by Maria Christoforidis
NEW YORK, NY – What do Randy Johnson and brandy have in common? They both get better with age! Mr. Johnson will soon be joining an elite group of pitchers who have all accomplished the goal of reaching 300 wins. Johnson, who currently plays for the Giants, has won the Cy Young award five times, four in a row being with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1999-2002. At 45 years old, Johnson has had many achievements in his career, as you all know, including a WS ring with the D’backs and being a 10-time All-Star. We may sometimes take him for granted because we’ve seen him around all these years, but his numbers position him as one of the greatest lefty pitchers ever to play the game.
Many speculators wonder if Randy Johnson will be the last pitcher to reach this milestone in his career. With batting averages increasing and the more active role of the bullpen, it makes it more difficult for pitchers to even get close to this feat. Steroids and performance-enhancing drugs have made players hit for higher averages. Therefore, many superstars have to accept the fact that their names will be followed by an asterisk if they are inducted in Cooperstown, which is very unlikely given all the scrutiny surrounding their actions. The 300th mark is very difficult to reach also because of the high pitch counts which result from the improved hitting. The managers then, have no choice but to turn to their bullpen, which can either be a good or bad thing depending on the caliber of your pen.
The last pitcher who has joined the “300 club†is Tom Glavine of the Braves. Glavine had his 300th win while playing for the Mets in 2007. Glavine was released yesterday from the bitter Braves with 305 wins (Glavine, who was most likely hoping to retire with the Braves, is unsure about his next move). The next pitcher in line to reach 300 is Jamie Moyer, of the Phillies. Just recently, Moyer earned his 250th win and an AARP Membership. It took Moyer six attempts, though, to reach just that goal; could you imagine how long it will take him to get to 300? The man is 46 years old, on a 2-year contract with the Phillies. You’ll need some serious Matts-Matics to figure that one out.
Kisses, Maria At Bat
