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Updated as of 11/6/2023
Nowbatting19.net presents... The NOLAN RYAN Page!
On this page we are going to feature the amazing NOLAN RYAN. Blessed with an arm from the gods, Ryan went on to win over 300 games in his career, along with more than a few MLB records that may, scratch that, will NEVER be broken! But if you want to be completely blown away, (as in blown away by a Ryan fastball, or nasty 12-6 curveball), check out Nolan's career statistics, courtesy of baseballreference.com. Here is the link: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ryanno01.shtml. What we will show you on this page are classic Nolan Ryan cards from his playing career, spanning his years with the California Angels, Houston Astros, & Texas Rangers. Enjoy!
NOLAN RYAN Topps Baseball Card Gallery 1 - Mets & Angels
Here we present every one of Nolan Ryan's TOPPS baseball cards from his "Rookie" card with the Mets (1968), to his final card with the Angels (1980). Later on we will have Gallery II. which will be Topps Nolan Ryan cards from 1981-1993. Those will span his "Texas" years with both the Houston Astros & Texas Rangers. Enjoy!
Please note that for a couple of cards, I actually show the O-Pee-Chee (Canadian Topps) cards. This is because the card fronts are exactly the same. I will show some OPC cards that differ from the regular Topps cards as well.
1968 Topps 177 Mets Rookie Stars Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan ROOKIE
This is where it all started for Nolan Ryan, the New York Mets. While it is considered THE NOLAN RYAN ROOKIE CARD, you really can't ignore Mr. Jerry Koosman. Koosman was a terrific pitcher himself, winning over 222 career games. With Ryan's 324 career wins, on this card you have 546 Wins! Not to mention 8,270 Strikeouts for the duo! Then add Tom Seaver's numbers to that! If the Mets would have kept Ryan, that is what they would have had! Two 300-game winners & a 200 game winner. You could also add another good left-handed pitcher in Jon Matlack (125 career wins). And closer Tug McGraw! That could have been the best pitching staff of All-Time! Unfortunately, the Mets lacked that vision.
in 1968, there are actually 4 different Ryan rookies, and they all look alike on front! What, you say? Yes, there are four (4) Ryan rookie cards from 1968. We will look at those a bit later.
1968 Topps 177 Mets Rookie Stars (Back)
1969 Topps #535
1970 Topps #712
1971 Topps #513 Nolan Ryan
1972 Topps #595
Note the 1971 Nolan Ryan card is actually an O-Pee-Chee card. The card front is exactly the same, but the back is entirely different. The O-Pee-Chee cards are basically Topps cards printed in Canada. They have different card stock, the back text in in English & French, & usually there is "Printed in Canada" on the copyright line. O-Pee-Chee issued Ryan cards in 1968 (Rookie), 1971, 1973-1992. We will show you some different examples including card backs in a bit.
1973 Topps #220
1974 Topps #20
1975 Topps #500
1976 Topps #330
Topps issued a 1975 Topps MINI test issue that mirror the regular Topps cards, but are slightly smaller in size. So there is also another 1975 Topps MINI 500 Nolan Ryan card. We are just showing the regular Topps cards.
1977 Topps #650
1978 Topps #400
1979 Topps #115
1980 Topps #580
NOLAN RYAN - 1980 Topps vs. O-Pee-Chee
1980 Topps 580 Nolan Ryan
1980 O-Pee-Chee 303 Nolan Ryan
Let's compare the 1980 Topps & O-Pee-Chee Nolan Ryan cards. We will start at the front of the cards. At first glance you would say they are the same. Look a bit closer. While the picture is identical, the small banner that has his position ("Pitcher") in the upper left corner area is pink on the Topps card, but red on the OPC card. Also the thin banded area around the photo is pink on the Topps card, yellow on the OPC. In the larger blue banner is the team name, but note the OPC has ASTROS, though clearly Ryan is wearing an Angels uniform. One final difference on the front- On the O-Pee-Chee card to the left of the blue banner it says "NOW WITH ASTROS." This is because OPC cards were issued later than the Topps cards; hence O-Pee-Chee was able to make some changes to show Ryan's new team.
1980 Topps 580 Nolan Ryan (Back)
1980 O-Pee-Chee 303 Nolan Ryan (Back)
Now, looking at the 1980 Topps & O-Pee-Chee Nolan Ryan card backs, you will see the card stock used is different. Topps used typical grey, while the OPC card has more of a creme or off-white color. This makes the O-Pee-Chee cards easier to read (I never understood why Topps always used this grey card stock; it was probably less expensive?). The card numbers are different, Topps is 580, OPC is 303. This is because O-Pee-Chee issued smaller size sets than the Topps set in some years (1980 was one of those years). The text on the O-Pee-Chee cards in both English & French. The final difference is in the copyright area, just below the cartoon. Topps cards are "Printed in the U.S.A.," while O-Pee-Chee cards are "Printed in Canada."
