Photo by Susan Armstrong, www.sarmstrongphoto.com
 

Ruth and Nolan Ryan

Pitching Philanthropy: Legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan and wife Ruth are heavy hitters when it comes to giving back to their small town

by Scott Murray

 
Nolan Ryan achieved a record of seven career no-hitters and 324 wins as a major-league baseball strikeout king. He retired from a legendary major-league baseball career with little left to accomplish.

However, it is Ryan’s life off the field that has set him apart as a man of great dignity, character, and integrity. He and Ruth, his wife of 37 years, have raised a family of three children and given back to the community in which they were both raised. It has been 10 years since Nolan retired from baseball, and he is still very involved with the game as the owner of the Round Rock Express, the Double A franchise of the Houston Astros. The team is truly a family affair. Ruth and Nolan’s oldest son, Reid, 32, serves as president and CEO; Reese, 28, is the team’s chief financial officer; and Wendy, 27, has worked in the team’s community relations department.

Nolan and Ruth created the Nolan Ryan Foundation in Alvin, Texas, in 1990. They generously give their time for signings and other fundraising efforts that enable the foundation to provide resources for youth, education, and community development. Scott Murray recently spent some time with the couple in the family-owned Express Bank, and talked about their family, their foundation, and the difference they have made in so many lives.

What a wonderful family you have. Three children, four grandchildren…your family is obviously first and foremost.

Ruth: I’m very proud of our children, but I think both of us credit our parents, who stayed married for all these years, for our Christian upbringing in a small town [Alvin, Texas]. We always went back there, even when Nolan played in New York or California.

Nolan: We feel very blessed with our children and couldn’t be happier or prouder of them. And the fact that we’re involved with them in their lives and their business ventures is very rewarding. We put our family before anything else and included the kids. I think that made them well-rounded and balanced, because they were exposed to a lot of different things, places, and people. It was a juggling act, but it was a balance that I think really paid off.

Why did you get involved in giving back?

Nolan: Probably the fact that we grew up in a small rural community where we were very happy, and both came out of strong families where there was a lot of love and we didn't realize we didn't have much. Then, my career put me in a position where we could help others. I think we were appreciative of people who helped us in our lives, and we realized that if you give somebody an opportunity to improve themselves, that can be very important and be passed on from generation to generation. We found that we were blessed to be in a position to assist other people in bettering their lives.

Ruth: We never taught or told our children to give back, it’s just something they learned...sort of like parenting, you learn by example or by observation. We are so proud of all of them as well as the Round Rock community and all the Nolan Ryan Foundation has been able to do.

How did the Nolan Ryan Foundation come about?

Nolan: When I was with the Astros, a group of people wanted to erect a bronze statue of me outside the Astrodome. I felt really uncomfortable about it. If they wanted to honor me, I thought we should develop something that would help somebody else instead of recognizing me. That process got us thinking about forming the Nolan Ryan Foundation. The first thing I wanted to do was give to Alvin. We decided we needed to build a continuing education center at the campus of Alvin Community College, so that was our first goal. Then, when we built the building and gave it to the college, we were extremely proud for what we had accomplished and we knew that for many years, a lot of people in Alvin and surrounding areas would benefit from it. I remember driving by that building one day going home and seeing the sign out there for the Nolan Ryan Center, and knowing exactly how that building happened, so there is a great sense of accomplishment from it. We took an idea and made it happen, and now many people will benefit from it.

Ruth: I get very excited when I get a letter from one of the kids who is going to college and they say they could not have done it without our help. There is now a much-needed YMCA that will be built in Alvin that will be partially built with a donation from the Foundation. I am very, very proud! And to think we grew up there, and then to have made a difference there is really, really nice.

Because of what you both stand for and all of the good you do, long after you are both gone, your legacy will certainly continue. So, how do you see your legacy?

Nolan: Well, to be honest with you, I really hadn’t thought about it. Obviously it would be for what I accomplished in baseball, but when I think of my parents and what they meant to me, I hope that I (will have) had the same impact on my children and grandchildren. And my parents, I can’t say enough for what they meant to me and for the impact they had on my life. I give them credit for the value system that they gave me, and I feel very blessed. We have always stressed the value of family values and what family means and I would like to think that will be passed on and continue with my children.

Ruth: When I think of Nolan’s legacy, I think of a man who transcends baseball, and who treats everyone else the way he expects to be treated. In other words, whether it’s the president of the United States he’s with, or the janitor at the ballpark, Nolan is the same person. I think his legacy is more his character; which is his honesty and integrity, and basic treatment of people.