There Will Never Be Another Randy Johnson
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- čas přidán 11. 03. 2023
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He was scary : Getting that 102 MPH fast ball up near your chin try that once
Kerry wood also had a 20 K game
Actually I just looked in the phone book and there's quite a few Randy Johnsons you Sir are a liar😜
Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan are comparable. They both had some control problems until about 30 years old and then became lights out.
P
When Randy Johnson pitched his perfect game, he spent the whole post game interview talking about what a good job his catcher did. Class act
And when accepting his HOF induction. His speech was an entire oral history of his life. Practically day by day. Hahaha
Who was the catcher?
@@risboturbide9396 Robby Hammock
@@risboturbide9396 the Terminator. They had to use a superhumanly strong robot to play catcher for Randy, because all the human ones he'd played with had had one hand fall off their arm, from trying to catch his fastballs.
Randy Johnson was when I started to wish there was a way to get rid of Cashman…worst GM in baseball
It’s often stated how Michael Phelps physiologically and anatomy make him almost tailor-made for competitive swimming. I think the same can be said about Randy Johnson, but even more so. His stature, exceptional limb length, fast twitch muscles, and mullet/mustache combo make him the ideal specimen for being a power pitcher.
Yeah all that's great, but we know it was all about the mullet and mustache :D
@@jefffinkbonner9551 🤣🤣
I think of MMA fighterJon Jones in the category as well. Super long and lean or Anderson Silva in his prime
By the time he releases the pitch, his hand could pick the pocket of any lefty hitter. It's just unfair!
There are only two men who can pull of a mullet, this man and the swayze... And I'm not sure if if RJ actually pulled it off or I'm just to scared to tell him otherwise
The most insane thing of all about The Big Unit: he debuted at age 25, yet he really didn't put it all together and become the phenom we know until *age 29.* Had he been able to do it at a younger age, he'd probably be looking at well above 5000 K's and well above 300+ wins.
Yeah...His career basically started at 30. Imagine if he was prime for 10 more years the career numbers and accomplishments he could have gotten...
Thank you for bringing this up. Sad but not surprising that this comment is being ignored!
When Nolaln Ryan showed him how to adjust his pitch, that's when he became awesome.
Had he talked to Nolan earlier…we will never know, possibly the Babe Ruth of pitching
That's why I don't blame the Expos for trading him. He was a trainwreck old prospect until Ryan and Tom House fixed him. There was no blueprint for a 6'10 pitcher back then.
I can’t believe Johnson threw 160 pitches in a game. Dudes a beast.
So what Nolan Ryan threw 235 in a game
@@muellertronchannel4625 you don't have to hate my guy, 160 or 235 both are crazy
yep, and that was in a Extra inning game, dont see many pitchers that actually start a game and actually stay in while it went into extra innings, and he struck out almost 20 batters in that game. @@muellertronchannel4625
& that was done often on a 3 day rotation... nowadays pitchers do maybe half on a 5-6 day rotation & still get injured.
@@nicolasmartinez795 We don't hate your choice , Look at the numbers ,I'm not even saying your wrong, But in 1968 ? Mr Bob Gibson had best season find me any MLB pitcher the can even come close to his ERA record ,, MLB lowered the pitching mound to give Batters a chance to score runs, They changed baseball rules because he was so good the batters could not hit him,, MLB wanted more exciting higher scoring games for the fans, MLB changed the rules
of the game because he was so good that players were afraid to face, I like Mr Ryan he was one of the best,, But i loved sandy koufax ,, Check out how many complete games he pitched, pitching was differnt then, I'll put Bob Gibsons record against any modern pitcher, I'm interested and value your opinion.
Fun fact, the Diamond backs had (maybe still do, haven't followed them in years) a promotion with a local gas station that whenever their pitchers struck out 10 batters in a game, every fan in attendance would get a coupon on the way out for a free drink. They also, at that time, had a section that was their "dollar" seats, high bleacher seats you could buy on the day of the game for a single dollar. Whenever the Big Unit was pitching and we were in the area anyway, my friends/family would always buy a bunch of dollar seats, watch the game, and enjoy a bunch of large drinks on the way home, all for a buck. He never once, in any game we attended, failed to earn those drinks for us.
That is one of the coolest things I've heard. Well played!!
They would hang a circle k “k” up for every strike out.. randy Johnson and curt schilling where UNSTOPPABLE!
I used to buy the dollar seats too... I was able to watch a lot of home games as a kid cause it only cost $1! Never once sat in that section tho as we would move down to the bleachers which used to cost like $10 back then
As an Arizona State grad, I did the same thing but would sneak in my own mini-booze bottles.
