Just keep saying it, Randy, maybe somebody will believe you eventually
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- February
- 17
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The ever-charming Randy Johnson went after the New York media again today.
“That’s the one thing that didn’t sit very well is, ‘Oh, he’s surly’ and all that,” he said in Arizona. “Well, you’re damn right if you’re going use me as a floor mat and not going to know me, then yeah. I don’t want to sit down and give you my time if you have your mind made up of your perception of me.”
True story: Last season was my first covering the Yankees and I went around and introduced myself to those players I didn’t know. Randy shook my hand and thanked me for introducing myself. We chatted for a few minutes and I walked away thinking, “Hey, he’s not such a bad guy.”
Two days later I was working on a story on Chien-Ming Wang and he mentioned to me that he had worked out in Phoenix with Randy was inspired by the future Hall of Famer. I asked Randy if he had a moment to discuss Wang and he said, “Why are you asking me about him?” Then he walked away.
I tried again a few minutes later, same thing. So I gave up. It continued like that all season.
He was a tough guy to approach and a tough guy to get a good quote from. he even totally blew us off after a few games he started. That doesn’t make him a bad person. But he is being disingenuous to say nobody tried to get to know him. Plenty of people tried and he didn’t let us.
Whether you like the media or not, this is fact: Johnson asked to be traded to the Yankees and he asked for a contract extension. He wanted the big money and got it. Having to deal with reporters is part of playing in New York and every athlete knows that.
Randy is one of the best pitchers in baseball history. But for a man of his accomplishments, he is oddly insecure, combative and unhappy.
Meanwhile, I spent a few hours tonight at a restaurant in Tampa with Kei Igawa, who invited the New York beat writers out for dinner along with a bunch of the Japanese media.
He asked us questions about our jobs and we spoke to him about his impressions of the U.S. There was even a nice “good luck” toast at the beginning. Igawa seems like he really wants to fit in and help the Yankees.
Randy pretends he’s the victim. Igawa, meanwhile, was making a genuine effort. Quite a contrast in styles.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, February 17th, 2007 at 11:43 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Chad Jennings
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
i saw the video of RJ. riiight? like his whole career people have simply mistaken him for an a-hole…
was it a Japanese restaurant? did everyone have sake? sounds fun.
i once beat randy within an inch of his life at a bar in seattle after a mariners game. one of the highlights of my life. for a man of his size and reputation, he was surprisingly weak.
alright, that’s completely untrue. he just didn’t work out in new york. it wasn’t for lack of effort, as most would attest, so randy’s going to find a way to rationalize the fact that, despite giving his all, he had several outings that were – for a pitcher of his stature – pretty embarrassing. if he’s got to blame the media, that’s fine. fact is he’s gone, and i couldn’t be happier about it.
Kei obviously wants to make his time as good as possible. If you can’t enjoy playing for good Yankees teams, you have little hope.
That’s pretty interesting, Pete.
Very glad to hear Kei is starting off right. It makes it that much easier to cheer for a player when you know he’s a good guy.
Im a fan of Randy the pitcher (pre-yankees) but hes a dick as a person, no doubts about it.
Looking forward to reading your thoughts on Igawa later today (today being Sunday). At least, I think I remember you saying there would be an article.
Present company excluded, there are a number of mediots out there who probably do ask players dumb questions on a regular basis, but too many players don’t seem to understand that the media adds a significant percentage to the value of their contracts by increasing interest in the product.
That said, I would never want your job, Peter. I couldn’t take people dissing me for merely doing my job.
screw that. i have people dissing me merely for doing my job and i cant get into games for free. Peter if you need an assistant go-fer bitch, i’m here man!
Igawa sounds classy, Im looking forward to seeing what he can do for us.
As a side note, Id rather take a chance on having a gregarious guy with intriguing stuff like Igawa in my rotation, than a broken down clubhouse cancer who had great stuff 5 yrs ago.
Good riddance to Randy.
Some people are simply weird (say.. Shinjo ) and others.. like Randy, are simply insane.
screw randy johnson – he acts like he’s the first guy who ever played in new york.
the fans,the media, the team and everybdy else wanted to like this guy but he wouldn’t let us.
“don’t talk back to me!”
yeah whatever, kei igawa has been in the USA what? 8 weeks? the guy doesn’t even speak freakin’ english and look at the effort he’s making to adapt and fit in – and last time i checked, japan is a lot further than arizona.
“but nobody got to know me, nobody gave me chance.”
they gave you a chance to cash that “NEW Y0RK CHECK!”
randy, you got a ring, and you are going to the hall on the first ballot – but you’re a douchebag so stop blaming “the media” because new york didn’t love you like your name was guiliani.
a-rod gets dumped on 20 times more than you ever will and all he does is run up more stairs – yeah he wears lipstick but i’ve never heard him blame anybody but himself.
by the way peter, awesome blog.
baseball is a better sport this year because of people like you.
