In 2001, explosive fastballer Randy Johnson just absolutely obliterated a poor bird who was foolish enough to get in his way. One moment the bird was flying into the frame and the next, it had simply disappeared in a poof of feathers. Watch the video and you can see the bird literally cease to be.1 Despite a career in which he notched 300 wins and 5 Cy Young awards, this single bird-shattering moment may well be what Johnson is most famous for:
If you’re curious, this was ruled a no-pitch.2
Johnson has retired from the game, and he’s rediscovered an interest in photography. In just a few years, the Big Unit has traveled the globe and captured some very impressive images. But the best part of Johnson’s photography website has simply got to be the logo:
Yes, Johnson’s logo honors (or at least references) the dove he accidentally destroyed, lo those many years ago. I really spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about that bird, so it’s good to know Johnson remembers it as well.
It’s also worth noting that Johnson was just inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. When creating the plaque by which the player is immortalized, there’s often controversy over which team’s logo will be shown on his hat. Frankly, I’m more concerned with whether or not the bird-that-once-was gets a mention.
Footnotes:
The video is archived here. ↩︎