Circle K was the gas station that did that. What a promo 🙌🏼
The way he would stare at hitters walking back to the dugout. He wanted them to understand they had no chance. He always honored his Dad as well. He’s a good man.
I don't know much about baseball but from what I heard about randy we was a stand up guy with nothing but class back in those days we honored our parents and if we didn't listen we got our asses tore up I'm a mommas boy my momma died June 13th 2021 qt 0650 hours I'm about to be getting a tattoo that says "momma" and the date she was born and the date she died
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ i repent i repent. forgive me Jesus. i will give money to the church i will. forgive me. but Jesus - why do i have to donate all my wages to the church?
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ Jesus you only love me if i give you money? like a prostitute?
Bob Gibson had that same stare.
@@KwisBwown Technically you don't have to donate ALL your wages to the church. A 10% tithe is generally agreed upon.
Being a 90's kid in Seattle was so great. Seeing Jr and RJ in the Kingdome? Absolutely mint.
and martinezzz
And the grunge scene there. What a time for you haha
The grunge scene 🤟🏼
Sonics were great too. Shawn Kemp and Gary Peyton. City was alive and amazing after winning game six against Salt Lake.
I loved the King Dome. So many great memories there
My friends and I watched probably 60 DBacks games in 2001, as bullpen seats were $11 and I had a friend who was a beer vendor. We were treated to back-to-back pitching gems from Johnson and Curt Schilling. If there has ever been another pitching duo that was as good or as competitive, I would be shocked.
I was fortunate enough to attend games 2 and 6 of that world series, both Johnson starts. What a season, and what a pitcher!
another great pitching duo Maddux, Glavine they were fun to watch for years
@@mw3891 Greg maddux is one of my favorite players of all time. His command of several variations of fairly soft fastballs was extraordinary. Guys with 86 mph fastballs won't even hardly get college scholarships these days, and Maddox won 300(?) games during the "juice" era. Unbelievable. Glavine and Smoltz rounded out maybe the best 3-some of pitchers I've ever seen
@@stevescuba1978 yes I honestly forgot about Smoltz cannot believe that lol your right about the best 3 pitchers they were fun to watch and dangerous
Pedro and Schilling
@@harryparsons2750 Pedro was great, but Johnson had 21 years to Pedro's 18, 4800 K's to 3100, 300+ wins to 200, and 1800 more innings.
Still a great duo, but Johnson was just unreal....best pitcher since Nolan Ryan.
Hard to see people either too young to remember him, or just not realize how much of a presence he had on the mound. Truly one of a kind
Absolute Class A PITCHER
It's a shame his 4 consecutive Cy Youngs went somewhat under the radar. Thanks to the peak, and subsequent nose dive, of the steroid era. With everyone focused solely on home runs, then on the fallout of the Balco case. Randy Johnson is one of those athletes that transcends sports. Like Bo Jackson, Nolan Ryan, Wayne Gretzky, etc...
He was so intimidating I have heard you can run faster scared than you can mad I wouldn't want too piss randy off though
He should have won a sixth over Roger Clemens in 2004 so the two can be tied for the most, but unfortunately the Diamondbacks cratered to 51-111 that year so Randy went 16-14 despite a 3.23 ERA in his losses and no-decisions!
Randy was a stud, only Mo is one of a kind
Fun fact Randy is a great photographer and a fan of the band Coheed and Cambria. Upon discovering this they invited on a tour date as a stage photographer.
No fucking wayyyyy
He does professional photography at alot of big league games even football.
I met him and his camera equipment at a Jason Bonham show in Phoenix. He had just been elected to the HOF and we chatted amiably about baseball and music. Nice guy.
@Jon O Cool! Thanks for that info. I'm a huge RJ and Coheed and Cambria fan. I know that Alice Cooper and Randy owned a sports bar together at one time (Maybe they still do).
_How about his close relationship with the 3 guys (now just 2 guys, sadly) in RUSH?_
Mr. Johnson is also an amazing photographer and one of the nicest guys I have ever met!!!!
A small correction: Randy's dad died during back surgery and was not directly heart related. He was a heavy smoker which caused him to have an undetected aortic aneurysm which ruptured during surgery. I golfed with Bud as he and Randy's mom Carol were close friends with my in-laws. In 2019 she used to call my 95 year old (at home hospice patient) mother in law and they would talk for hours. Randy's parents were fun-colorful folk and I am sorry Bud didn't get to see Randy's career play out.
Underrated comment
Same
As a Mariners fan, Randy Johnson will always hold a special place in my heart. That guy has a look that could kill
As a fellow Seattleite...we should've never let him go. :(
as an astros fan, i too ennoble randy.
I remember the glory days of Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr, Jay Buhner, Norm Charlton and Edgar Martinez.
Perfect game at age 41. RJ was an absolute monster. I had the fortune to see him pitch in Seattle as a kid.
