Giants of the Game

“Giants of the Game” may make you think of the San Francisco Giants, the New York Giants football team, or (you’re showing your age here) the New York Giants baseball team. My dad grew up in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. As he was born in 1918, he very well could have seen the Giants play at the polo grounds. Although he was a fan of the Yankees and the Mets, with an equal love for both, boy things have changed. You could never do that now. The Giants of the Game is going to discuss some of the taller individuals in the game of baseball. 

Starting off the group is Randy Johnson, standing at 6’10. His coolest card, in my opinion, is a 1989 Upper Deck Rookie card, which shows his head shot when he played for the now defunct Montreal Expos (eh?). I am simply a sucker for a cool hat, and the Expos have one of the coolest out there, in my opinion. I can’t lie, the reason why I chose Randy Johnson first and foremost is because of the infamous day of March 21, 2001. Randy cut loose a triple digit fast ball that hit a bird flying in the zone and made a direct hit upon it. He not only killed the bird, but totally blew it away. I am told nothing but feathers were left. Blood had completely evaporated. The beak has yet to be found. In other words, cool, cool stuff (the birds in my woods won’t talk to me about it anymore except to say that all the feathered brethren boycotted baseball for the rest of the 2001 season). The big unit, as Randy is called, says he gets asked about that bird more often than he gets asked about his five Cy Young awards. So much so, that he made a dead bird the logo of his photography company. Mr. Bird, you did not blow up in vain. You live on…kind of.