It's that time of year again. It's the day that I get together and celebrate a pitching milestone that I'm perhaps the only person to care about. It is the ninth anniversary of Randy Johnson's 300th win. Last year I didn't prepare anything because I didn't want to rehash what I had posted in the past, and I was traveling to New York anyways. However, after the anniversary last year I had stumbled upon a fascinating relic. Somebody on YouTube had posted the full Comcast SportsNet Bay Area broadcast of the 300th win game, and that includes both the pre-game and the post-game show that was truncated when the broadcast made it onto the iTunes Store. I quickly saved the videos (and thankfully I did, because the account was shut down due to copyright violations) and I decided to transcribe the pre-game and the post-game, very much what I did four years ago for the fifth anniversary. And it will be presented to you after the break.
And frankly it's kind of scary that we are at the 9th anniversary of the amazing milestone. It means that next year will be the 10th anniversary. And I do have something special for the 10th anniversary, but that will come next year. Meanwhile, have the pre-game and post-game, with Duane "Kuip" Kuiper, Mike "Kruk" Krukow, Scott Reiss, Bip Roberts, and the man himself: Randy Johnson.
Intro
Kuip:
Today one of baseball's most prolific pitchers could reach another milestone. Only five lefties in the history of baseball have won 300 games, a number so significant it is a ticket to Cooperstown and baseball's Hall of Fame. The 300 Club is so exclusive only 23 members belong. Randy Johnson's career began 22 seasons ago, and through it all, one milestone remains: 300. So stay tuned, history could be made…next.
Pre-Game
Kuip:
It's a rainy afternoon here in Washington D.C., but it looks like we're gonna have baseball as we come to you from Nationals Park. Game two of this three-game series: Nationals and Giants. Randy Johnson going for win number 300. Hi again, everybody, I'm Duane Kuiper. Alongside me is Mike Krukow. Well, we don't know how long this game is gonna go. We're assuming it's gonna start when they tell us is in about ten minutes. Uh, so you know, everything is kinda like...mysterious. But we do know this: once it gets started, we're gonna see the Big Unit, and he's gonna try to get 300.
Kruk:
Well, think back 21 years ago. He made his major league debut with the Montreal Expos. How is that significant? Well, the Montreal Expos are now the Washington Nationals. He's gonna try and win number 300 against the organization that he came into the big leagues with. It has not been an easy ride for him the last couple of days simply because of the rain and the anxiety and the anticipation. Well, hopefully, today we are finally gonna cross that barrier and he is gonna get the ball, and he'll have a chance to indeed put himself in that select group of six lefthanders who have won 300 or more games in this great game.
Kuip:
All right, Randy Johnson going for the big number: 300. All right, we're at Nationals Park, and we'll have more baseball right after this.
Kuip:
Back here at the ballpark, both teams starting to get loose, and we are getting ready for baseball here in Washington D.C. Well it's time to bring you up to speed with AT&T Rapid Rewind. And we're gonna go back to Randy Johnson's last start against the Nationals on May 11, 2009. And, uh, Randy Johnson, his third win of the season. He went five innings, eight hits, four earned runs, no walks, and nine very impressive strikeouts, as you can see the nine strikeouts right there. Just mowin' 'em down. And, uh, Randy Johnson with the win on May 11, 2009. As you see Johnson getting loose down in the bullpen, and that was his line: eight hits, four earned runs, no walks, nine strikeouts. He left with…after throwing 84 pitches. Today is going for number 300 in his career. AT&T, the nation's fastest 3G network. AT&T, your world delivered. We'll be back.
Kuip:
Randy Johnson getting loose down in the Giants bullpen, which is located in left-center field here at Nationals Park. Whereas we're waiting...the umpires are out, so we're just waiting now for the Nationals to take the field. And I think they're just waiting for the grounds crew to take a hike. Our game-time weather is brought to you by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the admission-free boardwalk is open daily. The temperature is 61 degrees, winds: very light, humidity: very high, and the forecast: I don't wanna talk about it.
Kruk:
Heh. That's true! I don't want to talk about it!
