Nolan Ryan has informed the Mets he will not be attending the celebration of the 1969 World Champion Mets on June 29, a source said on Monday. No reason was given.
Ryan, 72, the all-time major-league leader in strikeouts with 5,714, would have been the biggest name at the reunion after Hall of Famer Tom Seaver's retirement from public life in March because of his diagnosis of dementia.
Ryan was 22 in 1969 and went 6-3 with 92 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings. He made his mark after leaving the Mets, throwing an MLB-record seven no-hitters. He won 324 games and entered the Hall of Fame in 1999 with a Rangers cap on his plaque.