SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Sept. 8, 1990, is an otherwise lackluster date in the history of Texas Rangers baseball.
But on that date, future Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan created the iconic picture of him pitching with a bloody lip.
In the second inning of that Sept. 8 game against the Royals, Ryan failed to cleanly field a one-hopper off the bat of Bo Jackson. It bounced off his glove, into Ryan’s face, before he threw Jackson out. Ryan resumed pitching -- throwing seven scoreless innings -- with blood dripping down his jersey. He got six stitches after the game.
On May 29, 2026, when the Rangers face the Royals at Globe Life Field, all fans who attend will receive a replica blood-stained Ryan throwback jersey.
Chuck Morgan, the Rangers executive vice president of ballpark entertainment, promotions and production, acknowledged that the club has done a number of Ryan-themed giveaways over the years, but this is one that fans have repeatedly inquired about.
Morgan and Zachary Geist -- the director of promotions and ballpark entertainment -- felt that now was the right time for a giveaway like this.
“This would rank pretty high [in a list of Nolan giveaways],” Morgan said. “You can go almost to any sports bar in the country and see a picture of that hanging on the wall. It's just an iconic moment.”
Morgan has been the Rangers’ public address announcer since the 1983 season, and has watched numerous feats by many Hall of Fame players. While this is far from the most iconic Nolan Ryan moment, it’s maybe his most quintessential.
“Anytime Nolan pitched, it was an event,” Morgan said. “There was a little bit of a drizzle, but we had a big crowd. If there was a chance of Nolan getting hurt, it was always of some concern. So when that actually happened, all I could think was, ‘I hope he can stay in.’ It's so legendary that here's a guy that’s this tough Texan and he goes out there and gets hit in the face and continues to pitch.”
In addition to the Ryan Bloody Lip jersey, Ryan will be featured on one of the Rangers' club-record 16 bobblehead giveaways with a figurine that honors his infamous brawl with Robin Ventura on Aug. 4, 1993. The majority of Texas' promo items will be distributed to the first 10,000 fans except Bloody Jersey (all fans) and the 2026 Magnetic Schedule presented by Anheuser‑Busch on April 3 vs. Cincinnati (first 30,000 fans).
Additionally, the Rangers will also release a full list of over 70 Theme & Community Nights at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Individual Theme & Community Night tickets will also be available at that time. Fans can bundle their Theme Night tickets at a discounted rate with the purchase of a 10-Game Theme Night Plan, which will be available through Feb. 18.