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Nolan
Ryan, accused of being heartless by many batters during his career, recently
had bypass surgery. Did the planets portend such an event?
The
Intimidator
Reggie Jackson
once commented that trying to hit Nolan Ryan was like drinking coffee
with a fork. Why Reggie didn’t just drink from the cup is another matter.
But when Nolan Ryan (born January 31, 1947, 9:45 am, in Refugio, Texas)
took the mound, it appeared that the right-hander sat at the right hand
of God. A small white sphere coming at you at speeds often exceeding 100
miles an hour must have appeared to shrink to aspirin-like size. You can
be sure that batters shook their heads so furiously after an unsuccessful
at-bat against Nolan that aspirin became the remedy of the day. A staggering
5,714 batters struck out against the “Express.” Seven times no one got
a hit in an entire nine innings of baseball. He once struck out 383 batters
in a single season, a record that stands tall on the hill. Talk about
power.
From
the astrological point of view, Nolan Ryan proudly flaunts his uniqueness
through his Aquarian Sun. With the powerhouse planet, Pluto, nearly exactly
opposite his Sun, Ryan became the force with which batters hated to reckon.
Pluto refers, in astrological terms, to intimidation, absolute control,
overwhelming and uncontestable power and the Underworld (nicknamed Hell).
All batters in both leagues knew that it was going to be a hell of day
going up against Ryan.
Bypass
Recently,
while walking around Dell Diamond, the baseball field for the Round Rock
Express (a team Ryan owns in the AA Texas League), Ryan experienced shortness
of breath. That’s just not like him. He went to the local medical facility
and immediately was taken to Austin’s Heart Hospital for two hours (just
short of the time it would take him to knock off 27 batters) of emergency
bypass surgery. Recovering comfortably, he can return to normal activities
in a few weeks. Currently, he convalesces, receiving the thoughts and
prayers of even those adversaries he once struck out again and again.
Benefics
and Blessings
It
would make sense that such difficulties would show in a horoscope, and
they do. Obviously, this condition did not just happen overnight. Such
clogs in arteries occur over time due to a whole team of conditions. The
“great benefic,” Jupiter, recently crossed the Pluto-to-Sun opposition
at a 90 degree angle. And at the time of surgery, Jupiter closed quickly
on the swift Mercury, bringing the message, “Fix me” from the heart. Pardon
me, did you say benefic? That means good, right?
Jupiter,
the fortunate one, makes everything it touches bigger. It amplifies, inflames,
exaggerates, compounds, expands and induces excessive growth. Here in
Nolan’s case, the shortness (an exaggeration in the minimum direction)
of breath signaled the restriction in his circulatory system and indicated
the exaggerated pressure on the heart. The Sun in astrology refers to
the heart. Pluto notes the basic life force energy. The supportive and
kind-hearted Jupiter, therefore, revealed a critical condition before
it could become a catastrophic crisis.
Had
the effects of Nolan’s condition been ignored, then a more serious warning
sign would have been waiting down the road (as Jupiter approached Mercury
and the corralling of Taurus planets stressed the Pluto-Sun angle). But
now, Nolan will recover, his heart restored. Perhaps Jupiter signals other
changes for the Express. Maybe dietary considerations and other excesses
(like dairy and cholesterol-enhancing foods) will come under a watchful
eye. Regardless, the warning allows him to continue his life.
Unlike
a batter shopping for a hit against the Express, Nolan Ryan did not get
caught looking. As the odd, unique Aquarian he is, look for Nolan to shine
in yet another notable arena worthy of our attention. You can bet he's
got another pitch up his sleeve.
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