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Randy Johnson

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

Randy Johnson
Johnson pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants – No. 51
Starting pitcher
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
debut
September 15, 1988, for the Montreal Expos
Career statistics
(through 2008 season)
Win-Loss295-160
Earned run average3.26
Strikeouts4,801
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963, in Walnut Creek, California), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched one of the 17 perfect games in Major League Baseball history.

The 6-foot-10 Johnson has been celebrated for having one of the most dominant fastballs in the game. He regularly approached, and occasionally exceeded, 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) during his prime. However, his signature pitch is a hard, biting slider. Johnson has won the Cy Young Award five times, second only to Roger Clemens' seven.

For all active pitchers through the 2008 season, Johnson is first in strikeouts per nine innings pitched (10.67 -- which is also first for all pitchers in history) and hit batsmen (188 -- third all-time), first in strikeouts (4,789 -- second all-time), fourth in hits allowed per nine innings pitched (7.24 -- 10th all-time), first in shutouts (37 -- 57th all-time), third in wins (295 -- 25th all-time), eighth in ERA (3.26), third in wild pitches (104), and seventh in won-lost percentage (.648). His 4,801 strikeouts are also first all-time among left-handed pitchers.

Biography

Early life

Johnson was born in Walnut Creek, California, to Carol Hannah and Rollen Charles (“Bud”) Johnson.[1] By the time he entered Livermore High School, he was a star in baseball and basketball. In 1982, as a senior, he fanned 121 batters in 66 innings, and threw a perfect game in his last high school start. He also played on a Burkovich team that assembled top players from throughout California.

He continued to star at the University of Southern California under coach Rod Dedeaux, but often exhibited control problems. He started off his rookie season with the Montreal Expos.

Professional career

Expos, Mariners (1988–98)

Since entering the majors, Johnson has been among the most feared pitchers in the game because of his effective fastball, augmented by his intimidating appearance (height, wild mullet hairstyle and mustache), and his angry, energetic demeanor on the mound. Part of his early intimidation factor came from his dramatic lack of control; after being traded away to the Seattle Mariners by the Montreal Expos for Mark Langston, Johnson led the AL in walks for three consecutive seasons (1990–92), and in hit batsmen in 1992 and 1993. 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.

But his untapped talent was volcanic: 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 as such, he 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.[2]

Johnson broke out in 1993 with a 19–8 record, 3.24 ERA and his first of six 300-plus strikeout seasons (308). In May 1993, Johnson again lost a no-hitter to a 9th-inning single; again, the opponent was the Oakland A's. He also recorded his 1,000th career strikeout against the Minnesota Twins' Chuck Knoblauch. 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. It is still replayed on highlights shows to this day.

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, who also finished second in the 1993 and 1997 Cy Young voting, and third in 1994, remains the only Seattle Mariners pitcher to win the award.

Johnson capped the Mariners' late season comeback by pitching a 3-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. Johnson beat the Yankees in Game 3 with 10 strikeouts in 7 innings.

When the series went the full five games, the Mariners having come back from an 0–2 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. Johnson's slow walk to the pitcher's mound from the left field bullpen electrified the sold-out home crowd. Entering a 4–4 game in the ninth inning, Johnson pitched the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings. He allowed 1 run, struck out 6, and held on for the series-ending win in Seattle's dramatic comeback.

Johnson posted an 0–6 playoff record in his next four playoff series, each of which his teams lost.

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.

In June 1997, Oakland slugger Mark McGwire's swing connected perfectly with a 104 mph Randy Johnson fastball; the result was a rocketing home run into the upper deck of the Kingdome, later estimated at 538 feet (164 m). The image of the home run bouncing off the left field wall of the Kingdome, above the seats, complete with Johnson swiveling and mouthing the word "Wow!," was replayed repeatedly on sports highlight shows. Johnson had 19 strikeouts in the game but lost, 4–1. Despite the claim of 538 feet (164 m), independent research later concluded that the farthest the ball could have traveled was 474 feet[1]- 64 feet (20 m) shorter than the Mariners' estimate.