I saw him lose in Montreal. But, stand up dude.
Until he became a Yankee
Yes an incredible example of the ped era.
Saw him in Seattle as well. What a monster on the diamond!
I dont think any player, let alone a pitcher will ever hit a bird in a game ever again. Its only fitting that a legend like Randy Johnson is the one who actually did it. What a pitcher and human being. I was blessed to watch him pitch while growing up in the 90's.
I always thought Randy was the only one to hit a bird, but it actually happened another time!
czcams.com/video/MmlgQIhyURo/video.html
(It's the one that starts around 19 seconds in that video)
Omg…thank you for providing the link for that. I couldn’t imagine something like that happening more than a single time. That bird had at least a possibility of surviving being it was hit with a breaking ball. Randy smoked the poor bird he hit with an absolute laser that basically disintegrated the poor guy. That was crazy. I saw it, not live, but on the day it happened via SportsCenter during baseball tonight. That was just insane. Lmfaooooo
At least the bird stood a chance. Batters had to stand inside the box.
He should have went to jail for what he did to that bird 😅😅
He will forever go down as the only player to make a bird explode
That thing vaporized into thin air
Growing up as a DBacks fan Randy was truly a blessing to us. Didn't really realize how lucky I was to be able to witness such greatness. That slider was one of the deadliest pitches ever.
Things only became more amusing when they added Schilling to the rotation... my God, can you imagine facing those two guys back to back? I'll bet they shattered the confidence of all kinds of hitters.
We can never have too many documentaries about Randy Johnson, one of the most dominating and fascinating players in Major League Baseball history. I was only fortunate to watch him pitch in person once, and it was near the end of his career. However, it was his 300th win, and watching him reach that amazing milestone was enough for me to become a lifelong fan! It's fun to watch him dedicate his time and energy into his original love of photography now that he's retired.
One small nitpick about the video. He was only 40 when he threw his perfect game, since that came on May 18, 2004 and his 41st birthday wouldn't come until September 10, 2004. He did get a win on his 41st birthday: a 2-1 win over the Giants that was the 243rd of his career! And he still made it to 300! Amazing!
Watching him dominate the Yankees was so epic. No one gave the D-Backs a chance even with him on the mound. Epic.
Man I haven't thought about Randy Johnson in a very long time , this man was truly a legend, I never realized he was 6'10 when I was younger jeez!
It's funny how I take so much pride in Johnson as a Mariner fan. What a freakin' legend!
I gotta admit, it twinges a little to see people's memories of him be the D-Backs instead of the Mariners, but the M's always had to M...
Even as a Yankee fan y'all always had players I loved Griff Randy Edgar Ichiro was my fav player for a while even playing for y'all id be rooting for them
Loved that mid 90s Mariner team, wish they would have kept Johnson. Griffey, Arod and Martinez were legit
@@jweezy5490 Bro you ain't kidding that would have been a dynasty imo unbelievable collection of talent.
I watched Johnson pitch in the kingdome once. The ball just popped so much louder when he threw. The sound it made got everyones attention...
this was my childhood.. growing up watching him.. tuning in to him and Michael Jordan. This guy was just unbelievable. Just amazing.
RJ was like the tiger woods of baseball! He made it soo exciting every time he pitched u were on the edge of your seat! Thank you for all the awesome memories as a Mariners fan💙💚🥰
Well. This is disrespectful. Tiger Woods is black in a white dominated sport. The Tiger Woods of baseball is Ken Griffey Jr. or Jackie Robinson.. Or even Mr October.
@@2TrainWakefieldshut up nobody cares
Greatest starting pitcher of all time. Aside from 5 Cy Youngs, he was 2nd in the voting 3 other seasons, and 3rd in another season. That's 9 total seasons in the top 3 of the voting.
Behind Nolan Ryan
Kershaw exists so no. Look up the stats Kershaw is the GOAT. I hope you are watching because hes still active.
@@kevinm69138 Kershaw is still an active player, so we’ll see.
@@kevinm69138 Kershaw needs to accomplish a little more to enter Randy territory. He's close. Mind you though, he just turned 35....Randy Johnson won 4 Cy Youngs after turning 35 and pityched till he was 46yrs old.
He’s not even the best pitcher with the last name of Johnson.
This is a once in a lifetime player. I'm glad I was alive to witness him.
great, but once in a lifetime, no
Amen
@@garyt19651 there literally are no other 6'10" lefties throwing absolute fucking gas on the mound lmao
@@garyt19651 He definitely was a once in a lifetime pitcher. 😂😂😂
That early 90s Seattle Mariners team was what got me into baseball. Jr was already my favorite player and Randy was a close second 💯💯
Im still shocked that team never won a championship.
