Nolan Ryan's Baseball Hall of Fame ring

In 1999, Nolan Ryan was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Ryan received 98.79% of the vote — the third-highest percentage ever. Upon induction, Ryan was given this gold ring.

During his illustrious Hall of Fame career, Nolan Ryan (b. 1947) struck out more batters (5,714) than any pitcher in major league history. The native of Alvin, Texas was drafted out of Alvin High School by the New York Mets in the 12th round and made his debut with the team as a 19-year old in 1966. Ryan became the first major league player to sign a contract to earn $1 million a year when he signed a four-year, $4.5 million contract with the Houston Astros in 1979. During his 27-year career he pitched for the Mets (1966, 1968–1971), California Angels (1972–1979), Houston Astros (1980–1988), and Texas Rangers (1989–1993). Only 13 pitchers have won more games than Ryan's 324 career wins.