It’s official. Nolan Ryan is no longer the CEO of the Texas Rangers.
When the 66-year old Ryan announced his decision a couple weeks ago, it wasn’t a huge surprise but the state of Texas mourned.
Many people have speculated whether or not he’ll move to Houston to work with the Astros where his son, Reid, is now President. However, Ryan says he has no intentions of doing that.
“Will I be the CEO of another major league ballclub? No, I won’t,” Ryan said at a news conference at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. “But I’m not going to sit here today and tell you that I don’t know what a year from now might bring. This might be the final chapter of my baseball career. If there was something else I did, it certainly wouldn’t be in the role I had with the Rangers.”
Ryan doesn’t have many enemies. Both Texas teams claim him as does the entire sport of baseball.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I thank Nolan for his service to the Texas Rangers since 2008, a successful era that has been most memorable to the club’s fans,” MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. “During times of significant change for the franchise, Nolan has been a constant — accessible, dedicated and an icon to his fellow Texans who love our game.”
Former Texas Governor and the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush often attended Rangers games with Ryan, and says he wished him the best.
“The Rangers will miss his presence — and I will miss sitting next to my pal at the ballpark,” Bush said in a statement sent by his office. “Laura and I wish Nolan and Ruth all the very best.”