Only in Texas: A Nolan Ryan Collectible Blood-Stained Rangers Jersey Giveaway

On May 29, 2026, when the Texas Rangers host the Kansas City Royals at Globe Life Field, fans in attendance will receive a replica blood-stained Nolan Ryan throwback jersey—a wearable tribute to one of the most enduring images in baseball history.

This isn’t just another promotional tee. It’s a recreation of the white Rangers home uniform Ryan wore in 1990 when a Bo Jackson line drive smashed back through the box and split his lip open. Blood streamed down the front of his jersey. Ryan didn’t leave the game.

You're going to need THIS Nolan Ryan bloody lip jersey on May 29.

🎟️ https://t.co/nUNJZhOEcz https://t.co/i7BgUyU0bz pic.twitter.com/EUfzan7REA
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) February 10, 2026

He stayed in. He kept pitching. And he won. More than three decades later, the Rangers are leaning all the way into that mythology—and into the collectibles power of a moment that has only grown larger with time.

The Bloody Lip Game

The image comes from a June 1990 game against the Royals. Jackson’s liner caught Ryan flush in the face, opening a visible gash. Trainers rushed out. Cameras zoomed in. The uniform soaked red.

Ryan waved everyone off. He finished eight innings, allowed just one earned run, struck out six, and secured a 2–1 Rangers win. The photos from that night have circulated for decades as shorthand for old-school toughness — the kind of moment that defines an athlete beyond box scores.

Nolan Ryan took this Bo Jackson hit off the mouth in the 2nd inning...and he wasn't pulled until the 8th inning! He left w/ a 1-0 lead, struck out 8 batters, allowed just 3 hits and a jersey full of blood pic.twitter.com/PaeQ1LqkmM
— BaseballHistoryNut (@nut_history) September 21, 2023

That’s what this jersey captures. And unlike some of the Rangers’ other 2026 promotions, including a July 20 Ryan-Ventura brawl bobblehead limited to the first 10,000 fans, the Bloody Lip jersey will be available to all fans in attendance on May 29.

With Globe Life Field holding roughly 40,000 fans, this isn’t about scarcity. It’s about spectacle. When an entire stadium walks out wearing the same blood-spattered throwback, the moment becomes communal. Years from now, fans won’t just say they have a promo jersey. They’ll say, “I was there for Bloody Lip night.”

1991 Pacific Nolan Ryan Texas Express - Bloody Lip Nolan Ryan #92 | https://ebay.us/m/VWI51B

The Other Famous Image: Ryan vs. Ventura

The jersey isn’t the only Nolan Ryan mythology the Rangers are celebrating this season. On August 4, 1993, 46-year-old Ryan hit 26-year-old Robin Ventura with a pitch. Ventura charged the mound. Instead of backing down, Ryan locked him in a headlock and delivered a flurry of punches before benches cleared in one of the most replayed brawls in MLB history.

Ryan stayed in that game too. He threw seven innings in a Rangers win, reinforcing the legend of a pitcher who simply refused to yield—to hitters or to age.

The July 20 bobblehead night commemorating that fight pairs perfectly with the Bloody Lip jersey. One celebrates resilience. The other celebrates defiance. Both are woven into Ryan’s collectible identity.

Why Nolan Ryan Endures

Ryan’s career reads like folklore: 27 seasons across four franchises, 5,714 strikeouts (still the all-time record), seven no-hitters spanning three decades, and his number retired by the Angels, Astros, and Rangers. He pitched into his mid-40s and remains the benchmark for power longevity.

In a season where the Rangers are also rolling out throwbacks, fireworks nights, youth giveaways, and special-event merchandise, the Nolan Ryan promotions stand apart because they tap directly into baseball mythology rather than just nostalgia.

This isn’t simply a stadium freebie. It’s a wearable moment from one of the most indestructible careers the sport has ever seen. And on May 29, roughly 40,000 fans will get to take a piece of it home.