Randy Johnson and Moises Alou

Now THIS was a game, especially Johnson's.

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/game/437687/974

Cool matchup! After adding Randy Johnson in mid-season, I think there's a good argument that the '98 Houston Astros were actually better than the 114-win '98 Yankees.

After acquiring Johnson in a deadline trade, Astros closed the season on a 37-16 tear and the Big Unit was practically unhittable. Too bad the 'stros choked in the playoff and didn't have a chance to prove it in the World Series.

I always wondered whether Johnson was intentionally pitching poorly with Seattle in 1998 to try to force them to trade him. He was vocal and very public about not being happy with his contract negotiations in Seattle before the season started. He went 9-10 with a 4.33 ERA in Seattle before the trade, throwing 7 wild pitches and hitting 11 batters in 160 innings. The 4.33 ERA was the worst of his career between ages 25 and 42. His ERA the year before was 2.28, and the year after was 2.48. I know there was a park and league in his favor change, but suddenly with Houston he became completely dominant again going 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA, 3 hit batters and zero wild pitches in 84 innings. It just always struck me as odd that his "resurgence" came as soon as he was traded, as he had been asking to be all year.

I doubt that he's even in an exclusive club. And that's even restricting the discussion to baseball. Don't even get this Pittsburgh boy started on Le'Veon Bell.