Randy Johnson throws out D-backs first pitch, could still probably strike you out

Soon-to-be-enshrined Hall of Famer Randy Johnson joined the Arizona Diamondbacks for opening day, taking the mound to throw out the first pitch. The Big Unit has aged since we last saw him on a pitcher’s mound, but not enough that he’s any less intimidating when he’s standing 60 feet away from home plate with a baseball in his hand.

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Johnson stood taller than everyone around him on the field, them calmly walked out to the mound and zoomed his first pitch over the plate like he wasn’t even trying, like he was doing these things yesterday. Johnson, 51, hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2009 but obviously isn’t out of practice, even though he devotes his time to photography these days. 

It’s sad when we see a former star come out and flub a first pitch. No way that would happen with Johnson. In fact, we immediately thought that he could pitch for the D-backs, who don’t have the deepest staff in the big leagues. 

Nonetheless, if there’s a sandlot game on Hall of Fame weekend this year, we fully expect the Big Unit to dominate like he did for so many years in the big leagues.

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz