Randy Johnson Retires After 22 Seasons

By KC Downey in Red Sox ⋅ January 6, 2010 at 1:38pm ⋅ Post a comment

Five-time Cy Young Award Winner Randy Johnson has decided to retire after 22 big league seasons. The 46-year-old lefty finished his career as the all-time strikeout leader among left-handed pitchers with 4,875 K’s, trailing the overall leader by nearly 1,000 (Nolan Ryan with 5,714).

Johnson finished 8-6 last season with the Giants, giving him 303 career victories to add to his list of achievements in his Hall of Fame career. He’s also played with the Expos and Astros, but he’s best known for his days with the Mariners, Diamondbacks, and of course as the Ace of the New York Yankees (34-19 in two years in the Bronx).

In the late stages of his career with the Diamondbacks, Johnson won four straight Cy Young Awards from 1999-2002. In that time period, the Big Unit averaged 20 wins, 354 strikeouts, and a 2.49 ERA per season. He has a World Series ring (with Arizona in 2001), and two no-hitters to his credit (including a perfect game).

In his career against the Red Sox, Johnson is 16-8 with a 4.42 ERA in 187.1 innings.