It may have seemed inevitable to some fans, but Randy Johnson, also known as "the Big Unit," won his 300th game Thursday night.
No matter how good a pitcher is, it is far from certain that anyone will win 300 games in a career. Only 24 (including the 45–year–old Johnson) have reached that milestone, and nearly one–quarter did so in the 19th century. Three other pitchers — Roger Clemens (in 2003), Greg Maddux (in 2004) and Tom Glavine (in 2007) — have accomplished it in this decade. One (Nolan Ryan in 1990) won his 300th in the 1990s.
In what was a comparative flurry, five pitchers recorded their 300th wins in the 1980s, but you have to go back to the early 1960s to find the last pitchers who did it before that.
It simply doesn't happen that often.
To put things in perspective ...
A 20–win season is generally considered the demarcation point for pitchers. To reach the 300–win milestone, a pitcher would need to win 20 games a season every season for 15 years. If he drops below 20 in one or more, obviously, that raises the bar.
As Tony DeMarco writes for NBCSports.com, Johnson may be "the last of a dying breed." Even if he isn't, it may be many years before we see someone else cross the 300–win threshold again.
Be that as it may. Congratulations, Big Unit.
No comments:
Post a Comment