Kuip:
Heh heh
Kruk:
There's rain everywhere!
Kuip:
We're very sensitive about this.
Kruk:
However, we do have a window, and we're gonna play ball right now.
Kuip:
Well, the...there's nothing more miserable than asking a starting pitcher to go through what both of these pitchers have gone through since they got to the ballpark yesterday. I mean, you start to mentally prepare yourself…to the first pitch they're gonna throw and that's gonna be a little after seven. And then you don't throw it at all, and then you sleep on it again. And, uh, you've always said it is a game of routine, and this is not been routine by any stretch of the imagination.
Kruk:
Heh heh. But, if there's an advantage in this game I have to believe that it's for the Giants here, with Randy Johnson, who in his 21st year at the big league level, has done this many time before. His opponent tonight, Jordan Zimmermann, is a 23-year-old rook, and he has not done this a whole lot. So familiarity is always an advantage, and, uh, I would have to say that Randy Johnson has the slight edge in trying to deal with this rain delay.
Kuip:
Somehow fireworks in the rain doesn't do a whole lot for me, but…the fact that the Nationals have taken the field, that does a lot for me. And let's take a look at the Giants lineup, and it's brought to you by Southwest Airlines. It will be Rowand, who currently with a 12-game hitting streak, and during that streak he's hitting over .400. Renteria second, then Winn. B...Bengie Molina, who is in a slump, is the cleanup hitter. Then Lewis, Ishikawa in the lineup, Uribe seventh, Burriss eighth, and the Big Unit ninth.
Kruk:
What do you say we check out the defense for the Washington Nationals. It will set it up this way, with Dunn, Dukes, and Kearns, that's your outfield. Zimmerman and Gonzalez on the left side of the infield. Belliard and Johnson on the right side. And Nieves will do the catching. And the gentleman he'll be putting the fingers down for is Jordan Zimmermann, making his ninth start. Two and two with a 6.07 ERA. Giants saw him earlier in May in that inning…in that outing he went six innings, gave up five runs, struck out eight. And they were impressed with his stuff. He had a mid-to-high 90s fastball, four pitches: curveball, slider, and change-up. And a very, very, good curveball. And you see, he can throw strikes. 47 strikeouts in 46 innings, and a…a…about a three to one strikeout walk ratio, which is excellent. Zimermmann, 23 years old, 6'2", 220-pounder. As you see the Big Unit, Randy Johnson, coming across the field after having taken his warm-up throws. He finally is ready to go and pitch in a big league baseball game.
Kuip:
Well, when the Giants played on Tuesday night, Aaron Rowand led the game off with a big fly. And for Rowand, that was his sixth home run of the year, and his second leadoff home run this season. He'd only been leading off for a couple of weeks, and the fact that he is on a hot streak does coincide with him batting first...in the lineup.
See Full Transcript
Giants Post-Game Live
Kuip:
(replay) GOT HIM! Adam Dunn can't believe it!
Scott:
Well that was the pitch that they'll be talking about when this one is over. This is the pitch that officially put this game in the books for Randy Johnson. 5-1, Giants over the Nationals and the Unit is baseball's newest member of the 300-victory club. And with that welcome in to Giants Post-Game Live. Scott Reiss side by side with Bip Roberts. Bip, we saw history, and I tell you what, talk all you want about the controversial call in the eighth inning, but Randy Johnson earned it with what he did in six innings tonight.
Bip:
Yeah, he really did. He went out there and he was the Randy Johnson of old. He went out there and he…he retired the first nine out of ten hitters he faced and his teammates were behind him the whole game. You know, we talked about it in the pre-game. If your teammates come out and play well for you as a pitcher, the chances of you going out there and winning are great. But if you're a great pitcher the chances of you going out there are almost 100% that you can win. So today Randy Johnson showed that with great pitching and a great team behind him, this is how you get to 300.
Scott:
And Randy had to deal with some adversity that not a lot of guys on this list of 24 300-game winners have had to deal with. Namely a rain delay for four hours yesterday in a game that's ultimately postponed. And then coming out today amidst all the uncertainty, Bip, and…and he didn't really know if he was gonna get to go out there and do it today either.
