Randy Johnson Reminds Viewers He Did More Than 'Just Kill A Bird' During MLB Career

The Big Unit, Hall of Famer, Ace. Call former pitcher Randy Johnson anything you'd like. Well, almost anything. Johnson would prefer you refrain from referring to him as a bird murderer. 

Seems reasonable.

Despite pitching in the big leagues for more than two decades, winning five Cy Young awards, more than 300 games, recording 4,875 strikeouts and being named an All-Star 10 times, Johnson is often remembered most for ending a bird's life with a wicked fastball.

Not intentionally. The guy's not a psychopath. 

In case you forgot, during a spring training camp in March 2001, a bird picked an incredibly bad time to fly between Johnson and a batter. Unlike the bird, feathers immediately took flight. That bird was cooked thanks to a Big Unit heater.

Nearly a quarter of a century later, people haven't forgotten. But Johnson certainly wishes they would.

"People go, ‘Hey aren’t you the pitcher that hit the bird,'" Johnson told the Arizona Diamondbacks' broadcast booth Saturday. "And I look at them and I go, ‘I played 22 years, and I’ve done a lot more than just kill a bird,'" Johnson said with a laugh.

10 Jul 2001:  Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches for the National League during the 2001 Major League Baseball All-Star game at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington, won by the American League 4-1. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory  Credit: Otto Gruele/Allsport

Randy Johnson Wasn't Alone In Taking A Bird Out Of Flight

You certainly can't blame Johnson for wanting to be known for something other than killing a dove, especially considering how much success he had throughout his MLB career. But at least one fellow pitcher, also a Diamondback, tried his best to take the negative spotlight away from the Big Unit's day of bird-killing infamy. 

Just over 14 months ago, Zac Gallen ended a bird's life mid-flight with a baseball. Though Gallen, like Johnson, is also a pitcher, Gallen's toss came from the outfield (he was warming up) and not the mound. 

Despite Gallen's best efforts, it's still Johnson who's remembered as baseball's bird executioner. You never forget your first.

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