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Wikipedia

Randy Johnson

May 01, 2023

For other people named Randy Johnson, see Randy Johnson (disambiguation).

Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Randy Johnson
Johnson in 2016
Pitcher
Born: (1963-09-10) September 10, 1963 (age 59)
Walnut Creek, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 15, 1988, for the Montreal Expos
Last MLB appearance
October 4, 2009, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
Win–loss record303–166
Earned run average3.29
Strikeouts4,875
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction2015
Vote97.3% (first ballot)

At 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), Johnson was the tallest player in MLB history when he entered the league: a factor that contributed to his extremely intimidating persona and pitching style. He is particularly known for his overpowering fastball and devastating slider, a combination which remained effective throughout his lengthy career. While he initially struggled with control in his early seasons, Johnson subsequently established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, leading his league in strikeouts nine times, and in earned run average, winning percentage, and complete games four times each. Along with teammate Curt Schilling, Johnson was one of two World Series Most Valuable Players in 2001; in the Series, Johnson won three games and led the Arizona Diamondbacks to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees in the fourth season of the team's existence. He won the pitching Triple Crown in 2002.

Johnson's 303 career victories are the fifth-most by a left-hander in MLB history, while his 4,875 strikeouts place him second all time behind Nolan Ryan and first among left-handers. Johnson is a ten-time All-Star, won the Cy Young Award five times, and is one of only two pitchers (the other is Greg Maddux) to win the award in four consecutive seasons (1999–2002). Johnson won Cy Young Awards in both leagues. He is also one of five pitchers to pitch no-hitters in both leagues, and one of 20 pitchers in history to record a win against all 30 MLB franchises.

Johnson enjoyed a career longevity uncommon to pitchers, with his signature fastball-slider combination remaining effective well into his 40s. Four of his six 300-strikeout seasons occurred after his 35th birthday. On May 18, 2004, at 40 years old, he threw Major League Baseball's 17th perfect game, and remains the oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat. Johnson ultimately retired at the age of 46, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility. He is the first member of the Hall to be depicted in a Diamondbacks uniform on his plaque.

Early life

Johnson was born in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb of Walnut Creek, California, to Carol Hannah and Rollen Charles "Bud" Johnson.[2] By the time he entered Livermore High School, he was a star in baseball and basketball. In 1982, as a senior, he struck out 121 batters in 66 innings, and threw a perfect game in his last high school start.

College career

Johnson accepted a full athletic scholarship to play baseball for the University of Southern California. While at USC, he also played two years of basketball. He was a starter at USC (where he was a teammate of Mark McGwire) under coach Rod Dedeaux, but often exhibited control problems.[3]

Professional career

Drafts and minor leagues

After high school, Johnson was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 4th round of the 1982 MLB draft, but did not sign. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the second round of the 1985 Major League Baseball draft. In 1985, he pitched for the Jamestown Expos of the New York-Pennsylvania League.[4] In 1986, he pitched for the West Palm Beach Expos of the Florida State League. In 1987, he pitched for the Jacksonville Expos of the Southern League.[5] In 1988, he pitched for the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association.[6]

Montreal Expos (1988–1989)

He made his major league debut on September 15, 1988, against the Pittsburgh Pirates, earning a 9–4 victory with a five-inning outing in which he gave up two runs with five strikeouts; his first victim was Orestes Destrade in the second inning. Johnson posted a record of 3–0 with a 2.42 earned run average (ERA) in four games in 1988, but 1989 saw him slip to an 0–4 mark with a 6.67 ERA in seven games through May 7. On May 25, 1989 he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in a trade involving five pitchers that brought Mark Langston to Montreal. In 11 total games played with the Expos, he went 3–4 with a 4.69 ERA and one complete game in 55.2 innings with 51 strikeouts and 33 walks.

Seattle Mariners (1989–1998)

1989–1992

After joining the Mariners during the 1989 season, Johnson led the American League in walks for three consecutive seasons (1990–1992), and hit batsmen in 1992 and 1993.[1] In July 1991, facing the Milwaukee Brewers, the erratic Johnson allowed 4 runs on 1 hit, thanks to 10 walks in 4 innings. A month later, a 9th-inning single cost him a no-hitter against the Oakland Athletics. Johnson suffered another 10-walk, 4-inning start in 1992.

His untapped talent was explosive: In 1990, Johnson became the first left-hander to strike out Wade Boggs three times in one game, and a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers attested to his potential. Johnson credits a session with Nolan Ryan late in the 1992 season with helping him take his career to the next level; Ryan has said that he appreciated Johnson's talent and did not want to see him take as long to figure certain things out as he had taken. Ryan recommended a slight change in his delivery; before the meeting, Johnson would land on the heel of his foot after delivering a pitch, and he therefore usually landed offline from home plate. Ryan suggested that he land on the ball of his foot, and almost immediately, he began finding the strike zone more consistently.[7] In a September 27, 1992, game against the Texas Rangers, with Ryan the opposing starting pitcher, Johnson struck out 18 batters in eight innings while throwing 160 pitches, a pitch count that has not been reached in an MLB game since.[8] It was during the 1992 off-season when Johnson returned home for Christmas only to lose his father to an aortic aneurysm. His father's death was so devastating that he decided to quit baseball, only to have his mother convince him otherwise.[9]

1993

Johnson broke out in 1993, posting a 19–8 record, 3.24 ERA, his first of six 300-plus strikeout seasons (308), and he was also the first Seattle Mariners pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts in a single season. In May 1993, Johnson again lost a no-hitter to a 9th-inning single; again, the opponent was the Oakland Athletics. He also recorded his 1,000th career strikeout against the Minnesota Twins' Chuck Knoblauch. Prior to the trade deadline, Johnson was nearly dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays for Steve Karsay and Mike Timlin. Toronto general manager Pat Gillick had two separate transactions on the table including the one for Johnson with Seattle general manager Woody Woodward and one for Rickey Henderson with Oakland general manager Sandy Alderson. When Gillick was unable to contact Woodward he agreed to utilize the deal with Alderson. When Woodward returned Gillick's call he said he would agree to the deal for Johnson. However, Gillick gave his word to Alderson even though the deal had not been finalized.[10] At the 1993 All-Star Game in Baltimore, Maryland, in a famous incident, Johnson threw a fastball over the head of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman John Kruk.[11] On October 3, Johnson entered the final game of the season as a defensive substitution, replacing Brian Turang in left field. This made him the tallest player to play the field in baseball history.[12]

1995

After pitching well in the strike-shortened 1994 season, Johnson won the American League Cy Young Award in 1995 with an 18–2 record, 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts. His .900 winning percentage was the second highest in AL history, behind Johnny Allen, who had gone 15–1 for the Cleveland Indians in 1937. Johnson became the first regular starting pitcher in history to strike out more than a third of all batters faced. He also became the first Seattle Mariners pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, and the only one until Félix Hernández took home the honor in 2010. Johnson capped the Mariners' late-season comeback by pitching a three-hitter in the AL West's one-game playoff, crushing the California Angels' hopes with 12 strikeouts. Thus unable to start in the 5-game ALDS series against the Yankees until the third game, Johnson watched as New York took a 2–0 series lead. He defeated the Yankees in Game 3 with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.

When the series went the full five games, the Mariners having come back from an 2-0 deficit to win both games at the Kingdome, Johnson made a dramatic relief appearance in the series final, Game 5, on only one day's rest. Entering a 4–4 game in the ninth inning, Johnson pitched the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings. He allowed one run, struck out six, and held on for the series-ending win in Seattle's dramatic comeback.

1996−1998

Johnson was sidelined throughout much of the 1996 season with a back injury, but he rebounded in 1997 with a 20–4 record, 291 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA (his personal best). Between May 1994 and October 1997, Johnson had gone 53–9, including a 16–0 streak that fell one short of the AL record. Johnson had two 19-strikeout starts in 1997, on June 24 and August 8.