Houston Astros (1998)

1998 was a tale of two seasons for Johnson. He was due to become a free agent at the end of the season but the Mariners' budget prevented them from making any serious offers for a contract extension during the season. Johnson was traded on July 31, 1998, when a deadline trade sent him to the Houston Astros for Freddy García, Carlos Guillén, and a player to be named later (eventually John Halama). Houston was in the thick of a pennant race and Johnson's strong arm anchored their rotation. In 11 starts, he went 10-1 with a sparkling 1.28 ERA, leading the Astros to the playoffs. Despite only pitching for a third of a season in the National League, Johnson finished 7th in National League Cy Young Award voting. Johnson's 1998 post-season was less positive. Despite striking out 17 San Diego Padres and walking 2 in 14 innings, the Astros scored only one run while Johnson was on the mound. Johnson finished the series with a 1.93 ERA, but finished 0-2 due to lack of run support.

Arizona Diamondbacks (1999–2004)

Johnson signed one of the largest contracts to that date in the off-season, inking a $53-million, four-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks; a second-year and relatively inexperienced franchise. It turned out to be one of the best free agent signings in baseball history, as Johnson won the NL Cy Young Award in each of the four seasons covered by the contract.

The deal paid immediate dividends for Arizona, as Johnson led the team to the playoffs that year on the strength of a 17–9 record and 2.48 ERA, enough to earn him his second Cy Young Award. Johnson's numbers could have been even more impressive; at one point in the season, Arizona failed to score a run in four consecutive Johnson starts, including a pair of 1–0 losses. Johnson's pitching line in the four starts: 32 innings, 19 hits, 54 strikeouts, a 1.40 ERA and an 0-4 won-lost record. Both Johnson and Pedro Martínez won 1999 Cy Young Awards, thus joining Gaylord Perry as the only pitchers to have won the award in both the American and National Leagues. (Roger Clemens has since done the same).

Johnson finished 2000 with 19 wins, 347 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA, and won his second NL Cy Young Award. Just as importantly for the Diamondbacks' future, the team acquired Curt Schilling from the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2000, giving Arizona the most feared power pitching duo in the sport of baseball at the time.

Johnson and Schilling carried the Arizona Diamondbacks to their first franchise World Series appearance and victory in 2001 against the powerful New York Yankees, in only their fourth year of existence. The two pitchers shared the World Series MVP Award 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.

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-- on zero days' rest-- to pick up the win in Game 7. Johnson had already pitched a shutout in Game 2, thus tying the record with three wins in one World Series, and erasing many of the doubts regarding his post-season ineffectiveness. Of Arizona's 11 post-season wins in 2001, Johnson had five.

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 7 innings, technically setting the record for the most strikeouts in a relief stint.

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 (Washington Senator Tom Cheney's 16-inning, 21-strikeout game is also listed separately).

"Bird Beanball"

In a freak accident on March 24, 2001, during the 7th inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants, Johnson threw a fastball that struck and killed a dove. The unlucky bird swooped across the infield just as Johnson was releasing the ball. After being struck by the pitch, the bird landed dead amid a "sea of feathers." The official call was "no pitch."[3]

In 2002, Johnson won the pitching Triple Crown, leading the NL in wins, ERA and strikeouts, and was voted his fourth consecutive Cy Young Award. It was Johnson's fifth consecutive 300-strikeout season, a record. He also became the only pitcher in baseball history to post a 24–5 record.[4] On August 23, 2002, Johnson struck out 3 batters on 9 pitches in the 6th inning of a 3–2 win over the Chicago Cubs, becoming the 30th pitcher in major league history to accomplish the nine-pitch/three-strikeout half-inning.

Johnson spent the majority of the 2003 season on the disabled list and wasn't effective in the few injury-hampered starts he did make. One thing he did accomplish that year was hit his first career home run in a September 19, 2003 game against the Milwaukee Brewers. It is the only home run to date for Johnson, a career .128 hitter.

