did Morris. For strikeouts no one came close to Ryan. The All time Leader added 2,182 victims in the 1980s. Morris was a Distant second with 1,629. There never was a comparison. For All he accomplished. Ryan never won the by Young award. John Denny Pete Vuckovich Lamarr Hoyt and Many others got them in the 80s, but not Nolan. Steve Stone Steve Bedrosian and Steve Carlton each enjoyed one great year in the 1980s and was rewarded with the by Young. Ryan s Best might have been 1981, but the split strike season tainted it even despite his last no hitter sept. 26, on National television against los angelas. There was 1987, when he led the National league with a 2.76 Era and 270 strikeouts. That year he became the first Pitcher not to win the by Young after leading in both categories denied because of his misleading 8-16 record. During the decade Ryan did not pitch in the world series and he did t win any of four playoff starts. He did pitch six scoreless innings in three All Star games but those Don t count. Still when people think of pitchers in the last decade one picture is clearer than the rest the image of Nolan Ryan throwing his fastball. I m going to be a Power Pitcher until the Day i can t be and when that comes i m going to get out of baseball he said. Not that Nolan shows any signs of slowing Down at least not enough for batters to catch up to him. And not before his place in the Hall of Fame once in doubt is assured. Last season Ryan went 16-10 he has t won More games in a year since 1976. He fanned 301 batters becoming the first american league Pitcher to reach 300 since he did it in 1977. In his last Start he struck out 13 and retired the first 22 batters the longest he s Ever carried a perfect game. This year surpassed All my expectations Ryan said. So did this decade for him and his followers. In 1980, when Ryan left the California Angels and returned Home to Texas As a free agent with the astros people wondered How much longer a 33-year-old fast Baller could pitch. That season while the astros won their first no West title Ryan was just 11 10, reinforcing the notion that he was merely a .500 Pitcher no matter How Good his team was. Ryan Thour was in the midst of six Nolan Ryan and hit Iron Arm ruled the Oheher t Mound in the 80a. Straight winning seasons. All the while his walks the Poison in his quest for perfection kept decreasing and his strikeout ratio kept increasing. After he went 12-1 1 in 1988, the astros weren t interested in keeping him. And a lot of people did t think the rangers were that smart for guaranteeing $2 million for a Pitcher in his 40s. Ryan however continued to make believers. Among his victories in 1989 were two More one hitters raising his total to four this decade and 1 1 in his career. Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday december 31,1989