Nolan did play a very long time- through his 46th birthday and 26 seasons. It appears that one reason was that he wanted to win 300 games, a milestone he achieved at age 43 in his 23rd season. Why he pitched beyond that is unclear. read more
(Carlton would reach the same mark two weeks after Ryan, and Gaylord Perry did so later that season.) In 1986, Ryan's Astros faced the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. Ryan had a shaky start in Game 2, taking the loss. read more