Agent Barry Meister won't give confirmation, but according to Ken Rosenthal:
Randy Johnnson to retire. Conference call moved to tonight to avoid conflict with Hall of Fame announcement tomorrow.
Johnson, who turned 46 in September, will close out his 4135.1-inning career with the highest strikeout rate in baseball history, a figure he accumulated despite seldom facing a same-handed hitter.
Being that I've never lived in Seattle and didn't get to start watching the Mariners regularly until 2004, I'll leave the farewell speech to someone else. I don't think I'm qualified. But I will say that, for however much good has been done by Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr., Randy was always my favorite. On the rare occasion that I was able to watch him on TV or hear him on the radio, he evoked a feeling I've never felt with any other athlete - the feeling of certainty that he will succeed, right now, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Against Randy, batters were helpless. They weren't at a disadvantage, or up against it, or facing long odds. They were helpless.
"Dominance" is a funny thing. People talk about it all the time, but when pressed, no one can offer a definition. This is because no one's been able to put Randy into words.
One of the side benefits of going back and watching Game 5 last night is that I got to hear the ovation when Randy came in from the bullpen. Tonight, if you have the video, I recommend you do the same. Listen to the crowd in the ninth when he enters the game. Listen to the crowd in the ninth when he shuts down a rally. Listen to the crowd in the tenth when he strikes out the side. And listen to the crowd in the eleventh after he gives up a run. Listen to the crowd and then try to tell me that one man, and one man alone, was able to save baseball in Seattle.
Randy Johnson was a player, a phenomenon, and everything in between. Baseball will always have a number of stars, but today it loses one of its only true icons.
Thanks for the memories, RJ.
1 recs | 116 comments
D'awwwwwwwwwww no nostalgia tour...
Slurvey - January 5, 2010
I am really thankful I saw him pitch last year now.
Most exciting baseball player I have ever watched on a regular basis. Not even close.
Sec 108 - January 5, 2010
That made for the one and only time I'd ever seen him pitch live
Thank you for the opportunity
tootthekazoo - January 5, 2010
It's a very sad day.
Randy’s return to Seattle back in May was one of my favorite moments of the year.
gregrabble - January 5, 2010
Seems a little early.
He could probably be a dominant LOOGY until he’s 55.
coreyjro - January 5, 2010
I get the feeling his heart isn't really in it anymore.
He’s had a long, pain-filled career and probably just wants to go home.
Teej - January 5, 2010
Definitely.
I don’t think is a Kenny Lofton situation, where all of the sudden there was no where for him to play.
coreyjro - January 5, 2010
Have you been to Livermore or Walnut Creek?
InSpokane - January 5, 2010
Presumably spooked by his shoulder strain
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
Randy's OBP against in 1995 was .266
His SLG against in 1995 was .303.
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
He made the average hitter into a worse hitter than CC Sabathia.
Fuckmikereilly - January 5, 2010
I will really miss watching Randy Johnson pitch on a regular basis.
I’m glad he’s leaving the game on his terms and not because he’s completely broken down and getting lit up every five days. He was an amazing pitcher and I’m glad i was fortunate enough to see him in person as many times as I did.
pdb - January 5, 2010
No one else has ever made a mullet look so cool.
Imagine if we still had him in 2001…
Plow - January 5, 2010
I hope he goes into the HOF as a Mariner.
Slurvey - January 5, 2010
I wouldn't count on it
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
That's why I'm hoping he's probably gonna go in as a D'Back
Slurvey - January 5, 2010
He got his WS ring and 3 Cy Youngs with Arizona.
I’ll be shocked if that’s not the team he goes in as.
Benne - January 5, 2010
Didn't he get 4 Cy's with AZ?
I thought he won 4 consecutive there.
ToddK - January 5, 2010
Yup 4 straight. '99 through '02
ToddK - January 5, 2010
He said he wanted to
Poochie - January 5, 2010
Did he?
