Former SF Giant, Livermore High Grad Voted into Baseball Hall of Fame

By AUTUMN JOHNSON

Former San Francisco Giants pitcher Randy Johnson was recently inducted into the Class of 2015 National Baseball Hall of Fame. This was the first year Johnson was eligible for the prestigious status.

The 6-foot-10-inch tall pitcher, nicknamed “The Big Unit,” was born in Walnut Creek but attended Livermore High School and currently lives in Arizona.

Johnson, whose fastball was clocked 100 mph, was well-known for accidentally hitting and killing a dove while pitching a fastball during spring training in 2001. Johnson’s photography company logo pays homage to the fallen bird.

The exceptionally talented lefthanded pitcher garnered numerous sports awards during his time as part of six major league baseball teams between 1998 to 2009. While on the Arizona Diamondbacks, Johnson, then 40, pitched the perfect game in 2004.

Video, photo of Johnson’s perfect game in May of 2004 courtesy of YouTube.