On May 18, 2004, Johnson became only the 17th player to throw a perfect game, and at 40 years of age, the oldest. Johnson had 13 strikeouts on his way to a 2–0 defeat of 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.

On June 29, 2004, Johnson struck out Jeff Cirillo of the San Diego Padres to become only the fourth MLB player to reach 4,000 strikeouts in a career.

He finished the 2004 season with a 16–14 record, but had a far better season than his won-lost total indicated; the D-Backs scored two or fewer runs in 17 of his 35 starts that season. 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 (2005–06)

Johnson pitching for the Yankees in 2006

On January 6, 2005, Johnson was traded to the New York Yankees. 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.

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. It was Johnson's first relief appearance since Game 7 of the 2001 World 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 had been 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 had 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 5 2/3 innings.

Return to Diamondbacks (2007–08)

On January 5, 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 five young players and prospects. The Yankees' decision to trade Johnson was primarily based on his pre-season request to be traded after the passing of his brother. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was very sympathetic to Johnson's grief and agreed to trade him back to the Diamondbacks so that Johnson could be closer to his family in Phoenix.

Johnson missed most of April rehabbing 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.

Randy Johnson made his much anticipated season debut on April 14, 2008 against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park eight months following his back surgery. Johnson pitched 5 solid innings, allowed just 3 hits along with 3 unearned runs, struck out 7 Giants hitters but struggled with his command early on and issued 4 walks, and throwing only 49 of his 90 pitches for strikes. He received a no decision after leaving with a 4–3 lead when the Giants rallied in the 7th inning, denying Johnson his 285th career victory.

On May 18, 2008, Johnson earned his 288th career victory, shutting out the Detroit Tigers 4–0. Johnson pitched seven innings and struck out 5 for career strikeout 4,653. Six days later, Johnson allowed only one run and struck out 10 for career strikeout 4,663, leaving him only nine strikeouts behind Roger Clemens for second on the all-time list. On May 29, 2008, Johnson struck out 9 batters against the Giants, tying Roger Clemens with 4,672 career strikeouts, but the Diamondbacks could not get him the win. [5]

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. Johnson struck out 8 in the game but could not get the win as the Diamondbacks lost 7–1.

Johnson suffered his third defeat of the season on June 9, 2008 when Johnson struggled pitching 5 and two-thirds innings allowing 4 earned runs and striking out 3 for career strikeout #4,683. The game was also marred by a bench clearing argument between Johnson and Doug Mientkiewicz.

Johnson struggled mightily in his next game this time going 4 and two-thirds innings allowing 8 runs, 7 earned and striking out 3 for career strikeout #4,686. This game was marred by throwing errors by both Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds which led to the extra runs for the Kansas City Royals.

Johnson got his 4,700th career strikeout on July 6, 2008. He finished the season with a 11–10 record and an ERA of 3.91, recording his 100th career complete game in a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.[6]

Pitching style

In the prime of his career, Johnson's fastball had been consistently clocked over 100 mph (160 km/h), even as high as 102 mph (164 km/h).[7] His signature pitch is a slider that breaks 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 believe they were thrown a fastball until the ball breaks just before it crosses home plate. Right-handed hitters have swung through and missed sliders that nearly hit their back feet.[8] Johnson dubbed his slider "Mr. Snappy".[9] In later years, his fastball declined to the 96 mph (154 km/h) range. Johnson also throws a split-finger fastball that behaves like a change-up, as well as sinker to induce ground-ball outs. His slider clocks at around 87 mph (140 km/h). [10]

Due to his height, long arms, and side-arm pitching, Johnson's pitches appear as if they are coming from the first base side of the mound, easily deceiving left-handed hitters. This deceives the hitter into thinking that Johnson is pitching from closer than he actually is. However, with the decline in his fast ball's velocity, right-handed batters have had greater success in noticing his release point and hitting his pitches.

