Product Description
How does Nolan Ryan still do it?

At 43 years old, Nolan Ryan is a marvel. He is still blowing his fastballs by hitters at an age when most pitchers have long since retired -- or have learned to depend on guile instead of power. But the Ryan express keeps chugging on, getting more unhittable, not less.

Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible tells us the secrets of Ryan's success. Drawing on Ryan's practical experience and Tom House's research expertise, it shows how the right combination of exercise and motivation can help a pitcher develop to his greatest potential.

Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible includes:

* Nolan Ryan's complete fitness program for pitchers -- including weight training, aerobic exercise, and diet -- based on the latest scientific research and his 24 years of experience as a major leaguer.
* The most up-to-date methods for preventing arm injuries by establishing proper mechanics, a conditioning base, and throwing work loads.
* A timetable for keeping a pitcher in top shape year-round, including specific exercise intervals to meet the individual strength demands of each pitcher's throwing motion, maximum velocity, and maximum weekly number of pitches.
* An in-depth presentation of Ryan's pitching strategy -- how he prepares himself mentally for a game, an analysis of his pitch selection for different types of hitters, and how he applies his training regimen to improving his effectiveness on the mound.

Illustrated with black-and-white photos of Ryan in action, along with photos and line drawings of the recommended exercises, Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible is the ultimate book on pitching, by the ultimate pitcher. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Worth the extremely low price.
If thise book cost 10+$ I would say it would be a borderline buy.This has good information regarding the mental game, and also helps to make people realize how important the physical part of the game is.He helps you understand how important staying in shape is and keeping your muscles working so they don't tire out mid season.He has very good info regarding the Jobe work out, and has good workouts, but with semi outdated technology.Love the book and am buying 2 other more in depth mental books.This book is very good for any age/level of baseball and helps people to understand you can go on talent alone, but it only gets you so far.

Nolan Ryan's Pitcher Bible
I bought the book for my 14 year old son.He is a baseball pitcher and he thinks the books is great. He has already ready read it from cover to cover and picked up pitching tips.

Pitcher's Bible
This book is great...whether you're just starting to pitch or have been pitching for years, the information in this book is some of the most useful I've read.

Not much on pitching!!!!!
Well this was a severe disappointment.I was expecting some insight on his mechanics, going into grave detail... The information on pitching form was extremely generic and repetitive.There is absolutely no unique insight that you couldn't get from using an internet search engine.It all comes down to this: keep your weight back during the leg kick (don't move forward), and then have a controlled fall towards the plate.Thats about it.Chapter 1 was fluff about his career and Ryan's various coaches, chapter 2 was mostly fluff about mental attitude, and chapter 3 was the only instruction on how to properly throw the baseball.

The rest of the chapters were just an "introduction to weight lifting and stretching".Chapter after chapter of what weights to lift, and how to lift them.Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad weight training information... but there are far better weight training books out there and the excercises are not really unique to baseball or pitching.Generic normal excercises, like the ones you'd find in any weight training book (there are only so many ways you can lift a dumbell).

I was looking to the book for some deeper insight into mechanics, and maybe some more illustration of ryans form.I wanted to dissect his delivery, and see how his pitching style differed from my own.The book did not deliver.

To those other reviews that claim conditioning is the reason ryan was so successful... I'd say you are partially right.Conditioning is important. Its also very basic.I don't need a book telling me how to do squats or shoulder presses.The act of throwing the baseball, on the other hand, is extremely complicated.This is where you need the most information...

This is not an "ultimate guide" to anything.I wouldn't even reccomend this book to a novice since its so incredibly vague that the information probably wouldn't be clear to them.There are several superior *free* resources on the internet that can be found using your favorite search engine.Some come equipped with free videos and all.

Bottom line: this book was a waste of time

Good Tips and Easy to implement
So far I has seen improvement from 3 of my players.
Book was simple to follow and so far I have been able to use it as a guide with my pitchers.
Next step is to see if the results last all season. ... Read more

Product Description
Two famous "practitioners of the hitting and pitching arts share their knowledge and experiences." ... Read more

Product Description
Sports Illustrated calls him a living legend--the miracle man of baseball with an incredible forty-eight major league pitching records. Nolan Ryan talks about professional athletes, his image, and family in this candid memoir. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Nolan Ryan Fans Classic
I feel this book is a must for every kid and adult who watched Nolan play. I am a current minor league player of nearly six years and I haven't seen any one player with the impact Nolan had on the game and his fans. Nolan is the all time greatest baseball player in my eyes and I recommend this book to all! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Miracle Man: Nolan Ryan, The Autobiography
I am still reading this book. I'm just impressed to get a super sports star's thinking on the way of life.
He insisted on the importantance of moral in the society. ... Read more

