Most Famous Hyphenated Americans by Country – Europe

Just this past 4th of July, it dawned on me just how diverse this country actually is. Pretty much all of us are hyphenated somehow – Irish-American, Italian-American, African-American, Chinese-American …

It got me thinking … Who, would you say, is the most famous Mexican-American? Swedish-American? Liechtensteiner-American?

Well, Wikipedia makes it pretty easy to find out. There are list of famous Americans associated with pretty much every country out there.

So, all I really did was make a judgement call on who I thought was the most famous. Extra points if you’re someone who made a real contribution – i.e., a political leader or scientist, rather than an actor or athlete. I also leaned more toward people with a real connection to the homeland – whether from being born there, having parents born there, or even just having a distinctively native surname.

While I was doing this research, I couldn’t help but note some real surprises – people who you would never have guessed in a million years had any connection. I’m including those as well, just for fun.

One final note … There are a lot of countries in the world. For this post, I’m limiting it solely to Europe. Tune in later for some of the other continents. 

Okay, let’s see what we’ve got. I'll be listing them from biggest (country) to smallest.

Russia

• Most notable:  Ayn Rand, author & philosopher (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum, in St. Petersburg)
• Least likely:  Natalie Wood, actress (born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko, of Russian immigrant parents) 

Natalie, in Orthodox marriage to producer Richard Gregson

Germany

• Most notable:  Albert Einstein, physicist (immigrated at 54)
• Least likely:  Babe Ruth, baseball great (spoke German as a child)

Anti-Nazi ad

France

• Most notable:  Henry David Thoreau, author (ancestors were actually from the Isle of Jersey)
• Least likely:  Davy Crockett, pioneer (descendant of Antoine de Saussure Peronette de Crocketagne)

Davy, Davy Crockett, l'homme qui n'a jamais fui.

Italy

• Most notable:  Enrico Fermi, physicist (immigrated at 38)
• Least likely:  Jill Biden, First Lady (grandfather Domenico Giacoppo, born in Sicily, changed family name to Jacobs)

England

• Most notable:  George Washington, Revolutionary War general & 1st president
• Least likely:  Elizabeth Taylor, actress (born in London to American parents)

Coming to America

Spain

• Most notable:  St. Junipero Serra, religious figure (came to Americas at 36)
• Least likely:  Rita Hayworth, actress (born Margarita Carmen Cansino to a Spanish immigrant father; took her mother’s maiden name for her stage name)

Rita with father

Ukraine

• Most notable:  Igor Sikorsky, aviation pioneer (immigrated at 44)
• Least likely:  Bob Dylan, musician (paternal grandparents were from Odessa)

Poland

• Most notable:  Tadeusz Kosciuszko, military leader in Revolutionary War (born and buried in Poland though)
• Least likely:  Martha Stewart, business woman & TV personality (born Martha Kostyra; Stewart was her married name)

Martha’s paternal grandparents

Romania

• Most notable:  Bud Selig, baseball commissioner (father was immigrant)
• Least likely:  John DeLorean, automobile executive (father was immigrant)

Netherlands

• Most notable:  FDR, longest-serving president
• Least likely:  Col. Tom Parker, Elvis’s agent (born Andreas Cornelis Dries van Kuijk, in Breda; came to the US illegally)

Belgium

• Most notable:  Father Damien, saint (came to Hawaii at 24)
• Least likely:  Henry Ford, automotive pioneer (mother’s parents were immigrants) 

Greece

• Most notable:  Mike Dukakis, governor & presidential candidate (father was immigrant)
• Least likely:  Andrews Sisters, singers (original last name was Andreas)

Czechia

• Most notable:  Madeline Albright, diplomat (born in Prague)
• Least likely:  Sissy Spacek, actress (one of almost 200,000 Czech-Americans who live in Texas)

Sweden

• Most notable:  Charles Lindbergh, aviator (father was immigrant)
• Least likely:  Ray Bradbury, science-fiction author (mother was immigrant)

Portugal

• Most notable:  John Phillip Sousa, composer (father João António de Sousa was born in Spain to Portuguese parents)
• Least likely:  Tom Hanks, actor (mother’s family name was originally Fraga)

Can you see it now?

