No Nolan? No way.
We feel you, Dallas — and Fort Worth, too, where I lived and worked while the Express was running in Arlington (we see you, Arlington!).
We thought and talked, argued even, long and hard about whether Nolan Ryan deserved a spot on our Metroplex Mount Rushmore.
Round by round, we went round and round. I argued strongly in favor of Ryan’s being included and then argued just as strongly that Bob Lilly had to be on this Mount Rushmore, meaning Ryan would not be.
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So, for transparency’s sake, let’s look at how we arrived at excluding Ryan, arguably the most impactful Texas Ranger on the field and off it, with a nod to Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez in the discussion, in order to add a third Dallas Cowboy.
On the field with the Rangers, Ryan …
• Led the American League in strikeouts twice.
• Pitched his sixth and seventh no-hitters.
• Recorded his 5,000th strikeout and 300th victory.
• Drew droves of adoring fans to Arlington Stadium, which paved the way for the Ballpark in Arlington.
But Mount Rushmore isn’t all about in-game feats and fannies in seats. Beyond his work on the mound, Ryan became a phenomenon. His starts were must-see or must-listen events. He was a Texas guy (that nasal twang!) who left the Astros for the Rangers, immediately stamping it as legit a franchise that frequently appeared to be wandering in the wilderness, with the occasional stop at an oasis that oftentimes turned out to be a mirage.
So why no Nolan?
He played five remarkably memorable seasons with the Rangers, as famous for thumping nobs on Robin Ventura’s head and pitching through a bloodied lip as the no-nos. But in only three of those seasons did he have a winning record. The jaw-dropping career mark for strikeouts was built mostly as an Angel and Astro. The 300th victory that was part of his Hall of Fame resume was another mark accumulated over years and years in other uniforms (we get it, though, he is enshrined in Cooperstown wearing a Rangers cap). The Rangers never made the playoffs with him in the rotation.
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Here’s the thing about this Mount Rushmore and many of the others, too. There typically are two or three mortal locks, then a handful of candidates for the final one or two spots. On this Mount Rushmore, we agreed without question, are Roger, Dirk and Emmitt.
It was the fourth spot where the math hit: One remaining spot, two absolutely deserving athletes. The choice was hard. We even discussed that if this were a statewide Mount Rushmore, then Nolan Ryan no doubt would be on it. But it isn’t.
Bob Lilly, who starred collegiately at TCU in Fort Worth, was the Cowboys’ first draft pick in franchise history, spent his entire 14-year career with the Cowboys, helping begin to define it as “America’s Team” with its Doomsday Defense. A seven-time first-team All-Pro, he had the defining play in Dallas’ first-ever Super Bowl victory, his sack of Dolphins QB Bob Griese for a 29-yard loss.
He’s “Mr. Cowboy,” y’all! He’s on Mount Rushmore, a reflection not just of him but also the Cowboys’ overwhelming hold over Dallas-Fort Worth and far beyond.