Randy Johnson, one of baseball’s most dominant left-handed pitchers, enjoyed a legendary 22-year career. Nicknamed “The Big Unit,” he pitched for six teams: the Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants. Notably, the Diamondbacks named him as one of the first inductees into their franchise Hall of Fame.
Johnson recently joined Jon Morosi on the Road to Cooperstown podcast. According to Morosi, their conversation stood out. “Of all the Hall of Famers I’ve interviewed for the full hour, the Randy Johnson conversation was the one in which I asked the fewest questions,” he said. “His answers were that in-depth and, in many ways, probably unexpected for fans.”
Importantly, Morosi emphasized how much Johnson had changed. Gone is the intense figure who once glared from the mound. Instead, listeners heard a more reflective and candid version of the Hall of Famer.
“If I wasn’t that person on the mound at the time, then we probably wouldn’t have achieved what we did,” Johnson explained. “I wouldn’t have had the career or the season I did. So, I look at it that way.”
He continued, “You go about your business your way, and I’ll go about mine. Do I have some regrets? Yeah, maybe along the way.”
Randy Johnson shares how his personality has altered dramatically since his days as one of the most-feared aces in the game
“The Road to Cooperstown” hosted by @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/syb9jvyn7b
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 9, 2025
Over the course of his career (1988–2009), Johnson compiled an incredible record. He made ten All-Star teams (1990, 1993–1995, 1997, 1999–2002, 2004) and won five Cy Young Awards (1995, 1999–2002). In addition, he led the league in strikeouts nine times and ERA four times. His 2002 season was historic, he captured the pitching Triple Crown with 24 wins, a 2.32 ERA, and 334 strikeouts.
He also delivered two no-hitters. One came on June 2, 1990, for Seattle, the franchise’s first. The other, a perfect game, came on May 18, 2004, when Johnson was 40 years old. At the time, he became the oldest pitcher ever to throw a perfect game. Furthermore, he starred in the 2001 World Series, winning three games and earning co-MVP honors. No pitcher had done that since Mickey Lolich in 1968.
Statistically, Johnson’s numbers remain staggering. He recorded 303 career wins, a 3.29 ERA, and 4,875 strikeouts, ranking second all-time behind Nolan Ryan. In 1995, he went 18–2 and helped lead Seattle to its first-ever postseason, earning his first Cy Young Award. Despite his dominance, Johnson remains humble. Reflecting on today’s game, he admitted he might not thrive in modern MLB because, as he put it, “everyone throws so hard.”
In 2015, Johnson entered the Baseball Hall of Fame with 97.3% of the vote on his first ballot. Looking ahead, the Mariners will retire his iconic No. 51 in 2026 to honor the 35th anniversary of his first no-hitter.
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