@@williamhermann6635 me too but in all fairness that Atl team with 5 legit starting pitchers was going to be a tough outing for any team that faced them
@@timduke4616 Possibly, but they never even made it that far. And that offense was stacked too. Griffey, ARod, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buehner, etc. They could bop with anyone but outside of Randy Johnson they just didnt have the pitching.
As a kid growing up in Phoenix I knew he was tall and good at pitching, never knew he was 6’10 and undoubtedly the second best pitcher with one of the coolest personas ever
As a young 5’ nothing south paw, in the 90’s, Randy and Ken Griffey Jr were my hero’s.
Born and raised in Arizona and got to see him in Game 6 Vs the Yankees. Saw him many times in AZ on the mound and I still see him all the time as a photographer. I’ve seen him at Slayer and Slipknot shows also saw him at NHRA drag races.
That's cool as hell. Who knew Unit was a Slayer fan? If you need a good laugh, watch Jim Breuer's bit about Slayer fans and then picture RJ being a part of it. Just picturing that in my head makes me laugh
When Randy Johnson has to pull off an extreme zoom with his beloved camera, who is there to catch and return his camera to him?
I was going into Hobby Bench on Bell Road as he was coming out with some RC cars. My brush with greatness.
@@avlisk he’s the coolest 😂🤣 I pumped gas next to him once in Scottsdale
That's awesome. I went to game 1, after my brother in law asked if I wanted to buy in on some tickets. What a show that was. About 3/4 of the way through game 1, he was checking his cell phone and said I could get advance tickets to game #7 for something like $64.00. At that time, I wasn't sure there was going to be a game 7, but I guess they sell them in advance, with no promise of a refund at a major discount. What a mistake it was turning down those tickets. At least I got to watch it on TV. What a game that was. I was living in Arizona at the time and the Diamondbacks brought me back to the sport of baseball, so it was great to have found a new team to root for, then watch them win it all. Randy Johnson and Kurt Schilling put on a show like no other I've ever seen in the sport, of course with Randy being the undeniable star.
The Unit was my favorite pitcher without a doubt. So dominant and intimidating. My favorite memory of him was the World Series taking down the vaunted Yanks. He and Schilling dominated one of the best lineups of that era. Even the Yanks knew it was over when they were on the mound.
He was the first pitcher I ever saw live in 99 in AZ. He was incredible to watch.
He was incredible to watch. I also got to see him pitch 1 time and it was also in Arizona. I went there to visit an old friend from grade school who I hadn't seen in nearly 25 years. He got us tickets to the game, way up in the upper deck behind home plate in 2001. I'm talking serious nosebleed seats, but it was perfect to watch him shut down the Cardinals and strikeout 14. The only disappointment was that Mark McGuire was sidelined in that game. Despite McGuire's PED use, he and Randy were spectacles to watch back in the day.
seen him live in 2000 became a fan of the Dbacks ever since amazing human beign at his sport all my dbacks jerseys are all his !
You FORGOT about the fact that Randy Johnson threw a consistent 100+ mp/h fastball all throughout his career! Truly the goat. Imagine if the Mariners kept everyone.
He wanted out. No ?
@@breadandcircuses8127I’m sure Griffey wanted out and the mariners picked a rod over Griffey or something like that with them two
Nolan Ryan is the GOAT. No matter who you cheer for that’s is an absolute fact. Randy was a beast though. One of the greatest.
@@buzzknutson😂 ryans as overated a player as jeter.
@@buzzknutsonput the bottle down son,I agree about jeter
I love that it was Nolan Ryan that gave him the advice he needed to be great. Quite possibly the 2 best pitchers ever
It wasn’t solely Nolan. It was Nolan’s coach, Tom House. The one who taught Nolan control in his later years.
No possibly about it. Ryan was the best pitcher of all time and Randy was the best lefty of all time (so, number 2 of all time).
gotta throw Maddox in there as well. We've also had some great relievers in there through the years but yeah I gotta agree.
@@leecowell8165 Maddox is in a different category. I don't like the term greatest because different pitchers are great for different reasons. Ryan and Johnson are probably the 2 most dominant pitchers of all time though.
@@garyhollman2399 Nolan Ryan was the best pitcher of all time? 😂😂😂😂😂. Learn baseball man. Not even in the top 25
Having gone to the one game playoff against the Angels and games 4 and 5 of the NLDS against the Yankees in the Kingdome in '95, all I can say it that it was so electrified in the dome that year. Some of the best memories of my life!!