Bip:
And you know, 20 years from now, when he tells the story, that will make it that much sweeter. "I had to wait 24 hours through the rain delays. It was stormin' when I went out on the mound. It was lightning and thunder crackling around me, but I was able to go out there and get my 300th because I had a great team behind me that day, and they played great defense and got timely hitting."
Scott:
At the rate he's going, 20 years from now he might be going after career win number 500.
Bip:
Heh heh heh
Scott:
Who knows? He's gonna go after Cy Young, but, uh, hey. 45 years old, he is the second oldest pitcher to achieve that 300th career victory. He is the sixth left-hander to do it. I mean, we can throw stats at you all day. Here's an interesting one: the first member of the 300-win club, Bip, to have claimed victories against all 30 major league teams in existence today.
Bip:
Well, when you talk about greatness, only a guy like Randy Johnson could achieve something like that. And when you think about it, 6'10", he's able to throw the ball in the mid-90s, a great crispy slider. Just tremendous control. And, you know, he goes out there focused each and every time with determination to win.
Scott:
He was focused early and often. And we get you back out now live to Washington D.C., and Mike Krukow standing by with the man of the hour. Kruk?
Kruk:
Welcome back to, uh, Washington, National Park here. And a historical day as Randy Johnson has joined just 24 men in baseball history to be a...a...a 300-game winner. And Randy, you worked h...incredibly hard your whole career. There were times you didn’t know if your body was gonna allow you to do this. You persevered, and now that you have made this, uh, tremendous accomplishment, how do you feel?
Randy:
Oh, exhausted, but, uh…(sound missing)...our work's done yet. I didn't come here just to win five games. I came to help this team, uh, turn things around, and, uh, hopefully get us to the playoffs. And so there's still a lot of hard work ahead, but, uh, it's nice to get the win. It's nice to have this moment with my family and friends that came. Uh…my teammates, and uh, I think about all the teammates that I've had along the way, uh, starting back in Montreal, to...to Seattle, uh, nine or ten years that I played there then to Houston for the two months and Arizona for the great run that, uh, I had with my teammates there and...and then for New York for a couple of years and then back to Arizona and then finally back here for...for what I hope is, uh, you know, a real good year for...for the team and myself as well. So, uh, it's been a long road and I guess the one word that would sum it all up was just that I've...I persevered. Uh...you know, I battled, uh, with mechanics early in my career. I battled with injuries towards the end of my career. But, uh, you know, a game like today means a lot, not necessarily because of what happened but because of the way I pitched. I mean, these kind of games mean more to me than going out and striking out 15, because, uh, it's a good lineup there and I actually pitched great defensive plays behind me, but, uh, you know it's actually a lot of fun going out there and getting ground balls and getting double plays and...because you have to pitch now, you know, and that's what I've realized, uh, several years ago that I actually had to...can't overmatch any hitters anymore but I have to pitch and persevere and...and, uh, that's one reason why my, uh, location is that much more critical at this point in my career.
Kruk:
Well tremendous defense you made mention. It was Aaron Rowand who got things started with a great play early in the ballgame. And, uh, and then it was, uh, Emmanuel Burriss who had the play of the game. And watch this right here.
Randy:
Oh, Aaron made a great play off of Nick Johnson, uh, and then uh...uh, Belliard came up and...I think it was Belliard that came up and hit the ground ball to, uh, to Emmanuel who made a great play playing, uh, double play depth. And, uh, you know, uh, that could have turned the game around for them easily, uh, with a couple of guys on base and here we got two outs. So, uh, that's just, uh, you know I've been fortunate to be around long enough to do a few nice things from a personal standpoint and from a team standpoint. But, uh, I think the one thing that's...that's kind of all kinda comin' together right now, and, you know, a...a lot of times things didn't really...sink in until maybe a day, a week, you know, a month later actual, uh, what we had done, whether it was win a World Series or the perfect game, it's things like that. But, uh, you know, uh, it's a special moment to share it with the…the National fans here that, uh, they came out and bared it through the rain yesterday and today and, uh, were cheering us on. And, uh, just to have my family and friends here too, you know. A lot of them were a…weren't a…weren't able to stick around for the extra day, but, uh, you know a lot of people that I know watched it back home. My mom and so, uh, I'm happy and thankful that I had that much support.
