Randy Johnson arrived in Seattle as a 6-foot-10 baseball curiousity. He soon became a giant in the game with a fearsome fastball and his ``Mr. Snappy'' slider, and helped save baseball in Seattle.
1989
Langston, Langston, Langston. Randy Johnson's Mariner arrival was far overshadowed by the departure of the Mariner pitching ace on May 25, 1989. The deal was this: Seattle sent Mark Langston and a player to be named later (pitcher Mike Campbell) to Montreal for Johnson, fellow starting pitcher Brian Holman and reliever Gene Harris. Johnson was with Class AAA Indianapolis at the time of the trade, having been sent out after an 0-4 start with the Expos.
``They're young and crude and we're going to have to live with some mistakes for a while.''
- May 26, 1989, Mariner manager Jim Lefebvre, sizing up his three new pitchers.
1990
No hits, no runs, no regrets. Nearly a year after the deal, Langston finally was a forgotten man as Johnson fired the first Mariner no-hitter on June 2, beating Detroit 2-0 at the Kingdome. The 6-foot-10 lefty struck out eight and walked six. To perserve the masterpiece, there were four tough plays, two flyouts and two groundouts, all handled flawlessly by his teammates, including one by second-year centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr.
``I went for it then. I started to rear back and let it fly. My thinking was if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. I'm a fastball pitcher, and I'm going down throwing fastballs. I'm not going to lose this on anything but my best pitch.''
- June 2, 1990, Johnson, regarding his eighth- and ninth-inning mindset.
1991
Almost straight A's. Fourteen months after his no-hitter, Johnson had a near-miss, losing another gem in the ninth inning against Oakland at the Kingdome. Mike Gallego, the A's No. 8 hitter, spoiled his effort with no outs and a runner on base, ramming a single cleanly to left between third baseman Edgar Martinez and shortstop Omar Vizquel.
``He was a like a shark smelling blood. He kept coming. He didn't get tired, he got stronger. The ball just exploded on us. I'm glad he threw me a nice fastball instead of one of his nasty sliders. I knew I couldn't hit his slider.''
- Aug. 13, 1991, Gallego describing his frustration against Johnson.
1992
Bulls-eye. Johnson was coming off arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in the offseason, when he took a Mike Greenwell liner off his left elbow in a game against Boston at the Kingdome. The ball struck him flush on the joint and left him writhing on the ground. Johnson's injury was described as a bruise, but he would pitch only once, and briefly, over the next month. He wound up on the Mariner DL for the first time. This would be the first of several health setbacks for the pitcher over the next five seasons.
``I really don't have too much to say to any of you.''
- May 31, 1992, a sore and agitated Johnson after his hospital visit.
1993
The hair was longer, the fastball faster. This was the coming-of-age year for Johnson, who matched Langston's club record for pitching victories (19) and surpassed Langston's strikeout standard (308) by 46. Johnson did everything. He made John Kruk look silly at the All-Star Game in Baltimore. He narrowly missed a pair of no-hitters against Kansas City and Oakland, losing them in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Against Oakland, he also was perfect through 71/3 innings, with Kevin Seitzer's one-out walk spoiling the effort. Johnson pitched in relief for the first time, after closer Norm Charlton was lost to an arm injury, and picked up his first big-league save.
``I'm not a perfect pitcher and this probably is about as close as I'll ever get to a perfect game. I did pitch one in high school.''
- May 16, 1993, Johnson after flirting with perfection.
1994
It was good while it lasted for the Big Unit. In a strike-shortened campaign, Johnson had a season within a season, throwing three consecutive shutouts. He stopped Oakland 1-0 on a four-hitter, defeated Minnesota 12-0 permitting just two hits and beat Toronto 2-0 with a six-hitter. He would finish with 29 consecutive scoreless innings, then second in club history to Langston's 34. The opener seemed to mirror the frustrations of the season. Nothing got finished. Johnson took a no-hitter into the eighth inning at Cleveland, had it broken up by Sandy Alomar, and the Mariners lost the game in extra innings.
``I don't like to compare myself to anyone. When I start pitching like other people, then I get away from me. I think it's important to have your own identity. He's Mark. I'm me.''
- May 25, 1994, Johnson when compared to Langston.
1995
There was none better. Johnson turned it up a notch and was rewarded with the Cy Young award. He captured 18 of 20 regular-season pitching decisions, and the club won 27 of 31 games he started. He threw a three-hitter at California to win a one-game playoff, helping propel the Mariners to their first AL West Division championship. He was the first Mariner pitcher to start the All-Star game. He also set a major-league record for the most strikeouts per innings pitched with 12.35, breaking Nolan Ryan's mark of 11.48 set in 1987 with Houston. But showing wear, he missed an August start with shoulder inflammation and had a second arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in the offseason.
``I take pride in trying to be a pitcher, someone who goes out there and thinks and has a strategy, keeping batters off balance. You can't do that continually throwing 90-mile-an-hour fastballs. They can hit that. A thrower is someone who just rears back and throws. I used to be that.''