I was there for the infamous game 5 vs the Yankees. All I know is to see a outdoor stadium with 35-40,000 baseball fans during the playoffs is absolutely monumental. But to be in a concrete dome with over 72,000 baseball fans in game 5, well, I don't know what the decibel level would have been after Edgar's game winning double, but I'm sure it was at least 160-170. Most incredibe moment of my life. Thank you Randy for the great Mariner highlights and wished you would've went in the Hall as one
@@jeffreyhammond9023 I'll just say that it was loud as fook! Fireworks, everyone high fivin' like the like high fivin' white guys from Almost Live, it was a great experience!
RJ was literally insane, just glad I got to witness his greatness in person.
The Big Unit. I was SUCH a huge fan of the Mariners in the 90’s. He was an intimidating presence on the mound for every batter that faced him.
Larry Bird of Baseball
Randy Johnson is the reason I am a fan of baseball, and the Diamondbacks. I always wonder how insane Randy's number would have been if he had been given that advice from Nolan Ryan and Tom House in college, instead of with the Mariners. Would he have topped Ryan's strikeout numbers??
I believe Randy was one of Tom House's first real students after Nolan, so the advice didn't even really exist yet when Randy was in college, House hadn't opened his school yet. But yeah. Have you seen the GQ video on CZcams where Tom House explains how he became a doctorate of physics and single handedly created the sports science industry of pitching mechanics, and became the best pitching coach in history (not to mention he also teaches quarterbacks to throw in football, he's a big reason why Tom Brady became as good as he did)? If not, here's the link to it. It's absolutely enthralling and fascinating, genuinely, it's amazing what science can achieve in sports, even a sport as old as baseball which you'd think would have pretty much worked out the right way to do things already, but no even by the 1990s it seemed like what the "common knowledge" of everything involved in playing baseball was was barely scratching the surface, and the sport had an enormous capacity to modernize still, there's so much even now that's still yet to he uncovered, that will change the sport in a dramatic way again. But yeah, watch this video, and then afterwards watch the sequel video to this one, also on the GQ channel, where Tom House explains how he coached Tom Brady into becoming the best quarterback ever: m.czcams.com/video/fG8o25i8A9k/video.html
Some who tell the story of House teaching Randy make it sound like it was Nolan Ryan who gave Randy the advice, but really it was Tom House. House then got fired for it, for helping a pitcher on another team cos he was with the Rangers and helped Randy who was a Mariner at the time, but that was a good thing in the long run as it meant House could open his pitching school which is still going today.
In a way though, Nolan Ryan was way more of a Tom House student than Randy was. Randy was already nearly great, just inconsistent, and had to change one small thing about his footwork in order to become the best pitcher on the planet. But Nolan Ryan went from nearly having to retire early because of injuries making him unable to perform well enough, to actually becoming a far better pitcher than he ever was before, and he was already great. House extended Ryan's career by many many years, and made him into a better pitcher too, I believe most of Ryan's Cy Youngs and no-hitters came when he was already in his early to mid 30s, after the time he'd already come very close to retirement. It's a testament to how powerful science is. He spent years and years working with House and definitely reaped more benefits from it than almost anyone else.
If only poor Dave Stieb had been able to work with Tom House. When Stieb was suffering with injuries and his ERA ballooned, he pitched a game against Nolan Ryan, a game that's on CZcams, and the commentators mention at the start how both of them are on their last legs looking for one final chance to maybe recover their good pitching form and extend their career a bit further after they'd been suffering from bad injuries. One went on to become a far better pitcher than he'd been beforehand, somehow, and the other guy sadly retired soon after, although he did come out of retirement for 1 year, 5 years later, having finally recovered from his injuries, and played all season for the blue jays that year, not just the odd inning here and there, which had never been done before or since after such a huge amount of time since the first retirement.
Tom House works with a ton of kids at his school, and so in like 15 years time we're probably gonna start seeing a whole generation of Tom House trained pitchers in MLB who all collectively raise the standard of pitching in the league by an enormous amount. MLB would have to change something again probably, because nobody wants to watch a type of baseball where no tram ever scores lol
I wonder how many other aspects of sports could use Tom House and his science. Like with American football and throwing the ball as a quarterback. Like, for example, what about cricket? It's the 2nd most popular sport on earth after all, so there's a _LOT_ of money there riding on good results. House could simply apply his method to the mechanics of bowling and batting in cricket, and make players far better at both, and also reduce the likelihood of injuries by a lot like he has done with baseball. It'd be fantastic to see. Cricket batting already was changed by a single man, Don Bradman, who essentially invented his own new style of batting that went against all conventional "wisdom" of the time, and dominated the world by playing in this style. And then he taught it to everyone else, and these days _EVERYONE_ in cricket bats like Bradman. He didn't use science or computers to come up with all that stuff, he played before computers were even a thing. But yeah I just wonder what Tom House with his PhD and his computers and physics modeling software etc could teach us about cricket, how much could be changed for the better, to make the sport as a whole even stronger.