Product Description
In this up-close narrative, Ruth Ryan talks about life with her husband, baseball's most famous living legend, Nolan Ryan. Written at the culmination of Ryan's 27-season career, Ruth shares behind-the-scenes stories and candidly writes about their love, faith and commitment to each other. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Baseball Wives Persective
As a baseball wife myself, Ruth Ryan's story was a touching and humorous look at the life we lead. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone woman whose heart belongs to a "boy of summer." ... Read more

Product Description
Over 40, Nolan Ryan still strikes fear in the hitter who challenges his strike-out record. His story is as big as his sports performance: a Texas kid who pitched his way to fame and fortune in both leagues. Sure to be a hit with baseball fans. HC: Doubleday. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

THE QUALITY OF A NOVEL; NEW YORK TIMES
This story of a talented pitcher's rise to stardom contains plenty of charm at its beginning. From throwing rocks at water moccasins in Mustang Bayou to lying ''in bed on those hot summer nights listening to [ baseballon ] the radio,'' the young Nolan Ryan was part of the natural world ofAlvin, Tex., his hometown, with its simple pleasures and clear truths.Traded from the Mets to the California Angels in 1971 while stillrelatively unknown, Mr. Ryan has since become a legend with a lightningfastball that has struck out over 4,500 batters, more than any otherpitcher in history. With the Houston Astros last year, at the age of 40, hehad the most strikeouts and enjoyed the lowest earned run average in themajor leagues. But his success dissolves his charm as his accountdegenerates into a list of record-breaking statistics. Further, he is tooeager to blame his teammates for his unimpressive lifetime record ofvictories and defeats, glossing over the fact that in eight of 21 years inthe majors he walked more batters than anyone else in his league. Passagesby people such as Whitey Herzog, Tom Seaver and Reggie Jackson occasionallygive ''Throwing Heat'' the narrative quality of a novel. The co-author,Harvey Frommer, who wrote ''New York City Baseball,'' deserves credit forretaining Mr. Ryan's country boy style and self-absorbed perspective,allowing us to see both the pitcher and the person.

HOME RUN -----entertainment weekly
* Throwing Heat: The Autobiography of Nolan Ryan Nolan Ryan and Harvey Frommer -- A home run by the greatest strikeout artist ever ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

One of the most incredible athletes in the history of the game
The incredible thing about Nolan Ryan is not his longevity in pitching for 27 seasons. What is truly astounding is the fact that he never resorted to being a junk pitcher in the later years. Even at the age of 44, he was throwing fastballs in the high nineties. I also remember when he first came up with the Mets and once owned a copy of the Mets rookie stars baseball card where he appeared with Jerry Koosman.
This book chronicles the baseball life of one of the best athletes to ever throw a baseball, in my opinion, the only two pitchers who could possibly be compared to him in terms of durability and quality are Cy Young and Leroy Paige. The opposing batters were still muttering about the quality of his fastball when he was over forty, and you read many of their quotes in this book. He is an amazing man, and I vividly remember watching him pitch in televised games. One in particular was a near no-hitter that was broken up in the late innings by Reggie Jackson. Even through the blurring effect of the television camera, you could see the defeatist body language of the batters as they stood at the plate.
This is one of those baseball books that you buy and then take off the shelf and reread every few years just to admire his greatness.

A Scrapbook Autobiography
This short (122pages) book commemorates Nolan Ryan's induction into theBaseball Hall of Fame by telling the story of his rise to baseball's elitebeginning with his boyhood in Alvin, Texas, and ending with his remarks atthe induction ceremony many years later.

This really is similar to afamily scrapbook.It includes family photographs, interesting stories, andinformation you may not have run across before.Newspaper excerpts andcomments celebrate each of Ryan's seven no hitters and the game in which heset the all time strike out record.Also included is a section in whichRyan's contemporaries comment on their favorite memories of the hall offamer.The list of contributors in this section is extensive and includessuch fellow Hall of Fame inductees as Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, FrankRobinson, and Henry Aaron.

I found the two best features of the book tobe the great pictures and the question and answer session which covers avariety of topics.Among the things the reader will learn are who Ryan'sheroes are, what his greatest thrill was, how he wants to be remembered,and what advice he has for those who are running the game today.

