Were British Guys Impressed by Randy Johnson? (FIRST TIME REACTION)

MLB / Baseball Reaction with British Guys reacting Baseball & MLB Legend, The Big Unit, Randy Johnson. In our Randy Johnson Reaction, we review Made The Cut’s Video “The Will Never Be Another Randy Johnson”. From incredibly hitting a bird, to his perfect game, nothing is left out!
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Chapters:
Intro: 00:00
Reaction Starts: 00:39
Follow our journey from the beginning. You can find all of our Baseball / MLB Reaction videos in this playlist: • MLB / Baseball Reactions
Original Video: • There Will Never Be An...
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[@DNReacts]

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[@marcusvachon845]

There are some guys that have come in the MLB and were instant stars due to their outstanding play, but then slowly declined as their careers progressed. One of which was Andruw Jones. His rookie year, he hit two home runs in one World Series game. People thought they were looking at a future legend, a future hall of famer. However, he quickly became just an average player, then a mediocre player. But to speak to your point, most of the players that become professional baseball players don't start getting good coaching until they are in high school. This is after years of "they are kids. Let them have fun!" approach to coaching. After high school, they are then inundated with coaches that have a scientific understanding of baseball.

[@alwayscandace]

Unrelated to his stats, but I wanted to add Randy Johnson is beloved in Seattle to this day. Mariners fans were pissed when he was let go. The first game he played against the Mariners in Seattle he got a standing ovation when he took the mound.

[@NolmDirtyDan]

Its not the Home Run Derby in 1998 that was iconic, it was the home run race during the year between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, they were both shooting for the single season home run record back and forth all year

[@DNReacts]

Ahhh okay, gotcha, thanks for the info! 🙏

[@TreyM1609]

Don’t forget Griffey who was right behind without the roids but only managed 57 I think. Which would have been a record if it weren’t for Sosa and McGuire

[@vincenzofrancis9015]

Definitely worth a watch ^^

[@requiemforameme1]

Back then baseball was comparatively more popular too. McGwire and Sosa felt like the two biggest athletes in the US after Michael Jordan (first) retired.

[@SGlitz]

The Steroid Wars...

[@kentgrady9226]

Whenever I think of Randy Johnson, I immediately reflect upon the bird he exploded. Johnson, who is every bit as physically intimidating as his stature might suggest, is an animal lover and a gifted nature photographer. Someone joked that it was a shame that no one had gotten a high shutter speed photograph of the ball splattering the bird at the moment of impact. My man was decidedly unamused.

[@NoPrefect]

He was actually a really nice dude. I literally physically bumped into him at an Alice in Chains concert in SF at the Fillmore. Such a nice guy.

[@austinfull8941]

Not only that his photography logo is a dead bird

[@zacharyliles8657]

Fun fact: Randy Johnson is a professional photographer now! He specializes in nature photography, but he does sports photography too and you can sometimes spot him on the sidelines of NFL games wearing the neon vest taking photographs

[@MeanGene404]

I believe he photographed last year's Superbowl.

[@GaryLBlakeley]

I've seen him at rock concerts on/back stage taking pictures.

[@NDiT4_1]

Now that you know Randy Johnson, a fun video could be Pretty Good: Koo Dae Sung by Jon Bois, as Randy plays a role in that story!

[@shibity]

Re: Walks. In general, you might look for 4 or less walks per 9 innings pitched. Randy at his best was down in the 1.5-2.5 range, Randy in the beginning (when they talked about him allowing walks) he was up around 6-7

[@israymervalentin-arias6313]

I agree with you 100% steroids helped Randy Johnson cut his walk rates and he’s a cheater. I applaud you for pointing that out because a lot of people fail to mention that.

[@sturgeon1028]

​@@israymervalentin-arias6313LOL what? I hope that is a poor attempt at sarcasm. How on earth would steroids give you better control? They even mentioned why he ended up lowering his walk rate. He changed his pitching mechanics which increased his control.

[@israymervalentin-arias6313]

@@sturgeon1028 god what a hater you are,

[@nedludd7622]

​@@israymervalentin-arias6313Thank you doctor.