Kruk:
Well, talk about the last out. You were sittin' with your son Tanner there and watching the 27th out. What was going through your mind?
Randy:
Oh, Willie's, uh, got a...an overpowering fastball, and, uh, you know, when he's out there pitching, it's, uh...things can pretty much be under control with...with him out there, but, uh, you know...just I think it's the coolest moment to be able to share something like this with my son. You know, obviously I wish my dad was around. He wasn't able to see any of my…my games from the last 17 years. But, uh, you know, up...upstairs he's probably watching and that's why I think this moment's so special for me and my son.
Kruk:
Well, it's special for all, uh, baseball fans, not just Giants fans but for all the fans in general. They took a...a great rejoice in Seattle seeing you win, uh, and...and pitch well up there. And...and, uh, and coming here against the organization you started out in...against this uh, Nationals organization that used to be the Expos. And you won your 300th. And I can speak for all of us in the baseball world, tr...tremendous accomplishment. Congratulations. Just one of six left-handers to ever have done this. Congratulations, my friend.
Randy:
Oh, thanks very much. Thank you.
Kruk:
Randy Johnson, on a very, very historical day. We now give it back to the Studio. Guys, it's all yours. Thank you, Randy
Randy:
Thank you.
Scott:
All right, Kruk, and, uh, of course our congratulations as well to the Unit who as I mentioned becomes the second oldest pitcher to reach that magical 300-win plateau. Phil Niekro did it back in October of 1985 at age 46. Randy, of course, will be 46 at the conclusion of this season. But, uh, you know, Bip, I don't care how old you are, this is a...a special day to...to notch 300. I mean, th...there are...there are numbers, and then there are numbers. And baseball is all about stats and numbers, but...but 300 for a pitcher that's...that's up there.
Bip:
Oh, that is tremendous, that is special. And to Randy from the East Bay, Livermore, everyone is joyful and happy that he was able to accomplish this. But when we start talking about a guy like Randy and 300, you know, 300 is a magic number for hitters. You want to hit .300. When you start talking about 300 as the number for pitchers, that's the number that's pretty much...un-...well to the point where I don't think anybody can get there. You start thinking, like, "Wow! How can you get 300 wins as a pitcher?" Well, you have to persevere just like he says. Stay healthy, have good stuff, be around good teammates. Play on teams that like to win. And above all, you know, just have the faith that your abilities will get you as far as you take them. And Randy Johnson is a prime example of that. 6'10", as you said he used to throw, uh, had no command or control of his fastball whatsoever. But he learned to refine that and became a 300-game winner. And, you know, a future Hall of Famer. And thank God right now he's a Giant.
Scott:
Randy now tied with Lefty Grove and Early Wynn for 22nd on the all-time wins list. Tom Glavine would be next, and Glavine, of course just released yesterday by the Braves, could possibly be at the end of his road, which means Randy could vault him within the next few weeks. But, you know, w...what struck me, Bip, about that sequence and watching Randy as the final out was recorded, there with his son, and he was still sort of stoic and didn't show a lot of emotion. There was a brief moment where he let his guard down and you saw the big sm…I've never seen him smile that big.
Bip:
Heh heh heh heh
Scott:
Where he realized, "Wow," after all he's been through not only in 20 years in this game but also over the last 24 hours with the rain and the delays, that this was a moment that can never be duplicated.
Bip:
Well, you're absolutely right. It's the culmination of his entire career in one game, where you see Randy Johnson the Dominator the first few innings, first five innings. Then you see Randy Johnson, the guy who's grown into such a team leader watching, and in the...in position to win 300, saying "Well, let's get this over with. I'm starting to get nervous." But, a...in all of that he started to smile because he started to get comfortable. He started to realize that his ultimate dream was about to come true. Yes, he's won World Series, but the 300 number, that is a tremendous number. And he was able to get that today.
