300 is the Loneliest Number

Is Randy Johnson the last 300-game winner?
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By Jordan Guinn

Randy Johnson punched his ticket to Cooperstown with win number 300 in our nation’s capitol on Thursday. Amid all the controversy with Johnson’s personality and former teammates voicing their displeasure with him and his aloof nature, no one can debate that the Big Unit is the best pitcher of his generation, and possibly all-time.

He may not be personable, approachable or even much to look at, but he is steroid-free and fundamental. He has provided baseball fans with timeless clips of making hitters across several decades look foolish or downright petrified. Him buzzing John Kruk is one of my favorite All-Star game memories. Kruk was bailing out of every swing after Johnson sent a 100-mph fastball sailing over his head; it was like someone had a rope tied around his front ankle and tugged on it as every pitch came in.

What’s truly amazing about Johnson is that his career stat sheet makes it look like he was on something. He won more games in his 40s than his 20s. His strikeouts exploded in his mid- to late-30s. He won the bulk of his Cy Young’s late in his career. It’s really a sad statement for baseball that my mind leapt in that direction while pouring over his stats.

The point that inevitably gets brought up when discussing Johnson’s milestone is how RJ will most likely be the last pitcher to join the 300-win club. There are some long shots, such as Jake Peavy, C.C. Sabathia and Roy Halladay, but 300 wins is pretty much as untouchable as a 56-game hitting streak.

And that’s too bad. There’s no shortage of solid pitchers in baseball today, but the game has changed too much to produce another 300-game winner. Period. Starting pitchers are coddled with pitch counts and specialized middle relief ensures most starters don’t see the eighth inning.

So savor what happened on Thursday and be ready to tell your children about it, because they won’t have anything to relate it to. What makes it all the better is that Johnson reached this historic accomplishment decked out in the best jersey baseball has to offer. But this isn’t about a team. This is about one man’s dominance over the game.

I remember watching Johnson as a kid and being scared even though I was safe in my living room. While his fastball and size get most of the recognition, it’s his stellar slider that has enabled him to rack up wins and strikeouts. I’ve never seen such snap on a pitch.

Johnson’s accomplishments read like the 12 days of Christmas: 10 All-Star selections, five Cy Young’s, three 20-win seasons, 4,845 strikeouts and counting, a perfect game, World Series ring and a World Series MVP.
So what’s next for Johnson?

“Only 211 wins to catch Cy Young,” Johnson said after the game.

Talk about a record that will never get broken.