I figured Randy Johnson might hang it up rather than try to go after 5,000 strikeouts in 2010, and now he's made it official. There's not a great deal to say except thanks: I think whatever hard feelings lingered from the Big Unit leaving in '98 have gone by now, and we'll be left with his amazing '95, the no-hitter, all those strikeouts, and a huge amount of talent to remember. Now we just have to see if Felix will continue to make a run at Randy and supplant him as the most memorable pitcher in Mariners history.
...I fear we are witnessing with King Felix a very Roy Oswalt like career in the making. He's going to be extremely great and people aren't going to remember it as well as they remember the Big Unit...RJ was (in baseball terms) SEXY. Awesome power, MEAN personality on the mound, etc. King Felix is just an automaton of awesome. He just runs off 25 starts in a row of 7-9 IP, 0-2 ER, 5-9 K, 0-3 BB...you don't even realize it's happening.
Felix has the nickname, but I guess he's just not that demonstrative, he doesn't have that glare, or the same raw ability to overpower. I think that intimidation element will go a long way in establishing a pitcher's legend. I wrote about going to Randy's game at Safeco this past season, and how he was pure determination warming up in the bullpen-not distracted by the crowd, not glancing around. The few times I've been by the bullpen for Felix warming up, he's been the complete opposite.
In my mind, Randy is one of the 5 most memorable pitchers in anybody's history :- ) so Felix would have a ways to go to catch him.