[@jamesoliver6625]

With pitchers guys, quite often it's some seemingly minor little change that the player grows into (a coach may have advocated for it but it never clicked in the players head or muscles/mechanics) that transforms the guy from an also-ran to a can't-be-touched. Really tall pitchers like Randy also are as much disadvantaged as advantaged by their height. They may go through a half dozen pitching coaches (they're all different with their own theories and perspectives on what it takes and how to teach and explain) before, as the mature as athletes, they learn how to pitch, not just throw hard. At most lower levels the really hard throwers can simply overpower the hitters. And then they get drafted and into AA and AAA ball, much less MLB, and guys they thought they could overpower, foul their stuff off through ball four, or actually tee off on it. Then, it time to finally learn to pitch (keep batters off balance physically and mentally). Batting a pitched baseball is the absolute hardest thing in sport to do. If you are successful a mere 30% of the time you are considered extraordinarily good.

[@DNReacts]

Really appreciate the comment and info, thank you so much for this. Really interesting read 🙏

[@eva11883]

The cool thing about baseball and the reason this happens more than in other sports is because both batters and pitchers can go along for 4-5 years with decent success. Then, one off-season, a batter will try a minor mechanics adjustment to their stance and it just unlocks something (a great example of a hitter doing this is José Bautista, he went to a different team with a very different hitting approach. Turns out it was the optimal approach for Bautista). Or a pitcher will tinker with a new pitch or a new grip for an existing pitch and all of a sudden they have a new wipeout pitch.

[@samuelsuggs9751]

Pitchers usually start every 5 games. The ace of each staff usually gets 1-2 more than the others depending on where off days allow extra rest, which amounts to about 33-35 starts per season. 40-50 walks in a season would be really good for a starting pitcher. Then there's Greg Maddux with multiple seasons under 20.

[@mr.deadman1973]

John Kruk was always one of my favorite baseball personalities. At a bar one night, celebrating a win, he was drinking whisky and smoking a cigar. When a journalist asked, "Aren't you afraid of kids getting the wrong idea from a role model?" Kruk replied laughing, "Huh, role model? I'm just a ball player."

[@matterlichman8424]

Despite being one of the most intimidating pitchers of all-time, Randy is also one of the nicest athletes I've ever gotten to talk to. On two separate occasions, when I was a kid and his team was in town against us, Randy came over during batting practice, sat down in the stands with us (a group of random 12 year olds who were rooting for the opponents), and just talked with us about ball for ten-fifteen minutes each time. I know it didn't mean anything much to him, but to us as kids it meant the world.

[@NoPrefect]

He is a great dude. I left a message above about my Alice in Chains concert encounter, but between meeting him and Will Clark and discovering that they are both ultra nice guys, it makes me grateful to be a Giants fan.

[@adamkoslin9302]

The Big Unit was amazing - one of the best to ever sling it. And one of the most intimidating pitchers ever too! A true legend. Amazingly he now has a second career in his 50's and 60's as a professional photographer! He runs a studio down in Arizona (the logo, amusingly, is a dead bird) and does photojournalism for NFL games, rock concerts, and wildlife documentaries. He's actually super close friends with Geddy Lee from the band Rush, and was one of their official tour photographers back in 2015. Always cool to see the human side of larger-than-life athletes.

[@israymervalentin-arias6313]

Unfortunately he does photography for gay porn now.

[@Washanuga]

I actually didn't know that about Geddy. Go figure I saw him at a Coheed and Cambria concert in 2017 at the Marquee in Tempe, AZ. I saw this super tall guy taking photos and I was thinking who is that? Got a good look at his face and "wtf that's Randy Johnson" ha. I was never huge into baseball, but I'm an AZ native who went to games as a kid when Randy was here. He's a legend here. Didn't learn about his photography n all that until much later. All around cool guy.

[@coyotelong4349]

I love when retired athletes pursue other passions in life

[@lsuperior]

Ive seen randy johnson around town probably dozens of times by now at various stores, he is a very very large man. Hes also a professional photographer now who can be spotted occasionally taking pictures on the sidelines of superbowls.

[@erolbulut2584]

Baseball is a funny game. Some young ones just have enough talent to make immediate impacts. Most are average, obviously, but the really intelligent ones learn how to improve and thrive by staying fit and learning how to win. Pitchers, mostly, because they don't play everyday, and as the American League (where Johnson played) utilized the DH. He didn't bat.

