SIDELINES : Tantalizing Pitch by Ryan

DALLAS — Texas Rangers’ star Nolan Ryan, baseball’s all-time strikeout king, hinted at retirement a few months ago but now says he might pitch beyond this season, the Dallas Morning News reported today.

Dick Moss, Ryan’s agent, met with Ranger general manager Tom Grieve on Wednesday to discuss a contract extension for Ryan, the newspaper said. Ryan’s two-year contract expires after this season.

The 43-year-old Ryan “still feels pretty good,” Moss said. “This is a nice situation for Nolan. He loves it here with the Rangers. I think the club likes having him, too. Something might happen.”