When Randy Johnson is mentioned, at least a few of the times are in reference to a memorable—and somewhat horrific—moment where he threw a pitch that hit a bird who happened to be flying in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bird was virtually pulverized and killed instantly. Famously, Johnson was sued by PETA for the obvious freak accident.
Johnson resents the way he's remembered as the bird killer.
Speaking on the Arizona Diamondbacks broadcast Saturday night after he was honored pregame, he said, "People go, 'Hey aren't you the pitcher that hit the bird?' And I look at 'em and I go, 'I played 22 years! And I did a lot more than kill a bird.'"
"I've done a lot more than just kill a bird" 😭 pic.twitter.com/IFP68MjsPP
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 28, 2024
And, here's the thing: Johnson's career is one of the best of all time. One could justify placing him in any of the top three slots of all-time pitchers in the modern era. He pitched 22 years for six different teams. He has the second-most Cy Young wins (5) to only Roger Clemens. He was a 10-time All-Star and a World Series winner. Johnson showed incredible consistency for two decades in a sport that is highly transient, at one of the hardest positions to find staying power in.
Of course, Johnson doesn't ignore the bird incident, either. He works as a photographer, and his logo is a picture of an upside-down bird.
While talking on the broadcast, Johnson hit on several other topics, including detailing the advice he gave Paul Skenes, who was in town.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Randy Johnson Had Comical Reaction to Comments on Bird Incident.