Hungary

• Most notable:  Joseph Pulitzer, publisher (immigrated at 17)
• Least likely:  Tommy Ramone, drummer (born Tamás Erdélyi, in Budapest)

Belarus

• Most notable:  Irving Berlin, composer (born Israel Beilin, immigrated at age 5)
• Least likely:  Ralph Lauren, fashion designer (nee Lifshitz; parents immigrated from Pinsk)

Austria

• Most notable:  Felix Frankfurter, Supreme Court justice (born in Vienna, immigrated at age 12)
• Least likely:  Teri Garr, actress (maternal grandparents, named Schmotzer, were immigrants)

Teri, as Inga, in Young Frankenstein

Switzerland

• Most notable:  Dwight Eisenhower, led US in WWII, president (original family name was Eisenhauer)
• Least likely:  Minnesota Fats, billiards player (born Rudolf Wanderone; parents were immigrants)

Bulgaria

• Most notable:  Christo, artist (born Christo Vladimirov Javacheff; immigrated at 29)
• Least likely:  Andre the Giant, wrestler (born André René Roussimoff, in France; father was from Bulgaria)

Andre and friends

Serbia

• Most notable:  Nikola Tesla, inventor (immigrated at 28)
• Least likely:  Divine, actor (maternal grandparents were from Zagreb)

Denmark

• Most notable:  Gutzon Borglum, Mt Rushmore sculptor (parents were immigrants)
• Least likely:  Jeff Bezos, businessman (original name Jorgensen; birth father’s parents were immigrants)

Hair! Blonde hair!

Finland

• Most notable:  Eero Saarinen, architect (immigrated at age 13)
• Least likely:  Gus Hall, perennial presidential candidate for Communist Party (born Arvo Kustaa Halberg, to immigrant parents)

Scotland

• Most notable:  Andrew Carnegie, steel magnate & philanthropist (immigrated at 12)
• Least likely:  David Byrne, musician (immigrated at age 2)

Not a Byrne tartan, BTW

Slovakia

• Most notable:  Andy Warhol, artist (original name Warhola; parents were immigrants)
• Least likely:  John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (mother’s maiden name was Podrasky)

Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art, Medzilaborce

Norway

• Most notable:  Walter Mondale, politician (original family name was Mundal; paternal grandparents were immigrants)
• Least likely:  Earl Warren, Supreme Court justice (original family name was Varren; father was from Stavanger)

Fritz, fjord

Ireland

• Most notable:  JFK, politician (all four grandparents were immigrants)
• Least likely:  Henry Ford, automotive pioneer (father was immigrant)

Croatia

• Most notable:  Rudy Perpich, longest-serving Minnesota governor (original name was Prpić; spoke Croatian until 1st grade)
• Least likely:  Vanna White, game show hostess (nee Rosich)

Bosnia

• Most notable:  Karl Malden, actor (born Mladen George Sekulovich, spoke Serbian until kindergarten)
• Least likely:  Karl Malden (sorry, he’s the only “famous” Bosnian-American I’d actually heard of)

Monument to Karl in Belgrade

Wales

• Most notable:  JP Morgan, financier (descendant of Bledri ap Cydifor, 12th Century Welsh chieftain)
• Least likely:  Quincy Jones, musician (paternal grandfather was of Welsh descent)

JP’s family’s ancestral home (undergoing a little renovation)

Albania

• Most notable:  Richard Caliguiri, mayor of Pittsburgh
• Least likely:  John Belushi, comedian (father and maternal grandparents were immigrants)

Shqiperia is Albanian for "Albania"

Lithuania

• Most notable:  Johnny Unitas, NFL Hall of Famer (original family name was Jonaitis)
• Least likely:  Charles Bronson, actor (born Buchinsky, with original family name being Bučinskis; father and maternal grandparents were immigrants)

Moldova

• Most notable:  Diane Von Furstenberg, fashion designer (original name Halfin; father was from Chişinău)
• Least likely:  Henry Waxman, politician

North Macedonia

• Most notable:  Mike Ilitch, Little Caesar’s founder & owner of Detroit Tigers & Red Wings (parents, Sotir and Sultana, were immigrants)
• Least likely:  Mike Vrabel, NFL player & coach

Slovenia

• Most notable:  Melania Trump, former First Lady (born Melanija Knavs, immigrated at 26)
• Least likely:  Charles Kuralt, journalist

Melania statue, Sevnica (her birthplace)

