Ryan’s Only NL No-Hitter Summed Up by Final Out

Nolan Ryan has since departed Houston, but at least one prominent member of the Astros will cherish what Ryan left behind--the memories of the pitcher’s only National League no-hitter, a 5-0 victory over the Dodgers on Sept. 26, 1981.

“I only caught one ground ball that day, but it was the last one,” recalled Art Howe, the Houston manager who was the Astros’ third baseman then. “I remember Dusty Baker coming to the plate and he was a pull hitter and I knew, if there was going to be a ground ball, I was going to get it.

“I decided that whatever happened, I would get squarely in front of the ball, so if I booted it, there would be no question that it was an error,” Howe said. “Then when I caught the ball, I wanted to get rid of it as fast as I could. It was like a hot potato.”

He made the throw to first base, and the final out was recorded.

“I’ve never heard it so loud,” said Mike Scioscia, who was catching. “The Astrodome was so loud, it was shaking. I couldn’t even hear myself think.”

Scioscia, who watched Houston fielders catch four hard line drives to right field in the Astros’ 5-4 victory Tuesday, said those plays reminded him of that 1981 day.

“In my last at-bat against Nolan, I remember hitting the ball to right-center field, and I thought, ‘This is it, it’s in the gap.’ ” Scioscia recalled. “But no, it was caught. And I never got another chance.”

Those who were involved in that game agree that not much about Ryan has changed.

“He still grunts when he pitches,” Astro reliever Dave Smith said, “which I could never figure out because usually when you grunt, that means you’re overthrowing.”

Said Howe: “And you still know, if that curveball is working in the first inning and he doesn’t throw it in the dirt, he has a chance at a no-hitter.”