Scott:
We talked on the pre-game show about the win as a baseball statistic and how a lot of things have to go your way. It's not just about going out and pitching well. You gotta have some help. And he got it from his defense, and he got it from his bullpen. And this was the at-bat here in the eighth inning. Up 2 to 1, Johnson is long gone. After a couple of pitching changes, Brian Wilson the closer brought in, walks the bases loaded, and now Adam Dunn, coming up on a three-two pitch. And umpire Tim Timmons, Bip, making the call here that's gonna keep him in the headlines for the next couple of days.
Bip:
Yeah, this pitch, if you're a hitter, you want it to be called a ball. If you're Bochy, if you're Randy Johnson...
Scott:
Heh heh heh
Bip:
...if you're Wilson, that is a strike. I believe as a hitter, anything close with three-two, you have to swing the bat. That pitch, although it looks low, after it goes across the plate, it looked like a strike going across his knee. That's too close to take.
Scott:
To Bip Roberts, that's a strike.
Bip:
A ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Scott:
To Adam Dunn, I'm not quite sure.
Bip:
Heh heh. Well, Tim Timmons calls it a strike...
Scott:
Ha ha ha ha
Bip:
And it is a strike. In that situation, it's too close to take. And any time it's three and two the umpire opens the plate a little bit, and he calls strikes.
Scott:
Uh, nonetheless gotta get your bat off your shoulder.
Bip:
That's right.
Scott:
If that pitch goes a different way, well, we're making plans for Arizona next week and Randy against his former team. Now he can go for career victory number 301. But again, you gotta have help. And he got some offense early on. Not a lot, but as it turns out, just enough...that his bats picked him up, and...and the way Jordan Zimmermann pitched, you know, they were lucky to get much at all.
Bip:
Well Zimmermann was great. He had good stuff. He is one of those kids that when he's hot, he has great stuff. And sometimes he just hur...he...he gets to the point where he throws pitches in the zone and he makes mistakes there. In that second inning, Lewis, Ishikawa, um, Burriss, they come up with big hits and they scored two runs. Bur...I mean, uh, Uribe hits the ball hard to get the guys over and score a run. But these guys in that second inning put together a great inning where they were able to put three hits together and score two runs.
Scott:
And how about props to Emmanuel Burriss, who made the defensive play of the day, maybe of the season? And we'll see that momentarily. And there you see the, uh, the RBI single that made it 2-1 and ultimately was the...the game-winning RBI if they still counted that stat in giving Randy Johnson the lead. Now let's talk now about that defense because the play that Burriss made, you know, given the gravity of this situation, this is one of the most impressive plays in baseball all season, not just the Giants.
Bip:
Well, it's wet, it's muddy out there, and he has to get a good jump on that ball because it's hit hard to his right. That's a tough play for a second baseman, but he takes one step and a dive. He flips it to Renteria who was waiting for that, they have worked together in defense, they...they know each other very well, gives him a great feed to come across the base. And Renteria, all he has to do is to get off a good throw and he does that very well. A nice strong throw to first to complete the double play.
Scott:
Well, and...and...you know...y...uh...one run's gonna score on that play, but the other baserunners probably gonna get to third base, so you're looking at first and third, Bip, with nobody out. So it's not just the question of the run coming in, it's...it's a...a big inning possibly and the entire complexion of this game changes if that ball gets through to the outfield.
Bip:
It really does. This game is a game based on inches and chances. And when you get the chances like he did, you have to make the plays.
Scott:
And speaking of making plays, how about the Unit? The cat-like quickness at six-foot-ten!
Bip:
Heh heh heh heh. Well I can tell he didn't play basketball.
Scott:
Ha ha ha ha
Bip:
But I tell you, he's very...he's a very good athlete and in this situation right now, just a catch and a throw, and he's off-balance, and at 6'10", that's a very difficult play.
Scott:
Ha ha ha ha. At 6'10" and 45 years of age mind you...
Bip:
Ha ha ha ha.
Scott:
...to have the reflexes to field your position and...and this is just pure, unadulterated desire here sayin', "I'm gonna grab this thing and whatever it takes! Whatever it takes."
Bip:
Well, it's great fundamentals because when he went down to the ball, he put his hand on top of the ball.
Scott:
Yep.
Bip:
He didn't try to scoop it up or anything. He put his hand on top of it and made sure he caught it in order to throw it.
Scott:
You know, I neglected to look up the career numbers, uh, I'm sure you faced Johnson more than one occasion.
Bip:
Heh.
Scott:
What...what's it like to stand in against six-foot-ten? Especially back in the day when he was throwing 99 regularly?
Bip:
Yeah, yeah. I faced Randy Johnson back when he was with the Seattle Mariners, and he had a mid-90s fastball would tail and cut, he had a great slider that...it looked like an illusion ball. It was right there one second, next thing you know it was at the back of your ankles. But I tried to keep him in a zone, and just tried to make him throw in my zone, which was very small. But Randy Johnson, I think he struck me out twice that day, and it was a tough day. I got one hit and I was really happy I got the one hit.
Scott:
Yeah! That put you above a lot of others!
Bip:
Heh
Scott:
So that's it? You only faced him one day?
Bip:
No, I faced him a few times. I got a few hits off of Randy.
Scott:
Did you?
Bip:
Um, being a small guy, he had to come down to my zone and I tried to take advantage of that. But Randy Johnson pretty much beat us every time we faced him.
Scott:
Ha ha ha ha. Well, you know, he beat a lot of teams...
Bip:
Heh heh
Scott:
...en route to 300 career victories. But, uh, you know, what does it mean to this Giants franchise?
Bip:
Yeah.
Scott:
Five of the 300 wins as a Giant, clearly he's not gonna go in the Hall of Fame wearing a Giants cap, and when people think Randy Johnson 20 years from now, they're not gonna think, "Randy Johnson, San Francisco Giant." That said, what does it mean for the organization to have him wearing that uniform on this day?
Bip:
Well, the Giants have done a lot of things right in the past in their history, they have guys who are Hall of Famers, guys who been on All-Star teams, guys who have won just about any and every award that you can think of. And you know, you have Barry Bonds here who broke the home run records. So with Randy, once again, you get a guy in here who can set records at…as a lefty, 300 wins, one of the only six lefties of all times. But he brings histor…history to the Giants once again. When you look at Randy Johnson's name and you'll see on this date he was a Giant and he won his 300th victory. And that put him into the Hall of Fame, or put the Giants into the record books.
Scott:
Of course, and Randy had mentioned how extra-special this is because his family was in attendance. His son Tanner there in the dugout. He was the batboy today, wearing the 51 on the back. His wife, Lisa, was there in the stands, uh, for as...as long as she can t...tolerate the wet stuff, I imagine, and then she came back out for the ninth inning. Y'know, Bip, you know, as a...as a family guy, you got kids. Wh...what's it like to...to have that kind of support when you're, you know, uh, going for a...a...a momentous kinda day as a ballplayer?
Bip:
Well, that's a special moment that the family would never forget. I'm sure they'll have it on tape, and they'll relive that each and every time they feel like rejoicing. But as a father and son combo, son gets to watch dad work, someday he wants to be like dad. And when you're in that situation you have dad right there, you see how dad is working through that situation. You grow up and want to be just like him.
Scott:
Well Randy Johnson's line: six innings, just two hits, one run, and it was an unearned run, so he was almost perfect, really. Walked two, struck out two. And you heard him talk about how, you know, back in the day, he was striking out 12, 13 guys. Now he's gotta pitch. He's gotta get groundouts. He's got to get double plays. Talk about the stuff that we saw out of the Unit today that allowed him to be as effective as he was.
Bip:
Well, he had what we talk about the great arm slot today. He was able to get on top of the ball, stay inside when he had to. He'd go soft away. He was hard in, soft away. He had a slider working backdoor, had his slider working inside. So Randy today, because of his arm slot, was able to get back to Randy of old. No he didn't throw 98, 99, but he was very crafty out there. He was able to mix his pitches up and be that crafty lefty that he's developed into. Not throwing as hard, but able to move the ball around and to where it just misses the barrel of the bat. And you get an easy ground ball, or a simple popup.