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
Yeah last year I believe
It seems there is no love lost between he and the Diamondbacks
Poochie - January 5, 2010
Interesting
Unfortunately the players don’t really get much of a say in this.
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
He got really famous as a Mariner so I'd say there's a decent shot
Poochie - January 5, 2010
Probably 50/50
OlSalty - January 5, 2010
After the standing ovation he got in Safeco this year
Time will tell if it was just the emotion though.
edddgar - January 5, 2010
He was a Mariner for 10 seasons
Only a DB for 8. Will that make a difference, Jeff?
ToddK - January 5, 2010
Two years difference in fact.
Sec 108 - January 5, 2010
Very astute.
But I meant in which hat he wears in the HOF.
ToddK - January 5, 2010
It's not up to the player, it's up to the HOF
and I don’t believe longevity enters into it as much as accomplishment.
pdb - January 5, 2010
That's pretty much what I figured
sigh
ToddK - January 5, 2010
Fuck that, put him in as an Expo
pdb - January 5, 2010
This is very sad news
Poochie - January 5, 2010
Randy and the M's are making a mistake in my self serving opinion
he should come here for a year and be a middle reliever. We would love him up good and he might just help us to a little world series action.
A Rod can come too but he has to work for the league minimum.
Emperor_Doom - January 5, 2010
I do not want the M's to be a repository for ex stars looking for one last nostalgic standing ovation
or for a front office looking to cash in on said nostalgia. Doing it for Griffey was OK last year (I’m less thrilled about it this year), but I don’t want it to become a habit by the team or an expectation by the fans.
pdb - January 5, 2010
I thought Randy said he would only continue playing if he was a starter.
wazzu93 - January 5, 2010
GET OFF MY LAWN!
So, I had the opportunity to actually meet RJ a few months after he was traded to the Mariners in 1989. I got to spend 20-30 minutes talking to him when he made an appearance at a baseball card show at the Puyallup Fair. I went through the line 3 times — the last time there really wasn’t a “line.” I still have several of the autographs from that event.
That should tell you how well-known he was at the time of the trade. And how excited people were that he was traded to the M’s. Granted, baseball wasn’t anywhere close to as popular in Seattle as it is now, but still – people forget how unknown RJ was at the time of the trade. I still remember Holman being the gem and main target of that trade, with RJ being considered a “massive project with some upside” in the deal. And nobody cared about Gene Harris. Nobody still cares about Gene Harris.
To make a really really really long story short, when I determined I’d bugged RJ enough, I asked if I could shake his pitching hand, being a fellow lefty and all. He was happy to oblige and I wished him the best of luck and told him to kick ass for the Mariners.
I’d say he listened.
PositivePaul - January 5, 2010
Wow. That's incredible.
Fearless Frog - January 5, 2010
Same Story, Different Place
In a Silverdale drum shop owned by one of Randy’s buddies at the time, my two brothers and I showed up to an autograph “event” and chatted with him for several minutes about baseball, music, and whatever else came to mind (we were just kids and there was literally nobody else there). I guess we were lucky nobody knew at the time that we were shooting the breeze with a future first ballot hall-of-famer. It probably would have changed the atmosphere considerably. I still have a couple autographs from him, and can attest that he was (and probably still is) a class act and a genuinely nice guy.
Best of luck to you Randy, and thanks for spending some time with us!
jnbt02 - January 5, 2010
Thank you Randy.
You’ve kicked so much ass for me in video games over the years.
craig3410 - January 5, 2010
Especially the Ken Griffey Jr. Nintendo series.
Guy was a monster on those.
craig3410 - January 5, 2010
Those games still remain absolutely kickass to this very day.
I still remember the cheat code buttons you could press when Griffey was at bat to have him call the shot and hit a homerun.
Fearless Frog - January 5, 2010
I read the title as "Rob Johnson To Announce Retirement" and got really excited for a second.
russak - January 5, 2010
It's probably his fault that Randy is retiring.
