azdad1978
Championship!!!!
Pitcher perfect
Associated Press
Arizona Diamondbacks starter Randy Johnson (left) celebrates with catcher Robby Hammock after pitching a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves Tuesday in Atlanta.
Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
May. 19, 2004 12:00 AM
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]ATLANTA - Now this was better than any movie in theaters.
Randy Johnson put on a show-stopper of silver-screen proportions Tuesday night at Turner Field.
The 6-foot-10 Diamondbacks left-hander baffled and befuddled the Atlanta Braves to perfection, setting down 27 batters in order to record the second no-hitter of his illustrious career and the 15th perfect game since 1900 in a spine-tingling 2-0 victory.
"Randy just took another step forward to Cooperstown," left fielder Luis Gonzalez said in a wildly celebratory clubhouse.
Man, did this team and this pitcher need something like this right about now. Mounting losses, trade rumors sending him to the New York Yankees and having to explain why he ducked out of Bank One Ballpark last week without speaking to reporters following a 1-0 loss to the New York Mets clearly agitated Johnson.
Just five days ago, Johnson said Arizona fans would be better off spending their hard-earned money taking in a flick with their families than attending a Diamondbacks game.
Tuesday's rare glimpse of perfection wiped all that away, along with a five-game losing skid and a recently completed 2-8 homestand. Maybe the trade rumors will even subside, for now.
"Good thing the Yankee scouts weren't here tonight," Diamondbacks General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. cracked.
Johnson had every pitch working for him, and only two Atlanta hitters, catcher Johnny Estrada and second baseman Nick Green, gave him any type of stress. He was in total sync and total command with second-year catcher Robby Hammock, a native of nearby Marietta, Ga., who showed five times the emotion Johnson did when the perfect game was over.
"It's easy to say now, but had I lost it, I probably would have been fine with it," said Johnson, who is known as much for his unpredictability with reporters as he is for his heat-seeking fastballs and wicked sliders. "I would have been a little upset had I gotten into the ninth inning and lost it, but the bottom line was, I just wanted to win the ballgame."
This was more than just another win, however.
Johnson, 40, became the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game, eclipsing the great Cy Young, who was 37 when he threw the first modern gem May 5, 1904.
It was the most impressive thing that has happened to the organization since the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven games to win the 2001 World Series, Garagiola said.
Gonzalez called it another steppingstone toward a memorable tradition.
"To be on the field for something like that, especially for this organization, wow!" Gonzalez said. "We're so young, and to have a World Series and now have a no-hitter, there's a lot of different history now for this young organization."
Johnson got all the offensive support he needed in the second inning when shortstop Alex Cintron, who later made the defensive play of the game, knocked in Danny Bautista with a double off Braves starter Mike Hampton, who quietly pitched the first complete game of the season for Atlanta.
Rookie third baseman Chad Tracy drove in the other run with a single in the seventh, scoring Cintron.
"I don't know if I'll ever remember that hit, but I'll always remember being on the field for Randy Johnson's perfect game," Tracy said. "This is something I'm going to tell my kids' kids' kids - if I'm around that long."
The way Johnson pitched Tuesday, who knows how long he might stick around? If the Yankees want him at age 40, the Diamondbacks may very well want him beyond age 41. His contract expires after 2005.
"Everything he's done up to this point pales in comparison," manager Bob Brenly said. "This is one of those nights where a superior athlete was on top of his game and was in tremendous rhythm out there. His focus, his concentration, his stuff was as good as it possibly can be, and that was the end result."
Johnson said it was just his night. There were a few great defensive plays behind him and Hammock was dynamic behind the plate.
After a week of being called selfish on the sports-talk radio circuit for his comments following the 1-0 loss to the Mets' Tom Glavine, Johnson was anything but selfish.
Instead, he chose his words carefully and showed respect for the game, his teammates and the Braves.
"A game like today is pretty special; they don't come along very often," he said. "But like I said, the bottom line was we won the ballgame, and that's the most important thing."
BY THE NUMBERS
40
Randy Johnson is the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game, at 40 years, 8 months, 8 days. Cy Young was 37 years, 1 month, 6 days in 1904 when he threw his perfect game.
