Nolan Ryan

FISHKILL, N.Y. -- Reid Ryan is a rookie right-hander for the Hudson Valley Renegades and, of course, he knows the numbers. How could Nolan's oldest boy not know them?Still, this was different. Ryan visited Cooperstown, N.Y., for the first time last week. He sought out the exhibits commemorating his father's no-hitters (seven), his strikeouts (5,714), the whole mind-numbing numerical parade built over 27 seasons.He stared at the displays, partly in awe, fully proud."I'm used to my dad being a legend and all that, but you don't really think of what he's done until you go up there and see all the records and numbers they have," Ryan said.

— When he was about 7, Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta attended a Texas Rangers game at old Arlington Stadium to watch his idol, the ageless Nolan Ryan , pitch. Seventeen years later, Ryan is a baseball Hall-of-Famer and current president of the Rangers. And Arrieta is a promising rookie, who will attempt to beat his favorite childhood team Sunday in his first start in Texas as a major leaguer. "It is crazy. To come to a lot of games, sit in the stands and watch and be a spectator," said Arrieta, who is 2-2 with a 4.96 ERA in six starts in the majors.

NOLAN Ryan looks like Tab Hunter in "Damn Yankees."I have my wife's word on that, since she got a glimpse of him on television, pitching against the Orioles one night. Martha says she never cared much for Tab Hunter's looks (luckily for me, I guess), but she saw why other people did.Nolan Ryan is 45, almost two years older than I.I suppose I, and most American men around my age, should be inspired to see Mr. Ryan doing so well, even though his record wasn't so good this year. But I can't help thinking of Ellen Goodman's reaction to Sophia Loren at 50: "Is that what we have to live up to now?"

The sign said it all for Paul Gadke. "Harry Potter?" it read. "Who did he ever play for? He never even saw Tony or Cal play!" Gadke was playing off the fact that millions of fans waited in line for the last Potter book a week ago. The Ohio native has kept his own vigil on Cooperstown's Main Street since Wednesday afternoon. He was anticipating the moment at 6:45 this morning when the Hall of Fame will release 740 collector's edition bats commemorating the Cal Ripken Jr.-Tony Gwynn induction.

RANDOM THOUGHTS on the passing scene: Nolan Ryan's baseball career was so long that he struck out seven guys whose fathers he had also struck out. (Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonds, for example.) Why do some people use a fancy mathematical term such as "parameters" when all that they really mean is boundaries? Teresa Heinz Kerry's latest loony statement - that pro-Bush hackers could have gotten into the electronic voting machines during last year's election - gave me my first misgivings about having criticized her. She may not be playing with a full deck.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Nolan Ryan won his first game 23 years ago when he beat Larry Dierker and the Astros, and in the ensuing seasons he has won 304 more games -- including seven no-hitters -- and defeated 206 other pitchers. But he never beat Jack Morris.And he still hasn't.A duel between two pitchers with 507 major league victories between them didn't last long last night. Morris more than did his job against the Rangers, but the Twins drove the legendary Ryan from the mound by the fifth inning in Minnesota's 9-1 victory at Arlington Stadium.

The Mariners' Randy Johnson yesterday joined this list of pitchers who have struck out 300 batters in one season:AMERICAN LEAGUEYear ... Name, Team .............. SO1903 ... Rube Waddell, Phil. ..... 3021904 ... Rube Waddell, Phil. ..... 3491910 ... Walter Johnson, Was. .... 3131912 ... Walter Johnson, Was. .... 3031946 ... Bob Feller, Clev. ....... 3481965 ... Sam McDowell, Clev. ..... 3251970 ... Sam McDowell, Clev. ..... 3041971 ... Mickey Lolich, Det. ..... 3081971 ... Vida Blue, Oak. .....

Who's hot Scott Rolen of the Cardinals is hitting .414 against the Phillies since he was traded from Phila delphia to St. Louis in 2002. Who's not The Royals have lost 16 of their past 20 and have the worst road record in the majors. Line of the day Vernon Wells, Blue Jays CF AB R H RBI HR 4 2 2 5 2 He said it "I think what [Nolan Ryan] did was amazing. Obviously, I won't make it that long." Roger Clemens, Astros pitcher, after passing Steve Carlton and only trailing Nolan Ryan on all-time strikeout list On deck, Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox looks for his fourth win tonight when he faces the In dians' C.C. Sabathia.

Angels: All seven of Chuck Finley's decisions have come on the road. Finley is the 17th left-hander to reach 2,000 strikeouts. Nolan Ryan (2,416) is the only other pitcher to record that many in an Angels uniform.Athletics: Oakland's top four hitters went 2-for-17 yesterday and 5-for-54 in the series.Red Sox: Manager Jimy Williams was ejected for the first time this season and fifth in three seasons with Boston when he argued a strike call in the fourth.