Slurvey - January 5, 2010
Yeah.
Imagine a team with a Putz, a Wang and two Johnsons. Not even the Yankees could beat that!
PositivePaul - January 5, 2010
Penis.
craig3410 - January 5, 2010
No, he plays for the Mets
pdb - January 5, 2010
Poo.
CapSea - January 5, 2010
First ballot HOF'er
No question.
Paul AB - January 5, 2010
I'm surprised there isn't very much talk about Randy being the best pitcher in history.
He was putting up ERAs in the low 2s and K/9s over 12 in his late 30s in the height of the steroid era. No way he’s not the best lefty ever.
Manzanillos Cup - January 5, 2010
He's always the name I say on the rare occasions I'm asked.
Eyeball Kid - January 5, 2010
He didn't become RANDY FUCKING JOHNSON
until he was 29 or so, after five years of being a high-walk, high-K, high-HR pitcher.
Didn’t even make the majors till he was 24.
craig3410 - January 5, 2010
Also Jim Presley's fault.
Sec 108 - January 5, 2010
Link here:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsra05.shtml?redir#1988-1992-sum:pitching_simple
101 ERA+, 818:519 K:BB ratio, 49-48 W-L record.
In other words, a more durable Kerry Wood.
craig3410 - January 5, 2010
Game 5 might be the happiest I have ever been in my life
I remember going to the Kingdome pretty regularly in the 1990s, and it was always a treat when Randy pitched. I kind of miss the goofier promotions the Mariners would run in those days. I specifically remember “Guaranteed No Hitter Night” when RJ and Nolan Ryan faced off in 1990. In the later years, the questions was always “Will the M’s score enough runs, and will the bullpen hold on to a lead if Randy doesn’t pitch a complete game?”
njpozner - January 5, 2010
Probably the most fun baseball player I've ever watched.
He had the stuff and the demeanor people love to watch. In the early years he had so little control and so much velocity that even when he sucked it was a spectacle. Its too bad he left but I was always happy he had so much success after leaving. I think all of Seattle was sad to see him go but nobody thought he would put together so many great seasons after leaving.
Edgar for Pres - January 5, 2010
Early-career Randy would probably be the one guy in history you couldn't
pay me enough money to step in the batter’s box against.
High 90’s heat with no goddamn clue where it’s going.
craig3410 - January 5, 2010
Didn't he throw a pitch over Kruk's head in 2 different games?
ToddK - January 5, 2010
I loved "Mr. Snappy".
TrustBaseball - January 5, 2010
"he evoked a feeling I've never felt with any other athlete"
The feeling he evoked for me was that at any moment, due to his control and speed, he might kill someone. I loved it.
batura - January 5, 2010
He killed a bird with a pitch.
’Nuff said.
sanford_and_son - January 5, 2010
gif needed i think
Edgar for Pres - January 5, 2010
No, seriously. He did it.
JLProck - January 5, 2010
I know
I just wanted to see it. It was destined to be gif’ed from the day it happened
Edgar for Pres - January 5, 2010
.
msb - January 5, 2010
Holy shit that's awesome.
Sad, but definitely awesome.
Eyeball Kid - January 5, 2010
That bird had it comin'.
JLProck - January 6, 2010
I remember watching that live on TV.
Couldn’t believe what the fuck just happened.
Fearless Frog - January 5, 2010
To this day he refuses to talk about it.
pdb - January 5, 2010
I don't blame him.
I was dumbstruck and speechless just sitting comfortably in my living room.
Fearless Frog - January 5, 2010
As do I.
I thought at first that the ball had miraculously just exploded into feathers.
Goose - January 5, 2010
Yeah I thought the ball fell apart
Edgar for Pres - January 5, 2010
Finding out that Randy hit a bird
was way less exciting than thinking he had thrown the ball with such force and break that it disintegrated in flight.
