'The Big Unit' joins the legends at baseball's Hall of Fame
Much-travelled Randy Johnson becomes part of Cooperstown along with Craig Biggio, Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz
Left-handed hurler Randy Johnson expected "goosebumps" upon his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the ceremony before nearly 50,000 people didn't disappoint.
"It's very humbling to look behind me and see the best who have played this game," said Johnson - one of a trio of pitching greats to go into the shrine along with slugger Craig Biggio.
Johnson and fellow pitchers Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz were all elected in their first year of eligibility, while slugger Biggio was elected in his third year on the ballot.
So many of the reasons that I've been inducted into the Hall of Fame are long gone now. My fastball is gone. I no longer have a mullet. And my scowl is long gone
It was the first time since 1955 that the voting writers elected four players in the same year, and the first time three pitchers were elected in the same year.
Johnson, a five-time Cy Young Award-winner with 303 career wins was a certain first-ballot selection. His 4,875 strikeouts are the most ever by a left-handed hurler and second behind Nolan Ryan's all-time major league record of 5,714.
The lanky lefty nicknamed "The Big Unit" pitched 22 seasons for Montreal, Seattle, Houston, Arizona, San Francisco and the New York Yankees. He enjoyed 20-win campaigns in 1997, 2001 and 2002 and was the 2001 World Series Most Valuable Player in sparking Arizona over the Yankees for the Major League Baseball crown. His résumé also includes a perfect game pitched for the Diamondbacks against the Atlanta Braves in 2004.
"So many of the reasons that I've been inducted into the Hall of Fame are long gone now. My fastball is gone. I no longer have a mullet. And my scowl is long gone," Johnson said. "I'm so happy to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and be in the greatest fraternity of all time."
Martinez, the first native of the Dominican Republic to be inducted since Juan Marichal in 1983, played 18 seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia and the New York Mets, going 219-100 with a 2.93 earned-run average.
He had 20-win seasons in 1999 and 2002, won Cy Young Awards in 1997, 1999 and 2000, and swept the 1999 American League pitching triple crown by leading in wins with 23, earned run average at 2.07 and strikeouts with 313. He helped Boston win the 2004 World Series.
I'm so happy to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and be in the greatest fraternity of all time
Smoltz, an American right-hander, worked as a starter as well as a closing reliever in a 21-season career for Atlanta, Boston and St Louis, compiling a career record of 213-155 with a 3.33 earned-run average and 154 saves. He won the 1996 National League Cy Young Award and his 3,084 strikeouts rank 16th all-time. He helped Atlanta to the 1995 World Series.
Biggio, a multi-position star who had 3,060 hits in 20 seasons with the Houston Astros, joined 25 other 3,000-hit players in the Hall.