[@CM-vc1hj]

Great reaction I hope you guys react to Pedro Martinez he's one of the greatest pitchers ever and he had arguably the greatest pitching season ever

[@DNReacts]

Thank you so much, really appreciate this. Have made a note of the suggestion too. Will make sure Pedro Martinez is on there 🙏

[@coyotelong4349]

As a Diamondbacks fan I’m so glad you guys have now learned about the legend Randy Johnson 🐍 He’s in the baseball HOF as a Dback and his number 51 is enshrined in our retired numbers as well, one of only two retired numbers who played for the club His post-baseball career has been impressive as well; I see some of the other commenters mentioning it

[@Catsfanboy]

Great reaction, this has probably been recommended before but "the history of the seattle mariners" is a great set of videos. They actually have "the history of the atlanta falcons" and the history of the vikings too

[@DNReacts]

Thank you so much, really appreciate it 🙏 We’ve had quite a lot of suggestions for this one, have got it on our list for sure. May be one more for the off-season time. Thanks for the comment!

[@ZaKRo-bx7lp]

Randy Johnson was quite likely the greatest pitcher of all time. There was no other pitcher, batters feared more than him.

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

I remember back to the sixties when another hall of famer, Sandy Koufax scared the hell out of players because he would throw his fastball behind the hitter. He too was wild but talented.

[@cteal2018]

Nolan Ryan entered the chat...

[@erolbulut2584]

Walter (Big Train) Johnson

[@shibity]

He's one of the best to ever do it, no doubt.

[@XaviRonaldo0]

​@@HRConsultant_Jeffis Sandy Koufax the one who said "an intentional walk is a waste of 3 pitches! Just hit the guy!"?

[@estern001]

Randy makes an appearance in Facing Nolan. Worth your time.

[@DNReacts]

Appreciate the suggestion, thank you 🙏

[@6debbie12]

I would say baseball is pretty unique amongst all other sports in terms of "breakout stars". The game is so mental, so precise, that a little tweak here, a piece of advise there can change the trajectory of a player's career. This can happen for better, or for worse. Just a brutally tough game both physically and mentally. I feel like those traits lend itself to these "out of nowhere" breakouts

[@joshb2041]

It’s the 1998 home run race between Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa

[@davidsp5936]

He's now a sports photographer. His photography company logo is a dead bird.

[@fitzgeraldlansanah5306]

Hope you guys urinating tree this week in sports ball week 1 nfl season

[@TreyM1609]

Throwing 160 pitches in 1 game is crazy, that’s easily double what most pitchers throw and 3X what some throw.

[@XaviRonaldo0]

Not to mention they would never let a player throw that many these days.

[@samuelsuggs9751]

Nolan Ryan, in June 1974, threw 235 pitches while striking out 19 and walking 10 in 13 innings... and got no decision. The pitch count didn't seem to hurt him much; he pitched 6 innings in his next start on 3 days rest. At the end of September that year he pitched his 3rd no-hitter.

[@hkiller57]

another Randy Johnson fact, Alice Cooper owned a restaurant in downtown Phoenix near the dbacks stadium called Alice Cooperstown and they sold a 2 foot hotdog named after Randy Johnson and it was called the big unit

[@qwertymanor]

Nice video! Randy Johnson was one of the most intimidating players in any sport and he was one of my favorite players ever growing up. I even went to his number retirement ceremony here in Arizona. I still have the shirt and poster from that day. Cheers fellas.

[@a00141799]

4 consecutive CY Youngs!! As Nick is fond of saying, "that's insane!!" Again your discord poll winners are 100% on the money. This video told Randy Johnson's story superbly. As a former high school pitcher (and not a very good one) I can especially remember facing many intimidating, hard throwing pitchers. I have never felt more intimated playing any other sport. I guess it is because of the one-on-one nature of baseball of you vs the pitcher, when you are standing in the batters box. A good pitcher can make you look silly and greatly overmatched. And can do it over and over again making you feel weak and helpless. I guess baseball can be cruel at times. lol... Loved Randy as a Mariner. Seen him in person over 10 times. His starts are prime tickets here in Seattle. ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾

[@erikbyrge2024]

Randy Johnson also has beating every MLB Teams least once in his entire Hall of Fame Career!

