...Though Ryan's strikeouts and no-hitters got him considerable media attention, Ryan did not win over Angels General Manager Buzzie Bavasi, who dismissed him as a flashy .500 pitcher (Ryan was 26-27 in the two years both were with the Angels). When Bavasi let Ryan leave after a 16-14 record in the 1979 season rather than agree to Ryan's demand to become the first player to be paid $1 million per year, Bavasi remarked he only needed to replace Ryan with two 8-7 pitchers, adding, "I think my plumber could do that."
Ryan signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Houston Astros after the 1979 season, in which he became the first player to be paid $1 million a year...
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