Another colorful All-Star Game moment proceeded in the 1997 edition involving former Expos teammate Larry Walker, at that point with the Colorado Rockies.[13] When Johnson had started an interleague game versus the Rockies on June 12, Walker chose not to play, explaining that "I faced Randy one time in spring training and he almost killed me."[14] In the All-Star Game, Walker batted against Johnson, who theatrically threw over his head. Ever adaptable, Walker placed his batting helmet backwards and switched sides in the batters' box to stand right-handed for one pitch. He ended the at bat by drawing a walk.[15] The incident momentarily drew mirth and laughter from players in both dugouts, fans and announcers, and, of course, comparisons to the at bat with Kruk in the 1993 All-Star Game.[16] In spite of garnering a reputation of avoiding Johnson,[17] Walker batted .393 (11 hits in 28 at bats) against him in his career,[18] nearly double the rate of all left-handed batters at .199.[19] When the 1998 season began, Johnson was upset the Mariners would not offer him a contract extension, given his contract was expiring after the season.[20] Though the Mariners initially wanted to keep Johnson, turning down a trade offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers,[21] they fell out of contention, going 8–20 in June.[22] Minutes before the non-waiver trade deadline, on July 31, the Mariners traded Johnson to the Houston Astros for three minor leaguers: Freddy García, Carlos Guillén, and John Halama.[22]

Houston Astros (1998)

In 11 regular-season starts with the Astros, Johnson posted a 10–1 record, a 1.28 ERA, and 116 strikeouts in 84+1⁄3 innings, and pitched four shutouts. Johnson finished 7th in the National League Cy Young Award voting, despite pitching only two months in the league, and helped Houston win their second straight National League Central division title. During the playoffs, however, the Astros lost the 1998 NLDS to the San Diego Padres, 3–1. Johnson started Games 1 and 4, both losses. He only gave up three earned runs combined in the two games, but received only one run in support (in Game 4).

Arizona Diamondbacks (1999–2004)

Johnson agreed to a four-year contract, with an option for a fifth year, for $52.4 million, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a second-year franchise.[23] Johnson led the team to the playoffs that year on the strength of a 17–9 record and 2.48 ERA with 364 strikeouts, leading the majors in innings, complete games, and strikeouts. Johnson won the 1999 NL Cy Young Award and Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in MLB.[24] Johnson became the third pitcher in history, after Gaylord Perry and Pedro Martínez, to win the Cy Young Award in both the American and National Leagues; Martínez won the AL Cy Young in the same season that Johnson won its NL counterpart. Johnson finished 2000 with 19 wins, 347 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA, and won his second consecutive NL Cy Young Award[1] and Warren Spahn Award.[25] The Diamondbacks acquired Curt Schilling from the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2000, and the two aces anchored the Diamondbacks rotation.[26]

In the fourth year of the franchise's existence, Johnson and Schilling carried the Arizona Diamondbacks to their first World Series appearance and victory in 2001 against the New York Yankees. Johnson and Schilling shared the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, the Babe Ruth Award,[27] and were named Sports Illustrated magazine's 2001 "Sportsmen of the Year." For the first of two consecutive seasons, Johnson and Schilling finished 1–2 in the Cy Young balloting.[28] Johnson also won his third consecutive Warren Spahn Award.[29] Johnson's performance was particularly dominating, striking out 11 in a 3-hit shutout in Game 2, pitching seven innings for the victory in Game 6 and then coming on in relief the following day to pick up the win in Game 7. Of Arizona's eleven post-season wins in 2001, Johnson had five. He is also the last pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series. Johnson's Game 7 relief appearance was his second of the 2001 season; on July 19, a game against the Padres was delayed by two electrical explosions in Qualcomm Stadium. When the game resumed the following day, Johnson stepped in as the new pitcher and racked up 16 strikeouts in seven innings, technically setting the record for the most strikeouts in a relief stint.[30]

 
In 2001, Johnson struck a bird with a pitched ball, resulting in what ABC News described as a "sea of feathers".[31]

In a freak accident on March 24, 2001, at Tucson Electric Park, during the 7th inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants, Johnson threw a fastball to Calvin Murray that struck and killed a dove. The ball was ruled dead, and it was ruled "no pitch".[32] The event was not unique in baseball history, but it became one of Johnson's most-remembered baseball moments;[33] a news story 15 years later remarked, "the event remains iconic, and the Big Unit says he gets asked about the incident nearly as much as he does about winning the World Series later that year with the Arizona Diamondbacks".[34]

Johnson struck out 20 batters in a game on May 8, 2001, against the Cincinnati Reds. Johnson recorded all 20 strikeouts in the first nine innings, but because the game went into extra innings, it was not categorized by MLB as an "official" 20-strikeout game. On August 23, 2001, Johnson struck out three batters on nine pitches in the 6th inning of a 5–1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the 30th pitcher in major league history to pitch an immaculate inning. Johnson's 2001 season was the 2nd time in MLB history where a starting pitcher had more than twice as many strikeouts in a season (372) as hits allowed (181) (first accomplished by Pedro Martinez in the 2000 season with 284 strikeouts and 128 hits and later also accomplished by Max Scherzer in 2017, and both Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in 2019).

In 2002, Johnson won the pitching Triple Crown, leading the NL in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, and was voted his fourth consecutive Cy Young and Warren Spahn Awards.[35] It was Johnson's fourth consecutive 300-strikeout season with the Diamondbacks, and fifth consecutive overall, extending his own MLB record from the previous season in which he set the record for the most consecutive seasons with 300 or more strikeouts in a season by a pitcher.[36] He also became the first pitcher in baseball history to post a 24–5 record.[37]

Johnson spent the majority of the 2003 season on the disabled list and was ineffective in the few injury-hampered starts he did make. He hit the only home run of his career on September 19, 2003, against the Milwaukee Brewers. Johnson was a .125 hitter over 625 career at-bats.

Perfect game

Main article: Randy Johnson's perfect game

On May 18, 2004, Johnson pitched the 17th perfect game in MLB history. At 40 years of age, he was the oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat. Johnson had 13 strikeouts on his way to a 2–0 victory against the Atlanta Braves. The perfect game made him the fifth pitcher in Major League history (after Cy Young, Jim Bunning, Nolan Ryan, and Hideo Nomo) to pitch a no-hitter in both leagues. He also became the fifth pitcher in Major League history to throw both a no-hitter and a perfect game in his career (after Young, Bunning, Addie Joss, and Sandy Koufax; since Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Roy Halladay have joined this group). Johnson struck out Jeff Cirillo of the San Diego Padres on June 29, 2004, to become only the fourth MLB player to reach 4,000 strikeouts in a career.[38]

He finished the 2004 season with a 16–14 record, though his poor record was partially due to a lack of run support as his ERA that year was 2.60. Johnson led the major leagues in strikeouts (with 290). In the games where Arizona scored three or more runs, Johnson was 13–2. As his team only won 51 games that year, his ratio of winning 31.3% of his team's games was the highest for any starting pitcher since Steve Carlton in 1972 (who won 27 of the Phillies' 59 wins for an all-time record ratio of 45.8%).

New York Yankees (2005–2006)

 
Johnson with the Yankees

The Diamondbacks traded Johnson to the New York Yankees for Javier Vázquez, Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro, and cash in January 2005.[39] Johnson pitched Opening Day for the Yankees on April 3, 2005, against the Boston Red Sox. Johnson was inconsistent through 2005, allowing 32 home runs; however, he regained his dominance in late 2005. He was 5–0 against the Yankees' division rival Red Sox and finished the season 17–8 with a 3.79 ERA, and was second in the AL with 211 strikeouts.

In 2005, The Sporting News published an update of their 1999 book Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. Johnson did not make the original edition, but for the 2005 update, with his career totals considerably higher and his 2001 World Championship season taken into account, he was ranked at Number 60.[citation needed]

Johnson was a disappointment in Game 3 of the 2005 Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, allowing 5 runs on 2 home runs in 3 innings. In Game 5 in Anaheim, Johnson made an effective relief appearance after Mike Mussina gave up 5 runs and 6 hits to give the Angels a 5–2 lead, but the Yankees were unable to come back in the series.

After an inconclusive year in pinstripes, New York fans hoped that Johnson would return to his dominant style in his second Yankee season. Johnson began 2006 well, but then he struggled to find form. In between some impressive performances, he allowed 5 or more runs in 7 of his first 18 starts for the season. Johnson was more effective in the second half. Johnson finished the season with a 17–11 record, a subpar 5.00 ERA with 172 strikeouts. It was revealed at the end of the 2006 season that a herniated disc in Johnson's back had been stiffening him and it was only in his second to last start of the season that he decided to get it checked. This exposure caused him to miss his last start of 2006. After being given epidural anesthesia and a few bullpen sessions he was cleared to start in game 3 of the ALDS; however, he gave up 5 runs in 52⁄3 innings.

