Results tagged ‘ Randy Johnson ’
West vs. Big Unit
You can certainly say Sean West was a bit star struck on Monday night.
As noted in recent days, West grew up idolizing Randy Johnson.
On Monday night, the Marlins rookie left-hander pitched against Johnson and Giants. The 6-foot-8 West collected his first MLB win, and he denied the 6-foot-10 Johnson of his 301st victory.
“Living a dream. Having a ton of fun. Playing baseball against one of my heroes,” West said. “That’s how I sum it up.”
Because of their respective sizes, and the fact they both throw left-handed, West drew comparisons to Johnson at an early age.
West grew up in Houston and Johnson once pitched for the Astros.
“It was weird throwing to him,” West said. “I grew up watching him on TV. Never did I dream I’d be pitching to him. The guy has played so long in the big leagues. It was so surreal seeing him out there.”
While West has made it known that Johnson has always been his favorite player, the 22-year-old added he was intimidated to approach the Big Unit during the recently completed four-game series.
“I had plenty of opportunities,” West said. “I never said anything. I got a little stage fright.”
– Joe Frisaro
Homecoming of sorts for Meyer
Marlins lefty reliever Dan Meyer, who attended Kingsway Regional High School in South Jersey, remains a die-hard Eagles fan.
As a kid, he attended about five to 10 Phillies games a year at Veterans Stadium.
On Monday, Meyer left about 15 tickets for friends and family members. Additionally, a number of other friends were on hand. It was to the point where Meyer alerted his teammates in the bullpen to brace for some heckling when they were warming up.
Through his experiences at Philadelphia sporting events, Meyer has learned to expect anything.
“I remember when they booed Santa Claus,” Meyer said. “I was 8 and I was watching it on TV.”
Meyer once had a moment when he was younger where he shouted some things he wishes he hadn’t at Randy Johnson. At The Vet, Johnson was warming up and Meyer was seeking an autograph.
“It’s kind of an embarrassing story,” Meyer said. “I was a 9-year-old kid, and I wanted a baseball. I wanted him to sign it for me, and he was doing his work. Now, I can understand. But at time, he was trying to run and stuff, and I went from being the nice kid to yelling at him.”
– Joe Frisaro
The Fish Pond
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