Scott:
Back in the day when you were standing in against six-foot-ten, did you ever think the words "crafty lefty..."
Bip:
Heh heh
Scott:
...would be used to describe...(sound missing)
Bip:
Oh, I...when I looked out and saw Randy, I...I thought, "Hopefully he won't hit me."
Scott:
He thought, "Who's that guy on your shoulders?"
Bip:
Heh heh heh. I mean, he was wild...
Scott:
Ha ha ha ha
Bip:
...but he was effective with it...being wild.
Scott:
Yeah.
Bip:
And then all of a sudden, he defied...he...he developed this...the refined control and all of a sudden became this great pitcher. And you go, "Wow, man! I'm glad he has control," because I was a little afraid in that box.
Scott:
Let's go back to the emotion of this game. And...and you saw it in not just Randy but his teammates, you know, Brian Wilson has said all along, he wanted to get the baseball when this day finally did get here. And he got it. And it almost didn't go his way with that borderline pitch in the eighth, but then Wilson buckled down, struck out the side in the ninth inning. What's it like, emotionally speaking, to be on the field when something like this happens?
Bip:
Great feeling! You want to...you want the ball just like Brian wanted the ball, Affeldt wanted the ball. You know, Medders wanted the ball. They all wanted to go out there and be a part of this 300th victory for Randy Johnson. They didn't want to be the guy to blow it for Randy Johnson. They wanted to be the guy to help him win it. And as we said earlier, when you have great teammates, you have a great bullpen like the Giants have, those guys...they're looking forward to this type of moment, and when they get it, they won't let it go by without a fight, and that's what happened today. You know, Wilson didn't have his great stuff, but he went out there with everything he had as far as emotionally and mentally, and he got the job done.
Scott:
Mmm. And again, Randy in the, uh, post-game news conference, and again we'll hear more from Randy Johnson momentarily as we'll take you back live to Washington D.C. as he addresses the media now that he's had a little bit of time to let this all sink in. But, you know, you heard him in the heat of the moment and again, so quick to, you know, e...effusive in his praise of...of the guys around him and what Burriss did with that defensive play and what Rowand did with the great catch in the first inning, and, you know, Randy is very much aware of the team aspect of this game.
Bip:
He sure is, and he said that in his...his comments and the one thing I like he understands he didn't come here to win four, five games. He came here to help the Giants win. And he's a part of a team. And yes, today was a big day for him. It was a big day for the team. They were able to win and continue their winning ways. So as a team, as a unit, yes it's great to get 300, but on top of that, it's great to get the win.
Scott:
And what you just said is exactly what he told me when I sat down with him for that conversation back in February. He said, "Look, I...I didn't come here to win five games. I came here to win, you know, 12 or 15 or 18 or whatever he can do. So far he has been perfectly healthy. And the way he's thrown the last three times out, I mean, one earned run, one earned runned, no earned runs. I don't care if you're 25 or 45, you can sustain that over three straight starts, you obviously have s...pretty good stuff left.
Bip:
He sure does. He doesn't throw as hard, but he's able to mix his pitches up. He's able to change speeds off of his breaking ball. He's able to change speeds off of his fastball. He's able to run it in, he's able to run it away soft. He's able to cut it in. He's able to backdoor it. So he's a very smart pitcher out there. No, he doesn't have the physical capabilities he had five, ten years ago, but he's still Randy Johnson, a guy who, when he's on the mound, he's capable of winning that ballgame because he has the experience. And he still has the physical abilities to go out and win, but he has the mental capabilities to go out and shut teams down.
Scott:
Well he was mentally and physically tough today. Only the two strikeouts, but only two hits over six innings. You will certainly take that. In fact, he was perfect through the first three. And you see the...the preamble, you see all the folks gathered and the lights and cameras. All we need now is the action, waiting for the tall left-hander to appear before us, and, uh, talk about the...this historic 300th career victory, as oh by the way, it was game one of a double-header. I don't think that a lot of people even remember...
