Randy Johnson is beginning to make noiseabout retiring. Reading this article got me to reminiscing; I can still remember when he really started to become a force in '90-'91. There was no more intimidating pitcher in baseball, not even Clemens (and I'll come back to him in minute). In terms of fearsome mound presence, this guy was right up there with Drysdale and Gibson. His ability to strike fear into the hearts of his opponents was even lampooned on The Simpsons.

 There's the perfect game, the 5 Cy Young Awards, the murderous fastball, his eyepopping career K/9IP (10.78), and his hilarious headhunting episode with Kruk in 1993 All Star Game. The man won 3 games in a single World Series in one of the most dominating displays of pitching I have ever seen. His career ERA/WHIP is 3.22/1.16.

More than all that, though, and here's where Clemens comes back in, Johnson did it clean and did it right. Sure he was a bad interview and not the most congenial person, but he didn't puff up late in life and I never saw Randy toss a bat at an opponent.  When his career began to wane and the back began to go, he didn't turn to the juice. Randy's going to go, probably very soon, and the game will have lost an amazing baseball player and a fierce competitor.