@@duffman18 I ain’t reading allat
@@duffman18 Thanks for the post, I didn't know about Tom House. But one correction: Nolan Ryan never won a Cy Young award.
I remember watching Randy on my Mariner's in the 90s, wish we would have kept him we had such a good team with Griffy, Arod and Edgar Martinez, could have been the elite
@@jweezy5490 As I remember, the M's were elite without those four (2001).
I remember when he was on his run in Arizona. I would sit behind home plate at games, and we were afraid of him in the stands. Can’t imagine being the batter.
LOL
Golden-era Diamondbacks memories here... The guy is literally a legend, and I can't imagine having to have faced him. That World Series is still burned into my head; I just wish we would have kept the old colors.
I grew up as a kid watching Randy! I was at both games he went 20 K's. The stadium was at a peak you only get when a team wins a playoff series.
Growing up in AZ, it was always such a treat to see him pitch. Met him a few times and he was always so nice! Truly a legend in the game
He brought the one and only championship to sports cursed Arizona.... THAT is his most unbelievable accomplishment
Randy Johnson was Awesome! He defines the term "effectively wild"!
Nolan Ryan?
Those bats they stink. That's what a guy said working on my air conditioning unit?
saw The Big Unit many times through his career,, dude was a BEAST. the mature Randy Johnson was a Jedi Master of his craft, a joy to watch. Nolan Ryan told him to dial it back. Mature Randy Johnson at 85% was a Master who could dial it up when needed. One of the best I ever saw, simple that
I think it was Joey Votto who said in an interview after being asked which pitcher he thought had the most obvious tell.
He said something along the lines of "Randy Johnson was one such pitcher. His tell was if he thought you knew what was coming, he'd hit you."
Watching him play was one of the best things at the time, when he was on the mound, you knew who was in control.
The fact Randy's stride is so long means he releases the ball a foot or two closer to home than others. Which means 98mph feels like much faster.
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
Watching Randy pitch was a treat.
He was incredible to watch and a class act.
Had the pleasure of seeing him as a Mariner and then moving to Arizona for college and seeing him in his prime years with the Dbacks, including going to Games 1 & 2 of the World Series, an absolutely crazy season for so many reasons. Any game Randy started you knew there was a possibility of seeing something magical.
like a bird dying
As a Giants fan who was in high school during the skinny years in the mid 2000s, the coolest thing for me was having Johnson on the team even if it was for 1 year and clearly his last bit in the tank.
Yep, too bad he didn't have a little bit left in the tank in 2010.
undoubtedly my favorite pitcher of all time. since i first heard of him in backyard baseball 2001 he's always been special to me, absolute legend
As a young boy in the 90’s born in Tacoma, I was absolutely obsessed with this guy during his tenure in Seattle. Him and Edgar Martinez were my two favorite players of all time, with Jamie Moyer in a close 3rd.
I know there have been a ton of great pitchers I’ve gotten to watch in the 25 years Ive been a baseball fan, but not a single one compares to Randy Johnson. The Big Unit was terrifying on the mound and was absolutely dominant for longer than any other pitcher I can remember. So glad I got to witness his greatness.
During that time, there were only 2 pitchers I watched every chance I got. Both of them were traded by the Expos, as the video mentions lol. Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. The latter being my all-time favorite. If only the Expos had some foresight.
My next grandsons middle name will be Randy. I hope
Greg Maddux
@@nicholasadams2374 I watched Mad-Dawg, Johnson, Martinez, Glavin, and Smoltz every chance I that I could. Yes, I am Braves fan, and I will say that Randy Johnson stood Taller (pun intended) in that crowd.
Give Walter time… he’s a big boy with mullet in a mariners jersey. He will hopefully get as close as we will ever see again.
the big unit, he is one of the the legendary players. Growing up a mariners fan I loved him.
One of my all-time favorites. Overpowering, yet humble. Johnson was a beast. Fun side note - got to see him pitch while he was still with the Expos (in a Old-Timer's game at Mile High Stadium). I have his signature on a ball, right next to Willie Mays, Vida Blue and Bob Feller. Later - I never tired of watching him mow down Rockies year after year at Coors Field.
I remember seeing him play when I was a kid. I've always been a Stros fan, but I also understood how great he was, he's a legend.
I can confidently agree there will never be another like Randy Johnson. Truly one of God's own prototypes. He was, as the kids say "built different". And the more time goes on the more you realize how incredible his career was. And theres no shortchanging him in any era. He would dominate today just as hard as he always did. God if we could have had him against Team Japan the other night. Lets see their lefties at the top deal with the Big Unit. Man that would have been so cool.
