“I am the intimidator. He is the intimidatee.” – Randy Johnson.
Would anyone who has stepped into a batter’s box vs. Johnson over the past 20 years take issue with that statement?
On the verge of adding 300 wins to his impressive list of career accomplishments, we take a look back on the remarkable career of the Big Unit.
September 10, 1963
Randall David Johnson is born in Walnut Creek, California.
September 15, 1988
Makes his major-league debut for the Montreal Expos.
May 25, 1989
The Seattle Mariners trade Mark Langston and a player to be named later to the Expos in exchange for three pitching prospects: Brian Holman, Gene Harris, and Johnson.
June 2, 1990
Johnson walks six and strikes out eight Detroit Tigers for his first career no-hitter.
July 1993
At the All-Star Game in Baltimore, Johnson throws a fastball over the head of a terrified Philadelphia Phillies first baseman John Kruk.
October 1993
Johnson finishes his breakthrough year with a 19-8 record, 3.24 ERA and his first of six 300-plus strikeout seasons. He finishes second in AL Cy Young voting to Jack McDowell of the Chicago White Sox.
August 12 1994,
Johnson delivers the final pitch in MLB before the start of the players’ strike that would wipe out the 1994 World Series. Coincidentally, it was a strike.
1995
Johnson wins his first Cy Young Award after posting an 18-2 record, 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts for the Mariners. His .900 winning percentage is the second highest in AL history, behind Johnny Allen, who had gone 15-1 for the Cleveland Indians in 1937.
In a one-game playoff against the California Angels for the AL West title, Johnson gives up three hits while striking out 12 in Seattle’s 9-1 victory.
1996
A back injury, that would later prove to be chronic, sidelines Johnson for most of the season.
| Who is the most dominant pitcher of all-time? | ||||||||
| PITCHER | Wins | ERA | Ks | Cy Youngs | Ks/9 innings | Win % | No-hitters | WHIP |
| Clemens | 354 | 3.12 | 4,672 | 7 | 8.6 | .658 | 0 | 1.173 |
| Johnson | 300 | 3.29 | 4,845 | 5 | 10.7 | .646 | 2 | 1.171 |
| Koufax | 165 | 2.76 | 2,396 | 3 | 9.3 | .655 | 4 | 1.106 |
| Ryan | 324 | 3.19 | 5,714 | 0 | 9.5 | .526 | 7 | 1.247 |
1997
Johnson rebounds to post a 20-4 record, 291 strikeouts, and a 2.28 ERA. In the stretch between May 1994 and October 1997, he had gone 53-9, including a 16-0 streak that fell one short of the AL record. Johnson strikes out 19 batters in starts on June 24 and August 8.
July 31, 1998
The Mariners trade impending free agent Johnson to the Houston Astros for Freddy García, Carlos Guillén, and a player to be named later (John Halama). In 11 starts with Houston, Johnson goes 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA.
Fall 1998
Johnson signs a $53-million, four-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
1999
Johnson posts a 17-9 record, 2.48 ERA and 364 strikeouts to win his second Cy Young award while leading the Diamondbacks to the playoffs.
July 2000
Arizona acquires Curt Schilling from the Philadelphia Phillies. Johnson and Schilling would form one of the best 1-2 pitching punches in baseball history.
Johnson finishes the year with a 19-7 record, 347 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA, good enough for his second straight NL Cy Young award.
March 24, 2001
In a freak accident during the 7th inning of a spring training game, Johnson throws a fastball that strikes and kills a dove. The bird had flown across the infield just as Johnson was releasing the ball. The official call on the play was “no pitch.”
May 8, 2001
Johnson strikes out 20 Cincinnati Reds in the first nine innings, but because the game goes into extra innings, it is not categorized by MLB as an “official” 20-strikeout game.
Fall 2001
Johnson and teammate Curt Schilling are named co-MVPs of the World Series after leading Arizona to a seven-game series win over the defending champion New York Yankees.
Johnson struck out 11 in a three-hit shutout victory in Game 2, went seven strong innings in Game 6 and then came back the following night to pitch in relief and get the win in Game 7.
In the regular season, Johnson posts a career-high 372 strikeouts to go along with 21 wins and a 2.49 ERA, earning him his third straight NL Cy Young award.
2002
Johnson wins the National League’s pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (24), ERA (2.32) and strikeouts (334), good enough for his fourth straight Cy Young award.
May 18, 2004
After an injury-plagued 2003, Johnson becomes the oldest (40) player in MLB history to throw a perfect game. He strikes out 13 Atlanta Braves in a 2-0 win.
January 6, 2005
Johnson is traded to the New York Yankees for Brad Halsey, Dioner Navarro, Javier Vazquez and cash.
January 5, 2007
Following a pair of 17-win, yet disappointing years in the Bronx, Johnson is traded back to Arizona in exchange for Steven Jackson (minors), Alberto Gonzalez, Ross Ohlendorf and Luis Vizcaino.
July 3, 2007
Johnson re-injures his surgically repaired disc from the previous season. He undergoes season-ending surgery on the same disc, this time removing it completely.
June 3, 2008
Johnson strikes out Mike Cameron of the Milwaukee Brewers for career strikeout 4,673, surpassing Roger Clemens for second on the all-time strikeout list.
December 26, 2008
Johnson signs a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants.
