It took me a while to figure that out and to realize what a gift that I had been given. And when I finally did, I dedicated myself to be the best pitcher I possibly could be, for as long as I possibly could be.

The opposing high bidder was Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Although the Angels were a sub-. 8% of the vote (491 out of 497 possible) six votes short of a unanimous election and the second highest percentage in history behind Tom Seaver.

Ryan a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher threw pitches that were regularly recorded above 100 miles per hour (161 km/h). Other than Jackie Robinson (whose number was retired by the entire MLB) Ryan is currently the only major league baseball player to have his number retired by at least 3 different teams: the Angels Astros and Rangers.