The Big Unit
- Thread starter eyemready
- Start date
Johnson was given this nickname by Tim Raines when he played for Montreal Expos (soon to be defunct and reinvented in the Baltimore/D.C. area). The name refers to his height specifically since he is about 6'10" Does he also have a large penis? What does it matter as long as he is such a great pitcher.
Of course in my view Johnson is a great pitcher in large part because of his height. Not only does he tend to tower over a number of batters, he also due to his stature gains an advantage on the ball trajectory. Unlike other pitchers where the ball his hurled at the same height, with Johnson it starts higher so a batter needs to look upwards a little bit.
In all fairness most top notch pitchers have physical traits which help them out. Another case in point would be David Welles (former Yankee, Padre, Blue Jay, White Sox pitcher now headed for Boston) who wears loose fitting shirts and brings the ball out of hiding at the last second so the batter has no idea what's coming at them (curve ball, fast ball, etc.). MIke Mussina (Yankees) manages most times by that weird jump thing he does after a pitch. Mariano Rivera (Yankees closer) uses a blinding smile. Roger Clemens? I can't figure that one out yet.
At any rate you asked about the Big Unit moniker, and from what I've read over the past several years it's related solely to his height.
Tomorrow, perhaps we can discuss his randy johnson.
Randy Johnson's height has another advantage. When he steps toward the plate to deliver his pitch, his release point is a lot closer to the batter. Can you imagine how scary it would be to take your position in the batter's box faced by that hulking, 6'10" as it looks down from a mound of dirt 10" higher than the rest of the field (exception: Minute Maid Park's center field - what were they thinking??).
As for Clemens, I think his power comes from his ample thighs and hips as he moves forward in his delivery.
The law of averages dictates that there are a few well-endowed baseball players. My question is how they manage to fit into a cup.
As for Clemens, I think his power comes from his ample thighs and hips as he moves forward in his delivery.
The law of averages dictates that there are a few well-endowed baseball players. My question is how they manage to fit into a cup.
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