[@DNReacts]

Very nice little stat to have, thanks Erik 🙏

[@MDK2_Radio]

Playing on multiple teams in both leagues gives you that opportunity.

[@GISWizard]

Pitching is more of an Art then any other positions on the field. and it takes time to prefect your art.

[@brandonford7148]

I was 17 in 2001. I was away at a summer camp when Johnson hit the bird. The morning after it happened the camp attendees were in the auditorium for the morning meeting-the video guy must have played and rewound that bird practically exploding probably 15 times.😆

[@tdsportscards]

At 29 he was just warming up...legend

[@legochickenguy4938]

11:18 Pitchers especially tend to be late bloomers. In baseball, what's generally considered a position player's prime is their late 20's, while with pitchers their primes tend to be in their early 30's.

[@JoeVideoed]

That experience in the 1993 All-Star Game w/ John Kruk is burned in my mind. Even though the pitch Johnson threw over Kruk's head was way high, Kruk wanted nothing more to do w/ him & just whiffed while trying to jerk his body away from home plate.

[@blueboy4244]

I like his later all star appearance when he was calling out the pitches to the batters - 'gonna throw a fastball now' - and they still couldn't hit it

[@MDK2_Radio]

I got to see his last two seasons in Seattle. It was actually a great era, as I got to see him, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, and Roger Clemens in person. The way pitchers are managed now, particularly with pitch counts, means we won't see that kind of player again.

[@BeefPapa]

98 home run chase and the 94 players' strike. Both are mandatory baseball gospels.

[@DNReacts]

Appreciate this, will ensure we’ve got them both noted on the list 🙏

[@jaydoverspike1423]

Randy was arguably the most intimidating pitcher of all time.

[@MrBigburke22]

Baseball is such a mental and mechanical game all it takes is changing something slightly and that confidence alone can make you great

[@sneersh9107]

In baseball tiny adjustments can make a massive difference. It takes a very specific set of mechanics to be successful and it varies from player to player. Making one small mistake in mechanics can cause a player to go from great to below average and vice versa, its a game of fractions of inches. One small swing adjustment can turn fly outs or groundouts into hits, and one small change in pitching motion can affect a pitcher's entire game like you saw with Randy. That's how you get players who have been in the league for years who suddenly become stars, they make an adjustment and it drastically improves their ability. This happens with pitchers especially, its not uncommon to see a pitcher break out in their mid-to-late twenties.

[@Cornan1980]

Watching Randy pitch as a Mariners fan in the 90s was amazing. He was dominant. No one could reliably handle his fastball. The Mariners let him go because they were worried a back injury marked the end of his viability as a pitcher. He only went on to have one of the greatest careers of all time.

[@ryanc9888]

The big unit, that's what my wife calls me.

[@DNReacts]

Don’t lie Ryan 😂

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

Funny, that's what she calls me too...

[@christophermckinney3924]

It's a ratio of walks to strike outs. Two strikeouts or more per walk is desired.

[@DNReacts]

Thanks for the info Christopher, appreciate this 🙏

[@Aderbj]

Ryan Nolan strikes again!

[@DNReacts]

💯

[@KmartToaster-th2hm]

you guys should react to the documentary "Knuckleball" which is about 2012 Cy Young Winner R.A. Dickey who pitched in the majors despite literally missing a ligament in his throwing arm. After a couple of years trying to be a traditional pitcher, to save his career, he switched to throwing knuckleballs. Good decision! In 2012, he won 20 games, 5 complete games, 3 shutouts, 230 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA. It really goes in deep on the absolute beauty of the pitch and shows a wide collection of outstanding batters looking quite silly swinging at pitches that seem to go against the laws of physics..... He is the only knuckleballer to ever win the Cy Young.

[@KevinQuinn81]

Great insight by Damo on the prevalence of some baseball players blossoming late in their careers. You are probably correct that this happens most in baseball compared to other sports. You definitely don't see it in soccer (Vardy was the only one I could think of too) and while I can think of cases in the other big 4, baseball definitely has the most of them. The next closest thing you see is, sometimes, an older NFL quarterback will light up the world for a time...see Rich Gannon, Geno Smith, and Kurt Warner (Warner longer so but he fits the late bloomer mold). But even there, most QBs who come out of college undertouted will show their worth pretty quickly...see Tom Brady, Tony Romo, and Brock Purdy.

