Randy Johnson Throw Quotations

When things are working, it's the greatest thing. When I'm out there pitching and I have a catcher putting down the finger for the pitch I want to throw and I've already got that gripped, that's a great rapport.

I was pretty animated; tonight's game was probably the most energetic and emotional that I've had in a long time. It was just coming back here; Seattle, where the opportunity was given to me to throw every five days regardless of how I pitched. I knew I would get the opportunity to develop here. This is where it all kind of started.

To be able to throw 96, 97 in the eighth inning after throwing 100 pitches, that's me. My velocity was back to where I'd like to have it, and the sharpness and velocity of my breaking ball was there as well throughout the whole game.

Tonight's game was the most emotional one I've had in a long time, ... I don't get worked up about who I'm up against -- I think it's just being here in Seattle. This was where I got the opportunity to throw every five days.

They actually swung today. The sooner they get their swings down, the better for me as well. I'm not trying to break bats and strike people out, I'm just trying to throw my pitches and feel like I'm accomplishing something. The more I throw, the better my pitches will get.

That's probably more than I wanted to throw in four innings. But the velocity on my fastball increased, and that's a good sign. My mechanics were a little better, too.

It was nice to be able to get out of there and not have to go seven, eight, nine innings and throw all those pitches,

I'll continue to throw and get ready. Whenever they have me slotted to pitch in my first game, I'll be looking forward to it.

By staying back I was able to get the arm angle I need for my fastball and my slider, and I haven't had it consistently. To be able to throw 96 and 97 in the eighth inning after throwing 100 pitches is ... is ... me.

I don't need to go out there all the time and throw seven or eight innings. You might like it. I might like it. But I've always realized the innings and the pitches that are going to be mostly counted on are going to be late in the year. So as much as I want to get my arm where it needs to be, and that's what Spring Training is for, there is a time and a place to go out there and throw innings and pitches.

The key is you don't want Damon to get on base any way. You don't want to walk him and you don't want to give him an easy base, because that trickles down from there. Then you get into the No. 2 hitter, and you get into all their power. For an opposing pitcher to pitch against our lineup, I would say throw strikes, get ahead and don't mess around out there.