"Big Unit" Nickname

During batting practice in 1988, the 6'10" Johnson, then with the Montreal Expos, collided head-first with outfielder Tim Raines, prompting his teammate to exclaim, "You're a big unit!".[11] The nickname stuck.

Johnson was once the tallest player in MLB history. He is currently the second-tallest along with Chris Young of the San Diego Padres and Andrew Sisco of the Chicago White Sox. The tallest is 6'11" pitcher, and Johnson's former Diamondback teammate, Jon Rauch.

Accomplishments

  • Pitched a No-Hitter for Seattle on 06-02-1990 against Detroit
  • 10-time All-Star (1990, 1993–95, 1997, 1999, 2000–02, 2004)
  • Led the league in ERA four times (1995, 1999, 2001, 2002)
  • Led the league in strikeouts nine times (1992–95, 1999, 2000–02, 2004)
  • World Series co-MVP (Curt Schilling, 2001)
  • 5 time Cy Young Award winner (1995, 1999–2002)
  • Pitched a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves (May 18, 2004)- oldest pitcher to do so in Major League history

Jersey Number

For most of his career, Johnson has worn number 51, a number that in Seattle is now worn by All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro, who unlike most star players didn't have a preference for a jersey number, actually wrote a letter to Johnson upon arriving with the Mariners saying that he would never bring shame to the number. Johnson did wear jersey number 34 for a time while playing in Seattle, however.

However, Johnson wore number 41 while with the New York Yankees, since 51 was being worn by longtime Yankee Bernie Williams. In such cases, players with an attachment to their uniform number sometimes reverse the digits (as Carlton Fisk did when he switched from 27 to 72 after joining the Chicago White Sox). However, 15 was also unavailable to Johnson, because the Yankees have retired the number in honor of the late Thurman Munson. Johnson opted for 41, since he was 41 years old at the time he signed with New York.

Upon returning to Arizona, Johnson reverted to his more familiar 51.

It was unclear as to which number Johnson would wear when he signed with the San Francisco Giants, as number 51 was being used by Noah Lowry. Lowry, however, graciously gave up his jersey number so Johnson could maintain his signature number.

Johnson guest starred in The Simpsons episode Bart Has Two Mommies, which aired on March 19, 2006. In the episode, Johnson promotes left-handed teddy bears and is met by Ned Flanders at a left-handers convention.

Johnson appeared in the movie Little Big League, playing himself.

Johnson appeared in a Right Guard commercial where he fired dodgeballs at people representing 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 Mark McGwire's then-single-season record for home runs.

Personal life

Johnson has four children with his wife Lisa: Sammy (born 28 December 1994), Tanner (born 5 April 1996), Willow (born 23 April 1998), and Alexandria (born 4 December 1999). He also has a daughter from a previous relationship, Heather Renee Roszell (born 1989).[12] He is a resident of Paradise Valley, Arizona.

See also

References

  1. ^ 1
  2. ^ JockBio: Randy Johnson Biography
  3. ^ The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Official info: Umpires: Feature
  4. ^ Amazon.com: The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches: Books: Bill James,Rob Neyer
  5. ^ Johnson moves up strikeout chart, Giants win 4-3 - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
  6. ^ Bagnato, Andrew. "Johnson Throws 2-hitter, Diamondbacks Edge Rockies". Yahoo! Sports. Sept 28, 2008.
  7. ^ Fastball clocked as high as 102 mph
  8. ^ Showing his age
  9. ^ Josh Lewin (2005-05-04). "El Meteoro? Not quite the same ring as Twinkletoes". Sporting News. Retrieved 2007-10-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Randy Johnson Scouting Report
  11. ^ Santasiere, Alfred (2005-05-27). "Big beginnings for the Big Unit". MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved 2007-06-18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ 'Love child', mother lambaste Big Unit, NBCSports.com, March 29, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-08-28.
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