One photograph of Nolan Ryan — blood on his mouth and No. 34 Texas Rangers jersey — has become a staple of Texan walls from barbecue joints to CEO offices. The Rangers are marking that image with a May 29 giveaway of replica blood-stained Ryan jerseys, a commemoration that traces back to a single frame taken in 1990.
The image shows a 43-year-old Ryan with his tongue eclipsing his upper lip, blood streaming from two parts of his mouth and scarlet smears across his jersey. One state historian told the article the photograph helped cast Ryan as a “Texas demi-god,” and Rangers official historian John Blake said the picture is why the moment endures: “There was that photo,” Blake said.
The bloodied-lip incident occurred in 1990 when a Bo Jackson line drive struck Ryan in the face. Ryan, according to the article, waved off trainers and finished seven innings, allowing three hits. The game was not televised, the jersey was washed and returned to Ryan’s locker during the contest, and the photograph — rather than a highlight or a Hall of Fame display — cemented the moment in public memory.
The photograph’s path from Arlington Stadium into widespread circulation began with Fort Worth freelance photographer Linda Kaye. The article describes Kaye as having a close, productive relationship with Ryan: she idolized him, he respected her hustle, and her images became familiar fixtures across Texas. Kaye also captured an iconic image of the 1993 altercation with Robin Ventura; Ryan told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he likely autographed more of her pictures than those of any other photographer.
Ryan arrived in Arlington in 1989 at age 42 after a storied career that began with the New York Mets as a 19-year-old in 1966. His résumé by the late 1980s included breaking Sandy Koufax’s single-season strikeout record with 383 in 1973, a radar-logged 100.8 mph fastball in 1974, five no-hitters and 38 major-league records either set or tied by 1988. After departing the Houston Astros in free agency, Ryan signed a two-year, $3.4 million deal with the Rangers and said at the time, “I’m a diehard Texan.”