Second stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2007–2008)

 
Johnson pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In January 2007, the Yankees traded Johnson back to the Diamondbacks, almost two years to the day that Arizona had traded him to New York, for a package of Luis Vizcaíno, Alberto González, Steven Jackson, and Ross Ohlendorf.[1] The Yankees' decision to trade Johnson was primarily based on a pre-season conversation he had with Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman about the importance of being closer to his family in Phoenix after the death of his brother.[40]

Johnson missed most of April, rehabilitating his injured back before returning on April 24, 2007. Johnson allowed six runs in 5 innings and took the loss, but struck out seven. He returned to form, and by his tenth start of the season was among the NL's top ten strikeout pitchers. But on July 3, his surgically repaired disc from the previous season was reinjured. Johnson had season-ending surgery on the same disc, this time removing it completely. Reporting that the procedure went "a little better than expected", Arizona hoped that Johnson would be ready for the 2008 season.[41]

Johnson made his season debut on April 14, 2008, against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park eight months following his back surgery. On June 3, 2008, Johnson struck out Mike Cameron of the Milwaukee Brewers for career strikeout number 4,673. With this strikeout Johnson surpassed Roger Clemens for the number two spot on the all-time strikeout leaders list.[42] Johnson struck out 8 in the game but could not get the win as the Diamondbacks lost 7–1.

Johnson got his 4,700th career strikeout on July 6, 2008.[43] On July 27, 2008, Fred Lewis became the first left-handed batter to get four hits against Johnson in a game.[44] In the first at-bat in this game, a fog horn went off as Johnson was releasing his pitch, causing him to throw an eephus which fell for a strike.[44][45] He finished the season with an 11–10 record and an ERA of 3.91, recording his 100th career complete game in a 2–1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.[46]

San Francisco Giants (2009)

 
Johnson with the Giants in 2009

On December 26, 2008, Johnson signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants for a reported $8 million, with a possible $2.5 million in performance bonuses and another $2.5 million in award bonuses.[47][48] Johnson became the 24th pitcher to reach 300 wins, beating the Washington Nationals (the team that he first played for when they were known as the Montreal Expos) on June 4 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.[49] He became the seventh left-handed pitcher to achieve the 300-win milestone and the fifth pitcher in the last 50 years to get his 299th and 300th win in consecutive starts, joining Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Gaylord Perry, and Tom Seaver. Johnson was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder on July 28, 2009.[50] Johnson was activated by the Giants on September 16, 2009, and assigned to the Giants bullpen.[51] On September 19, 2009, Johnson made his first relief appearance in 4 years, facing the Los Angeles Dodgers for 3 batters.[52] At age 46, he was at the time the second oldest player in Major League Baseball, trailing only Jamie Moyer.[53]

Retirement

 
Randy Johnson's number 51 was retired by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015.

On January 5, 2010, he announced his retirement from professional baseball.[54] The Mariners invited Johnson to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Seattle Mariners home opener at Safeco Field on April 12, 2010,[55] and inducted Johnson into the Mariners Hall of Fame on January 17, 2012.[56] The Diamondbacks invited Johnson and former teammate Curt Schilling to both throw out the ceremonial first pitches for the Arizona Diamondbacks' recognition of the 10th anniversary of the 2001 World Series team that defeated the New York Yankees.[57]

Johnson was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2015.[58] The Diamondbacks retired his number on August 8, 2015.[59] At the retirement ceremony, Johnson was presented with a replica of the drum set used by Neil Peart, drummer for the Canadian band Rush, during their 30th anniversary tour.[60]

Pitching style

In the prime of his career, Johnson's fastball was clocked as high as 102 mph (164 km/h), with a low three-quarters delivery (nearly sidearm).[61] His signature pitch was a slider that broke down and away from left-handed hitters and down and in to right-handed hitters. The effectiveness of the pitch is marked by its velocity being in the low 90s along with tight late break; hitters often believed they were thrown a fastball until the ball broke just before it crossed home plate. Right-handed hitters have swung through and missed sliders that nearly hit their back foot.[62] Johnson dubbed his slider "Mr. Snappy".[63] In later years, his fastball declined to the 96 mph (154 km/h) range and his slider clocked at around 87 mph (140 km/h). Johnson also threw a split-finger fastball that behaved like a change-up, and a sinker to induce ground-ball outs.[64] In a June 27, 2012, appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Adam Dunn (a left-handed batter) was asked who the best pitcher he faced was. "Honestly, Randy Johnson when he was good. It's hopeless. It's like a hopeless feeling. The first time you face him you feel like he's going to hit you right in the back of the neck when he throws it, like every pitch is going to hit you in the back of the neck. And it ends up down and away for a strike and you just have to trust it's going to be a strike, and heaven forbid he doesn't lose one out there and heaven forbid, there goes your cheek."[65]

Accomplishments

 
Johnson throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Seattle Mariners home opener at Safeco Field
  • Pitched his first no-hitter for Seattle (their first) on June 2, 1990, against Detroit
  • 10-time All-Star (1990, 1993–1995, 1997, 1999–2002, 2004)
  • Led the league in strikeouts nine times (1992–1995, 1999–2002, 2004)
  • Led the league in ERA four times (1995, 1999, 2001, 2002)
  • Won 3 games in a single World Series (2001)
  • Triple crown (2002)
  • 5-time Cy Young Award winner (1995, 1999–2002)
  • 4-time Warren Spahn Award winner (1999–2002)
  • Holds the record for most strikeouts in a relief appearance (16 against San Diego on July 18, 2001)
  • Holds the record for highest single-season and career strikeout per 9 innings ratio: 13.41 and 10.61
  • Holds the record for most games with 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or more strikeouts[66][67][68][69][70]
  • World Series co-MVP (Curt Schilling, 2001)
  • Co-winner of the Babe Ruth Award (Curt Schilling, 2001)
  • Pitched a perfect game for Arizona against Atlanta (May 18, 2004) – oldest pitcher to do so in major-league history
  • Collected his 300th win in a 5–1 victory against the Washington Nationals on June 4, 2009
  • Sports Illustrated MLB All-Decade Team (2009)
  • Has defeated every major-league team at least once
  • Most strikeouts in a game by a left-handed pitcher, struck out 20 batters on May 8, 2001, against Cincinnati Reds (note: Johnson collected his 20th strikeout in the ninth inning of the game, but the game entered extra innings. Although he did not pitch in the 10th inning, by rule Johnson is not eligible to share the single-game strikeout record for a nine inning game.)
  • Set American League record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game by a left-handed pitcher with 19 against the Oakland Athletics and later the Chicago White Sox in 1997
  • Won 16 consecutive decisions from 1995 to 1997
  • 4,875 strikeouts, most all-time for left-handed pitcher; 2nd most ever (Nolan Ryan, 5,714)
  • Named to the Mariners Hall of Fame
  • Pitched two immaculate innings (September 2, 1998, against the Atlanta Braves and August 23, 2001, against the Pittsburgh Pirates)
  • Johnson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on 97.3% of the vote on January 6, 2015, third-highest percentage of all time for pitchers.
  • Johnson was formally inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 26, 2015, in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Personal life

Johnson has four children with his wife Lisa: Sammy (born 1994), Tanner (born 1996), Willow (born 1998), and Alexandria (born 1999). He also has a daughter from a previous relationship, Heather Renee Roszell (born 1989).[71] He is a resident of Paradise Valley, Arizona.[72]

Since retiring from baseball, Johnson has pursued a second career as a photographer.[73]

In January 2015, Johnson was named a Special Assistant to the team president of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Derrick Hall.

Johnson has participated in over 40 trips with the United Service Organizations. He also supports initiatives to fight homelessness. In recognition of all his charitable efforts, he was the Hall of Fame recipient of the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award in 2019.[74]

"Big Unit" nickname

During batting practice in 1988, the 6-foot-10-inch (2.08 m) Johnson, then with the Montreal Expos, collided head-first with outfielder Tim Raines, prompting his teammate to exclaim, "Damn! You're a big unit!"[75][citation needed] The nickname stuck.

Throughout much of his career, Johnson held the title of tallest player in MLB history. Former pitchers Eric Hillman, Andrew Sisco, Andrew Brackman, and Chris Young have also been measured at 6'10". After his retirement, the title of tallest player was held by Johnson's former Diamondback teammate Jon Rauch, a relief pitcher who is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m).[76]

Acting career

Johnson guest-starred in The Simpsons episode "Bart Has Two Mommies", which aired on March 19, 2006. Johnson appeared in the movie Little Big League, playing himself.

Johnson appeared in a Just for Men commercial where he had a grey beard and his neighbors told him "Your beard is weird." Johnson also appeared in a Right Guard commercial where he fired dodgeballs at Kyle Brandt, who represented odor. Johnson also appeared in several commercials for Nike in 1998. The spots comedically portrayed him taking batting practice (swinging ineptly at balls from a pitching machine) in his hope that he would break Roger Maris's then-single-season record for home runs. He made a cameo appearance in a commercial for MLB 2K9 with teammate Tim Lincecum. Johnson made an appearance in a GEICO insurance commercial.[77] In 2012, he appeared in a TV ad for Pepsi Max.[78] In 2016, Johnson appeared in a TV ad for the Mini Clubman.[79] In 2022, Johnson appeared with his former teammates Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez as well as Hall of Famer David Ortiz in a commercial for the streaming service DirecTV Stream parodying Ghostbusters, as the group (titled Goatbusters) battles a giant Mr. Redlegs destroying a baseball stadium.[80]

Johnson has been featured as a playable character in various Backyard Baseball games.

