Aside from April 15th, 1947, the 10th of September in the year 1963 may be one of the most significant dates in the history of America’s pastime. Over a decade and a half after baseball took its first steps to racial inclusion, Randall David “Randy” Johnson was born in Walnut Creek, California, taking his first steps into the chapters of baseball lore.
Barriers were broken that faithful day when Jackie Robinson took the field, and although not as ground-breaking as Mr. 42, “The Big Unit” shattered his fair share of barriers as he took the mound for six different teams, accumulating over 300 wins in his glittering career.
Johnson’s stature was awe-inspiring, measuring 6’10”, and became baseball’s friendly giant as soon as he entered the league. His success did not come immediately, as his sensational fastballs – soon to be recognized as one of the most dominant in the game – failed to baffle sluggers for the first five seasons of his Major League career. It was not until Johnson received the blessing and advice from the greatest pitcher in the history of the game, Nolan Ryan, that Randy began to break out.
As Johnson found the strike zone more consistently, evolving from a wild pitcher to a pinpoint hurler, his résumé grew to include 300-plus strikeout seasons, one-hitters and the coveted no-no, five Cy Young awards, ten All-Star selections, a World Series championship and MVP award, and a Triple Crown. The legend only grew when 40-year-old Randy Johnson pitched the elusive perfect game, fulfilling the only gap in his unbelievable career.
“The Big Unit” revolutionized the art of pitching for the generations of athletes to come. Although Nolan Ryan first popularized the concept of a flaming fastball, consistently reaching triple digits, even well into his 40s, Randy Johnson demonstrated a masterful combination of velocity and location. Using the fastball as his main pitch, and using an above-average slider, Johnson embarrassed many of the sport’s best hitters.
Today, on Johnson’s 52nd birthday, his impact on the game can be widely witnessed, with more and more pitchers, both as a starter or out of the bullpen, channeling their inner Randy Johnson and heating up batters throughout the league. What was once a rare feat, admired by the greatest in the game, has now become an expectation for teams wishing to win it all. And the reason is simple: velocity trumps good hitting.
However, what changed Johnson from an average strikeout pitcher to a bona fide, sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer was his precision in delivering his pitches to the intended target. Before turning 30 years of age, “The Big Unit” led the American League in walks and hit batters in consecutive years. The ball escaped his hands at wild arm angles, and all control was lost from the moment he wound up to throw the pitch.
After the mentorship of Nolan Ryan, however, Johnson began finding the strike zone more consistently and with ease. Since his breakout season in 1993, Johnson has struck out batter after batter, with over 80% of his career strikeouts having been recorded after that year.
In the twilight of his career, Johnson was determined to repay the sport that allowed him to do what he loved while being rightfully billed as a legend. Signing a one-year deal with the budding San Francisco Giants, “The Big Unit” served as a mentor to the young pitchers of the Giants, who were relatively unknown and unpolished as diamonds in the rough. Just the following year, Johnson retired from the game he loved – at the age of 46 – and the last team for which he ever suited up shocked the world by winning the World Series, led by an All-Star cast of Johnson’s grateful pupils, Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Madison Bumgarner.
The numbers are out there, memorized and recited by baseball’s historians, and touted as stunning statistics for a pitcher in the infamous Steroid Era. Despite his statistical achievements, however, Johnson did not want to be remembered solely as the guy who broke baseball records. After Johnson’s mid-season retirement in 2010, he continued to actively pursue his passions in photography, while continuing to give back to his supporters over the years by serving as a motivational speaker for the military.
Father to five children, “The Big Unit” continues to serve as the leader of his big family unit. Unbeknownst to Johnson, however, is the fact that he is the father to so many more people around the world. Children who grew up watching and admiring the demonstration of domination he displayed each time he stepped to the mound, those who aspired to reach just half the heights Johnson reached, and those who became Major Leaguers for a chance to craft their own legacy in the history books of the greatest sport in the world; for all of whom were ever inspired by Randy Johnson, “The Big Unit” was a father.
Today, turning 52 years young, Randy Johnson continues to live by his passions without leaving the game behind. As the Assistant to General Managers of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a franchise that holds a special and dear place in his heart, he has helped rebuild a franchise that has underperformed since Johnson had led the team to its first and only World Series title.
As Randy Johnson continues to marvel at his own accomplishments, saying that “The Hall of Fame was never something I ever thought about,” we do so alongside the legend. Today, as fans of the game, we celebrate the career of Randy Johnson, while wishing him the best in the rest of his endeavours in a life already fit for the silver screen.
In life, it matters not the talents given to you, but the hard work and dedication put forth by you. In Johnson’s case, he took those talents, and worked harder than everyone else to forge a unique place in the annals of baseball.
And for that, we thank you, Randy.