He’s Never Been One to Stand on Ceremony

Nolan Ryan, who has not participated in a Hall of Fame induction ceremony since 1999, when he was inducted in front of a record crowd of 50,000 in Cooperstown, N.Y., apparently plans to keep his no-show streak alive.

Ryan is among seven Hall of Famers who have declined invitations to the July 31 ceremony, which will induct Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg as the Class of 2005, according to Brad Horn, the Hall of Fame’s director of public relations.

The others are Hank Aaron, Luis Aparicio, Al Lopez, Joe Morgan, Frank Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski.

“We send out formal invitations each year for Hall of Fame weekend,” Horn told Dean Russin of the Daily Star in Oneonta, N.Y. “Some guys are obviously very busy with individual commitments.”

Still, 53 of the 60 living Hall of Famers were expected to return next weekend, topping the record of 50 set last year.

Trivia time: Since the New York Mets first took the field in 1962, 59 no-hitters have been thrown by National League teams -- but none by a Met pitcher. Fifteen teams have come into existence or moved to their current location since 1961. Which of these has the most no-hitters and which, like the Mets, have none?

Pat hand: One of the celebrities favored by Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel is Chris Moneymaker, who weaned himself on Internet poker before winning the 2003 World Series of Poker.

“If I was Chris Smith, you would have never heard of me,” Moneymaker said. “TV loved my name and ran with it. I became part of the poker explosion.”

Wrote Green: “He became the poster guy for Texas hold ‘em poker, the fast-moving game anyone could win -- if they are both lucky and skillful.”

Can public fascination with the game go on indefinitely?

Said Moneymaker: “My biggest fans are teenagers or younger. I meet so many 11- and 12-year-olds that want to hang out with me. Whether that’s good or bad, it’s a fact. The game is here to stay.”

Looking back: On this date in 1983, George Brett’s ninth-inning home run that put the Kansas City Royals ahead of the host New York Yankees was disallowed when umpires ruled the third baseman used too much pine tar on his bat. American League President Lee McPhail eventually overruled the decision; the game resumed on Aug. 18, when the Royals won, 4-3.

Trivia answer: The Houston Colt .45s/Astros, who came into existence in 1962, lead the way with 10 no-hitters, while pitchers for the San Diego Padres (1969), Colorado Rockies (1993) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998) have yet to record one.

More Amazin’s: Pitchers who left the Mets and then threw no-hitters: Tom Seaver, Mike Scott, Dwight Gooden, David Cone, Hideo Nomo, A.J. Burnett and Nolan Ryan (seven times).

Pitchers who had no-hitters before they joined the Mets but not while with the team: John Candelaria, Bret Saberhagen, Kenny Rogers and Al Leiter.

And finally: When asked why there are no women in the Tour de France, syndicated columnist Norman Chad wrote, “None of the Tour-sanctioned bicycles has a girls’ bar.”