Randy Johnson Randy Johnson, born in 1963, American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher who has won five Cy Young Awards and ranks among the greatest strikeout artists ever.

Randy Johnson Randy Johnson, born in 1963, American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher who has won five Cy Young Awards and ranks among the greatest strikeout artists ever. At 6 ft 10 in (2.1 m) tall, Johnson is one of the tallest players in major league history. Randall David Johnson was born in Walnut Creek, California. As a child he practiced pitching by throwing a tennis ball endlessly against the garage door. The gangly Johnson was a basketball and baseball star in high school, earning a college scholarship in both sports to the University of Southern California. He decided to focus on baseball, where his pitching was known both for its blazing speed and frequent wildness. The Montréal Expos drafted Johnson in June 1985 hoping that he could learn to harness his talent. Although he eventually made the major leagues by late 1988, the Expos traded the inconsistent pitcher to the Seattle Mariners in 1989. He steadily improved and showed flashes of brilliance, throwing a no-hit game in 1990. In 1992 he led the American League (AL) in strikeouts, a feat he repeated in 1993 while posting a 19-8 win-loss mark. Johnson had an outstanding year in 1995, going 18-2 with a 2.48 earned run average (ERA) and winning the clinching game to send the Mariners to the first postseason series in franchise history. That season Johnson won his first Cy Young Award as the outstanding pitcher in the league. Johnson suffered through a back injury in 1996 but returned to win 20 games in 1997 and again lead Seattle to the playoffs. In 1998, after a contract dispute, the Mariners traded Johnson at midseason to the Houston Astros, where he went 10-1 and led his new team to a postseason appearance. After the season he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as a free agent. In 1999 Johnson won his second Cy Young Award, going 17-9 with a 2.48 ERA as Arizona made the playoffs. The following season he had a 19-7 mark and led the league in strikeouts for the third straight year, earning another Cy Young Award. In 2001 Johnson posted a 21-6 mark to go with a 2.49 ERA. His 372 strikeouts led the major leagues and were the third highest season total in history, as he collected his fourth Cy Young Award. The crowning achievement came when Johnson went 3-0 in the World Series--including winning the deciding seventh game in relief--as he and the Diamondbacks won their first world championship title. Johnson was named co-most valuable player (MVP) of the World Series, along with Arizona pitcher Curt Schilling. The following year Johnson won pitching's "triple crown" by leading the league in wins (24), strikeouts (334), and ERA (2.37) to earn his fourth consecutive Cy Young Award and fifth overall. Only pitcher Roger Clemens, with seven, has won more. In May 2004 Johnson became the 17th pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game, allowing no runners to reach base in defeating the Atlanta Braves. At 40 years old, Johnson became the oldest player ever to achieve the feat. Before the 2005 season the Diamondbacks traded him to the New York Yankees. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.