SEATTLE – Randy Johnson will officially join Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Ichiro in having his number retired by the Mariners on May 2 in a pregame ceremony. It will be the highlight of a weekend celebration of the Big Unit at T-Mobile Park.
While the Mariners had already announced the plans to retire Johnson’s No. 51 last season, the official date and details were released Thursday morning as the organization rolls out its promotional schedule for the upcoming season.
As part of Johnson’s celebratory weekend, the Mariners will hold a Randy Johnson 80s jersey giveaway on May 1 with the first 20,000 fans receiving one.
Johnson’s career blossomed after he was traded from the Expos to the Mariners on May 25, 1989 as part of a five-player trade that sent Mark Langston to Montreal.
Baseball’s tallest pitcher at the time, Johnson threw hard and had a nasty slider, but his command and consistency were lacking. Despite leading MLB in walks from 1990-1992, Johnson started to dominate hitters and rack up strikeouts.
He had a breakout season in 1993, posting a 19-8 record with a 3.24 ERA. He made 34 starts and one relief appearance, picking up a save, tossing 10 complete games, including three shutouts. In 2551/3 innings pitched, he struck out 308 batters with 99 walks. He finished second in the AL Cy Young voting that season. It was his first of six seasons with 300 strikeouts in his career.
In the all-important 1995 season with the Mariners on the verge of relocating, Johnson dominated, making 30 starts. He posted an 18-2 record with a 2.48 ERA with six complete games, including four shutouts. In 2141/3 innings pitched, he struck out 294 batters with 65 walks. He won the AL Cy Young while the Mariners won the AL West and beat the Yankees in the American League Division Series.
In 10 seasons with Seattle, he posted a 130-74 record with in 266 starts and eight relief appearances. He had 51 complete games and 19 shutouts, including a no-hitter. He struck out 2,162 hitters. He remains among the all-time franchise leaders in strikeouts (2nd) and wins, starts and innings pitched (3rd), among other categories. He was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2012.
Besides their three Hall of Fame players, the Mariners, along with all MLB teams, have Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 retired as well.
This will be Johnson’s second jersey retirement ceremony. In 2015, the Arizona Diamondbacks retired his No. 51. He pitched a total of eight seasons over two separate stints with the D’Backs, helping lead them to their World Series title in 2001 while winning four consecutive National League Cy Young Awards (1999-2002). His Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown has him wearing an Arizona cap.