Diamondbacks celebrate 10th anniversary of Randy Johnson’s perfect game

Before Sunday’s series-ending tilt with the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrated Randy Johnson’s perfect game against the Atlanta Braves.

The former Diamondbacks ace pulled off the rare feat exactly 10 years earlier — on March 18, 2014 — at Turner Field in Atlanta, a 2-0 victory for the D-backs. It is the only recorded perfect game in franchise history to date, with Edwin Jackson holding the only other Diamondbacks no-hitter (on June 25, 2010, against the Tampa Bay Rays).

Before their matchup with the Dodgers began, the Diamondbacks showed video on the center board of all of Johnson’s 27 outs against Atlanta.

Johnson then came out to get acknowledged by D-backs fans, and team president Derrick Hall presented him with a commemorative painting of that historic day. To top it off, Johnson got to throw the ceremonial first pitch to Robby Hammock, who made up the other half of the battery on “The Big Unit’s” perfect day. The left-hander still showed some heat at the ripe age of 50.

The Diamondbacks gave a taste of all those pregame moments in a Vine video they shared on Twitter.

A perfect ceremony with a perfect pitch. #RJPerfect10th https://t.co/ioRzLK2HrF

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 18, 2014

Arizona Sports reporter Craig Grialou said there were other people on hand Sunday that were involved in Johnson’s perfect game, including former D-backs first baseman Shea Hillenbrand and former manager Bob Brenly, as well as the opposing pitcher for Atlanta, Mike Hampton.

Before Sunday’s game, Johnson told reporters he was flattered to be honored by the Diamondbacks and that former players like Hampton showed up from the celebration.

The 10-time All-Star also gave some insight into how he used to train for his starts.

“I did what worked for me,” he said. “Doesn’t mean it was the right way. It just worked for me — whether it was working out the way I worked out, my regiment, my offseason training … my demeanor on game day, my demeanor building up to game day. It worked for me.

“I tried to never get too caught up in the moment. As soon as an accomplishment was done and over with, that day I was already thinking about the next.”

Johnson threw one other no-hitter in his career — while a member of the Seattle Mariners on June 2, 1990, against Detroit. The 6-foot-10 flame thrower last pitched in the Majors in 2009 with San Francisco. He enjoyed two separate stints with the Diamondbacks — 1999-2004 and 2007-2008 — in his 22-year career.