Latvia

• Most notable:  Mikhail Baryshnikov, ballet dancer (born Mihails Barišņikovs in Riga, defected when 26)
• Least likely:  Buddy Ebsen, actor (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen)

A young Jed Clampett

Estonia

• Most notable:  Louis Kahn, architect (immigrated at age 5)
• Least likely:  Mena Suvari, actress (father born in Parnu)

Cyprus

• Most notable:  Charlie Crist, former governor of Florida (family name was originally Christodoulos)
• Least likely:  Garo Yepremian, NFL kicker (of Armenian descent, but born in Larnaca)

Charlie was also a football player (QB at Wake Forest)

Luxembourg

• Most notable:  Edward Steichen, photographer (immigrated as a teenager)
• Least likely:  Chris Evert, tennis great

Montenegro

• Most notable:  Gregg Popovich, basketball coach (parents were immigrants)
• Least likely:  Nero Wolf, literary character (detective in a series of mysteries by Rex Stout)

Malta

• Most notable:  Pete Buttigieg, politician (father was immigrant)
• Least likely:  Britney Spears, singer (maternal great-great-grandfather)

Pete’s dad was a professor at Notre Dame

Iceland

• Most notable:  Gunnar Hansen, actor, famous for role of Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (immigrated at age 5)
• Least likely:  Gunnar Hansen (sorry, just not that many Icelandic-Americans out there)

Love the inscription!

Monaco

• Most notable:  Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, singer (illegitimate daughter of the current prince; born in the US to a US citizen) 
• Least likely:  Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (sorry – not many famous Monegasques, let alone Monegasque-Americans)

Jazmin and dad

Liechtenstein

• Most notable:  John Latenser, architect (born Johann Laternser, in the small village of Nendeln)
• Least likely:  John Latenser (sorry – he’s the only Liechtensteiner-American I could find)

Andorra and Kosovo? Sorry – I couldn’t find anything on those two.

Who’s on First? – The Real Story

I just love the old Who’s on First routine. I’m a huge baseball fan, of course. But if even if you’re not, you still gotta admit, it is pretty darn funny.

Just the other day, I was wondering if there has ever been a real Who, or Hoo, or Hu, who has indeed been on first base. Or a What, or Watt, on second?

Well, there have been 20,000 guys who have played in the big leagues. So, I figure my chances might be pretty good. 

So, here’s what I came up with. I’m ranking them from most likely to least likely. Wish I could have put them all in the right positions. Believe me, this was hard enough as is. Anyway, enjoy! 

1B – Who – Chin-lung Hu

“Hu’s on first.”

• SS
• 2007-2011
• LA Dodgers
• 193 at bats, .176 avg., 17 runs
• Shortest surname in MLB history (along with Fu-Ti Ne)

And, I do believe, that is indeed first base

2B – What – Allie Watt
“Watt’s on second.”

• 2B!
• 1920
• Washington
• 1 game, 1 AB, 1 hit, 1 RBI!
• Brother Frank was also in the bigs

C – Today – Todd A[llen]

Costello: Gotta a catcher?
Abbott: Certainly.
Costello: The catcher's name?
Abbott: Todd A.

Costello: Today, and tomorrow's pitching.

Abbott: Now you've got it.

Costello: All we got is a couple of days on the team.

• PH
• 1925
• Indianapolis (Negro)
• Once played for the French Lick Plutos

P – Tomorrow – Tom O’Hara

Costello: The pitcher's name?
Abbott: Tom O’Hara.
Costello: You don't want to tell me today?
Abbott: I'm telling you now.
Costello: Then go ahead.
Abbott: Tom O’Hara!

• OF
• 1906-1907
• St. Louis Cards
• 226 ABs, .252 avg., 11 runs
• Also the name of a runner, soccer player, priest, and character in The 13th Man

LF – Why – Hank Wyse

Costello: The left fielder's name?
Abbott: Wyse
Costello: I just thought I'd ask you.
Abbott: Well, I just thought I'd tell ya.

• 1942-1951
• 3 teams
• 79-70, 3.52 ERA, 1258 IPs, 
• In 1945 All Star Game (22-10, 2.68 ERA that year)

3B – I Don’t Know – A[lexander] Donoghue

Abbott: Well, let's see, we have on the bags - Who's on first, What's on second, A Donoghue is on third...
Costello: That's what I want to find out.