So glad this guy is gone. This years team is a lot easier to root for, with guys like Pettite and Igawa.
Pete,
Awesome picture choice for this post…Randy’s mulletude in that head shot just sums up his personality…
pete.
where’d ya go for dinner?
Perfect material for a column, Pete. It’s must a great contrast.
I think the media was pretty damn easy on Randy Johnson during his time here. Aside from his brush off of the cameraman on his first day in town, guys didn’t take him to the cleaners like they have ARod, and ARod’s production has been far greater than Johnson’s was as a Yankee.
The bottom line on Randy was that he wanted the big stage, and big money, but couldn’t pitch anymore. Don’t tell me about his 34 wins in two years because the team averaged 7 runs a game in his wins.
If the Yankees averaged 7 runs a game in Jeff Karstan’s starts, he would also win 34 games in two years with that type of run support.
The guy should just man up, say NY wasn’t for him, and move on. To play the media blame game is as weak as his flat sliders to Eduardo Perez.
Iggy seems to really buying into it! I esp. like the idea that he is trying to learn English. I never got the feeling that Hydecki, after 3 years here was trying to learn English. As a matter of fact (I think) he still has an interpreter. Good for Iggy. The Unit OTOH never bought into New Yawk and his lousy (for the most part) overall performance here (he wasn’t the stopper we thought we were getting), and his super surly attitude just plain turned us all off about him. However, if he had been a “lights out stopper-chucker” we would have put up with his style but …
How is the English of Matsui, Wang and Igawa? You need to interview them. Do they have some English and use the interpreter to help them out. Or are they totally without English. Are any of them learning and practicing English. Probably not a great idea to practice with the NY press??!!
Pete, I respect this when I hear it from you, because you seem like one of the genuine beat writers in NY.
When scumbags like Lupica or Joel Sherman write stuff like this, I tend to side with RJ because those guys are everything RJ says the NY media is.
Everyone seems to point at Mike Mussina’s failing in the post season but Randy gets a free pass. Randy Pitched 2 terrible game 3’s for us that absolutly turned the series in the other teams favor.
I am so happy that surly person is gone. He wanted to be here than at his press conference acts like he doesn’t. The think that ticked me off most was seeing video of his press conference in AZ grinning for ear to ear. I will not miss big bird walking to the mound.
Great insight into some very different personalities.
Igawa has the personality and attitude to be a fan favorite. I hope he’s got the stuff too.
As for Randy, he could have been the surliest bastard in Yankee history if he’d had the stuff to back it up. But the problem was, he didn’t. We got Randy to serve as a dominant force in the playoffs. Instead he stunk it up in both the 2005 and 2006 ALDS, not to mention the 2006 regular season.
My guess about Randy’s recent quotes about the NY media and getting “hungry” is that he’s rationalizing his poor performance as a Yankee. Here’s a guy who won four Cy Youngs from 1999-2002 and almost won a fifth in 2004, seemingly at the top of his game, who falls to earth when he comes to the Yankees. While the AL probably had something to do with his decline, the guy is *old*. He had to go downhill eventually. He’s not happy about it and he’s looking for someone to blame.
When Randy goes into the HOF there will be plenty of accomplishments to go on his plaque. “Famous for his friendly and cheerful presence” will not be one of them.
My take is that Randy got off to a bad start on day one and never recovered. He also never gave any other members of the media a chance after that first encounter. And you know, all he ever had to do was say, “The media and I got off to a bad start and never recovered,” and that would have been fine. Instead, he sounds like a crybaby.
I never expected all that much from Johnson, given his age — I wish the Yankees had never gotten him. But he did always make the effort, he never “dogged it.” As a pitcher and a teammate, I’m sure he did the job. But as was said above, anyone coming to New York cannot claim ignorance about the sheer magnitude of the media here. And you can’t lump all reporters together. As Pete’s anecdote reminds us, there’s a lot of guys I’m sure did the right thing and tried to “get to know” Randy, and I’m sure there’s a few less than stellar guys. But this is the story of life. I saw the video last night too. Randy just really sounded like a baby. Plain and simple.
This freakish choke artist has made more than $140 million in his career, has a job where he’s off for six months out of the year, and he has a teenage daughter who he has never, ever laid eyes on and refuses to meet.
Last year he sued her mother (reportedly a woman with whom he’d had a years long relationship) over less than a hundred grand.
This offseason, he used the unexpected death of his brother as a pretext for wanting to be traded from New York. Wanted to be closer to the family, you see. Apparently he’s the member of the clan who gives the tender, emotional support. Of course he’d only agree to accept the deal, which was allowing him to care for his family, if he received a freaking contract extension.
Once and for all, you reap what you sow when you bring a degenerate like that to your team. I, for one, would rather we lose 100 games a year than have to call a black-hearted scoundrel like that one of our own.