ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers announced a different kind of giveaway for a game in late May -- a replica of Nolan Ryan’s infamous “bloody lip” jersey.
All fans attending the Rangers’ game on May 29 at Globe Life Field will receive a replica of the blood-stained jersey that the Hall of Fame pitcher wore when he was struck by a hard ground ball during a 1990 game, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The opponent that night will be the Kansas City Royals -- the team that was part of the drama that took place on Sept. 8, 1990.
Ryan was pitching against the Kansas City Royals at Arlington Stadium, according to Retrosheet.org. The website noted that in the second inning, Bo Jackson led off by grounding out, pitcher to first.
It was a little bit more dramatic than that. Jackson’s hard-hit one-hopper bounced off Ryan’s glove and hit him in the mouth. The ball split Ryan’s lip, but the 43-year-old picked up the ball and threw Jackson out at first.
“The ball got lost in the raindrops,” Ryan later said.
Blood streamed down Ryan’s chin and stained the front of his white Rangers home jersey.
MLB’s all-time strikeouts leader resumed pitching and worked into the eighth inning, striking out eight and allowing an earned run. He did not figure in the decision, but the Rangers won 2-1.
Ryan needed six stitches to close the split lip, but he waited until after the game to receive medical attention.
Photos showed Ryan glaring in to take a sign, with blood smeared on his jersey. The Pacific trading card company used one of the images in one of its sets from the 1990s, Sports Collectors Daily reported.
Chuck Morgan, the Rangers’ executive vice president of ballpark entertainment, promotions and production, told KXAS in a statement that fans had been asking about a giveaway with the bloody lip theme.
“This would rank pretty high (in a list of Nolan giveaways),” Morgan said in a statement. “You can go almost to any sports bar in the country and see a picture of that hanging on the wall. It’s just an iconic moment.”
Morgan has been the Rangers’ public address announcer since the 1983 season, according to MLB.com. Ryan has had some great moments during his career, but Morgan believes this might have been one of the fireballer’s signature moments -- toughness personified.
“Anytime Nolan pitched, it was an event,” Morgan said. “There was a little bit of a drizzle, but we had a big crowd (34,412). If there was a chance of Nolan getting hurt, it was always of some concern. So when that actually happened, all I could think was, ‘I hope he can stay in.’
“It’s so legendary that here’s a guy that’s this tough Texan and he goes out there and gets hit in the face and continues to pitch.”
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