• CF, SS
• 1891
• Philadelphia NL
• 22 at-bats, .318 BA
• A true Pennsylvanian – born in Altoona, played in Philly, died & buried in Pittsburgh

CF – Because – B[ill] Koski

Costello: The left fielder's name?
Abbott: Why.
Costello: B. Koski!
Abbott: Oh, he's centerfield.

• P
• 1951
• Pittsburgh
• 27 IP, 0-1, 6.67 ERA, 2.00 WHIP
• Nicknamed “T-Bone”

SS – I Don’t Give a Darn
Forget it! 

RF – nobody 
Not part of the routine!

Going Out with a Whimper: Actors

Last week, we looked at actresses with woeful final appearances. This week? Actors!

Methodology

1. Googled “greatest actors”
2. Looked up their last feature film or TV movie on IMdB
3. Kept a list of those with IMdB rating less than 5
4. Ranked those here from best to worst

A couple comparisons:

• There are fewer guys
• They tended to die with their boots on (i.e., the same year they made their last film)
• They typically shared the screen with many other folks in large ensemble productions

In other words, and as we all know, it’s a lot tougher for actresses to get roles past their prime than it is actors.
 

6.  Peter Ustinov, Winter Solstice (4.9)

Age:  82

Role:  Hughie McLellan

Synopsis:  Elfrida Phibbs thought she was retiring from her London life to a "geriatric bolthole" in the country. She soon finds herself compassionately tending to her neighbor, Oscar, who has suffered a tragic loss. [Blah, blah, blah … It appears to be some sort of Christmas heart-warmer]

Died:  83

6.  Ronald Colman, The Story of Mankind (4.9)

Age:  66

Role:  The Spirit of Man

Synopsis:  The Devil and the Spirit of Man argue as to whether or not humanity is ultimately good or evil.

Tagline:  No Greater Cast Ever! Rarely So Vast An Undertaking!

Died:  66

5.  Robert Mitchum, James Dean: Race with Destiny (4.7)

Age:  79

Role:  George Stevens, director of Dean’s last film, Giant

Synopsis:  How did a broken heart, reckless behavior and his relationships with Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and director George Stevens lead to Dean's ultimate race with destiny?

Tagline:  A Star's Fatal Journey To Immortality ...

Died:  79

Mitchum on the left, Stevens on the right

4. Walter Pidgeon, Sextette (3.6)

Age:  80

Role:  The Chairman

Synopsis:  On the day of her wedding to her sixth husband, a glamorous silver screen sex symbol [Mae West, no less] is asked to intervene in a political dispute between nations, which leads to chaos.

Tagline:  The golden age of musical comedy is back... in this all new, all fabulous tribute to Hollywood's greatest era! [huh?]

After:  “Suffering from several strokes” (IMdB)

Died:  87

Note:  It was Mae West's last as well

3. Sean Connery, Sir Billi (3.5)

Age:  82

Role:  Sir Billi

Synopsis:  A retired veterinarian living in a remote Scottish village encounters a goat who thinks he's a dog, an Admiral who's afraid of the water, and a beaver who was raised by rabbits.

Tagline:  Sir Billi, the last remaining Guardian of the Highlands

After:  Dementia

Died:  90

2.  Errol Flynn, Cuban Rebel Girls (3.1)

Age:  50

Role:  American Correspondent

Synopsis:  A war correspondent helps Fidel Castro overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Tagline:  See BEVERLY AADLAND Errol Flynn's 17 yr. old protege in her first starring role

Died:  50

Beverly was 17 when she made the movie, 15 when she became Flynn’s lover

1.  Peter O’Toole, Diamond Cartel (3.0)

Age:  81

Role:  Tugboat

Synopsis:  Only one lusted glance brings Aliya to the events throwing her into the criminal ocean. But in the wirliging [sic] of passions and turmoil when she finds herself at the verge of fatality it's only her true love that is the only rescue. Now the most important thing for Aliya is to preserve the honor and dignity and the whole world will be at our feet.  [Ivan Wong, IMdB]

Tagline:  Freedom and love have more value than money

Died:  81

Straight outta Kazakhstan

Final note:  Some alcohol seems to have been involved here, I dunna know.