Johnson appeared in the episode "Control" on Franklin & Bash as himself.

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ Also led MLB in 1998, but it is not officially recognized as a strikeout title since he was traded md-season from an American League team (Seattle) to a National League team (Houston), and thus did not record enough strikeouts to lead either league.[1]
Sources
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  2. ^ "1. Randall David ("Randy") Johnson". rootsweb. Ancestry.com. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  3. ^ Miller, Scott (July 25, 2015). "Randy Johnson and Mark McGwire's Years Together at USC's Baseball Factory". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  4. ^ "Randy Johnson: Before He Was the "Big Unit"". January 7, 2015.
  5. ^ "Former Jaxpo Randy Johnson Elected to Southern League Hall of Fame".
  6. ^ "Ex-Tribe Star Johnson Elected to HOF".
  7. ^ . JockBio. September 10, 1963. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  8. ^ Kepner, Tyler (January 7, 2010). "AN APPRECIATION; Worth Watching, From Start to Finish". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  9. ^ "JockBio: Randy Johnson Biography". www.jockbio.com. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  10. ^ "Randy Johnson Almost Traded to the Blue Jays".
  11. ^ "AN ALL-STAR STRIKEOUT THAT WAS GOOD FOR SOME LAUGHS JOHN KRUK MAY HAVE LOOKED A BIT OVERMATCHED AGAINST \ RANDY JOHNSON. BUT IT DIDN'T COST HIM HIS SENSE OF HUMOR". Philadelphia Inquirer. July 18, 1993. p. E07. Retrieved December 1, 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[dead link]
  12. ^ "Batting Season & Career Finder". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  13. ^ Crasnick, Jerry (July 9, 1997). "Walker gets Kruk off hook Wilting under Johnson's high heat". Denver Post. p. D–01. Retrieved December 1, 2011. (subscription required)
  14. ^ Associated Press (June 12, 1997). "Walker will not face Johnson". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  15. ^ Cut4Staff (July 8, 2016). "Today in All-Star Game history: Larry Walker flips helmet, bats right-handed". MLB.com Cut 4. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  16. ^ Baker, Chris (July 9, 1997). "Johnson's wild toss amuses Walker, fans". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  17. ^ Eisenberg, John; Kubatko, Roch (July 9, 1997). "Relieved Walker walks away from hairy at-bat vs. Johnson Kruk-like wild pitch keeps Rockie on toes". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  18. ^ Elias Sports Bureau, Inc. (June 11, 2005). "Elias says ..." ESPN.com. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Randy Johnson.
  • Randy Johnson at the Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
  • Randy Johnson at SABR Baseball BioProject
  • Randy Johnson at Baseball Almanac
  • Randy Johnson at IMDb
  • Randy Johnson: Countdown to 300 Wins
  • Randy Johnson Video on FoxSports Video Archive
  • Box score of Johnson's perfect game
  • CBS Player Page
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Opening Day starting pitcher
for the Seattle Mariners
1992 – 1996
1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by National League Pitching Triple Crown
2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by No-hitter pitcher
June 2, 1990
May 18, 2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Perfect game pitcher
May 18, 2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NL hits per nine innings
2001
2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by AL hits per nine innings
1992–1993
1995
1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by American League All-Star Game Starting Pitcher
1995
1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by National League All-Star Game Starting Pitcher
2000–2001 		Succeeded by