BrianL - January 5, 2010
Goodness gracious.
Anybody know how fast the pitch was?
melenious - January 5, 2010
Fast enough to explode a bird
pdb - January 6, 2010
I think it was high 90s
Fearless Frog - January 6, 2010
Shame.
I was really hoping him and Jr. would go in on the same ballot. I was also hoping he’d come pitch for us.
Fuckmikereilly - January 5, 2010
Something to think about when comparing RJ to Pedro, Clemens, and Maddux
“…a figure he accumulated despite seldom facing a same-handed hitter.”
RJ faced same handed batters about 12% of the time. Pedro, Clemens, and Maddox faced them about 45-50% of the time. LHers OPSed .571 against Randy. And those were LHers that managers thought were good enough to leave in the lineup against him.
Manzanillos Cup - January 5, 2010
Wow.
I love that stat.
rtang - January 5, 2010
Watching Kruk in his AB against Randy was classic.
I’d imagine most lefties felt like switching to the other side of the plate when facing RJ.
JLProck - January 5, 2010
Thank you Randy.
Thank you for everything you did for Seattle and Arizona. I’m so sorry for bullshit the DBacks put you through in the end that caused you to finish your career in San Francsisco.
It was a thrill and a privilege to watch the greatest left hander in the history of this game pitch for so many years.
Goose - January 5, 2010
My favorite player of all-time...
You nailed it Jeff, you knew the M’s were going to win with Randy on the mound. I never missed a Randy start after 1994. It was “Happy Randy Day” whenever he took the hill. Sure Griffey and Edgar played a big role in keeping the team in town, but without Randy there would be no Seattle Mariners. Pure dominance.
basebliman - January 5, 2010
Also
This leaves A-Rod and Griffey as the only two active 1995 Mariners. Well, there was a third, but he didn’t make the playoff squad. Bonus points to whoever gets it without cheating.
Fuckmikereilly - January 5, 2010
Derek Lowe
Aaron Campeau - January 5, 2010
Damn
Aaron Campeau - January 5, 2010
Whoa
Aaron Campeau - January 5, 2010
Video!
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
Also, wow, clearly not a strike
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
Danny is very happy.
msb - January 5, 2010
But Neihaus said it was right over the heart of the plate!
Decatur - January 5, 2010
Where'd you find the video of that game?
xero3k - January 5, 2010
Linked on the Pravda.com Randy article
Jeff Sullivan - January 5, 2010
Thanks!
xero3k - January 5, 2010
No-Hitter
I was at the RJ No-Hitter at the Kingdome (Tigers?). Great experience, even with a few walks and I think an error…it was a wild, yet dominating performance. I can remember walking back to the car with my dad and people were chanting: Randy, Randy….It was awesome. One of my favorite mariners ever. Thanks for the memories Big Unit.
tbirdad - January 5, 2010
I was there, as well, but I was 4 years old. My dad has never let my mom live down the fact that she made us all leave early because I wasn't feeling good or something.
sanford_and_son - January 6, 2010
So basically it was your fault and not your mom's.
Nice going, four-year-old-you.
pdb - January 6, 2010
Thanks Randy for the good ol days
your mullet will be greatly missed.
melenious - January 5, 2010
When you get face time in a manga, you must be doing something noteworthy.
Thanks for a great career, Randy.
Greg Pirkl Lives - January 5, 2010
The Arizona Diamondbacks versus Real Madrid?
BrianL - January 5, 2010
It's gonna be a hell of a curling match.
Greg Pirkl Lives - January 5, 2010
Diamondbacks win because Zidane can't reach Randy's head in order to headbutt him
pdb - January 6, 2010
Randy was awesome indeed
I was at the Kingdome, when he pitched against Mark McGuire. I think that McGuire was on the A’s at the time (and all juiced up) when he hit the longest HR ever hit there. I was sitting about 30 rows deep in left field, and it went screaming over to the wall to my left on the 200 level. One of the remarkable things about that game was that Randy had like 19 strike outs and still lost the game.