Going out with a Whimper: Actresses

Some people just don’t know when to quit – athletes, bands … actresses. Here are the worst final performances of some pretty famous members of that last group . Enjoy!

Methodology

1. Googled “greatest actresses”
2. Looked up their last feature film or TV movie on IMdB
3. Kept a list of those with IMdB rating less than 5
4. Ranked those here from best to worst

11.  Jane Russell, Cauliflower Cupids (4.9)

Age:  49

Role:  Nira DiLaurento, Johnny Stiletto’s widowed aunt and guardian

Synopsis:  Johnny Stiletto, crime godfather, decides to go straight so his beautiful daughter will be accepted by her boyfriend's wealthy society family. But Stiletto's mob, their rival gang and the boyfriend's money-grubbing family have other ideas.

Taglines:  A Laugh Riot!

After:  Couple of TV shows, Playtex ads

Died:  89

8. Ginger Rogers, Harlow (4.8)

Age:  54

Role:  Mama Jean Bello, Jean Harlow’s mother 

Synopsis:  Loosely based biography of 1930s star Jean Harlow as she begins her climb to stardom.

Tagline:  The Picture The World Has Been Waiting To See!

After:  4 TV shows, including Love Boat; Broadway; autobiography

Died:  83

With Carol Lynley

8. Elsa Lanchester, Die Laughing (4.8)

Age:  78

Role:  Sophie 

Synopsis:  A San Francisco cab driver finds himself in possession of a monkey that is carrying a formula for turning atomic waste into a plutonium bomb. He finds himself framed for a murder and chased all over town by people trying to get the formula.

Tagline:  As a singer, he's a killer. As a lover, he's a killer. As a killer, he's a lovely singer.  [The “he” is Robby Benson.]

Died:  84

8. Gloria Grahame, The Nestling (4.8)

Age:  57

Role:  Florinda Costello, ghost of the former madam

Synopsis:  A writer suffering from agoraphobia rents an isolated house so she can concentrate on her writing. She doesn't know that the house is a former brothel, and is inhabited by the ghosts of dead prostitutes.

Tagline:  A house that lives. And breathes terror.

Died:  57

7. Patricia Neal, Flying By (4.6)

Age:  83

Role:  Margie, George’s (Billy Ray Cyrus) mother 

Synopsis:  This musically driven drama follows a successful Real Estate developer who puts his marriage and business on the line when given the opportunity to follow his ultimate, life-long dream: music.

Tagline:  It's about the music

Died:  84

6. Eve Arden, Grease 2 (4.4)

Age:  75

Role:  Miss McGee, Principal of Rydell High

Synopsis:  A British student at a 1960s American high school must prove himself to the leader of a girls' gang whose members can only date greasers.

Tagline:  Grease is still the word!

After:  5 TV shows, including Falcon Crest

Died:  82

3. Ruth Gordon, The Trouble with Spies (4.2)

Age:  88

Role:  Mrs. Arkwright

Synopsis:  George Trent, a British spy, has gone incommunicado in Ibiza. Appleton Porter is sent to find out what happened to him.

Tagline:  The Most Bumbling Secret Agent Ever to Pack a Gun

After:  5 TV shows, including Falcon Crest

Died:  88

3. Lana Turner, Witches’ Brew (4.2)

Age:  64

Role:  Vivian Cross, Professor Cross’s wife

Synopsis:  Three women use witchcraft to further the careers of their respective professor husbands. When a higher position becomes available in the university, they turn on each other, and no one is safe.

After:  Couple of TV shows (The Love Boat and Falcon Crest)

Died:  74

3. Bette Davis, Wicked Stepmother (4.2)

Age:  81

Role:  Miranda Pierpoint

Synopsis:  A mother and daughter pair of witches wreaks havoc on a suburban family.

Tagline:  Beware of these "Bette Davis eyes"!

After:  Couple of TV shows

Died:  81

With Barbara Carrera

2.  Joan Crawford, Trog (3.9)

Age:  66

Role:  Dr. Brockton

Synopsis:  A sympathetic anthropologist uses drugs and surgery to try to communicate with a primitive troglodyte who is found living in a local cave.

Tagline:  From the boiling rage of a world hurled back one million years comes...