May 01, 2023
randy, johnson, other, people, named, disambiguation, randall, david, johnson, born, september, 1963, nicknamed, unit, american, former, professional, baseball, pitcher, played, seasons, major, league, baseball, 1988, 2009, teams, primarily, seattle, mariners,. For other people named Randy Johnson see Randy Johnson disambiguation Randall David Johnson born September 10 1963 nicknamed The Big Unit is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball 1988 2009 for six teams primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks Randy JohnsonJohnson in 2016PitcherBorn 1963 09 10 September 10 1963 age 59 Walnut Creek California U S Batted RightThrew LeftMLB debutSeptember 15 1988 for the Montreal ExposLast MLB appearanceOctober 4 2009 for the San Francisco GiantsMLB statisticsWin loss record303 166Earned run average3 29Strikeouts4 875TeamsMontreal Expos 1988 1989 Seattle Mariners 1989 1998 Houston Astros 1998 Arizona Diamondbacks 1999 2004 New York Yankees 2005 2006 Arizona Diamondbacks 2007 2008 San Francisco Giants 2009 Career highlights and awards10 All Star 1990 1993 1995 1997 1999 2002 2004 World Series champion 2001 5 Cy Young Award 1995 1999 2002 World Series MVP 2001 Triple Crown 2002 MLB wins leader 2002 4 ERA leader 1995 1999 2001 2002 9 Strikeout leader 1992 1995 1999 2002 2004 a Pitched a perfect game on May 18 2004 Pitched a no hitter on June 2 1990 Arizona Diamondbacks No 51 retired Seattle Mariners Hall of FameMember of the NationalBaseball Hall of FameInduction2015Vote97 3 first ballot At 6 ft 10 in 2 08 m Johnson was the tallest player in MLB history when he entered the league a factor that contributed to his extremely intimidating persona and pitching style He is particularly known for his overpowering fastball and devastating slider a combination which remained effective throughout his lengthy career While he initially struggled with control in his early seasons Johnson subsequently established himself as one of the most dominant pitchers of his era leading his league in strikeouts nine times and in earned run average winning percentage and complete games four times each Along with teammate Curt Schilling Johnson was one of two World Series Most Valuable Players in 2001 in the Series Johnson won three games and led the Arizona Diamondbacks to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees in the fourth season of the team s existence He won the pitching Triple Crown in 2002 Johnson s 303 career victories are the fifth most by a left hander in MLB history while his 4 875 strikeouts place him second all time behind Nolan Ryan and first among left handers Johnson is a ten time All Star won the Cy Young Award five times and is one of only two pitchers the other is Greg Maddux to win the award in four consecutive seasons 1999 2002 Johnson won Cy Young Awards in both leagues He is also one of five pitchers to pitch no hitters in both leagues and one of 20 pitchers in history to record a win against all 30 MLB franchises Johnson enjoyed a career longevity uncommon to pitchers with his signature fastball slider combination remaining effective well into his 40s Four of his six 300 strikeout seasons occurred after his 35th birthday On May 18 2004 at 40 years old he threw Major League Baseball s 17th perfect game and remains the oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat Johnson ultimately retired at the age of 46 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 his first year of eligibility He is the first member of the Hall to be depicted in a Diamondbacks uniform on his plaque Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 3 Professional career 3 1 Drafts and minor leagues 3 2 Montreal Expos 1988 1989 3 3 Seattle Mariners 1989 1998 3 3 1 1989 1992 3 3 2 1993 3 3 3 1995 3 3 4 1996 1998 3 4 Houston Astros 1998 3 5 Arizona Diamondbacks 1999 2004 3 5 1 Perfect game 3 6 New York Yankees 2005 2006 3 7 Second stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks 2007 2008 3 8 San Francisco Giants 2009 3 9 Retirement 4 Pitching style 5 Accomplishments 6 Personal life 6 1 Big Unit nickname 6 2 Acting career 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEarly life EditJohnson was born in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb of Walnut Creek California to Carol Hannah and Rollen Charles Bud Johnson 2 By the time he entered Livermore High School he was a star in baseball and basketball In 1982 as a senior he struck out 121 batters in 66 innings and threw a perfect game in his last high school start College career EditJohnson accepted a full athletic scholarship to play baseball for the University of Southern California While at USC he also played two years of basketball He was a starter at USC where he was a teammate of Mark McGwire under coach Rod Dedeaux but often exhibited control problems 3 Professional career EditDrafts and minor leagues Edit After high school Johnson was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 4th round of the 1982 MLB draft but did not sign He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the second round of the 1985 Major League Baseball draft In 1985 he pitched for the Jamestown Expos of the New York Pennsylvania League 4 In 1986 he pitched for the West Palm Beach Expos of the Florida State League In 1987 he pitched for the Jacksonville Expos of the Southern League 5 In 1988 he pitched for the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association 6 Montreal Expos 1988 1989 Edit He made his major league debut on September 15 1988 against the Pittsburgh Pirates earning a 9 4 victory with a five inning outing in which he gave up two runs with five strikeouts his first victim was Orestes Destrade in the second inning Johnson posted a record of 3 0 with a 2 42 earned run average ERA in four games in 1988 but 1989 saw him slip to an 0 4 mark with a 6 67 ERA in seven games through May 7 On May 25 1989 he was traded to the Seattle Mariners in a trade involving five pitchers that brought Mark Langston to Montreal In 11 total games played with the Expos he went 3 4 with a 4 69 ERA and one complete game in 55 2 innings with 51 strikeouts and 33 walks Seattle Mariners 1989 1998 Edit 1989 1992 Edit After joining the Mariners during the 1989 season Johnson led the American League in walks for three consecutive seasons 1990 1992 and hit batsmen in 1992 and 1993 1 In July 1991 facing the Milwaukee Brewers the erratic Johnson allowed 4 runs on 1 hit thanks to 10 walks in 4 innings A month later a 9th inning single cost him a no hitter against the Oakland Athletics Johnson suffered another 10 walk 4 inning start in 1992 His untapped talent was explosive In 1990 Johnson became the first left hander to strike out Wade Boggs three times in one game and a no hitter against the Detroit Tigers attested to his potential Johnson credits a session with Nolan Ryan late in the 1992 season with helping him take his career to the next level Ryan has said that he appreciated Johnson s talent and did not want to see him take as long to figure certain things out as he had taken Ryan recommended a slight change in his delivery before the meeting Johnson would land on the heel of his foot after delivering a pitch and he therefore usually landed offline from home plate Ryan suggested that he land on the ball of his foot and almost immediately he began finding the strike zone more consistently 7 In a September 27 1992 game against the Texas Rangers with Ryan the opposing starting pitcher Johnson struck out 18 batters in eight innings while throwing 160 pitches a pitch count that has not been reached in an MLB game since 8 It was during the 1992 off season when Johnson returned home for Christmas only to lose his father to an aortic aneurysm His father s death was so devastating that he decided to quit baseball only to have his mother convince him otherwise 9 1993 Edit Johnson broke out in 1993 posting a 19 8 record 3 24 ERA his first of six 300 plus strikeout seasons 308 and he was also the first Seattle Mariners pitcher to reach 300 strikeouts in a single season In May 1993 Johnson again lost a no hitter to a 9th inning single again the opponent was the Oakland Athletics He also recorded his 1 000th career strikeout against the Minnesota Twins Chuck Knoblauch Prior to the trade deadline Johnson was nearly dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays for Steve Karsay and Mike Timlin Toronto general manager Pat Gillick had two separate transactions on the table including the one for Johnson with Seattle general manager Woody Woodward and one for Rickey Henderson with Oakland general manager Sandy Alderson When Gillick was unable to contact Woodward he agreed to utilize the deal with Alderson When Woodward returned Gillick s call he said he would agree to the deal for Johnson However Gillick gave his word to Alderson even though the deal had not been finalized 10 At the 1993 All Star Game in Baltimore Maryland in a famous incident Johnson threw a fastball over the head of Philadelphia Phillies first baseman John Kruk 11 On October 3 Johnson entered the final game of the season as a defensive substitution replacing Brian Turang in left field This made him the tallest player to play the field in baseball history 12 1995 Edit After pitching well in the strike shortened 1994 season Johnson won the American League Cy Young Award in 1995 with an 18 2 record 2 48 ERA and 294 strikeouts His 900 winning percentage was the second highest in AL history behind Johnny Allen who had gone 15 1 for the Cleveland Indians in 1937 Johnson became the first regular starting pitcher in history to strike out more than a third of all batters faced He also became the first Seattle Mariners pitcher to win the Cy Young Award and the only one until Felix Hernandez took home the honor in 2010 Johnson capped the Mariners late season comeback by pitching a three hitter in the AL West s one game playoff crushing the California Angels hopes with 12 strikeouts Thus unable to start in the 5 game ALDS series against the Yankees until the third game Johnson watched as New York took a 2 0 series lead He defeated the Yankees in Game 3 with 10 strikeouts in seven innings When the series went the full five games the Mariners having come back from an 2 0 deficit to win both games at the Kingdome Johnson made a dramatic relief appearance in the series final Game 5 on only one day s rest Entering a 4 4 game in the ninth inning Johnson pitched the 9th 10th and 11th innings He allowed one run struck out six and held on for the series ending win in Seattle s dramatic comeback 1996 1998 Edit Johnson was sidelined throughout much of the 1996 season with a back injury but he rebounded in 1997 with a 20 4 record 