[@DNReacts]

Appreciate it Kevin, Thank you 🙏 Appreciate the context too, especially around QBs, that’s a great shout.

[@koyoyoyo1170]

Hands down the greatest pitcher I've ever watched.

[@DNReacts]

Love this, thank you for the comment!

[@cygnusx-3217]

5:26 A starting pitcher in modern baseball will pitch approximately 30 to 35 games per season. (1 out of every 5 games.) This is because every team has a 5 man rotation. The only exception is Ohtani, because he's the designated hitter on the days he's not pitching.

[@kathleenmenker3853]

Randy Johnson called his occasional wild pitch-Mr. Snappy. They were scary at times with fans ducking to avoid getting hit.

[@brentmmilner]

You guys might enjoy doing a reaction video of the 2001 World Series between the Diamondbacks and the Yankees. Against the backdrop of 9/11, it was full of emotion for the Yankees dynasty versus the recent expansion Diamondbacks. Game 7 was a nail-biter with lots of great moments and stories.

[@DNReacts]

Sounds awesome. Appreciate the suggestion, thank you 🙏

[@devon33801]

Long Gone Summer is an amazing 30 for 30 and a semi-popular opinion. Sosa and McGwire belong in the Hall along with a host of other players; Joe Jackson, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, A-Rod, Nomar Garciaparra, Adrian Beltre, Pete Rose, Barry Bonds etc. and if they had on/off field issues then make another wing. The Sosa and McGwire homerun race made people fall in love with baseball again, and that shouldn't go unnoticed.

[@arnoldcox9128]

My first time paying attention to baseball was in 1998 I was 10 years old it was incredible watching Mcguire and Sosa and the big unit they were freaks

[@Umberlee1]

The Diamondbacks-Yankees world series was an all time great. Even most Yankees fans will admit as much. :P Full disclosure, am a Dbacks fan and it was amazing. Also when Randy is on as a guest during Dbacks games he is super cool.

[@cajohnson130]

Randy's lack of control was also an asset. Batters feared getting a 101 fastball in the ribs. Never comfortable in the box. He was a terrifying presence on the mound. Funny story. Johnson was pitching the nights before Cal Ripken JR was a few games away from breaking the Iron Man record of over 3100 games without missing a single game. Johnson said he was terrified he was gonna hit Cal and did not want to be remembered forever for taking out Cal and cutting his record short. Good thing it never happened. 😅

[@nielgregory108]

Did you guys know that Randy was a spokesman for Mini Cooper?? Yep, his favorite car and he fits!! We're talking R56 Mini too. Not the newer Maxi's.

[@DNReacts]

Haha no we did not know this, this is brilliant, thank you for the comment 🙏

[@realCaptainSanta]

When they mention the 1998 home run derby they meant the regular season battle between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa to break Roger Maris' single season home run record. Went to High School with Randy Johnson - nothing was more terrifying for a 16 year old kid than facing Johnson in the batters box.

[@ncg195]

Your point about baseball players becoming great much later in their careers is really interesting, and I have to agree that I haven't really seen it in other sports. That being said, it's certainly not the norm. For example, Randy's two Mariners teammates who were mentioned just before you paused to make that point, Ken Griffey Jr and Alex Rodriguez, were both superstars from the moment they entered MLB, and both made their debuts before celebrating their 20th birthday. This is not exactly common either, and most players peak in their early to mid twenties just like in any other sport, but it is cool that baseball has such a wide range of ages for its players who are all playing at an elite level.

[@CheekandBluster]

Think about facing Randy Johnson as a left-handed hitter. The guy is 6'10", and throws 98+ from a sidearm delivery. If you're standing in there as a lefty, it had to look like the pitch was coming from BEHIND YOU.

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

If he started 40 games in that year, he would be averaging 3 walks per game, which, while not horrible, means that you gave up the equivalent of 3 singles per game on top of any real hits you gave up. 2 walks a game would probably be the average of most pitchers, but if you are a control and strike out pitcher, you will have more walks as well. Some pitchers put the ball in play but don't let you get a good hit so they throw less and more plays are made by the team.

