The Meaning of Nolan Ryan

Who is Nolan Ryan? Might as well ask who is America. After twenty-seven major league seasons in the limelight, the man who has been called the "last true sports hero" stands as a national phenomenon–a phenomenon whose media portrayal tells America something important about itself.

Seven no-hitters. Over three hundred wins. Over fifty-five hundred strikeouts. More than fifty major league records. A Texas highway named for him. Forty-six years old at retirement, and still throwing the ball at...