15
Perfect games thrown in modern major league history. Last time in the:
National League: Dennis Martinez, Montreal at Los Angeles, 2-0, July 28, 1991.
American League: David Wells, New York (AL) vs. Minnesota, 4-0, May 17, 1998.
Interleague: David Cone, New York (AL) vs. Montreal, 6-0, July 18, 1999.
14
Years between Randy Johnson's two no-hitters - the longest span in major league history.
5
Pitchers to throw no-hitters in both the American and National leagues: Johnson, Young, Nolan Ryan, Jim Bunning and Hideo Nomo.
4
Franchises that have never had a no-hitter: San Diego, Tampa Bay, New York Mets and Colorado.
2
Franchises for which Randy Johnson threw the first no-hitter. In addition to the Diamondbacks, he did it for the Seattle Mariners on June 2, 1990, a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in which he struck out eight and walked six.
D-BACKS REPORT
Cheers
To some great fielding by the normally unreliable Diamondbacks' defense, which entered the game leading the National League with 31 errors. Also to the Braves fans, who began cheering Randy Johnson in the seventh inning.
Jeers
For once, there wasn't a single thing to snipe about.
Key player
Who else? The Big Unit was simply marvelous in pitching his second career no-hitter and his first perfect game, joining 15 others to accomplish the feat in a nine-inning game since 1900. Johnson threw 117 pitches, 87 for strikes.
Key number
31
Combined strikeouts by Atlanta hitters after Milwaukee's Ben Sheets fanned them 18 times on Sunday and Johnson got them 13 times on Tuesday. It's a record for Braves in back-to-back games.
VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX
Not to get maudlin about it, but witnessing Randy Johnson's perfect game brought back a special memory. It took me back to the very first live sporting event I ever covered for The Arizona Republic some 20 years ago or so. It was a high school baseball playoff game and the pitcher from Moon Valley threw a no-hitter.
I interviewed his parents, his teammates, and even the kid's girlfriend, and all the boss had room for was two paragraphs. I never forgot that game. I'll never forget this one, either.
- Bob McManaman
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Associated Press
Arizona Diamondbacks starter Randy Johnson (left) celebrates with catcher Robby Hammock after pitching a perfect game against the Atlanta Braves Tuesday in Atlanta.
Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
May. 19, 2004 12:00 AM
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]ATLANTA - Now this was better than any movie in theaters.
Randy Johnson put on a show-stopper of silver-screen proportions Tuesday night at Turner Field.
The 6-foot-10 Diamondbacks left-hander baffled and befuddled the Atlanta Braves to perfection, setting down 27 batters in order to record the second no-hitter of his illustrious career and the 15th perfect game since 1900 in a spine-tingling 2-0 victory.
"Randy just took another step forward to Cooperstown," left fielder Luis Gonzalez said in a wildly celebratory clubhouse.
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Man, did this team and this pitcher need something like this right about now. Mounting losses, trade rumors sending him to the New York Yankees and having to explain why he ducked out of Bank One Ballpark last week without speaking to reporters following a 1-0 loss to the New York Mets clearly agitated Johnson.
Just five days ago, Johnson said Arizona fans would be better off spending their hard-earned money taking in a flick with their families than attending a Diamondbacks game.
Tuesday's rare glimpse of perfection wiped all that away, along with a five-game losing skid and a recently completed 2-8 homestand. Maybe the trade rumors will even subside, for now.
"Good thing the Yankee scouts weren't here tonight," Diamondbacks General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. cracked.
You must be registered for see images
Johnson had every pitch working for him, and only two Atlanta hitters, catcher Johnny Estrada and second baseman Nick Green, gave him any type of stress. He was in total sync and total command with second-year catcher Robby Hammock, a native of nearby Marietta, Ga., who showed five times the emotion Johnson did when the perfect game was over.
"It's easy to say now, but had I lost it, I probably would have been fine with it," said Johnson, who is known as much for his unpredictability with reporters as he is for his heat-seeking fastballs and wicked sliders. "I would have been a little upset had I gotten into the ninth inning and lost it, but the bottom line was, I just wanted to win the ballgame."
This was more than just another win, however.
