Released in theaters in the U.S. in May, then on VOD since July 19, 2022, ‘Facing Nolan’ traces the career of Nolan Ryan. Through this documentary, director Bradley Jackson tells the story of the greatest pitcher in MLB history.
Nolan Ryan: The young Texan with an iron arm!
From a young age, Nolan Ryan impressed with the strength of his arm, making him an outstanding pitcher among those playing in ‘Little League’. A reputation that followed him throughout his immense career.
The legend goes that Nolan Ryan gained this strength by delivering around 1,500 newspapers every morning.
In ‘Facing Nolan’, the man himself wants to dispel this rumor.
‘That’s false, because when I delivered the newspapers I was driving and had to throw them with my left hand (he was a right-handed pitcher, ed.).’
Nolan Ryan
‘Facing Nolan’ is packed with anecdotes about Nolan Ryan, including the day he threw a ball at an opposing batter, shattering his helmet.
‘Everyone said Nolan could throw at 100 mph. That was false, he could throw at 107 mph.’ The journalist asks if it’s true, and Jerry Grote responds: ‘I was there to catch, well, I tried.’
Jerry Grote, former New York Mets catcher 1966-1976
It also talks about his meeting with his wife Ruth Ryan, with whom he still lives. He met his wife in Alvin, a small town in Texas.
As a teenager, after a successful first date, Nolan Ryan decided to take his sweetheart to see a Dodgers game to see his idol, Sandy Koufax (who will be much talked about in this documentary).
A career filled with records!
Facing Nolan
How do you make a documentary about Nolan Ryan without talking about his numerous records? In ‘Facing Nolan’, Bradley Jackson recounts, through many testimonies from actors of the time, how important the chase for records was to Nolan Ryan.
Even before joining the MLB, Red Murf, former Braves pitcher and scout for the Mets in Texas, already had his eye on Nolan Ryan.
‘He weighed around 141/145 lbs, and was about 6’1”. He had a very thin right arm, but when he threw the ball it exploded from his hand without much effort.’
Red Murf then asked Nolan Ryan’s coach not to talk to anyone about him, so as not to attract the attention of other franchises.
Bradley Jackson doesn’t dwell long on Ryan’s first season with the Mets, despite the title won in 1966. Watching ‘Facing Nolan’, you understand that the legend really began when he joined the Angels in 1971.
Mentioned earlier, Sandy Koufax was Nolan Ryan’s idol and the holder of many pitcher records. Among these feats, there are two that Nolan Ryan will set out to beat and thus forge his legend.
First, there’s the record for the most strikeouts in a season, which was 382 for Sandy Koufax. During his second season with the Angels, Nolan Ryan will erase Koufax’s record from the books and thus finish the season with 383 strikeouts.
The second record will be the number of no-hitters thrown in a career. With 4 no-hitters, Sandy Koufax was alone at the top.
That was before Nolan Ryan, who will finish his career with 7 no-hitters, including three in a span of 16 months.
‘Once I had 3, I hoped I could do that too.’
By recounting these feats with the Angels, Astros, and Rangers in ‘Facing Nolan’, you quickly understand that these records are important to Nolan Ryan, far more than a Cy Young trophy.
Nolan Ryan: A man of two faces
Perhaps the most striking thing in ‘Facing Nolan’ is Nolan Ryan’s ability to change his face when he’s with his family or his team.
You can see that family life is far more important than anything else. All his decisions during his career were made as a family.
On the other hand, you realize that the player was very competitive. Nolan Ryan himself talks about one of his specialties, intimidating opposing batters.
Journalist: ‘Did you like to scare your opponents?’
Nolan Ryan: ‘I used that to my advantage when I could.’
Journalist: ‘How?’
Nolan Ryan: ‘By throwing inside (laughs).’
The documentary shows the endearing side of the legend, without sparing the little tricks Nolan Ryan was capable of.
The end of the documentary also tells the memorable altercation between Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura.
Facing Nolan
‘Facing Nolan’: Luxury guests!
Throughout this film, a plethora of major personalities from the world of baseball come to talk about Nolan Ryan.
You can thus see Randy Johnson, Pete Rose, Jerry Grote, or even Bobby Witt, to name just a few.
The numerous archive images document in a rhythmic and quite accurate way the statements made by the main actors of this documentary.
Whether you’re a fan of the Mets, Angels, Astros, Rangers, or simply a baseball fan, this ‘Facing Nolan’ offers 1 hour and 40 minutes of pure pleasure.
Facing Nolan
So if you’re convinced, go quickly and get this film on the movie’s website.
Credits: The Free Agent: here