[@psymar]

league average is actually about 3.5 walks per 9 innings

[@MetFanMac]

In 2023, starting pitchers are averaging 3.02 walks per 9 innings, and this rate has historically hovered around 3 as well. Johnson's career rate was 3.26, but after 1992 -- his last bad year for walks -- it was 2.65. Since 1901, a total of 59 starting pitchers with at least 1,500 innings have had a BB/9 rate of 2 or lower. It's also not true that being a strikeout pitcher correlates to a high walk rate -- only 5 out of the 19 pitchers in the 3,000-K club had a BB/9 rate of 3 or higher, and even when looking at the ones with the highest strikeout rates it's still only about half that do so.

[@ChrisVuletich]

Randy Johnson is probably one of the most respected pitchers in history, but his command was kind of a meme before that was a thing. There was an MLB commercial in the 90's making fun of it -- look up "Randy Johnson Mr. Snappy" for a good laugh lol

[@JVTrickypants]

Amazing pitcher - and I was at the perfect game against the Braves.

[@lilJJslayer]

The 1999 homerun Derby at fenway was awesome. They were hitting bombs over the green monster you should check it out.

[@pattaccone]

Now he’s a photographer 😂 That’s cool.

[@DNReacts]

Love this! 😅

[@341Michael]

Walks are an interesting stat for pitchers. Blake Snell on the Padres might win the Cy Young this year while also leading the league in walks. So it’s hard to say what’s acceptable as far as # of walks. Typically the best pitchers can get away with it bc their stuff is so good

[@stevedietrich8936]

One thing we know about Damo after this video 3:35 is that he doesn't work for Scotland Yard. We have confirmation 6:31

[@DNReacts]

🤣🤣 I’m on some run at the moment with the errors lol. Nick’s been showing me up 😂

[@joerenaud514]

5:30 Starting Pitchers usually pitch every 5th game. Would be too harsh on their arm to throw 100 pitches each game. So it was a lot of walks more like 5 walks per game.

[@garrykorhonen-zs3ik]

I applaud you for keeping a straight face while saying his name! I understand Randy has a different connotation across the pond 😅 My mate's nan has peals of laughter when anyone mentions Randy Johnson. A worse name in baseball history was Rusty Kuntz (seriously). My fav name all time has to be Dick Trickle. He was a NASCAR driver. Cheers lads, another quality video

[@elvesrus]

Until you learn it's pronounced Koonts. There is however a Dick Pole, a Johnny "Ugly" Dickshot, and the ever popular Dick Padden.

[@mattvl73]

my favorite pitcher of all time. so dominant and soooooo grouchy.

[@user-zp8hi4dk3c]

Love the content and reaction very professional

[@DNReacts]

Thank you, we really appreciate this 🙏

[@vincenzofrancis9015]

The gold standard for starting pitchers used to be 30 or so starts a season. 162/30 = 5.4 or about every 5th or so game. This is why you usually see teams deploy a “5 man rotation”. If he started 30 games and walked 150 pretty terrible to average 5 walks a game. Just to give some contextual info

[@rep4063]

Randy Johnson is my favorite player.

[@requiemforameme1]

17:17 Your guys facial reactions are hilarious. 😂 Also, don’t feel bad. I think every little kid in the US had to learn that it’s “Nolan Ryan” not “Ryan Nolan”.

[@areguapiri]

What??

[@DNReacts]

I can’t remember what happened 😂😂 I’ll have to watch this back lol.

[@nickgleeson7168]

Loved watching the big unit verses barry bonds it was iconic

[@headweasel93]

Randy Johnson pitching for the Diamondbacks is one of my first memories of watching baseball on tv. Brilliant.