After:  Couple of TV shows

Died:  73

1.  Veronica Lake, Flesh Feast (2.4)

Age:  47

Role:  Dr. Elaine Frederick

Synopsis:  A ring of Nazis in Florida is in possession of the body of Adolf Hitler, and plan to revive him so they can take over the world.

Tagline:  Morbid horror in vivid COLOR

After:  Drinking herself to death

Died:  50

Next week - guys!

Disastrous Debuts of MLB Hall of Famers

They’re Hall of Famers. You’d think they’d all bat .300, be Rookie of the Year, and lead the league in multiple categories. Indeed, some of them followed that script exactly.

Jackie Robinson, for example, was Rookie of the Year, led the league in steals, and … oh, I don’t know … integrated baseball? Other great rookie seasons include:

• Frank Robinson – 38 HRs, 122 runs
• Mike Piazza – 35 homers, 112 RBIs, .932 OPS
• Herb Score – 16 wins, 2.85 ERA, 245 K’s
• Tom Seaver – 16 wins, 18 CGs, 2.76 ERA
• Orlando Cepeda – .312 average, 25 homers, league leader in doubles
• Willie McCovey - .354 average, 13 HRs in 52 games

Most have had a little more pedestrian start. And some have been downright awful. These are those.

#8 – Lou Boudreau / Hank Greenberg

These two were both in a single game, with a single at bat, so it’s really hard to say. Who knows what would’ve happened if they’d gotten a second.

Boudreau did at least get on base, drawing a walk (his other at bat was a ground out). He also managed to play 4 innings in the field (at 1B), but was never involved in a play.

Greenberg, who was only 19, made an out (a pop-up to second) in in a pinch-hitting role. He would be 22 before he would get another chance.

#7 – Rollie Fingers

Fingers also got in only one game … but it was really bad. I’m talking a 27.00 ERA and a 3.750 WHIP. Facing 9 batters, he got 4 outs, but gave up 4 hits, 1 walk, 1 HR, and 4 runs. Throw in a hit batsman and a wild pitch, and it was definitely a day to forget.

 

#6 – Carlton Fisk

Pudge actually got in a couple of games, going 0 for 5, with 2 strikeouts. For one of those games, he put in a complete 9 innings behind the plate (the other was as a pinch hitter).

It would be 2 years before he came back. That year, he only had 49 at-bats, but did manage to hit .313. He also managed to keep his rookie eligibility, and the year after was the AL Rookie of the Year.

#5 – Kiki Cuyler

Hazen Shirley Cuyler managed the unique feat of going 0 for 3 with 1 strikeout in 2 games … over his first two seasons. The first game was a full one (though rain shortened), with the second meriting only a pinch-running appearance.

#4 – Lou Brock

Brock’s first year in the bigs included 4 games, 11 at bats, 1 hit, and 3 strikeouts. That, and a walk, resulted in an .091 average and .167 OBP. It wasn’t much better in the field, with Brock making 6 putouts on 8 chances for .750 fielding percentage.

#3 – Tim Raines

Raines is another one who managed some pretty paltry numbers over his first two years. I’m talking 20 at-bats and 1 hit, for a miserable .050 average. Somehow or other, though, he did manage to score 8 runs and steal 7 bases. And that comes from 6 walks and a first year of nothing but pinch-running.

After those 2 years, he managed to keep his rookie eligibility, making quite a splash in the third. In addition to leading the NL in steals with 71, he hit .303 and came in second in RoY voting (losing out to some guy named Valenzuela, or Venezuela, or something).

#2 – Brooks Robinson

Poor Brooksie! It was not pretty. Only 18, he struggled, with 22 at bats, 2 hits, and 10 strikeouts. That’s another .091 average (and a 45% strikeout rate), if you’re counting.

Things would not actually get much better the next two years, with Robinson notching 161 at bats total and barely hitting over the Mendoza line both years. The year after those, though he did become a regular, he also hit only .238, with 3 home runs. Indeed, Robinson may have been the slowest starter of all the Hall of Famers.

#1 – Nolan Ryan

What’s this guy doing here? Arguably one of the most dominating pitchers ever, Ryan didn’t actually start out so hot.

Only 19, he got in 2 games, including 1 start. Facing 17 batters, he walked 4, and gave up 5 hits (including a homer) and 5 runs. He did manage to strike out 6 though, including striking out the side in the 1^st inning of that start. It would be two years before he would get another shot at the majors.