Randy Johnson reacted strangely to comments on the bird incident

When Randy Johnson is mentioned at least a few times, it’s in reference to a memorable – and quite horrific – moment when he made a throw that hit a bird that happened to be flying in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bird was practically pulverized and died instantly. Johnson was famously sued by PETA over this apparent accident.

Johnson is annoyed that he is remembered as a bird killer.

On the Arizona Diamondbacks’ broadcast Saturday night after being honored before the game, he said, “People ask, ‘Hey, aren’t you the pitcher who hit the bird?’ And I look at them and think, ‘I played for 22 years! And I did a lot more than just kill a bird.'”

And here’s the thing: Johnson’s career is one of the best of all time. He could rightfully be placed in the top three all-time pitchers of the modern era. He pitched for 22 years for six different teams. He has the second-most Cy Young wins behind Roger Clemens (5). He was a 10-time All-Star and World Series winner. Johnson showed incredible consistency for two decades in a sport that is very fleeting and in one of the positions where it is most difficult to find staying power.

Of course, Johnson is not ignoring the bird incident either. He works as a photographer and his logo is the image of a bird hanging upside down.

During his speech on the show, Johnson touched on several other topics, including the advice he gave to Paul Skenes, who was in town.