291 strikeouts and a 2 28 ERA his personal best Between May 1994 and October 1997 Johnson had gone 53 9 including a 16 0 streak that fell one short of the AL record Johnson had two 19 strikeout starts in 1997 on June 24 and August 8 Another colorful All Star Game moment proceeded in the 1997 edition involving former Expos teammate Larry Walker at that point with the Colorado Rockies 13 When Johnson had started an interleague game versus the Rockies on June 12 Walker chose not to play explaining that I faced Randy one time in spring training and he almost killed me 14 In the All Star Game Walker batted against Johnson who theatrically threw over his head Ever adaptable Walker placed his batting helmet backwards and switched sides in the batters box to stand right handed for one pitch He ended the at bat by drawing a walk 15 The incident momentarily drew mirth and laughter from players in both dugouts fans and announcers and of course comparisons to the at bat with Kruk in the 1993 All Star Game 16 In spite of garnering a reputation of avoiding Johnson 17 Walker batted 393 11 hits in 28 at bats against him in his career 18 nearly double the rate of all left handed batters at 199 19 When the 1998 season began Johnson was upset the Mariners would not offer him a contract extension given his contract was expiring after the season 20 Though the Mariners initially wanted to keep Johnson turning down a trade offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers 21 they fell out of contention going 8 20 in June 22 Minutes before the non waiver trade deadline on July 31 the Mariners traded Johnson to the Houston Astros for three minor leaguers Freddy Garcia Carlos Guillen and John Halama 22 Houston Astros 1998 Edit In 11 regular season starts with the Astros Johnson posted a 10 1 record a 1 28 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 84 1 3 innings and pitched four shutouts Johnson finished 7th in the National League Cy Young Award voting despite pitching only two months in the league and helped Houston win their second straight National League Central division title During the playoffs however the Astros lost the 1998 NLDS to the San Diego Padres 3 1 Johnson started Games 1 and 4 both losses He only gave up three earned runs combined in the two games but received only one run in support in Game 4 Arizona Diamondbacks 1999 2004 Edit Johnson agreed to a four year contract with an option for a fifth year for 52 4 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks a second year franchise 23 Johnson led the team to the playoffs that year on the strength of a 17 9 record and 2 48 ERA with 364 strikeouts leading the majors in innings complete games and strikeouts Johnson won the 1999 NL Cy Young Award and Warren Spahn Award as the best left handed pitcher in MLB 24 Johnson became the third pitcher in history after Gaylord Perry and Pedro Martinez to win the Cy Young Award in both the American and National Leagues Martinez won the AL Cy Young in the same season that Johnson won its NL counterpart Johnson finished 2000 with 19 wins 347 strikeouts and a 2 64 ERA and won his second consecutive NL Cy Young Award 1 and Warren Spahn Award 25 The Diamondbacks acquired Curt Schilling from the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2000 and the two aces anchored the Diamondbacks rotation 26 In the fourth year of the franchise s existence Johnson and Schilling carried the Arizona Diamondbacks to their first World Series appearance and victory in 2001 against the New York Yankees Johnson and Schilling shared the World Series Most Valuable Player Award the Babe Ruth Award 27 and were named Sports Illustrated magazine s 2001 Sportsmen of the Year For the first of two consecutive seasons Johnson and Schilling finished 1 2 in the Cy Young balloting 28 Johnson also won his third consecutive Warren Spahn Award 29 Johnson s performance was particularly dominating striking out 11 in a 3 hit shutout in Game 2 pitching seven innings for the victory in Game 6 and then coming on in relief the following day to pick up the win in Game 7 Of Arizona s eleven post season wins in 2001 Johnson had five He is also the last pitcher to win 3 games in a single World Series Johnson s Game 7 relief appearance was his second of the 2001 season on July 19 a game against the Padres was delayed by two electrical explosions in Qualcomm Stadium When the game resumed the following day Johnson stepped in as the new pitcher and racked up 16 strikeouts in seven innings technically setting the record for the most strikeouts in a relief stint 30 In 2001 Johnson struck a bird with a pitched ball resulting in what ABC News described as a sea of feathers 31 In a freak accident on March 24 2001 at Tucson Electric Park during the 7th inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants Johnson threw a fastball to Calvin Murray that struck and killed a dove The ball was ruled dead and it was ruled no pitch 32 The event was not unique in baseball history but it became one of Johnson s most remembered baseball moments 33 a news story 15 years later remarked the event remains iconic and the Big Unit says he gets asked about the incident nearly as much as he does about winning the World Series later that year with the Arizona Diamondbacks 34 Johnson struck out 20 batters in a game on May 8 2001 against the Cincinnati Reds Johnson recorded all 20 strikeouts in the first nine innings but because the game went into extra innings it was not categorized by MLB as an official 20 strikeout game On August 23 2001 Johnson struck out three batters on nine pitches in the 6th inning of a 5 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates becoming the 30th pitcher in major league history to pitch an immaculate inning Johnson s 2001 season was the 2nd time in MLB history where a starting pitcher had more than twice as many strikeouts in a season 372 as hits allowed 181 first accomplished by Pedro Martinez in the 2000 season with 284 strikeouts and 128 hits and later also accomplished by Max Scherzer in 2017 and both Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in 2019 In 2002 Johnson won the pitching Triple Crown leading the NL in wins ERA and strikeouts and was voted his fourth consecutive Cy Young and Warren Spahn Awards 35 It was Johnson s fourth consecutive 300 strikeout season with the Diamondbacks and fifth consecutive overall extending his own MLB record from the previous season in which he set the record for the most consecutive seasons with 300 or more strikeouts in a season by a pitcher 36 He also became the first pitcher in baseball history to post a 24 5 record 37 Johnson spent the majority of the 2003 season on the disabled list and was ineffective in the few injury hampered starts he did make He hit the only home run of his career on September 19 2003 against the Milwaukee Brewers Johnson was a 125 hitter over 625 career at bats Perfect game Edit Main article Randy Johnson s perfect game On May 18 2004 Johnson pitched the 17th perfect game in MLB history At 40 years of age he was the oldest pitcher to accomplish this feat Johnson had 13 strikeouts on his way to a 2 0 victory against the Atlanta Braves The perfect game made him the fifth pitcher in Major League history after Cy Young Jim Bunning Nolan Ryan and Hideo Nomo to pitch a no hitter in both leagues He also became the fifth pitcher in Major League history to throw both a no hitter and a perfect game in his career after Young Bunning Addie Joss and Sandy Koufax since Johnson Mark Buehrle and Roy Halladay have joined this group Johnson struck out Jeff Cirillo of the San Diego Padres on June 29 2004 to become only the fourth MLB player to reach 4 000 strikeouts in a career 38 He finished the 2004 season with a 16 14 record though his poor record was partially due to a lack of run support as his ERA that year was 2 60 Johnson led the major leagues in strikeouts with 290 In the games where Arizona scored three or more runs Johnson was 13 2 As his team only won 51 games that year his ratio of winning 31 3 of his team s games was the highest for any starting pitcher since Steve Carlton in 1972 who won 27 of the Phillies 59 wins for an all time record ratio of 45 8 New York Yankees 2005 2006 Edit Johnson with the Yankees The Diamondbacks traded Johnson to the New York Yankees for Javier Vazquez Brad Halsey Dioner Navarro and cash in January 2005 39 Johnson pitched Opening Day for the Yankees on April 3 2005 against the Boston Red Sox Johnson was inconsistent through 2005 allowing 32 home runs however he regained his dominance in late 2005 He was 5 0 against the Yankees division rival Red Sox and finished the season 17 8 with a 3 79 ERA and was second in the AL with 211 strikeouts In 2005 The Sporting News published an update of their 1999 book Baseball s 100 Greatest Players Johnson did not make the original edition but for the 2005 update with his career totals considerably higher and his 2001 World Championship season taken into account he was ranked at Number 60 citation needed Johnson was a disappointment in Game 3 of the 2005 Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim allowing 5 runs on 2 home runs in 3 innings In Game 5 in Anaheim Johnson made an effective relief appearance after Mike Mussina gave up 5 runs and 6 hits to give the Angels a 5 2 lead but the Yankees were unable to come back in the series After an inconclusive year in pinstripes New York fans hoped that Johnson would return to his dominant style in his second Yankee season Johnson began 2006 well but then he struggled to find form In between some impressive performances he allowed 5 or more runs in 7 of his first 18 starts for the season Johnson was more effective in the second half Johnson finished the season with a 17 11 record a subpar 5 00 ERA with 172 strikeouts It was revealed at the end of the 2006 season that a herniated disc in Johnson s back had been stiffening him and it was only in his second to last start of the season that he decided to get it checked This exposure caused him to miss his last start of 2006 After being given epidural anesthesia and a few bullpen sessions he was cleared to start in game 3 of the ALDS however he gave up 5 runs in 52 3 innings Second stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks 2007 2008 Edit Johnson pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks In January 2007 the Yankees traded Johnson back to the Diamondbacks almost two years to the day that Arizona had traded him to New York for a package of Luis Vizcaino Alberto Gonzalez Steven Jackson and Ross Ohlendorf 1 The Yankees decision to trade Johnson was primarily based on a pre season conversation he had with Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman