This day in history - September 26, 1981: Nolan Ryan pitches his fifth no-hitter

By Richard K. Barry

On this day in 1981, Nolan Ryan pitched his fifth no-hitter, which set a record at the time. He would go on to throw two more before he was done. This one, in 1981, was for the Houston Astros. He had four for the California Angels (two in '73, one in '74 and another in '75); and two for the Texas Rangers ('90 and '91). To put things in perspective, Ryan's seven is three more than any other major league pitcher.

The Major League Baseball playoff season will soon be upon us. It is a glorious time of year. I know a lot of people who don't really follow baseball but they get very interested in the game as the weather starts to get cooler. It just feels right, like a time to hunker down with friends to maybe think about the passage of yet another season - literally and metaphorically.

The American League Division Series begins on September 30th and for the National League it's October 1st.

It's been a long time since my Toronto Blues Jays were in the post-season, but I remember sitting at a bar downtown with a friend, a friend we recently lost to cancer, as Joe Carter hit that ball just over the left field fence to beat Philadelphia in 1993 for Toronto's second series win in a row. And all hell broke loose.

Then we hit the street to party all night. It was a good time.

Yes, watching baseball when there is chill in the air feels just fine.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)