"I am going to spend my time today just thanking the people that played a role in my career, because I truly do believe that I was blessed by a lot of people that paths crossed mine as I went down the road in my career."

"My job is to give my team a chance to win."

"I came into the game when I broke into the major leagues, the minimum salary was seven thousand dollars, and I'd have to go home in the wintertime and get a job."

"And then when I went to stay in '68, I can honestly say that I was not focused on my career and on what it took to be a major league pitcher and to be a starting pitcher."

"Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent."

"Everyone has limits. You just have to learn what your own limits are and deal with them accordingly."

"Dick Moss, my agent. Dick became my agent in 1979 when I signed my contract with the Houston Astros."

"And I'm a believer that you take a negative and turn it into a positive, and as it turned out, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me. And so I do appreciate the Ranger staff and the Ranger organization for giving me that opportunity."

"And when I went to Houston, they had a conditioning coach by the name of Gene Coleman. And that was the first time I had gone to an organization that had a program with a weight room and designed specifically for pitchers."

"I like to refer to my years with the Angels as the foundation of my career."

"When I got traded to the California Angels, I really wasn't that excited about going to the Angels because it meant changing leagues and also a whole new set of teammates. But shortly after I got there I realized that it was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

"What man in his 40s would not like to look in the mirror and find Nolan Ryan?"

"And that's what makes this a great game, is the support and the commitment that the fans give the game."