Supersport - January 5, 2010
I was pretty young when that happened
but I remember Dave’s call on the radio. “Swung on and belted! And I! Mean! Belted!”
BrianL - January 5, 2010
I only made a handful of games in the kingdome,
But luckily this was one of them. I was sitting second row of the upper deck, right under the ball path.
Thinking back, I think this was also the only game I watched RJ pitch in person.
BigR - January 6, 2010
I've been searching for this video for YEARS, has anyone got it?
Or even just the call?
EnglishMariner - January 6, 2010
I've never seen any footage on it
But I’d like to see that too!
Supersport - January 6, 2010
You know, Edgar really isn't that short ...
msb - January 6, 2010
My first ever Mariners game (baseball game even) was the day after we traded Randy
I rarely even watched the team in the first half of 98 but when the news came down that we had traded him I was devastated. He was always one of my favorite opposing pitchers to watch and is one of the reasons that I love high strike out pitchers so much. Finally getting to see him pitch in person is probably my favorite memory from 2009, with the standing ovation given to him by the fans at Safeco likely being the first time in almost a decade that the fans there have impressed me. I was really holding out hope that he would come back to Seattle for a truly special pennant run and so I could finally be able to call him mine but alas it wasn’t to be.
Of all the stars that left, Randy was the one that I never disliked and if I had it my way he would be the second person in the hall to wear a Mariners hat.
Robert - January 6, 2010
I remember hearing about Randy's trade on the drive back from church camp
That was a shit week
Jeff Sullivan - January 6, 2010
I was at that game and pissed off by the trade as well
Poochie - January 6, 2010
Was that trade actually as awesome as people told me it was?
Robert - January 6, 2010
If there was 0 chance of retaining Randy and then you pretend all of Guillen's good year came as a Mariner than sure
Poochie - January 6, 2010
What if we assumed that Guillen was the one that introduced Freddy Garcia to cocaine and thus forced them to both me traded?
Robert - January 6, 2010
One of my favorite Mariners and players ever
He lived baseball. Without it he would have been nothing. With it he achieved greatness.
It was weird watching the announcement, realizing I had lost track of Randy’s age, that part of me thought he’d play forever, but weirder still to see the Q13 guy use the announcement as a chance to air dirty laundry. What fucking timing. An’ he wondered why Johnson might be hostile towards the media.
Watching Johnson damn near kill Mike Greenwell is among the greatest sports moments of my life. Not pleasant, per se, but singular and poignant. It was a brutal but dazzling display of a crazy refined skill with no purpose outside the diamond. Thanks Randy. Thanks for letting little kid me know what the beginnings of a riot in Fenway feels like. Thanks for helping make me fan.
John Morgan - January 6, 2010
Nice ending, dipshit.
John Morgan - January 6, 2010
Does anyone else remember a brawl in 1990 or 1991
where Randy came charging in from the outfield when the bullpens emptied and ripped off his jersey in the infield melee in a fit of rage? I swear I didn’t make this up — I remember him batshit enraged, in his warmup undershirt, grabbing fools.
Also, Randy vs. Jim Leyritz. Jim Leyritz was an ugly Yankee motherfucker, and he deserved every fastball he ever took to the head.
Furthermore, we used to plan our Mariners games almost exclusively around Randy pitching. With other pitchers, strikeouts seemed like vaguely exciting, random occurrences. With the Big Unit, every single one was a manifestation of total mastery, a step towards Cooperstown. And they happened all the time!
Finally, I always get goosebumps just thinking about him coming in from the bullpen in Game 5. I was with my dad in the upper deck, and we all went completely apeshit, because you knew that with him on the mound there was no way we weren’t going to win.
He was like a cross between Sandy Koufax and William Wallace. I wish I could see him pitch again.
Hoft - January 6, 2010
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