I Lit Up Nolan Ryan at the Clear Creek Ballpark

Posted by Dan Jensen

We played against Nolan Ryan in basketball for a couple of seasons.  He was a good high post man.  But, of course, the nation knows him as a Hall of Fame pitcher.  You probably don't know that I once lit him up at the Clear Creek Ballpark.  Very few do and I am happy to share the story and hope you will recognize it as one of the advantages of being a part of Carlisle' Creek.  I visit a Baylor website often and enjoy exchanging information and insults with Bear fans.  One poster is a Dulles grad and mentioned that, while playing in a junior varsity game, he once got lucky and hit a home run off Roger Clemens of Spring Woods.

Well, I remarked that I had once lit up Nolan Ryan at the Clear Creek Ballpark.  Now, it just may be that no one believed me and an internet friend that teaches in the religion department at Wayland Baptist in Plainview responded that while he trusted me, he wanted verification. I responded with the story I am about to share with you.  I am not making any of this up.  I ask you to believe me.

Some of you may remember that some of us had attended some school board meetings, seeking lights for our high school baseball field so that we could have a good teenage league at night.  They were finally installed.  Tall light standards with wonderful, wonderful lights and it was time to play ball.  But when it was time to pay the light bill, that was a different story.  We had not thought of the high price of bright lights.  I was president of the teenage league that year and my strong instructions were to turn those lights on as late as possible and off as early as possible.

We did not have an American Legion team that summer but LaMarque did and asked for permission to use our field.  Alvin did not have a summer team either so LaMarque didn't want Nolan Ryan to be bored and invited him to pitch for their team.

LaMarque came to town and Ryan began to warm up as dusk beckoned.  I was at the light pole, waiting, waiting, waiting.  Ryan was throwing harder and harder  Suddenly a shout, "Hey, turn those lights on!  Someone's gonna get killed!"  I never knew for sure who said it but I think it was the catcher.

So, I flipped the switch and lit up Nolan Ryan at the Clear Creek Ballpark.  Hey, maybe I belong in the Hall of Fame too.

Comments

[Jim Pell]

Pretty catchy title, Dan. I don't know about the Hall of Fame, but you at least deserved Humanitarian of the Year for saving that catcher's life. Great story!

[Dan Jensen]

Let me share a sad story about those lights. Summer before last I was back in League City for an aunt's birthday. I had heard that the Clear Creek Ballpark had been all spruced up with new grandstands and I wanted to take a look.

It was July 4 and a tournament was going on. The League City American Legion team was playing Texas City and I watched a bit.

I talked with one of the guys who said he was in the booster club and they were always seeking ways to improve the ballpark.

One project they wanted to do soon was to install new lights. I told him my "light story." He did not seem impressed at all, said they were not good enough.

He also was not impressed with my Nolan Ryan story. I guess not all clowns live in Dickinson.

[Hugh Taylor]

In 1965, Chuck was coaching at the "dreaded" Alvin High School. (so Dan says). He was the girls doubles tennis team coach & coached Rachel Adams & Ruth Holddrff to the 3A State Championship. Way to go. Ruth became Mrs. Nolan Ryan. Rachel is my distant cousin by marriage. This is the same year that Chuck stepped out of bed into a foot of water as we had one of our Texas showers.

Since Chuck was in Alvin & Nolan was in Alvin, there happened to be a time when Nolan wanted to strech out his arm & was looking for a "catcher". Chuck was a catcher. Let's go play catch said Nolan.

Chuck had no problem with the warm up, and Nolan was ready to bring on the heat. Chuck was somewhat amazed with how quick the ball was getting to him, but no problem. Finally Nolan wanted to throw a few curves. No problem. Just let me know when they are coming so I can be ready said Chuck. The curves were pretty good. No problem. Finally one of the curves that was headed to the glove had a little extra curve and hit Chuck on the knee. There were the high school "Harries" standing around watching so Chuck could not show a lot of emotion.

Nolan ran up and asked if Chuck was OK but what could he say? It was agreeded that practice was over. Chuck hurriedly left & drove two blocks so he could properly express his emotions. He said it hurt a lot.

[Dan Jensen]

It's good to see Hugh posting on this declining site so I will not fuss at him for not giving Chuck's last name.

Have we had any Chucks other than Trcka, Stamper and Kilgore?

Chuck Trcka was a better pitcher than catcher and I am not sure that Ryan could have caught his curve ball either.

[Terry Mathis]

My sophmore year 1965, we were playing against Nolan Ryan in his senior year at Alvin with the temperature somewhere around 34 degrees. It was late in the game and coach told me to go in and pinch hit. I had set the bench for the whole game almost, and he wants me to hit against a future hall of fame pitcher, and start a rally. The first pitch, almost parted my hair, and I layed flat on my back and the catcher says to me that Nolan really gets wild late in a game. He must have been throwing 98 mph at least. I think the catchers mit was smoking it was so hot. The next 3 pitches he threw were strikes right down the gut. As I walked back to the dugout, I looked toward the mound, and Nolan tugged at his hat and smiled, and I knew what he was thinking. Kid you have more practicing to do before you can hit off of me. I think we lost the game 1-0. I never had another opportunity to bat against Nolan Ryan.

[Pat Jensen]

Great story, Terry, although it doesn't sound like you really meant batting against Nolie again would have been an "opportunity". (:~o)

[Dan Jensen]

I'm listening to Baylor lead the rubber game against Oklahoma but want to say, that if I remember correctly, we did beat Nolan Ryan once in both his junior and senior years. Terry must have hit against him as a sophomore and can confirm if we did beat him that year even if he did not play.

A football coach handled baseball and basically pitched Ryan every district game and we caught him tired and beat him a run both times, IF I remember correctly.

I did not see him as a high school junior and senior but do recall him coming in as a reliever in a game at League City as a sophomore.

I noticed he could throw hard. I remember thinking he could be a good pitcher if he kept the ball down more. I don't guess that mattered on the high school level though.

[Terry Mathis]

We did beat Alvin at League City, with Ryan pitching later in District play. Cotton McKee had a field day against Nolan. As I remember he was one of the few that hit well against him. I don't know what we did against him when he was a junior, I was at Webster Jr. High. About him keeping the ball down, I remember several pitches that he threw against the back stop, when we played them.

[Dan Jensen]

Can you believe that old Baylor blew an 8-0 fifth inning lead today and lost? I know fellow Bear fan Ed Davis does.

Well, we had a magnificent rally of similar proportions to beat top ranked Tulane last year in the College World Series so I guess those things even out. That's baseball.

[William Earnhardt]

You're a life saver Dan!

[Dan Jensen]

I have just realized that this year is the 50th anniversary of the grand event.

[Dan Jensen]

Someone else lit up Nolan Ryan. That was Paul Hackett. He was a year behind Ryan and beat him twice as a junior, 2-0 and 2-1. Ryan was also a good basketball on a good Alvin team but never beat Clear Creek. I am sure that he did not mention Clear Creek in his Hall of Fame speech.