Randy Rested, Reloaded, Ready Big Unit Can Add To Lore
Randy Johnson and the Seattle Mariners are relatively new to baseball’s postseason, but the American League’s premier pitcher already has discovered its fringe benefits.
“I had one of my cars delivered today,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “It was repaired. I didn’t want to drive it in the rain so I had it shipped over on the back of a flatbed truck. I said what’s the bill. I had my checkbook ready. He said no bill. But he did pull out four Mariners’ caps. He said we’ll call it even if you just sign these. I have no problem doing that.”
If Johnson, in his start against the Indians at Jacobs Field in Cleveland tonight, can turn around the A.L. Championship Series the way he did the divisional series against the Yankees exactly one week earlier, he may have a problem fending off all of his new-found friends who want to do him favors.
Did he single-handedly pitch the Mariners to the A.L. West title and a division series victory over the New York Yankees? No, but it certainly seems that way.
A series of tenacious performances on short rest enabled Randy Johnson to enhance his reputation as baseball’s most intimidating and dominating pitcher, but the 32-year-old left-hander thinks it should have done more.
“I’d like to start being known as a complete pitcher,” he said. “The last couple of games, I really haven’t had a fastball up to my standards and I’ve had to pitch to get through it. I take a lot of pride now in being able to get batters out by thinking as a pitcher rather than a guy who just tries to overpower people.
“I mean, the nicest compliment I’ve had recently came from (Atlanta pitching ace) Greg Maddux when he said I’ve turned into more of a pitcher. This was the first year my earned-run average was under 3.00 (it was a league-low 2.48 to go with an 18-2 record), and of all the stats, I’m fondest of that, over even the strike-out titles (of which he has won four in succession).”
Tonight, Johnson duels Charles Nagy on a full four days’ rest, a luxury he hasn’t had recently.
“The rest should do me good,” he said with a smile. “My arm feels like it had gotten a little longer.”
A little longer? It might have been hanging by a thread.
On the final Friday of the regular season, Johnson beat the Texas Rangers, 6-2, pitching 8-1/3 innings. He came back on three days’ rest and dominated the California Angels in the division playoff, going nine innings and striking out 12 in a 9-1 victory. Then he came back on three days’ rest again and beat the New York Yankees, 7-2, in Game 3 of the division series, working seven innings and striking out 10. Two days later, in Seattle’s dramatic 6-5 victory over New York in Game 5, he pitched three innings of relief and got the win. That added up to four appearances in 11 days, a total of 27-1/3 innings in which he struck out 35 batters.
With all of that, Johnson volunteered to pitch Game 2 against the Indians on Wednesday, which would have been on two days’ rest.
Said Johnson: “There are expecta tions on me, whether it’s from media, teammates or fans, and I’d like to feel I’ve risen to the occasion. No one wants to win more than I do or be out there in those situations. It’s a responsibility I take on being the pitcher I am and the pitcher I want to be … as the leader of a staff.”