Johnson would pitch 20 no hitters and strikeout 7000 if he played in today's soft game.
As a Diamondbacks fan, I can say that he was so dominant at that point in his career that you felt like if he was pitching and we scored a single run, it was game over. There'll never be another pitcher as dominant.
Hands down the nastiest slider ever, that ball slid like 6 feet 😅
He wasn’t just talented either. He was a freakin bulldog out there. He wasn’t like today’s hard throwers who are done after 5-6 innings. This dude was getting you to the 8th or 9th every night with a lead. He battled.
I watched a couple of his years in Arizona as a kid and loved the guy. I had no idea his career went so many years longer and he continued the dominance straight through. This is an incredible eye opener as to how sick this guy actually was.
I grew up in Seattle during the Randy Johnson Mariners era. I remember vividly how dominate he was and his heroics in the postseason for us. I was sorry to see him go but appreciated all he did while he was there.
My recollection is that his first game back in Seattle, he was given a five-minute standing ovation when he took the mound - in contrast, Alex Rodriguez was greeted with five minutes of boos and people throwing monopoly money onto the field.
I feel bad, for some of the younger generation never saw how dominant Randy Johnson was, and since the dude was a consummate professional, and his overall quiet demeanor, he never got the attention of some of the other players in that era. But he was without a doubt, one of the most intimidating pros to step on the mound.
As an astros fan I remember that 98 season. never seen a pro team not able to hit a fastball, but it was still fun to see Randy in an Astros jersey.
He is a HUGE reason my Diamondbacks ever won a championship!! Randy the GOAT!!
Wow! Those we’re the days… I remember him when I was growing up. The Big Unit. Mr. Randy Johnson. The Legend.
Randy Johnson was the only guy in the national League who somewhat measured up to Pedro Martinez during that era of 99-01.
The amazing thing about Johnson was his longevity. To dominate that much for so long.
well his arms were 10 feet long so he could throw effortless fast balls!
@@leecowell8165 I think he more just moved his arm forward and put the ball in the catcher's mitt. It wouldn't surprise me if he had some cartoon-like effects from Wylie Coyote where his limbs stretch like rubber and that's why they're better couldn't hit the ball.
If Justin Verlander does not get to 300 career wins, then Randy will be the last one to do it
Both Randy and Curt measured up fine against Pedro. Altho while Randy and Curt won every postseason game against the yanks, neither threw a yankee coach into the mud like pedro 😂
@@leecowell8165 The ball was already halfway to home plate when he released it lol
@@ninja0406 I dont think you realize how unbelievable Pedro was during that time. Its not slighting Randy or Curt, its giving Pedro the credit he deserves. He put up the best 3 year stretch of pitching in modern baseball history. Even better than Randy.
Growing up getting to watch him and Nolan Ryan was a gift... In my opinion the two greatest pitchers ever
I hear he has found a new passion. GOOD FOR HIM!!! I first saw him pitch in Seattle. His form?? A work of art. Followed his pitching career. Great athlete, great person and I'm thankful for having seen him work. GO FOR IT RANDY!!
I was so lucky to have been here in Arizona and go to his games. I made a pint to go to just about every game he pitched here. Had great seats on his 20k game too! That was unreal. Sad I didn’t go to any of the WS games. Every playoff game I’ve gone to we lost, so I wasn’t going to jinx anything lol But man, what a great time to be a baseball fan. Able to see one of the greatest pitchers to ever play tge game was awesome.
Randy Johnson is the very first memory I have about baseball. He is the one I always think of as to why I began loving baseball, and why I played for 6yrs as a kid. And the craziest thing is I always remember him as a Yankee, thus making me a Yankee fan for all my life. So that is the time baseball became a thing for me. On a note about this video, very well done here and you've given so much insight to him and the game. Thanks for that!
I remember back in the early to mid 90s going to the kingdom most every game with my family and getting to watch Randy pitch. Hearing the story of his career makes very grateful that I got to witness the living legend in person.
Decades later I still remember a great.
My all-time favorite MLB legend!
The GOAT. I know it's overused, but in Randy Johnson's case, absolutely deserving.
Baseball doesnt have a GOAT
Johnson's prime was in his late 30s as opposed to his late 20s/early 30s. That's bananas.
Enter Justin Verlander.
I wonder if it has to do with steroids. I’m not discrediting him, he’s the best pitcher in my opinion. I just think if you look at his baseball reference page it’s almost bizarre how he dominants in his late thirties. Once again I think he’s the GOAT regardless
@@dabear7862 thats a valid point but I also think it has to do with sports science advancing in general
@@RunnerBoy55 yeah, he's in the same convo. Not quite as dominant but the run he's been making for the last 5-6 years is crazy considering how "good, but kinda overrated" he was back in like 2012. I guess all the shit talk about the postseason finally pushed him harder lol
@@dabear7862 I've always wondered if he was juicing too. Most people don't realize there are lots of steroids that don't add massive bulk, but are great for increasing stamina or recovering from injury. Not all roid users end up looking like a wrestler like Bonds and McGwire. I'm suspect of anyone from the steroid era, but especially the guys who played well into their 40's. Johnson is still on my top 5 favorite pitcher list regardless though.