So there you have it, two similar, but very different cards. Which one to collect? You can't go wrong with either one, but usually here in the states most collectors stick with the regular Topps cards. While in Canada, I would imagine they would collect OPC cards. Many advanced Nolan Ryan collectors want to collect every possible Ryan card they can. It is an impossible task, but I'm sure some are working on it nonetheless. What I like about the O-Pee-Cards is, they are scarcer than the Topps cards. Second, the O-Pee-Chee cards include trades or free agent signings that are sometimes not on the regular Topps cards. They are like variations. Third, they are easier to read! The one drawback to this is the O-Pee-Cards, especially in high grades,& especially if they are NOLAN RYAN, sell for a premium. In most cases they will sell for MORE than the Topps card in the same grade. So that could be a factor in your deciding which is for you. I still think you should get both! You don't need to get PSA GEM MINT 10, or even MINT 9 cards! I picked up a nice 1980 Topps Ryan authenticated & graded (PSA NM 7) for about $25, & it looks just as nice as the PSA 9 example shown! You can get some good deals on Ryan cards especially on eBay, though for more expensive Ryan cards, it would be wise to buy one that has already been graded by a reputable professional grading service (currently PSA, SGC, Beckett). For more on grading services, see our About Professional Grading Page
It is amazing all the things Ryan accomplished, just in his 8 seasons with the Californa Angels. Ryan led the AL in Strikeouts 7 times, including a record 383 in 1973! He also struck out 19 in a game, twice, in 1974! Ryan was clocked at 100.8 mph in the 9th inning of a game (with a primitive radar gun)., & won 138 games, including 156 COMPLETE GAMES and 40 SHUTOUTS! In 2,181.1 Innings Pitched, Nolan Ryan struck out 2,416 as an Angel! And what about the 4 No-Hitters! 5 time All-Star! But in 1980, with Ryan about to become a "free agent," Angels GM Buzzie Buvasi thought Ryan wasn't worth the money. The Angels could have tendered Nolan a new contract. But Buvasi said, to the press, that Nolan Ryan was basically a "flashy .500 pitcher." So the Angels let him go to the Houston Astros for the 1981 Season. The Angels ace pitcher & top drawing card at every stadium he pitched.! The Angels did Ryan a favor. Not only was Ryan going "home" to Texas, but his salary also quadrupled over his salary with the Angels! Buzzie later said he made a big mistake with Ryan. You think? Nolan Ryan went on to pitch another 14 years, win another 157 games, throw 3 more No-Hit Games, lead the league in K's 4 more times, lead the league in ERA twice, make 3 more All-Star Game appearances, & became the games All-Time Strikeout Leader. All the way to the Hall of Fame!
1968 Venezuela Topps 177 Mets Rookie Stars Jerry Koosman, NOLAN RYAN - The "Holy Grail" of Ryan cards!
1968 Venezuela Topps #177 Mets Rookie Stars Jerry Koosman, NOLAN RYAN ROOKIE
As mentioned earlier, there are 4 different 1968 #177 Ryan rookie cards. They are (in order from the most "common" to the rarest):
1968 TOPPS 177 Mets Rookies (regular Topps card issued here in the U.S.)
1968 Topps MILTON BRADLEY 177 Mets Rookies (scarce, issued in 1968 Milton Bradley "WIN-A-CARD" board game)
1968 O-PEE-CHEE 177 Mets Rookies (rare Canadian issue)
1968 VENEZUELA Topps 177 Mets Rookies (rarest version, issued in Venezuela by Topps)
The 1968 VENEZUELA TOPPS 177 METS ROOKIE STARS is the "HOLIEST OF HOLIES" of NOLAN RYAN cards! I think I got that term from the Bible, or something like it. Not that I read it or anything. But I like the term. The 1968 VENEZUELA TOPPS 177 METS ROOKIE STARS is the rarest of the (4) Ryan rookie cards. So very few of these exist, when one does come up for sale, it usually sells for abundantly more each time (much unlike your typical used car)! The above example is also the highest graded example by PSA, which tells you that not only is the card rare, but even rarer in high grades (none above 5.5 as of 2023!). This is because a common practice in Venezuela was to paste or glue the cards into an album or scrapbook. Most of the Venezuela cards are found in lower grades. It's just a "given." I don't know what the above example last sold for, but it would have to be in 5-figures! Ouch! Just like taking a Ryan express in your derrière! You would be hurtin' for certain!
The easiest to find Ryan rookie is obviously the regular Topps card. I say "easiest," but that doesn't mean it comes cheap either. A PSA NM (7) copy will set you back at least $3000. The Topps MILTON BRADLEY cards are much scarcer that regular Topps cards, but because they are more difficult to tell apart (even PSA has labeled many real Topps MILTON BRADLEY cards as simply (regular) TOPPS. There is not much of a premium attached as there should be! PSA has only graded 523 of the Milton Bradley Ryan Rookie cards (compare to 14,579 regular Topps!). The O-PEE-CHEE cards are even rarer & do sell for a premium. PSA has graded only 166 O-PEE-CHEE Ryan Rookies! The next in line as far as rarity is the VENEZUELA Topps Ryan rookie. PSA has graded just 33 examples (PSA Population Reports as of 3/3/2023).. Note the differences in the card backs below. You can use your fingers to enlarge pictures.
