Randy Johnson pitches tonight and could notch his 298th career win. As an out-of-context performance evaluation tool, W’s for pitchers are about as worthless as batting average or fielding percentage.
But you have to admit 300 wins is a cool milestone. It signifies at least two things worth celebrating: A pitcher has been around twenty years or so without much injury downtime, an amazing feat by itself given the incredible stresses of throwing a baseball at high speed and maximum torque; and it means the pitcher has a long track record of pitching deep into games, ever more a rarity these days.
It also means a pitcher has generally played on good teams or has had the luck of run support. Nolan Ryan wouldn’t have reached 300 wins if every season went down like this for him.
So for all those reasons, plus the marvel of a 45–year-old guy who still throws 92 miles an hour, I’d love to be there when the Unit wins #300. After tonight, he starts the first game of the next homestand vs. Washington, so there’s a good chance the big day could come at Mays Field Saturday, May 16 against the Mets. Crank up the marketing machine, Larry Baer!
I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a huge career milestone. El Papa Malo had my group’s season tickets for Barry Bonds’s 756th home run, and things like Marquis Grissom’s 1500th career hit don’t quite have the same indelible quality. The best record-setting performance I’ve seen in person was Jason Schmidt’s 16–K game against Florida, which tied a franchise record.
What’s your favorite baseball career milestone? What’s the most memorable you’ve seen in person?