[@Fred_Lougee]

A few things. First, Johnson did not have the first no-hitter in Mariners history. That was ground ball pitcher Chris Bosio, acquired late in the previous season as a piece in an unsuccessful run for a division title, nipping Johnson to the honor by a month. In 1997 we got the answer to the question a lot of people had been asking: What would happen if Big Mac got all of a Big Unit fastball? The result was the longest home run ever hit in the Kingdome, 10 rows beyond the walkway of the second deck in straight away right field. McGuire definitely won that battle of former college teammates. Mo Vaughn, power hitting left handed first baseman for the Red Sox, once remarked at the start if a season that his hope was to play 160 good games that year. The reporter asked what the other two games were and he replied "The ones where we face Randy Johnson and I get the night off." If you are wondering where else you have seen someone wearing number 51 for the Mariners, you should not have to think about it for very long. Ichiro arrived in 2001 having established that as his number with Orex Blue Wave, and he wanted to wear it here, but it was on the team's "never give out again" list. He wrote Johnson a letter asking permission to wear it, promising to never do anything to bring shame to the number. Late bloomers are in fact quite common in footy...usually wearing the no. 1 shirt. Saying is that a keeper generally doesn't get good until he's about 28. That's why everyone was astounded by Aaron Ramsdale arriving at the Emirates from So'ton at the age 20 and immediately making Bernd Leno surplus to needs. As an American Gooner it's tempting to project him as being the next coming of Bill Seaman.

[@d2ndborn]

I saw him playing with the D-Backs it was so fun to watch.

[@JKM395]

He was such a pleasure to watch work.

[@LiveFromThePorcelainPalace]

One of the great things about baseball... You take a guy like Randy Johnson. Overpowers the best of the best hitters in the game... yet a "light hitting" utility player who spent most of his time in the big leagues riding the bench named Joe McEwing COMPLETELY OWNED Randy Johnson. McEwing also hit very well against other eventual hall of fame pitchers like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Pedro Martinez.. but couldn't win an every day job.

[@deadmeat_0152]

He is also was the band 'Rush' concert photographer

[@TheCoolreaper44]

The Randy Johnson's 4 year contract with the D'Backs is the greatest free agent signing in sports history.

[@rodneysisco6364]

Excellent point Damo made about baseball players suddenly " figuring it out " after years of struggle .It shows how much baseball is a game of technique and that seemingly minor adjustments in the way a pitcher throws or a hitter swings can make a big difference in performance .Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson are almost a textbook example of opposite types of pitchers who became great . Maddux -right handed ---Johnson left handed ----- Maddux pinpoint control -----Johnson no control at all -------- Maddux average arm ----- Johnson flame thrower. I played fantasy baseball in money leagues for years and got very good at it .At one point I won the league championship 6 years in a row and the other players voted me out of the league , LOL . I saw wild pitchers develop control,singles hitters become home run hitters ,guys who struck out all of the time become contact hitters

[@DNReacts]

Love this, thank you, and I can’t believe you got voted out, that’s so harsh 😅 I say they should’ve tried harder 😂

[@rodneysisco6364]

They were a bunch of poor losers and also I was taking their money , LOL@@DNReacts

[@marshalljones3341]

Great thumbnail guys. I was laughing before I even got started

[@DNReacts]

Thank you 😊😂😂

[@scottybelle9]

I remember thinking the Diamondbacks made a big mistake signing Johnson at his age and with his history of injuries. I may have been mistaken.

[@CyberChunk77]

Well said on the prime years thing. It's fascinating that loads of baseball players hit their prime after they're 30 years old... in the NBA, the prime is reliably 28-30 and then the decline starts. People who fall outside of that are unusual. In football (I mean actual football, not NFL) it's usually about the same, maybe slightly younger, except for elite keepers who tend to find their best spots in their 30s + too. In baseball, it's often not the case. It's such a mechanical game (not in terms of play but actual body mechanics), that I think some people don't get their swings down or pitching form down etc. until they're much older and more, comparatively, wizened.

[@samuelengle3773]

I was at the game when he won his 300th win. Was awesome.

[@doctor8342]

My all time 5 stating rotation: Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemons, Warren Spahn, Sandy Koufax in that order.

[@jayceperlmutter4317]

That world series in 2001 happened in New York right after 9/11 - another reason it is unforgettable.

[@leighhunt6331]

You guys should check out his photography. He's awesome!

[@DNReacts]

Heard about this, that’s incredible! Will give it a look, appreciate the comment!

[@r4v4g3r]

No clue why, but I absolutely love watching you blokes appreciate American sports. What is the number one English football moment you’d want Americans to witness?

