Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David "Randy" Johnson, nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1988 to 2009 for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. His 303 career victories rank as the fifth-most by a lefthander in major league history, while his 4,875 strikeouts place him second all-time behind Nolan Ryan and are the most by a lefthander. He holds five of the seven highest single-season strikeout totals by a lefthander...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth10 September 1963
CityWalnut Creek, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I was able to get my pitches in and didn't have to extend myself, which is nice. I was just glad that it didn't get postponed. I warmed up and I warmed up good.
I think every pitcher pitches a little differently when they get out of Colorado, ... He's a different pitcher here and we're really getting the benefits of his performances. He's pitching the way he always knew he could out of that environment.
When you're still making quality pitches in their third time up, you can feel your progression. I faced them three times.
They actually swung today. The sooner they get their swings down, the better for me as well. I'm not trying to break bats and strike people out, I'm just trying to throw my pitches and feel like I'm accomplishing something. The more I throw, the better my pitches will get.
I feel pretty good overall. When I'm out there throwing batting practice, it's just what it is, batting practice. To work on my pitches and trying to get something out of it a little bit as far as some intensity.
I don't need to go out there all the time and throw seven or eight innings. You might like it. I might like it. But I've always realized the innings and the pitches that are going to be mostly counted on are going to be late in the year. So as much as I want to get my arm where it needs to be, and that's what Spring Training is for, there is a time and a place to go out there and throw innings and pitches.
I pitch and my teammates expect us to win and for me to put us in a position to win, and I didn't do that. My slider found too much of the middle of the plate. I didn't have a sharp one going down and away. Unfortunately, my pitches were elevated today, and I paid the price.
By staying back I was able to get the arm angle I need for my fastball and my slider, and I haven't had it consistently. To be able to throw 96 and 97 in the eighth inning after throwing 100 pitches is ... is ... me.
You've got to make your pitches, no matter who you're facing. I did not execute my pitches and paid the price.
The innings and pitches that are going to be mostly counted on are late in the year.
Unfortunately, it took a long time to fix my mechanics, ... That's the pitcher everyone expected. That's the pitcher I expected. Today my velocity was up because my mechanics were much better.
Regarding the unfortunate incident that happened this morning as I was on my way to take a physical, I hope that everyone will understand that the past few days have been a bit overwhelming and I wish I had handled the situation differently, ... I am very sorry it happened.
Math and science are the foundation for engineering. That's the basis for technical development.
I was used to a few reporters in Phoenix who would walk by in passing and asked me how I was feeling. Here, I had 10 guys asking me about two innings in spring training.