Johnson, 40, became the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game, eclipsing the great Cy Young, who was 37 when he threw the first modern gem May 5, 1904.
It was the most impressive thing that has happened to the organization since the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven games to win the 2001 World Series, Garagiola said.
Gonzalez called it another steppingstone toward a memorable tradition.
"To be on the field for something like that, especially for this organization, wow!" Gonzalez said. "We're so young, and to have a World Series and now have a no-hitter, there's a lot of different history now for this young organization."
Johnson got all the offensive support he needed in the second inning when shortstop Alex Cintron, who later made the defensive play of the game, knocked in Danny Bautista with a double off Braves starter Mike Hampton, who quietly pitched the first complete game of the season for Atlanta.
Rookie third baseman Chad Tracy drove in the other run with a single in the seventh, scoring Cintron.
"I don't know if I'll ever remember that hit, but I'll always remember being on the field for Randy Johnson's perfect game," Tracy said. "This is something I'm going to tell my kids' kids' kids - if I'm around that long."
The way Johnson pitched Tuesday, who knows how long he might stick around? If the Yankees want him at age 40, the Diamondbacks may very well want him beyond age 41. His contract expires after 2005.
"Everything he's done up to this point pales in comparison," manager Bob Brenly said. "This is one of those nights where a superior athlete was on top of his game and was in tremendous rhythm out there. His focus, his concentration, his stuff was as good as it possibly can be, and that was the end result."
Johnson said it was just his night. There were a few great defensive plays behind him and Hammock was dynamic behind the plate.
After a week of being called selfish on the sports-talk radio circuit for his comments following the 1-0 loss to the Mets' Tom Glavine, Johnson was anything but selfish.
Instead, he chose his words carefully and showed respect for the game, his teammates and the Braves.
"A game like today is pretty special; they don't come along very often," he said. "But like I said, the bottom line was we won the ballgame, and that's the most important thing."
BY THE NUMBERS
40
Randy Johnson is the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game, at 40 years, 8 months, 8 days. Cy Young was 37 years, 1 month, 6 days in 1904 when he threw his perfect game.
15
Perfect games thrown in modern major league history. Last time in the:
National League: Dennis Martinez, Montreal at Los Angeles, 2-0, July 28, 1991.
American League: David Wells, New York (AL) vs. Minnesota, 4-0, May 17, 1998.
Interleague: David Cone, New York (AL) vs. Montreal, 6-0, July 18, 1999.
14
Years between Randy Johnson's two no-hitters - the longest span in major league history.
5
Pitchers to throw no-hitters in both the American and National leagues: Johnson, Young, Nolan Ryan, Jim Bunning and Hideo Nomo.
4
Franchises that have never had a no-hitter: San Diego, Tampa Bay, New York Mets and Colorado.
2
Franchises for which Randy Johnson threw the first no-hitter. In addition to the Diamondbacks, he did it for the Seattle Mariners on June 2, 1990, a 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers in which he struck out eight and walked six.
D-BACKS REPORT
Cheers
To some great fielding by the normally unreliable Diamondbacks' defense, which entered the game leading the National League with 31 errors. Also to the Braves fans, who began cheering Randy Johnson in the seventh inning.
Jeers
For once, there wasn't a single thing to snipe about.
Key player
Who else? The Big Unit was simply marvelous in pitching his second career no-hitter and his first perfect game, joining 15 others to accomplish the feat in a nine-inning game since 1900. Johnson threw 117 pitches, 87 for strikes.
Key number
31
Combined strikeouts by Atlanta hitters after Milwaukee's Ben Sheets fanned them 18 times on Sunday and Johnson got them 13 times on Tuesday. It's a record for Braves in back-to-back games.
VIEW FROM THE PRESS BOX
Not to get maudlin about it, but witnessing Randy Johnson's perfect game brought back a special memory. It took me back to the very first live sporting event I ever covered for The Arizona Republic some 20 years ago or so. It was a high school baseball playoff game and the pitcher from Moon Valley threw a no-hitter.
I interviewed his parents, his teammates, and even the kid's girlfriend, and all the boss had room for was two paragraphs. I never forgot that game. I'll never forget this one, either.
- Bob McManaman
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