The 1992 Upper Deck baseball card #387 features one of the greatest pitchers of all time, Nolan Ryan. By 1992, Ryan was in his 26th and final major league season at age 45. His illustrious career was coming to a close but he was still regarded as one of baseball’s most intimidating hurlers. Upper Deck captured Ryan in this card during the final year of his Hall of Fame MLB tenure.
At the time the 1992 Upper Deck set was released, Ryan was in his second season pitching for the Texas Rangers after 19 seasons with the Mets, Angels, and Astros. He had tossed his record 7th no-hitter the previous season in 1991 at age 44, cementing his legacy as the king of no-nos. Upper Deck #387 highlights Ryan’s incredible longevity and durability on the mound as he entered the home stretch of a career that spanned four different decades of MLB action.
The card art features a portrait of Ryan in his Rangers uniform, his familiar #34 prominently displayed. He is shown in a three-quarter view, his intense stare fixed straight ahead with his typical fierce, determined expression. His wrinkles and weathered face conveyed the wear and tear of a man who had logged nearly 5,800 innings as a big league hurler over 26 seasons. Several strands of Ryan’s slicked-back gray-blond hair spill out from under his Rangers cap. The artwork conveyed the grit and resilience of a true pitching warrior who just refused to give in to Father Time.
Turning the card over, the back details Ryan’s remarkable statistics and milestones up to that point in 1992. It notes he was in his 26th season and was the active career leader in strikeouts by over 1,500. He had amassed 5,373 strikeouts, holds the record for no-hitters with seven, and was closing in on 325 career victories. The card also provided a brief bio on Ryan’s path to stardom after being drafted by the Mets in 1965 out of junior college in Alvin, Texas. It discussed his early dominance with the Angels and memorable tenures with the Astros and Rangers later in his career.
Some other fun facts listed on the reverse of #387 include: Ryan led the American League in strikeouts an astounding seven times between 1969-1977, topped 300 K’s four times, and in 1973 fanned a record 383 batters. He also twice won the AL Cy Young Award in 1973 and in 1981 with Houston. The back of the card paid proper respect to Ryan’s incredible single-season and career strikeout totals that still stand to this day as major league records. His career feats of durability and dominance were on full display for any collector to admire in reading the stats and highlights on the reverse.
The photo and imagery chosen for 1992 Upper Deck #387 of Nolan Ryan perfectly captured where he was in his career in his late 40s winding down an unparalleled pitching tenure. But it also represented Ryan’s legendary competitive fire that had allowed him to thrive for nearly three decades in the big leagues. The card represented the magic and mystique of one of baseball’s most awe-inspiring athletes to ever take the mound. For collectors, it was a privilege to own a piece of Topps Archives history from the final season of one of the game’s eternal greats.
Despite his advancing age, Ryan showed in 1992 he was still a feared force on the bump. He made 31 starts that year and compiled a record of 8-16 with a 4.04 ERA and 211 strikeouts over 195 2/3 innings in his age 45 campaign. While his record wasn’t great, Ryan proved he still had outstanding raw stuff and enough stamina left for nearly 200 innings of work. His stuff may have declined from his heyday, but his will to compete clearly had not waned in the home stretch.
On August 22, 1992, Ryan acheived yet another milestone by recording his 5,000th career strikeout against Oakland’s Ricky Henderson. The Rangers celebrated the momentous occasion with a ceremony to honor their legendary hurler. It was fitting that Ryan would get to No. 5,000 in front of his adoring Texas fans who had rocked the ballpark with overwhelming applause and cheers for their man of few words but endless ability on the bump.
Sadly, Ryan’s storied career came to an end after one final start on September 22, 1992 against Toronto. Wearing the number 30 jersey instead of his usual 34 in honor of turning 46 later that year, he took the ball once more and was able to pitch into the sixth inning before getting lifted. He struck out eight Blue Jays in what would be the final appearance of his extraordinary pitching odyssey. Ryan hung up his cleats having cemented his status as an all-time great and one of the most prolific strikeout artists the game has ever seen.
While Ryan’s actual playing career concluded in 1992, Upper Deck #387 immortalized him as one of the true icons of the sport. The superbly crafted card captured an aging but still gritty Ryan who left it all on the field during the curtain call season of his brilliant 26-year tenure in the big leagues. It highlighted why he was so revered by teammates, opponents and fans alike for being the hardest of hard throwers who flung fastballs with sheer will and ferocity until there was nothing left in the tank. Number 387 is a must-have for any collection devoted to chronicling the illustrious career of a man who pushed pitching excellence to unprecedented heights.