Bip:
Heh heh heh
Scott:
...that there's still another game to be played and you got Matt Cain taking the baseball. So I guess if you're the Giants, you know, with all this wet stuff, you got to feel pretty good about the possibility of...of getting the sweep today after what Randy did in game one, and then Cain comin' out in game two.
Bip:
You're absolutely right. First, okay, you can't win the second game or...or sweep if you don't win the first game. And with Randy Johnson doing what he did in the first game, six innings pitched, two hits, no earned runs, two K's and a win. And then to have, you know, Matt Cain comin' after Randy, that's gonna be a treat for all baseball fans who get a chance to watch.
Scott:
And here it is in Super Slo-Mo, and, you know, Matt, no matter how many times you see it, you have to be impressed...if...i...i...impressed at what Randy Johnson did today. All right, I am told that he's finally reached the podium, and there he is, six-foot-ten and 300 career victories to his credit. Let's listen in live, Randy Johnson at Nationals Park.
Randy:
Oooh. Huuuh. Oh, here's better. Hoooh. Nn...anybody?
Media:
Heh heh heh heh. Yay!!!
Randy:
Heh heh heh heh
Media:
Randy, you tried constantly feel that...that...that now that it's happened, obviously we can see the emotion, obviously with the feel...
Randy:
Oh, absolutely. I think this is a...a...the...t...hard to describe it, but...it's...it's...like the perfect game that I threw, you know, it didn't really sink in 'cause it was a...kind of a one-game accomplishment and it happened in one day. And it...you know, it wasn't like I set out to do that. It happened, and so it kind of caught me off guard. This is a...kind of a long-term thing that's been going o...on for 21 years and you finally get to this day, and you know that if your team plays well, you pitch well, that something can happen that's only happened a few other ti...you know, 24 other times. So I think, you know, I'm actually more nervous now than I was pitching.
Media:
Ha ha ha
Randy:
You know, I was, uh, just kind of at a loss for words. I mean, uh, just happy that my family and friends were able to come. Um, you know, there's not as many of them as there...I would have liked. Um, but uh, being on the east coast I'm happy that, uh, for my teammates from the very beginning. Montreal, to, uh, to Seattle to Houston for the two months that I was there, to Arizona to New York to Arizona again to San Francisco. It's been a long road, and I couldn't have done it without all the teammates, uh, that I've had, and, uh, the support and the bullpen and the defense. I mean, the one thing that pitchers have control over essentially is, maybe their ERA and strikeouts and the hits that they give up. But they have no control over the wins that they get. And, uh, you know, to me, wins have always outweighed strikeouts because I didn't...you know, strikeouts were just something that kinda happened, but I think that I wanted to be more known for, you know, winning ballgames than striking people out. And so, uh, you know, pitchin' a game like today or pitching a game like I did against the Braves, or pitching a game like I did against Seattle, I get more gratification out of that because of the way I'm doing it now than the way I ma…may have done it ten years ago. I mean, I'm actually going out there and pitching. I mean, you saw the defense today. Uh, Emmanuel made a great double play. I was...you know, that...that was pivotal. I could have turned the whole game around if...if that's a base hit. And, uh, my senior moment where I thought I was 25, and...
Media:
Ha ha ha ha ha
Randy:
...made that play. But, uh, yeah, you think about 'em, I'm almost coming up on 600 games that I've started, and, uh, there's been a lot of peaks and valleys, and, you know, to think that I've come along...this far with...
Scott:
Good lineup for you on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. We'll have game two of the double-header coming up, Post-Game Live, and then the Randy Johnson special after that. Kruk and Kuip next.
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Yep, so here we have the pre-game and post-game. I suppose I could have gone and transcribed some of the other things like the entire press conference that was on MLB.com and Hazel Mae's interview with Randy, but they don't seem to be working. And for what it's worth, Bip Roberts faced Randy Johnson 15 times in four games. He has six hits in those 15 at bats for a .400 batting average and has a double and an RBI. He struck out three times, but never twice in a game. And yes, Bip's team (the Royals) lost every single time, with Randy getting three of the wins (#104, #110, and #117.)
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