Randy Johnson Press Conference
January 11, 2005
Well, I watched a good bit of the Randy Johnson press conference. Went well. He looked and sounded very good. Gets you excited, for sure. I loved this quote:
“I will have at least 35 starts here. I will pitch a lot of very good games here, I can tell you right now. I will probably lose at least 1 game, 2 games this year. I’m not gonna go undefeated.”
Good stuff, good stuff.
The Channel Two (Duke something or other) guy seemed to be a bit of a stooge. Randy made a mistake, he apologized profusely. It wasn’t really that big a deal. If he punched you and beat you up, that’s a big deal. The guy gets a chance to ask a question at a major press conference and that’s what he asks? Jump in a lake and enjoy your “claim” to fame.
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Randy Johnson has been previously played in mild baseball media markets, like Montreal, Seattle and Phoenix. Now the first day he gets to New York he argues with a cameraman, because he was taking his picture. Boo-hoo, Randy, welcome to the Big Apple – get used to the attention. I wonder if the media pressure will get to him and affect his pitching.
He also pitched in Houston (same games as Montreal – 11).
As I said, it’s not really that big a deal. Athlete, press confrontations are going to happen. If it turns physically violent, that’s one thing. Words are another. He looked a little dumb (I found it kind of hilarious and have been quoting him throughout the day around here). :) The important thing is that he hurt no one and handled the "aftermath" correctly and appropriately. He’s a person.
He’s been through the ringer before, playing in NY is not going to affect his pitching. If he pitches poorly, it’ll be because he pitched poorly. Not because he’s in New York.
I think there is something about New York City that has an affect an athletes. It’s happened before in baseball with players coming to New York and having their numbers and talent drop off. Remember Chuck Knoblauch? It’s also been evident in hockey and basketball when athletes arrive in New York, they struggle. Maybe it’s about the media, maybe not.
Some people can handle the pressure, some can not.
I agree that there is a pressure factor.
But, I would place that sort of blame less when we’re talking about proven (in big moments) veteran stars like Johnson, Clemens, etc. Not always, but most of the time. Knoblauch had a totally different makeup.
There are some guys who can handle it at the start – Jeter, Bernie, Pettitte for example. There are some guys that can’t. There are some guys that can later in their careers because of what they have accomplished. And there are some that can’t ever. But, I believe that when you play for as long as Randy or Clemens had before he came and accomplished as much, it’d be slighting them to say it was media pressure. This is one of the greatest pitchers ever. If Johnson pitches poorly, I am going to blame Johnson.