Why I Like Baseball

In honor of Randy Johnson retiring today, I’m re-posting this interview I did with him during Spring Training 2006. He sat in a chair while I stood on my feet and he was still almost as tall as I was. He was one of the figures in that clubhouse you rarely saw the Yankees beat writers talking to. They only approached him if there was something they absolutely had to know for a story. However, when I finally got up the nerve to approach him, he was perfectly gentlemanly to me. He’s the only ballplayer I can recall actually being able to smell the chewing tobacco on his breath while he talked. (Mentholated.)

Cecilia Tan: Has your perspective changed on your career now versus when you were younger?

Randy Johnson: My career is almost over. I’m not in the middle, I’m not in the beginning, I’m more towards the end. So, you know, I don’t really know how to answer that question other than to state the obvious, yeah.

CT: Was the decision to come to New York part of that knowing you are coming to the end?

RJ: I think it was more the decision to continue to be challenged toward the end of my career. (more…)