How Randy Johnson’s No. 51 compares to other retired Diamondbacks numbers
Aug 4, 2015, 2:57 PM | Updated: 4:43 pm
Some of the most iconic figures in sports are often remembered by the numbers which they wore.
Michael Jordan will always be No. 23. Babe Ruth will always be No. 3.
There have been a few iconic figures in Arizona Diamondbacks history, but only two players have had their numbers retired.
On Saturday, newly-minted Hall of Famer Randy Johnson will become the third.
Let’s see how Johnson fits into that elite company.
No. 42 – Jackie Robinson
(AP Photo)
Career stats (with Brooklyn Dodgers): 1962 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Six-time All-Star, 1947 Rookie of the Year 1949 NL MVP, .311 batting average, .409 on-base percentage, 137 home runs, 734 RBI, 197 stolen bases and a World Series title in 10 seasons
Date retired: April 15. 1997
Robinson passed away before the Arizona Diamondbacks organization even existed, but his impact on the modern game of baseball has been so profound nonetheless that his No. 42 is the only number to be retired by all 30 MLB teams. Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 by becoming the first African-American player to play in the major leagues. He won the inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947, also claiming the National League MVP award in 1949 after winning the batting title by hitting .342 with 16 home runs and 124 RBI.
No. 20 – Luis Gonzalez
(AP Photo)
Career stats: Five-time All-Star, .283 batting average, .367 on-base percentage, 354 career home runs, 1439 RBI and one World Series win in 19 seasons
D-backs stats (1999-2006): .298 batting average, .391 on-base percentage, 224 home runs and 774 RBI in eight seasons
Date retired: Aug. 7, 2010
Gonzo brought home the first and only World Series title in franchise history in 2001, driving in the winning run with a walk-off RBI single in Game 7 off of New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. That memory, however, is just one of many for the current member of the D-backs front office. Gonzalez was the longtime left fielder for the organization, earning a franchise-record five All-Star appearances for a position player.
No. 51 – Randy Johnson
(AP Photo)
Career stats: 2015 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, 10-time All-Star, five-time Cy Young Award winner, 303-166 record, 3.29 ERA, 4,875 career strikeouts, 2001 World Series co-MVP and a World Series title in 22 seasons
D-backs stats: 118-62, 2.83 ERA, 2,077 strikeouts in eight seasons
Date retired: Aug. 8, 2015
The Big Unit went into the Hall of Fame as a Diamondback, and for good reason. He, along with Curt Schilling (who might have his number retired someday) won co-MVP honors of the D-backs’ World Series win in 2001, and Johnson was arguably the most dominant force in baseball in his prime. He also is the most recent pitcher to hit the 300-win plateau, doing so as a 45-year-old with the San Francisco Giants in 2009.
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