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| '''Randall David "Randy" Johnson''' (born ], ] in ]) is a left-handed ] in ]. He is most noted for his stature (at 6'10" (2.08 m), he is the tallest player to ever play in the Majors) and one of the meanest ]s in the game. Randy has won the ] five times, second only to ]' six. | |||
| Since entering the league, he has been among the most feared pitchers in the game. Opposing hitters have often remarked that, because of his height and release point, it feels as though he's pitching from ten feet closer than he actually is. Combined with a 95 mile-per-hour fastball, many batters find him practically unhittable. | |||
| == Early Career == | |||
| Randy Johnson was ] by the ] in the 2nd round of the ] amateur draft and made his debut on ], ]. Despite four solid starts that fall, Johnson struggled with his command early the next season and lost the faith of the Montreal organization. On ], ] he was traded along with Gene Harris and Brian Holman to the ] for a player to be named later and ]. | |||
| The change of scenery was not an instant remedy for the "Big Unit's" wildness -- he ] over 100 batters in ], ] and ] -- but he worked hard and the organization stuck with him. He posted better-than-average ] and ] numbers those years, prompting many to ask the question of how good he would be if he could just get control of his fastball. The question would be answered over the next decade. | |||
| == Best Years == | |||
| Johnson broke out in ], combining overwhelming pitching with improved mechanics en route to a 19-8 record, 3.24 ERA and his first of many 300-plus strikeout seasons (308 that year). After pitching well in the strike-shortened ], Johnson won the ] ] in ] with a phenomenal 18-2 record, 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts. | |||
| Johnson was sidelined throughout much of the ] season with a back injury, but he rebounded in ] with a 20-4 record, 291 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA (his personal best). | |||
| ] 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' strapped budget prevented them from making any serious offers for a contract extension during the season. Concerns over whether and when he might be traded likely played a role in Johnson's 9-10 record with the Mariners during the early part of that season. His 4.33 ERA during that stretch was highly unusual. | |||
| Johnson's season turned around on ], ] when he was traded at the deadline to the ] for a player to be named later (]), ] and ]. Houston was in the thick of a pennant race and benefitted from Johnson's strong arm anchoring the 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, he finished 7th in National League Cy Young Award voting. | |||
| Johnson signed one of the largest contracts to that date in the off-season, inking a $53-million, four-year deal with the ] a second-year and relatively inexperienced franchise. The move paid off, however, 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. In ], Arizona acquired power-pitcher ] from the ], giving Arizona the most feared starting duo in the early 21st century. Johnson and Schilling carried the Diamondbacks to their first franchise ] appearance and victory in ], in only their fifth year of existence. The two pitchers shared World Series MVP co-honours and were named '']'' magazine's 2001 "]". | |||
| Johnson spent the majority of the ] season on the disabled list and wasn't effective in the few injury-hampered starts he did make. However, even though he is now in his early 40's, Johnson has consistently proven himself to get better with age. Few doubt his ability to produce in ], just two years removed from his last Cy Young award. | |||
| On ], ], Johnson became only the 17th person, and at 40 years of age, the oldest person in Major League Baseball history, to throw a ], with 13 strikeouts on his way to a 2-0 defeat of the ]. | |||
| On ], ], Johnson struck out ] of the ] to become only the 4th person to throw 4000 strikeouts in a career. | |||
| == Accomplishments == | |||
| * All-star (1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) | |||
| * World Series co-MVP (with ]) | |||
| * American League Cy Young Award winner (1995) | |||
| * National League Cy Young Award winner (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) | |||
| * Finished 2nd in American League Cy Young Award voting (1993, 1997) | |||
| * Finished 3rd in American League Cy Young Award voting (1994) | |||
| * Finished 7th in National League Cy Young Award voting (1998) (''despite playing until ]st in the American League'') | |||
| * Finished 6th in American League MVP voting (1995) | |||
| * Finished 7th in National League MVP voting (2002) | |||
| * Led the league in ERA four times (1995, 1999, 2001, 2002) | |||
| * Led the league in wins (2002) | |||
| * Led the league in Strikeouts (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) | |||
| * Won ] (led league in wins, ERA and strikeouts) (2002) | |||
| * Struck out 19 batters in a game (June 24, 1997 against ]; August 8, 1997 against ]) | |||
| * Struck out 20 batters in a game (May 8, 2001 against ]; game went 11 innings, but Johnson recorded all strikeouts in the first nine innings) | |||
| * 4000 career strikeouts (as of ], ]. 4th overall) | |||
| * Career 238-118 record | |||
| * Threw ]: June 2, 1990 (] 2, ] 0) | |||
| * Threw ]: May 18, 2004 (] 2, ] 0) | |||
| == Yearly salaries == | |||
| * 1989 Montreal Expos $70,000 | |||
| * 1990 Seattle Mariners $150,000 | |||
| * 1991 Seattle Mariners $350,000 | |||
| * 1992 Seattle Mariners $1,392,500 | |||
| * 1993 Seattle Mariners $2,625,000 | |||
| * 1994 Seattle Mariners $3,325,000 | |||
| * 1995 Seattle Mariners $4,675,000 | |||
| * 1996 Seattle Mariners $6,025,000 | |||
| * 1997 Seattle Mariners $6,325,000 | |||
| * 1998 Seattle Mariners $6,000,000 | |||
| * 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks $9,700,000 | |||
| * 2000 Arizona Diamondbacks $13,350,000 | |||
| * 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks $13,350,000 | |||
| * 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks $13,350,000 | |||
| * 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks $15,000,000 | |||
| == Teams == | |||
| * ] (1988-1989) | |||
| * ] (1989-1998) | |||
| * ] (1998) | |||
| * ] (1999-) | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 00:18, 14 September 2004
Hello! Everybody go to www.geocities.com/amberjames8/Horseland_For_Kids.html