about the importance of being closer to his family in Phoenix after the death of his brother 40 Johnson missed most of April rehabilitating his injured back before returning on April 24 2007 Johnson allowed six runs in 5 innings and took the loss but struck out seven He returned to form and by his tenth start of the season was among the NL s top ten strikeout pitchers But on July 3 his surgically repaired disc from the previous season was reinjured Johnson had season ending surgery on the same disc this time removing it completely Reporting that the procedure went a little better than expected Arizona hoped that Johnson would be ready for the 2008 season 41 Johnson made his season debut on April 14 2008 against the San Francisco Giants at AT amp T Park eight months following his back surgery On June 3 2008 Johnson struck out Mike Cameron of the Milwaukee Brewers for career strikeout number 4 673 With this strikeout Johnson surpassed Roger Clemens for the number two spot on the all time strikeout leaders list 42 Johnson struck out 8 in the game but could not get the win as the Diamondbacks lost 7 1 Johnson got his 4 700th career strikeout on July 6 2008 43 On July 27 2008 Fred Lewis became the first left handed batter to get four hits against Johnson in a game 44 In the first at bat in this game a fog horn went off as Johnson was releasing his pitch causing him to throw an eephus which fell for a strike 44 45 He finished the season with an 11 10 record and an ERA of 3 91 recording his 100th career complete game in a 2 1 victory over the Colorado Rockies 46 San Francisco Giants 2009 Edit Johnson with the Giants in 2009 On December 26 2008 Johnson signed a one year deal with the San Francisco Giants for a reported 8 million with a possible 2 5 million in performance bonuses and another 2 5 million in award bonuses 47 48 Johnson became the 24th pitcher to reach 300 wins beating the Washington Nationals the team that he first played for when they were known as the Montreal Expos on June 4 at Nationals Park in Washington D C 49 He became the seventh left handed pitcher to achieve the 300 win milestone and the fifth pitcher in the last 50 years to get his 299th and 300th win in consecutive starts joining Warren Spahn Steve Carlton Gaylord Perry and Tom Seaver Johnson was placed on the 60 day disabled list with a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder on July 28 2009 50 Johnson was activated by the Giants on September 16 2009 and assigned to the Giants bullpen 51 On September 19 2009 Johnson made his first relief appearance in 4 years facing the Los Angeles Dodgers for 3 batters 52 At age 46 he was at the time the second oldest player in Major League Baseball trailing only Jamie Moyer 53 Retirement Edit Randy Johnson s number 51 was retired by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015 On January 5 2010 he announced his retirement from professional baseball 54 The Mariners invited Johnson to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Seattle Mariners home opener at Safeco Field on April 12 2010 55 and inducted Johnson into the Mariners Hall of Fame on January 17 2012 56 The Diamondbacks invited Johnson and former teammate Curt Schilling to both throw out the ceremonial first pitches for the Arizona Diamondbacks recognition of the 10th anniversary of the 2001 World Series team that defeated the New York Yankees 57 Johnson was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2015 58 The Diamondbacks retired his number on August 8 2015 59 At the retirement ceremony Johnson was presented with a replica of the drum set used by Neil Peart drummer for the Canadian band Rush during their 30th anniversary tour 60 Pitching style EditIn the prime of his career Johnson s fastball was clocked as high as 102 mph 164 km h with a low three quarters delivery nearly sidearm 61 His signature pitch was a slider that broke down and away from left handed hitters and down and in to right handed hitters The effectiveness of the pitch is marked by its velocity being in the low 90s along with tight late break hitters often believed they were thrown a fastball until the ball broke just before it crossed home plate Right handed hitters have swung through and missed sliders that nearly hit their back foot 62 Johnson dubbed his slider Mr Snappy 63 In later years his fastball declined to the 96 mph 154 km h range and his slider clocked at around 87 mph 140 km h Johnson also threw a split finger fastball that behaved like a change up and a sinker to induce ground ball outs 64 In a June 27 2012 appearance on The Dan Patrick Show Adam Dunn a left handed batter was asked who the best pitcher he faced was Honestly Randy Johnson when he was good It s hopeless It s like a hopeless feeling The first time you face him you feel like he s going to hit you right in the back of the neck when he throws it like every pitch is going to hit you in the back of the neck And it ends up down and away for a strike and you just have to trust it s going to be a strike and heaven forbid he doesn t lose one out there and heaven forbid there goes your cheek 65 Accomplishments Edit Johnson throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Seattle Mariners home opener at Safeco Field Pitched his first no hitter for Seattle their first on June 2 1990 against Detroit 10 time All Star 1990 1993 1995 1997 1999 2002 2004 Led the league in strikeouts nine times 1992 1995 1999 2002 2004 Led the league in ERA four times 1995 1999 2001 2002 Won 3 games in a single World Series 2001 Triple crown 2002 5 time Cy Young Award winner 1995 1999 2002 4 time Warren Spahn Award winner 1999 2002 Holds the record for most strikeouts in a relief appearance 16 against San Diego on July 18 2001 Holds the record for highest single season and career strikeout per 9 innings ratio 13 41 and 10 61 Holds the record for most games with 11 12 13 14 15 or more strikeouts 66 67 68 69 70 World Series co MVP Curt Schilling 2001 Co winner of the Babe Ruth Award Curt Schilling 2001 Pitched a perfect game for Arizona against Atlanta May 18 2004 oldest pitcher to do so in major league history Collected his 300th win in a 5 1 victory against the Washington Nationals on June 4 2009 Sports Illustrated MLB All Decade Team 2009 Has defeated every major league team at least once Most strikeouts in a game by a left handed pitcher struck out 20 batters on May 8 2001 against Cincinnati Reds note Johnson collected his 20th strikeout in the ninth inning of the game but the game entered extra innings Although he did not pitch in the 10th inning by rule Johnson is not eligible to share the single game strikeout record for a nine inning game Set American League record for strikeouts in a nine inning game by a left handed pitcher with 19 against the Oakland Athletics and later the Chicago White Sox in 1997 Won 16 consecutive decisions from 1995 to 1997 4 875 strikeouts most all time for left handed pitcher 2nd most ever Nolan Ryan 5 714 Named to the Mariners Hall of Fame Pitched two immaculate innings September 2 1998 against the Atlanta Braves and August 23 2001 against the Pittsburgh Pirates Johnson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on 97 3 of the vote on January 6 2015 third highest percentage of all time for pitchers Johnson was formally inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 26 2015 in Cooperstown N Y Personal life EditJohnson has four children with his wife Lisa Sammy born 1994 Tanner born 1996 Willow born 1998 and Alexandria born 1999 He also has a daughter from a previous relationship Heather Renee Roszell born 1989 71 He is a resident of Paradise Valley Arizona 72 Since retiring from baseball Johnson has pursued a second career as a photographer 73 In January 2015 Johnson was named a Special Assistant to the team president of the Arizona Diamondbacks Derrick Hall Johnson has participated in over 40 trips with the United Service Organizations He also supports initiatives to fight homelessness In recognition of all his charitable efforts he was the Hall of Fame recipient of the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award in 2019 74 Big Unit nickname Edit During batting practice in 1988 the 6 foot 10 inch 2 08 m Johnson then with the Montreal Expos collided head first with outfielder Tim Raines prompting his teammate to exclaim Damn You re a big unit 75 citation needed The nickname stuck Throughout much of his career Johnson held the title of tallest player in MLB history Former pitchers Eric Hillman Andrew Sisco Andrew Brackman and Chris Young have also been measured at 6 10 After his retirement the title of tallest player was held by Johnson s former Diamondback teammate Jon Rauch a relief pitcher who is 6 feet 11 inches 2 11 m 76 Acting career Edit Johnson guest starred in The Simpsons episode Bart Has Two Mommies which aired on March 19 2006 Johnson appeared in the movie Little Big League playing himself Johnson appeared in a Just for Men commercial where he had a grey beard and his neighbors told him Your beard is weird Johnson also appeared in a Right Guard commercial where he fired dodgeballs at Kyle Brandt who represented odor Johnson also appeared in several commercials for Nike in 1998 The spots comedically portrayed him taking batting practice swinging ineptly at balls from a pitching machine in his hope that he would break Roger Maris s then single season record for home runs He made a cameo appearance in a commercial for MLB 2K9 with teammate Tim Lincecum Johnson made an appearance in a GEICO insurance commercial 77 In 2012 he appeared in a TV ad for Pepsi Max 78 In 2016 Johnson appeared in a TV ad for the Mini Clubman 79 In 2022 Johnson appeared with his former teammates Ken Griffey Jr and Alex Rodriguez as well as Hall of Famer David Ortiz in a commercial for the streaming service DirecTV Stream parodying Ghostbusters as the group titled Goatbusters battles a giant Mr Redlegs destroying a baseball stadium 80 Johnson has been featured as a playable character in various Backyard Baseball games Johnson appeared in the episode Control on Franklin amp Bash as himself See also Edit Biography portal Baseball portal300 win club 3 000 strikeout club Houston Astros award winners and league leaders List of Arizona Diamondbacks team records List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls allowed leaders List of Major League Baseball career games started leaders List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders List of Major League Baseball career innings pitched leaders List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders List of Major League Baseball career WHIP leaders List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders