One of the Most Memorable Games in Seattle Mariners' History Happened on This Day in 1997
On this date in 1997, Seattle Mariners' legend Randy Johnson surrendered one of the longest home runs you'll ever see to Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics.
Statcast wasn't around in 1997, but an MLB.com article from 2023 said that the blast was estimated at more than 530 feet.
Randy Johnson went 20-4 with a 2.28 ERA and 291 strikeouts in 1997, but in this case, power collided with power. The Big Unit put this pitch on the outer half of the plate, and McGwire still pulled it to the back wall of the Kingdome. The best distance guess at the time: 538 feet. Wow.
You can see the blast here, courtesy of Funhouse on "X:"
On this date in 1997, Mark McGwire absolutely demolished a Randy Johnson fastball. 🎳 pic.twitter.com/G81rh8IBV9
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) June 24, 2024
Then-Mariners' broadcaster Dave Niehaus was mesmerized by the blast as it nearly hit the back wall of the Kingdome's upper deck.
In addition to the McGwire home run, that was one of the most memorable games in Johnson's career with the M's. Though the M's lost 4-1, he threw all nine innings, throwing 142 pitches and striking out 19. He walked no one and gave up 11 hits. Nineteen strikeouts? One-hundred and 42 pitches? Those are just absurd totals that you almost never see in the modern game.
Johnson was cut from a different cloth, pitching for 22 seasons with the Montreal Expos, Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and Yankees.
With the Mariners, he led the American League in shutouts in 1994 (4), and led the American League in complete games (9) that same year. He led the AL in ERA with a 2.48 in 1995, a year in which he went 18-2 on the mound and took the M's to the playoffs.
Furthermore, he led all of baseball in strikeouts each year from 1993-1995. He was a four-time All-Star with the Mariners who also won the Cy Young in 1995. He won 303 total games.
Follow Inside the Mariners on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Brady on "X" @wdevradiobrady