Johnson worked hard and deserves much praise for his perseverance. He had talent but needed time to become the great pitcher he was.
Wtf... He was on the decline, he needed peds.
He’s a beast I remember growing up watching him he was so good
Still one of my fav. pitchers in my lifetime. Grew up watching him. He had many struggles but boy did he make a comeback!!! Goes to show in order to succeed you must first fail.
As a young Mariner’s fan, I used to look at the schedule and figure out every game where it was Randy’s turn to pitch. Those were the games you HAD to watch. What a legend.
I was in El Gulfo Mx at a cantina when they won the series in spanish. It was the first time an Arizonan was proud of their team. It was awesome
The part where Randy lost his dad and then the trumpet beat comes in got me emotional. Good stuff
I remember little me believed this man could throw 150 mph I swear. Legend
150 kph for sure, actually close to 160
My favourite baseball player of all time. The BIG UNIT!
Glad I got the chance to grow up watching the big unit! He was one of a kind and my rear end would for sure be puckering if he were to pitch to me!
As a Dbacks fan...we never forget the man, the myth, number 51, the legend himself
Thank you Backyard Baseball for introducing me to this beast.
Randy is my favorite player of all time. An absolute UNIT. Such a unique player. It’s cool seeing him on a NFL sideline with his camera doing something he loves.
When I first moved to Arizona I decided to follow the D-backs. They did not disappoint because that was the year they won the world championship. That game was so intense and at the edge of my seat. Didn't help our PE teacher was a Yankees fan and made a bet with the class. Randy was certainly on my favorites list. Wasn't the only one but unfortunately I don't remember the name of the other players I really liked. Have not followed baseball in a long while, or any sport really.
All of these accomplishments while tipping his pitches. What a legend~
I love Randy Johnson. True badass!!
My favorite pitcher. I used to LOVE watching the Unit when I was just a kid in the 90s and then his run with Arizona was so fun to watch
as an english guy who plays cricket and knows f-all about baseball this was really fascinating, to generate that much speed from a standing position is incredible, a lot fast bowlers who take a 20 yard run-up in cricket would struggle to get that much speed, especially above the age of 40. this will inspire me to incorporate this into my fielding game!
I watched his whole career. He's my 2nd favourite pitcher of all-time, and maaaaaaaaaan, do I love to watch his highlights.
@@rickrandomites I don't mind at all! My favourite pitcher of all time is Nolan Ryan!
Even late in his career when he eclipsed the 300 W mark as a SF Giant, he was still very effective. I remember he had a no hitter going until the 6th inning in one of his starts that year.
You nailed this video title spot on..... The man is an absolute freak of nature in every way possible. And now he's a professional photographer.
Randy is still and will always be my favorite lefty.
I still remember it like it was yesterday. My dad had just turned 40 and we bought him diamondbacks season tickets. I got to go to nearly every game. THE ONE GAME where my dad and I didn't go, he gave the tickets to his mom and her friend and Randy threw a no hitter. My dad was beside himself lmao. I was 8 so it didn't matter to me though.
The Big Unit was one of a kind, In my lifetime of 41 years, Pedro, Maddux, Randy are my top 3, Pedro had the nastiest stuff, Maddux for his pinpoint accuracy, and Randy for his dominance and the fear he put in opponents, If I had to pick one pitcher I wouldn’t want to face in the history of the game it would be Bob Gibson, The Unit is a very very close 2nd!
...they changed the rules of baseball because Gibson was so overpowering. If they had not dropped the mound 5 inches in the middle of Gibson's career...he would have had 400 wins...
Maddux in his prime could crank it up when he needed too. Most dominating pitcher I would have to give to Gibson's teammate, Steve Carlton. You had to score on Carlton early as once he got into his rhythm it was over. He would finish stronger than he started but that was back in the days of pitchers going for complete games. He had a great balk move to first that umpires let him get away with that would pick off guys on first all the time. Hated the guy! LOL. As far as fear, I would probably say J.R. Richard, but his career ended right when he was reaching his prime. But then J.R. was a right handed Randy Johnson so their very similar.
Really well made documentary, thank you so much for putting this together!! Johnson truly was one of a kind, there's never going to be another like him!
I'm just lucky enough to be able to watch Randy!
The clip of him obliterating that bird will never get old.