List of Major League Baseball individual streaks List of Major League Baseball no hitters List of Major League Baseball single game strikeout leaders List of Seattle Mariners team records Major League Baseball titles leaders Perfect game Seattle Mariners award winners and league leadersReferences EditFootnotes Also led MLB in 1998 but it is not officially recognized as a strikeout title since he was traded md season from an American League team Seattle to a National League team Houston and thus did not record enough strikeouts to lead either league 1 Sources a b c d Randy Johnson statistics and history Baseball Reference com Retrieved July 18 2012 1 Randall David Randy Johnson rootsweb Ancestry com Retrieved January 6 2010 Miller Scott July 25 2015 Randy Johnson and Mark McGwire s Years Together at USC s Baseball Factory Bleacher Report Retrieved July 21 2021 Randy Johnson Before He Was the Big Unit January 7 2015 Former Jaxpo Randy Johnson Elected to Southern League Hall of Fame Ex Tribe Star Johnson Elected to HOF Randy Johnson Biography JockBio September 10 1963 Archived from the original on January 11 2009 Retrieved July 18 2012 Kepner Tyler January 7 2010 AN APPRECIATION Worth Watching From Start to Finish The New York Times Retrieved December 1 2011 JockBio Randy Johnson Biography www jockbio com Retrieved September 26 2019 Randy Johnson Almost Traded to the Blue Jays AN ALL STAR STRIKEOUT THAT WAS GOOD FOR SOME LAUGHS JOHN KRUK MAY HAVE LOOKED A BIT OVERMATCHED AGAINST RANDY JOHNSON BUT IT DIDN T COST HIM HIS SENSE OF HUMOR Philadelphia Inquirer July 18 1993 p E07 Retrieved December 1 2011 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint url status link dead link Batting Season amp Career Finder Baseball Reference com Retrieved April 14 2020 Crasnick Jerry July 9 1997 Walker gets Kruk off hook Wilting under Johnson s high heat Denver Post p D 01 Retrieved December 1 2011 subscription required Associated Press June 12 1997 Walker will not face Johnson Los Angeles Times Retrieved February 4 2017 Cut4Staff July 8 2016 Today in All Star Game history Larry Walker flips helmet bats right handed MLB com Cut 4 Retrieved January 7 2017 Baker Chris July 9 1997 Johnson s wild toss amuses Walker fans Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 7 2017 Eisenberg John Kubatko Roch July 9 1997 Relieved Walker walks away from hairy at bat vs Johnson Kruk like wild pitch keeps Rockie on toes Baltimore Sun Retrieved January 7 2017 Elias Sports Bureau Inc June 11 2005 Elias says ESPN com Retrieved February 4 2017 Randy Johnson career pitching splits Baseball Reference com Retrieved January 7 2017 Baseball Johnson and Seattle No Reconciliation The New York Times February 25 1998 Retrieved December 2 2011 Chass Murray June 3 1998 Baseball Mariners Put Stop to Offers And Plan to Keep Their Ace The New York Times Retrieved December 2 2011 a b Finnigan Bob August 2 1998 Mariners Randy Johnson Trade What Happened Seattle Times Retrieved December 2 2011 Chass Murray December 1 1998 Johnson Signs With the Diamondbacks for 52 Million The New York Times Retrieved January 7 2010 Gonzales Mark February 19 2000 Durable Johnson Carries Big Load Arizona Republic p C1 Retrieved October 10 2011 subscription required The Warren Spahn Award Okcspahnawards com Retrieved July 18 2012 Howard Johnette November 5 2001 WORLD SERIES 2001 Arizona Shake Rattle amp Roll Schilling Johnson prove two can beat 25 Newsday p A 75 Retrieved December 1 2011 The Hutch Award Lou Gehrig Award Babe Ruth Award amp Roberto Clemente Award Winners Baseball Reference com Retrieved October 4 2011 Johnson scoops pitching prize BBC Sport November 6 2002 Retrieved December 1 2011 Johnson wins award Altus Times Associated Press December 5 2001 p 5 Retrieved October 10 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres Box Score July 18 2001 Baseball Reference com Randy Johnson Kills Dove With Pitch ABC News March 26 2001 The Official Site of Major League Baseball Official info Umpires Feature Mlb mlb com June 19 2012 Retrieved July 18 2012 In the years since fans have been as captivated by that fateful Spring Training start against the Giants as they have by Johnson s awesome pitching Randy Johnson bird even gets more Google results than Randy Johnson baseball Let s remember the time Randy Johnson accidentally drilled a bird with a fastball Mlb com March 24 2017 Bird Experts Reflect on Randy Johnson Hitting a Bird With a Pitch Newsweek March 24 2016 Bloom Barry M August 21 2002 More hardware for Big Unit MLB com MLB Advanced Media Retrieved October 10 2011 Steve Gilbert Unit s historic career like no other MLB com News Mlb mlb com Retrieved July 18 2012 The Neyer James Guide to Pitchers An Historical Compendium of Pitching Pitchers and Pitches Books Bill James Rob Neyer Amazon com June 15 2004 ISBN 0743261585 Steve Gilbert Big Unit joins 4 000 strikeout club MLB com News Mlb mlb com Retrieved July 18 2012 Paperwork in place for Johnson Vazquez trade MLB ESPN com December 30 2004 Retrieved December 16 2014 Kepner Tyler January 5 2007 Yankees Send Johnson Back to Arizona The New York Times Retrieved August 22 2017 Associated The March 9 2008 Hideki Matsui returns to Yankees lineup Randy Johnson ready for spring debut Usatoday Com Retrieved July 18 2012 Randy Big Unit Johnson vs Roger Clemens CBSSports com Retrieved July 18 2012 D backs fall on Johnson s historic night MLB com News Arizona diamondbacks mlb com June 19 2012 Archived from the original on May 17 2014 Retrieved July 18 2012 a b A Brief History of the Eephus pitch The New York Times July 30 2008 Retrieved July 17 2022 Randy Johnson Throws an Eephus Pitch YouTube Retrieved July 17 2022 Bagnato Andrew September 28 2008 Johnson Throws 2 hitter Diamondbacks Edge Rockies Yahoo Sports Retrieved December 1 2011 Giants sign free agent pitcher Randy Johnson to one year deal MLB com December 26 2008 Archived from the original on January 23 2009 Retrieved September 14 2009 Haft Chris December 26 2008 Giants sign Big Unit to one year deal MLB com Retrieved September 14 2009 Haft Chris June 4 2009 Big Unit gets 300th win on first try MLB com Retrieved December 1 2011 Johnson has rotator cuff tear ESPN com July 29 2009 Retrieved December 1 2009 Giants Activate Randy Johnson to Pitch Out of Bullpen fanhouse com Retrieved September 16 2009 MLB Gameday Retrieved October 27 2014 Ortiz Jorge L June 1 2009 At 45 years old Randy Johnson is still fired up USA Today Retrieved July 18 2012 Lefty Johnson retires ESPN com Associated Press January 6 2010 Retrieved January 7 2010 Stone Larry April 10 2010 Randy Johnson is enjoying retirement The Seattle Times Stone Larry January 27 2012 Randy Johnson Dan Wilson named to Mariners Hall of Fame The Seattle Times Randy Johnson Photostream Baseball Hall of Fame Johnson Martinez Smoltz Biggio elected CBS Sports Retrieved January 6 2015 Diamondbacks to retire Randy Johnson s No 51 HardballTalk January 7 2015 Dixon Gordon August 8 2015 Randy Johnson played drums at jersey retirement ceremony Larry Brown Sports Fastball clocked as high as 103 mph Hypertextbook com Retrieved July 18 2012 Verducci Tom May 16 2006 Showing his age Johnson s woes reveal his best days are behind him Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on August 23 2006 Retrieved November 30 2011 Lewin Josh May 4 2005 El Meteoro Not quite the same ring as Twinkletoes Sporting News Archived from the original on October 12 2007 Retrieved October 9 2007 Randy Johnson Scouting Report Feeds foxsports com Archived from the original on April 27 2005 Retrieved July 18 2012 Adam Dunn on The Dan Patrick Show 6 27 12 youtube com Retrieved October 16 2019 Pitching Game Finder Stathead com Sports Reference Retrieved October 8 2020 Pitching Game Finder Stathead com Sports Reference Retrieved October 8 2020 Pitching Game Finder Stathead com Sports Reference Retrieved October 8 2020 Pitching Game Finder Stathead com Sports Reference Retrieved October 8 2020 Pitching Game Finder Stathead com Sports Reference Retrieved October 8 2020 Love child mother lambaste Big Unit NBCSports com March 29 2006 Archived from the original on January 29 2009 Retrieved August 28 2008 Randy Johnson House Pictures CelebrityHousePictures com Retrieved July 18 2012 Randy Johnson Photography rj51photos com Retrieved April 11 2016 2019 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Winners Announced Santasiere Alfred Haley Swindal Quentin Washington May 27 2005 Big beginnings for the Big Unit MLB Advanced Media L P Archived from the original on October 12 2007 Retrieved June 18 2007 Baseball s Tallest Pitchers Commercials GEICO December 14 2010 Retrieved July 18 2012 Pepsi TV Commercial For Pepsi Max Field Of Dreams iSpot tv Retrieved October 8 2020 MINI Clubman Super Bowl 2016 TV Commercial Defy Labels Feat Serena Williams iSpot tv Retrieved October 8 2020 DIRECTV STREAM TV Spot Get Your TV Together GOATbusters Ft Alex Rodriguez David Ortiz Ken Griffey Jr Randy Johnson iSpot tv Retrieved June 23 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Randy Johnson Randy Johnson at the Baseball Hall of Fame Career statistics and player information from MLB or ESPN or Baseball Reference or Fangraphs or Baseball Reference Minors or Retrosheet Randy Johnson at SABR Baseball BioProject Randy Johnson at Baseball Almanac Randy Johnson at IMDb Randy Johnson Countdown to 300 Wins Randy Johnson Video on ESPN Video Archive Randy Johnson Video on FoxSports Video Archive Box score of Johnson s perfect game CBS Player PageAwards and achievementsPreceded byErik HansonJeff Fassero Opening Day starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners1992 19961998 Succeeded byJeff FasseroJeff FasseroPreceded byDwight Gooden National League Pitching Triple Crown2002 Succeeded byJake PeavyPreceded byMark Langston amp Mike Witt Roy Oswalt Peter Munro Kirk Saarloos Brad Lidge Octavio Dotel amp Billy Wagner No hitter pitcherJune 2 1990 May 18 2004 Succeeded byNolan Ryan Anibal SanchezPreceded byDavid Cone Perfect game pitcherMay 18 2004 Succeeded byMark BuehrlePreceded byChan Ho ParkKerry Wood NL hits per nine innings20012004 Succeeded byA J BurnettRoger ClemensPreceded byNolan RyanRoger ClemensJuan Guzman AL hits per nine innings1992 199319951997 Succeeded byRoger ClemensJuan GuzmanRoger ClemensPreceded byJimmy KeyCharles Nagy American League All Star Game Starting Pitcher19951997 Succeeded byCharles NagyDavid WellsPreceded byCurt Schilling National League All Star Game Starting Pitcher2000 2001 Succeeded byCurt Schilling Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Randy Johnson amp oldid 1151053644, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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