Site: Memorial StadiumDates and times: Today, 7:35 p.m.; tomorrow, 1:35 p.m; Sunday, 2:35 p.m.Season series: The Orioles won 2 of 3 in Texas last weekend.Pitching matchupsTonight: Kenny Rogers (0-1, 33.75) vs. Jeff Robinson (0-1, 22.50)Tomorrow: Nolan Ryan (1-1, 5.14) vs. Jose Mesa (1-1, 3.18)Sunday: Kevin Brown (1-1, 5.06) vs. undecidedRangers updateThe Rangers are off to a slow start, but newly signed Brian Downing has been one of the hottest hitters in the major leagues since he joined the club for the second game of the series against the Orioles.

Cal Ripken Jr. heard the most important words yesterday, the ones he had tried to keep from crossing his mind for more than five years now - "Welcome to the Hall of Fame" - and he then "glossed over" the rest of the midday conversation about vote totals and percentages. To Ripken, hard-working kid from Aberdeen turned Orioles legend and baseball's all-time iron man, the only essential piece of information was that he had made it, that he would be joining the sport's immortals this summer in Cooperstown, N.Y. "Really, all I wanted to hear was, `You're in,'" he joked.

For the Record The quiz STRIKING FIGURES -- The Baseball Hall of Fame vote will be announced Tuesday. Among the candidates is pitcher Bert Blyleven, who is fifth all time in strikeouts with 3,701. Who are ahead of him? Answer below Moves Basketball NBA -- Suspended Rockets F Juwan Howard one game for his actions Tuesday against Raptors. Colleges UCLA -- Announced that RB-KR Maurice Drew will forgo senior season to make himself available for NFL draft. VIRGINIA TECH -- Announced that QB Marcus Vick will make himself available for NFL draft.

RANDOM THOUGHTS on the passing scene: Nolan Ryan's baseball career was so long that he struck out seven guys whose fathers he had also struck out. (Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonds, for example.) Why do some people use a fancy mathematical term such as "parameters" when all that they really mean is boundaries? Teresa Heinz Kerry's latest loony statement - that pro-Bush hackers could have gotten into the electronic voting machines during last year's election - gave me my first misgivings about having criticized her. She may not be playing with a full deck.

Who's hot Scott Rolen of the Cardinals is hitting .414 against the Phillies since he was traded from Phila delphia to St. Louis in 2002. Who's not The Royals have lost 16 of their past 20 and have the worst road record in the majors. Line of the day Vernon Wells, Blue Jays CF AB R H RBI HR 4 2 2 5 2 He said it "I think what [Nolan Ryan] did was amazing. Obviously, I won't make it that long." Roger Clemens, Astros pitcher, after passing Steve Carlton and only trailing Nolan Ryan on all-time strikeout list On deck, Pedro Martinez of the Red Sox looks for his fourth win tonight when he faces the In dians' C.C. Sabathia.

Linda Lay got a little help from a friend According to her sister-in-law, Linda Lay spent a week under the tutelage of a public relations expert before her teary-eyed appearance this week on NBC's Today show where she defended her husband, Kenneth Lay, Enron's former chairman. His sister Sharon told the Houston Chronicle that she enlisted the help of a friend, M.A. Shute, who had worked for the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton and represented Enron. Shute spent a week at Sharon Lay's home advising the family on how to deal with the media.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Anyone who has watched Josh Towers in any of 11 major-league starts has come away impressed by his precision. One night the rookie right-hander throws first-pitch strikes to his first 18 hitters faced. On another, like last night against the big-swinging Texas Rangers, he might intersperse only 12 balls among the first 17 batters. And still it didn't matter. Pitching in a boiler of a ballpark under the most severe meltdown conditions, Towers suffered a loss of command unique to his precocious season.

At Oriole Park at Camden Yards Day ... .. .. Time.. ..TV .. .. .. .. StartersHTonight.. .. 7:35.. ..HTS.. .. .. .. Charlie Leibrandt (9-8, 4.36) vs... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Mike Mussina (11-4, 4.45)Tomorrow night 7:05.. HTS.. .. .. .. Nolan Ryan (5-3, 4.09) vs.. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Ben McDonald (9-11, 3.38)Sunday .. .. ..1:35.. HTS .. .. .. Kevin Brown (9-9, 3.92) Avs... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Arthur Rhodes (3-2, 6.38)Monday night 7:35.. ..HTS .. .. .. Kenny Rogers (11-7, 4.80)