If youare a general baseball fan looking for an in-depth autobiography of thisgreat pitcher, you will probably be disappointed.On the other hand if youare a collector of Nolan Ryan memorabilia or just a fan of the man himself,this is a must have book. ... Read more

Product Description
A portrait of ageless, record-breaking pitcher Nolan Ryan chronicles his life, his dedication to the sport of baseball, and his amazing achievements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

toms review
I just finished reading a biography on Nolan Ryan. This book is really good because they stay focused on Nolan not anyone else. This book is definitely a book to read if you like Nolan Ryan.
Nolan Ryan is a great pitcher he set many records including strike out king. He was the 20th player in history to win 300 games in his career. Another record he held was 383 strikeouts in a season, 18 strikeouts in one game. All these are included in the book. This book would attract people in middle school probably. The book also talks about Nolan's kids, Wendy, Reid and Reese. The book was a well-written biography about Nolan Ryan.
... Read more

Product Description
Nolan Ryan: From Alvin to Cooperstown is a collection of articles and rare photographs from the archives of The Sporting News. With Ryan's 1999 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, this book is the first to capture his entire career in pictures with the New York Mets ('66-'70), California Angels ('71-'79), Houston Astros ('80-'88), and Texas Rangers ('89-'93). Baseball's all-time strikeout leader and the author of seven no-hitters, Nolan Ryan is in many ways the most remarkable pitcher to ever play the game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Baseball's most over-rated player ?
This book celebrates Ryan, but look at these numbers:

A terrible batter: .134 slugging avg., awful fielder .895 fielding percentage. Led the league in hit batsmen 6 times, and has the worst career total ever. Led the league in losses once, only once in the top 3 in wins. Allowed the most walks 8 times, career total worst overall. Never led the league in Games Started. Pitched in only 1 World Series game. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of Nolan Ryan, the pitcher for the Texas Rangers who is the all-time leader in no-hitters and strikeouts. ... Read more

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A biography of the pitcher for the Texas Rangers who holds the career record for most strikeouts and no-hit games. ... Read more

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An award-winning journalist probes the war of intimidation waged by American Express CEO James D. Robinson against banker Edmond Safra, as he used the resources of an entire corporation against one man. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

He Gave Up A Lot Of Walks, But He Didn't Write "Ball Four"
Just another baseball book, and despite Ryan's undisputed greatness as a pitcher, not a particularly memorable one.Ryan comes across in these pages as an engaging and appealing personality, but the book lacks any personal stamp.To say it's definitely not "Ball Four" may be unfair, since Ryan didn't intend to write that kind of tell-all book.But Bouton set a gold standard for memorable prose by a baseball player and Ryan just doesn't have Bouton's way with words.There are, however, a few entertaining stories about pitchers, such as this one about Don Drysdale: an umpire once ran his hands through Drysdale's hair, after members of the opposing team claimed he was putting Vaseline hair tonic on the ball."When my wife does that," Drysdale told the ump, "she usually kisses me."
This book is only for hard-core baseball (and Nolan Ryan) fans. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the Texas Rangers pitcher who, after twenty-six seasons in major league baseball, has won more than 300 games, pitched seven no-hitters, and holds the record for most strikeouts. ... Read more

Product Description
"A fierce competitor and one of baseball's most intimidating figures on the pitching mound for four decades. His overpowering fastball and unparalleled longevity produced 324 victories and a host of Major League records. Lifetime bechmarks include 5,714 strikeouts and 7 no-hitters in 27 seasons pitched...a Texas legend whose widespread popularity extended far beyond his native state." This is the legend of Nolan Ryan. The book brings you a first-hand account right from the warm-up bullpen with Nolan Ryan heating up, then photographs the Texas Rangers hero in all phases of his famous windup and delivery from a fan's on-field perspective. From Spring Training to "Nolan Ryan Day" in 1993, the reader is then taken through the last year of his storied career. The Texas Rangers said "Farewell to a Legend" in 1993 and then celebrated his Hall of Fame Induction in 1999, with "Nolan Ryan Weekend." In the years between, Nolan Ryan's jersey #34 is retired by both the Houston! Astros and Texas Rangers, an honorary statue is unveiled for permanent display by the Rangers, and a major airline names a plane after him, "The Nolan Ryan Express." Mr. Ryan is shown throwing out the first pitch at the new Ballpark in Arlington and at the 1995 All-Star game in Texas. The book ends with up-close press photographs of Nolan Ryan taken at the Hall of Fame Induction in Cooperstown, New York. The reader gets a great sense of being there. The entire text of Mr. Ryan's Hall of Fame speech is included. President George W. Bush is pictured in the book at various important events with his hero*, Nolan Ryan.

*When running for Governor of Texas, George W. Bush named Nolan Ryan as the person outside his family whom he most admired. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awesome
This book is the ultimate Nolan Ryan reference book.The pictures and writing are extremely informative.If you are a Nolan Ryan fan this book is an invaluable addition to your collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fabulous pictures of the greatest pitcher of all time!!
This beautiful, oversized, coffee-table like book features hundreds of big, bright photographs of baseball superstar Nolan Ryan, from his birth to high school ball to the Major Leagues to life on the ranch.A must for any Ryan fan.Also included are short narratives following the key times in Ryan's career, pictures of rare and unique memorabilia, and a complete index of stats and records held by Ryan.A well-made book to treasure for a lifetime. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the pitcher for the Texas Rangers who holds the record for strikeouts and no-hit games. ... Read more