# Yankees About To Get The Big Unit **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270 "2004-12-17T04:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/1 "2004-12-17T04:04:49Z")
Wow. I hate the Yankees. [Almost done: Johnson to Yankees, Green to Arizona, Vazquez to Dodgers](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpbmdmam0wBF9TAzI1NjY0ODI1BHNlYwN0bQ--?slug=ap-johnson-megadeal&prov=ap&type=lgns) So they first get Pavano then they get Johnson. Sox lose Pedro. These have been some crazy days in the AL East. Can’t forget, my Jays just got Corey Koskie. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/2 "2004-12-17T13:48:15Z")
IIRC the reason they call him the big unit goes back to his days with The Mariners. Randy Johnson (a stellar name in and of itself!) Was the starting pitcher (1995?) and there was another starter with the last name of Johnson who’s complete name an role eludes me at the moment. He, like most humans, was considerably shorter than Randy, and was called “Little Johnson.” “Big Johnson” I guess was not subtle enough for the sportscasters, so they instead took up “Big Unit” which took considerable humiliative pressure off of the other guy. I never understood why Randy was allowed to leave the emerald city while Norm the Charletan was allowed, not only to stay, but to keep the Ms out of the world series for several years. I think it had something to do with his man-love relationship with Lou-ser. Could just be me though. Now I live in Denver. I don’t follow baseball. The football’s pretty unpredictable too. Hockey used to be alright, but then global warming melted the ice…or something. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/3 "2004-12-17T14:14:04Z")
Why do the Jays want Koskie, anyway? Something wrong with Hinske? ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/4 "2004-12-17T16:28:11Z")
If seems they plan on moving Hinske to first to cover up some of his defensive shortcomings. I don’t follow the Jays as closely as some other Dopers, but I don’t think there’s a prospect who’s ready to come up and fill Delgado’s shoes immediately. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/5 "2004-12-17T16:34:27Z")
Look for a “McCourt and DePodesta must be stopped!” thread soon in the Pit. The dismantling of the Dodgers has begun. Next stop: The Los Angeles Devil Rays. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/6 "2004-12-17T17:12:25Z")
Boy, not from me. If I could get Javier Vazquez and get out from under Green’s contract I’d do it in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/7 "2004-12-17T17:26:57Z")
I know he’s one of the all-time great pitchers, but there are few player I respect less than Randy Johnson (his utter tank job in his last season at Seattle tells me a lot about him). He’s a whiner, a grumbler and a chronic malcontent- just the kind of guy the Yankees HAVEN’T had on the roster since the mid Nineties. He and A-Rod are going to make it tougher than ever for me to root for the Yankees… not that I’ve been a passionate fan lately anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/8 "2004-12-17T17:28:38Z")
> [@Kid\_A](#): > > Wow. I hate the Yankees. With all due respect, but I am going nowhere near the Yankees. :dubious: Oops, sorry. Wrong Johnson. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/9 "2004-12-17T17:41:36Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Why do the Jays want Koskie, anyway? Something wrong with Hinske? You mean besides the fact that he’s hit a combined .244/.320/.406 with just 27 home runs the past two years to go along with shaky defense at the hot corner? And it looks like Shawn Green isn’t cooperating with the trade. So we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/10 "2004-12-17T17:53:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The dismantling of the Dodgers has begun. Next stop: The Los Angeles Devil Rays. :mad: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/11 "2004-12-17T19:14:26Z")
It still won’t help the Yankees if they don’t have a good set of relievers. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/12 "2004-12-17T19:42:56Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > 😃 I don’t see what you’re grinning about. It’s not like the Gnats are stepping up to fill the void. So far, the big moves in SF have been releasing the catcher, signing a reliever, and picking up an over-the-hill ex-star (as if they didn’t have enough of those on the roster). Oh yeah, your main offensive threat has been using steroids. Too bad that beautiful park is being wasted on a AAA team. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/13 "2004-12-17T20:05:02Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > IIRC the reason they call him the big unit goes back to his days with The Mariners. Randy Johnson (a stellar name in and of itself!) Was the starting pitcher (1995?) and there was another starter with the last name of Johnson who’s complete name an role eludes me at the moment. He, like most humans, was considerably shorter than Randy, and was called “Little Johnson.” “Big Johnson” I guess was not subtle enough for the sportscasters, so they instead took up “Big Unit” which took considerable humiliative pressure off of the other guy. With so many different stories floating around about how he got his name I’m gonna simply conclude he’s got a big dick. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/14 "2004-12-17T20:47:39Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > IIRC the reason they call him the big unit goes back to his days with The Mariners. Randy Johnson (a stellar name in and of itself!) Was the starting pitcher (1995?) and there was another starter with the last name of Johnson who’s complete name an role eludes me at the moment. He, like most humans, was considerably shorter than Randy, and was called “Little Johnson.” “Big Johnson” I guess was not subtle enough for the sportscasters, so they instead took up “Big Unit” which took considerable humiliative pressure off of the other guy. Soooo, how big _is_ his Johnson? ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankees-about-to-get-the-big-unit/280270/15 "2004-12-17T21:14:43Z")
Weeeeeelllllll … I don’t wanna spread no igorance or nuthin but I heard he lost his left leg in a car accident 15 years ago…and he doesn’t have a prosthetic!