March 10, 2008
The Return of Randy
When the Arizona Diamondbacks traded for Randy Johnson in January 2007 everyone wondered what they were thinking. Here was a pitcher who had health issues and questionable success while in New York and was characterized as a surly personality that was not a good clubhouse presence. I happened to be in the minority on that. I felt like Randy had reached a point in his career that he valued family and would be very beneficial in the clubhouse offering to help some of the young players as they began their big league careers. Whenever I mentioned my opinion it was usually met with skepticism and laughter. I felt somewhat vindicated when Randy found success after starting the season on the disabled list. That triumph was short lived when Johnson’s season ended with another surgery to repair his ailing back.