- Nov. 14, 1995, Johnson after winning the Cy Young award.
1996
It was the Big Unit, unplugged. After enjoying ultimate rewards, everything came crashing down around Johnson. On April 26, he was forced to leave a game at Milwaukee with lower back pain, pitching just 32/3 innings. Briefly returning to the mound and finding more discomfort, he went on the 60-day disabled list on May 13, diagnosed with an irritated nerve in his lower back. He would pitch two innings at Class A Everett on a rehab assignment and return to the Mariners on Aug. 6, but his back would bottom out. He was returned to the DL on Aug. 27 and had back surgery for a herniated disk in Los Angeles a month later. He appeared in only 14 games.
``I don't see any reason why he can't perform as well in baseball as he has in the past.''
- Sept. 12, 1996, Dr. Robert Watkins, discussing Johnson's back surgery.
1997
Back surgery produced a new and improved Randy Johnson. Starting slowly and working his way into shape, he became the Mariners' first 20-game winner, capturing 20 of 24 decisions. He had a pair of 19-strikeout games against Oakland and Chicago, and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Detroit. He ran off a string of 31 consecutive scoreless innings. However, he was not without physical pain, injuring the middle finger on his throwing hand and missing a month of starts. And there was unavoidable emotional pain, with Johnson losing twice to Baltimore in the postseason.
``He's human. I didn't think it would come down to them beating him twice. I didn't think they could do it.''
- Oct. 5, 1997, Jay Buhner on Johnson against the Orioles.
1998
Borrowed time. Johnson was living on it after the Mariners announced in the offseason that the pitcher, a $6 million man in the last year of his contract, would not be offered an extension. He was shopped to the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays, but no deal was struck. Johnson reported to spring camp clearly unhappy despite pronouncements otherwise, and it showed as the season started. He nearly went winless in April. Next his temper flared in a game against Cleveland and resulted in his ejection and three-game suspension. Kenny Lofton had reacted negatively to a wayward pitch and got another that spun him around, emptying the benches. He wrestled with teammate David Segui in the clubhouse over a loud stereo, blaming his situation. Johnson had one more brush with a no-hitter against Minnesota, coming within five outs of the gem before Brent Gates, a former teammate, singled.
``I'm upbeat and ready to go. I'm probably in better shape than I've ever been.''
- Feb. 15, 1998, Johnson arriving at spring camp.
Mariner pitching all-time top five
WINS
Johnson 130
Langston 74
Moore 66
Hanson 56
Young 45
LOSSES
Moore 96
Johnson 74
Beattie 72
Langston 67
Young 66
ERA (300 IP)
Jackson 3.38
Johnson 3.42
Reed 3.49
B. Clark 3.66
Hanson 3.69
GAMES
Jackson 335
Johnson 274
Ayala 274
Vande Berg 272
Swift 253
STARTS
Johnson 266
Moore 217
Langston 173
Beattie 147
Abbott 246
COMPLETE GAMES
Moore 56
Johnson 51
Langston 41
Beattie 30
Abbott 28
SHUTOUTS
Johnson 19
Langston 9
Moore 9
Bannister 7
Beattie 6
SAVES
Schooler 98
Charlton 66
Ayala 56
Caudill 52
Rawley 36
INNINGS
Johnson 1,838.1
Moore 1,457.0
Langston 1,197.2
Hanson 967.1
Beattie 944.2
WALKS
Johnson 884
Langston 575
Moore 535
Beattie 369
Young 365
STRIKEOUTS
Johnson 2,162
Langston 1,078
Moore 937
Hanson 740
Young 597
Johnson's top 10 games
1. June 2, 1990.
Threw Mariners' first no-hitter, beat Detroit 2-0.
2. May 16, 1993.
Lost perfect game in 8th, on Kevin Seitzer's one-out walk, and no-hitter in 9th, on Lance Blankenship's one-out single; finished with one-hitter in 7-0 win over Oakland.
3. Aug. 14, 1991.
Lost no-hitter in 9th on no-out single by Mike Gallego; finished 1-hitter in 4-0 win over Oakland.
4. Oct. 2, 1995.
Clinched AL West Division title with 3-hitter in 9-1 win over California in playoff game.
5. Aug. 8, 1997.
Struck out 19 with 5-hitter in 5-0 win over Chicago.
6. June 24, 1997.
Struck out 19 in 4-1 loss to Oakland.
7. Sept. 16, 1993.
Lost no-hitter in 8th on Brian McRae's one-out double, beat Kansas City 14-1 with 2-hitter.
8. June 8, 1997.
Lost no-hitter in 8th on Phil Nevin's one-out single, beat Detroit 2-0 (Finished with 1-hitter in 8 innings.)
9. April 4, 1994.
Lost no-hitter in 8th on Sandy Alomar's no-out single; took no-decision in 4-3, 11-inning loss to Cleveland.
10. Oct. 8, 1995.
On one day's rest, pitched three innings of relief, struck out six and earned victory, beating New York 6-5 in Game 5 of Al Division Series.
