Baseball Was Everything to Jimmie Reese : Tribute: Ryan and others share their memories on night honoring the Angels’ late strength and conditioning coach.

Nolan Ryan again stood before a cheering Anaheim Stadium crowd Wednesday night. This time, his pitch was different.

Ryan was there to honor the late Jimmie Reese, who was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame. He and Rod Carew spoke during a pregame ceremony that ended with the presentation of a bronze bust of Reese and the retiring of his No. 50.

For Ryan, who spent eight years with the Angels, it was a moment to frame. He pitched two of a record seven no-hitters in Anaheim Stadium and made a triumphant return as a member of the Texas Rangers in 1989. That all came rushing back, then was eclipsed by the evening dedicated to Reese.

“I walked on the field tonight and remembered the great times,” Ryan said during the ceremony. “I remembered my teammates and the fun we had. Then my thoughts drifted back to Jimmie Reese.”

Reese was the Angels’ strength and conditioning coach from 1972 until his death last summer. He was 92 and spent 78 seasons in professional baseball.

His locker remains in the Angel clubhouse. It contains his uniform, cleats and fungo bat. His memory remains as well.

“Jimmie always wanted to know how you were feeling, how your family was and what he could do for you,” Ryan said. “I’ve never met anyone who was thought of better than Jimmie.”

And possibly no one thought more of him than Ryan.

The two joined the Angels in 1972. Ryan as a pitcher, acquired from the New York Mets, and Reese as a coach.

Their first encounter was all business, with Reese hitting fungos while Ryan ran himself ragged chasing down the balls.

“Who is that guy?” Ryan asked on the first day of spring training. “He’s going to kill me on the first day.”

Reese would later say, “I have no idea how we became friends. I must be at least 10 years older than he is.”

The two became so close that Ryan named a son after Reese. He also gave him the baseball from his fifth no-hitter.

Ryan attended Reese’s memorial service last July, but did not speak. But his participation was considered so essential to a Jimmie Reese Night that the Angels changed the date from May 24 to accommodate Ryan.

“When they called me earlier in the year, I already had something on the calendar,” Ryan said. “The way my July was, with the All-Star game, I told them August would be the better month. I was honored that they asked me to be a part of the ceremony and were able to arrange it so I could be here.”

Ryan was the finale of a program that included a video of Reese’s baseball career, which began as bat boy for the Los Angeles Angels in 1917. Reese played with the New York Yankees in 1930-31 and was best known for being Babe Ruth’s roommate.

His years with the Angels were covered, including photos and with Ryan--both as an Angel and Ranger. Ryan left the Angels in 1979, then returned to pitch against them in 1989 and received a standing ovation from fans as he walked from the bullpen.

Yet, it was Reese whom Ryan was remembering Wednesday.

“Baseball was a true love affair with him,” Ryan said. “It was his entire life. He wanted to be a ball player. He wanted to be a coach. He wanted to be in uniform every day.

“I think we’ve lost some of that love affair for the game over the years. It would be nice to see people who play the game and who own the team have more of that attitude.”