1968 Topps 177
"Common"
14,587 PSA Graded!
1968 Topps MILTON BRADLEY 177
SCARCE
523 PSA Graded!
1968 O-PEE-CHEE 177 "Printed in Canada"
RARE!
Only 166 PSA Graded!
1968 VENEZUELA Topps 177 "Hecho en Venezuela"
RAREST!
Only 33 PSA Graded!
1968 Topps Milton Bradley 177 Mets Rookie Stars Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan
(Note white showing on left edge of card; this is a tell-tell sign it is a Milton Bradley card)
The regular Topps & Topps Milton Bradley both have yellow backs, so sometimes they may be difficult to tell apart. The Milton Bradley card backs will be more of a brighter "canary" yellow than the regular Topps cards. A better way to tell is looking at the card fronts. A 1968 Topps Milton Bradley 177 Mets Rookies will often have white on the left or right edge of the card. If it shows any white on one edge, the card is most definitely a 1968 Topps Milton Bradley. This is because Topps had to create special 132-card sheets for the Milton Bradley "WIN-A-CARD" board game. The sheet was made up of select 1968 Topps Baseball (burlap borders), 1967 Topps Football (white borders), & 1965 Topps Hot Rods/Custom Car cards (also with white borders). Look at the left edge of the example pictured above. There is WHITE on the left edge of the card.. This is part of either a 1967 Topps Football or 1965 Topps Hot Rod/Custom Car card. A regular 1968 Topps card will NOT show white on the left or right edge, because it was surrounded by other 1968 Topps baseball cards, all with burlap borders. Many of the 1968 Topps Milton Bradley Football & Hot Rod cards will show parts of the brown burlap baseball cards on one edge, and that is how you tell them apart from the regular 1967 Topps Football & 1965 Topps Hot Rods/Custom Car cards. The next 2 Ryan Rookies are from different countries & are easy to spot the differences (see below).
The 1968 O-Pee-Chee baseball cards have brown color backs, easy to distinguish from the regular Topps. Also in the copyright line at bottom of card is "Printed in Canada."
The 1968 Venezuela Topps cards have an even darker yellow, kind of like Dijon mustard color. They will also say "Hecho en Venezuela" on the copyright line. The Venezuela Topps cards have no card "gloss" like on the other 3 versions. The card fronts have the same picture, but the Venezuela cards have a slightly "duller" appearance, with the colors not quite as bright as the regular Topps cards (see earlier example).
PSA Population Reports as of 3/4/2023
Watch Nolan Ryan's No-Hitter vs. LA Dodgers on 9/26/1981
1989 Upper Deck 145 Nolan Ryan
1989 Upper Deck 145 Nolan Ryan
1989 Upper Deck 145 Nolan Ryan (back)
I don't normally collect "modern" baseball cards, but this is an exception. In 1989 Upper Deck issued their very first baseball card set and it was a game-changer! Using premium photography & quality card stock, along with a counterproof hologram, the cards were the first to cost a dollar per pack. But they were worth it! Look at the photography on this 1989 Upper Deck 145 Nolan Ryan! Very cool card! The only thing missing is the sound of Ryan's grunt, & the sound of a sizzle as the ball wizzes by you! You then walk dejectedly back to the dugout, muttering to yourself . Hahahahahaha
NOLAN RYAN Topps Baseball Card Gallery II - Astros & Rangers
1981 Topps 240 Nolan Ryan
1982 Topps 90 Nolan Ryan
1983 Topps 360 Nolan Ryan
1984 Topps 470 Nolan Ryan
1973 Topps Comics Nolan Ryan - Rare Test Issue!
1973 Topps Comics Nolan Ryan (Rare Test Issue)
1975 O-Pee-Chee 500 Nolan Ryan
1975 O-Pee-Chee 500
(Back view)
As mentioned earlier, O-PEE-CHEE, or "OPC,"are basically Topps cards printed in Canada. Beginning in 1970, the OPC cards included text (in back) in both English & French. There is also a "Printed in Canada" notation. What I really like about the OPC cards is that, if properly registered, the colors/image really stand out compared to their Topps counterparts (scroll up to the TOPPS Nolan Ryan Gallery above to see a 1975 TOPPS 500 Ryan). They are also much scarcer. The 1975 O-Pee-Chee 500 Nolan Ryan pictured above, displays superior eye-appeal & bold colors. Because Ryan is (still) so popular among fans & collectors, when OPC Ryan cards come up for sale or auction, they generally sell for more than the regular Topps Ryan cards. This example (graded by Canadian Grading Service KSA) recently sold on eBay for $120. A '75 TOPPS Nolan Ryan in same grade (EX 5) would sell for about $30-$45. Well-centered copies usually sell for a bit more.
More Nolan Ryan Cards Coming Soon!
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