[@DNReacts]

Thank you, we really appreciate that. Most people would say it’s the Aguero moment however for me it’s the Troy Deeney moment in a Playoff Semi Final to qualify for the “richest game in English football”. It was an incredible moment when you realise what was at stake and that at that moment Watford had a 0.001% chance of winning on that play. Damn I’m going to have to watch it again now 😂

[@NoPrefect]

​@@DNReactsIt would be an interesting sub-series for you to share a couple of your favorites with us.

[@Senrabekim]

Never forget that time that the Seattle Mariners had Randy Johnson, The Kid, A-Rod, and Edgar Martinez four players that all are or should have been first ballot hall of famers, (A-rod got wound up in the roids, and Edgar Martinez was a designated Hitter) on one team, and failed to get it done. HAHAHAHAHA - Crys in Rockies fan

[@scoot8792]

He may not have been the greatest of all time, but he was my favorite to watch. He gave off a different feeling when he took the mound.

[@blueboy4244]

if you had just one game to win... for me it would be a toss up between Kofax and Johnson (each in their prime)

[@TecMatt]

Idk if you've done any of these but I'd love to see you do some secret base "rewinder" series, my personal, biased favorite being the one about Magglio Ordoñez and the 2006 Detroit Tigers

[@sethheasley9538]

It's been cool to watch your baseball reactions since the early days when you didn't know much about the game. Kudos for diving in and picking it up.

[@DNReacts]

Thanks Seth, we really appreciate that 🙏

[@whimsofmim]

Pitchers in particular can take a long time to blossom. Most position players give a sense of whether they will be great, but pitching is reliant on mechanics and psychology, sometimes it takes guys several years until they hone in their stuff and become dominant. There are pitchers who are great from a young age though, but Johnson was definitely a case of a late bloomer. That is also common with power pitchers, however.

[@doctor8342]

Kenny Lofton played for the Indians, during an at bat he got a couple pitches inside and complained to the umpire that Johnson was trying to hit him, on tv you could hear Johnson yell "if I wanted to hit you I'd fucking hit you", very next pitch hit Lofton in the kidney.... Randy Johnson and Bob Gibson are the two most intimidating pitches in baseball history.

[@pierrelevasseur2701]

Looking at his Baseball Reference page, Randy had a walk rate of 2.4 per game which is good, although in just 26 innings in 1988. As reference, the Giants led in 2023 with 2.53 and the league average is around 3.25. The problem started in 1989 with 7.9 rate per game for the Expos. After being traded to the Mariners, it was 4.8 per game and 5.4 for the season with both teams. Not good. Down to 4.9 in 1990, over 6.0 in each of the next two seasons. Yeah, he had control issues. It wasn't until 1995 that he had a decent 2.7 rate and was good in that department the rest of his career. He even had sub-2 rates in 2004 and 2005 when he was in his 40s which is incredible.

[@taiwanwhite5762]

1998 not only had an amazing home run race, but that '98 Yankees team is the greatest baseball team of all time.

[@glenkrisch4844]

I like to look at the WHIP stat for pitchers (walks + hits per inning). Anything under 1.2 is really good, all-star quality. Johnson was always around 1.5 while in Montreal. When he matured, his WHIP dropped below 1.2, and even bottomed out at around .9. Fewer baserunners means fewer pitches per inning, which means a pitcher can last longer into games. By harnessing his command, and at an elite level, Johnson became a total legend.

[@kafkakaraoke]

You're correct that late development is fairly common in baseball compared to other sports. My theory is that it's the mental aspects of the game, baseball is more mental than most sports, and mental maturity often comes with age and experience. This is just a theory.

[@noahdoss1967]

It’s worth noting that the Nationals that he beat at the end of the video used to be the Expos

[@XaviRonaldo0]

Possibly the best slider in the history of baseball. I'm not sure what an acceptable WHIP is (walks+hits per innings pitched) but i would guess around 1.2 may be acceptable. 150 walks is very high considering most starting pitchers pitch not much more than 200 innings. Add the hits he gives up onto that and the WHIP would probably be around 1.5+. That's well below average I would think. It's kind of a pity the Yankees missed out on the WS just a month after 9/11 but nobody was upset about the D-Backs winning in just their 4th season.