Fussball » long time. Its something Ive been looking forward to.dd

PHOENIX - In an expansive 42-minute news conference marking his election to baseballs Hall of Fame, Randy Johnson mixed humour, memories and humility in recalling a career he called a great ride.I never joined a fraternity in college, he said. Now Im amongst one of the coolest.Johnson has spent the five years since he retired mostly away from the game — travelling the world, engaging his love of photography and making a series of USO tours.I knew that I needed that time to kind of unwind, Johnson said. I was wound pretty tight for 22 years, especially probably the last 15, when I really came into my own in this game.His most successful years came with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he won four consecutive Cy Young Awards — he had a total of five — and his only World Series championship. He struck out 20 in nine innings once, and at age 40 pitched a perfect game.The Diamondbacks announced Tuesday that Johnson had been named special assistant to President Derrick Hall.Hall said that the left-handers No. 51 would be retired soon.Johnsons first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame after a 22-year career was a foregone conclusion.Still, he said, when he got the call on Tuesday he got goose bumps and felt like Ive never felt before in my life.He called his 87-year-old mother to tell her, and she reminded him that at age 7, he had left Little League tryouts frustrated and came home, then she brought him back and made sure he got registered to play.Johnson recalled that as a youngster growing up in Livermore, California, he would throw tennis balls at a taped strike zone on his garage door.And I was Vida Blue with those tennis balls, he said.I didnt envision any of this and Im sorry I couldnt share more of what I was really about when I was playing, Johnson said. But I guess it was more about how my dad raised me and taught me to not ever be content with what youre doing because theres always somebody better than you doing it.Johnson spoke of trying to harness some control in his pitching early in his career.I was a really bad pitcher growing up, he said. Being almost 7 feet tall, 6-10, youre not meant to be a pitcher. My limbs are too long and the biggest thing in being a pitcher is you need to have a consistent release point. Well its pretty hard when youre all arms and legs. So that took me a long time to overcome.Johnson said the issue of what cap he would wear on his Hall of Fame plaque was out of his control. He said he expected the subject to come up when he meets with Hall of Fame officials later this week.And while he said there was something special about all six of his major league teams, his years with the Diamondbacks were career-changing.Current Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick said his best memory of Johnson was in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees, when after pitching the previous day, the Big Unit came out of the bullpen to thunderous cheers to get the final four outs as Arizona rallied for a 3-2 victory.It was astounding, Kendrick said.Johnson said hed trade four Cy Young awards for a couple more World Series chances.To be dogpiling on the pitchers mound, and be celebrating, and be riding down the street with your family on a fire truck, I mean, who doesnt dream about that? he said. Thats pretty cool stuff. Thats what you play for and I got to do that.When he runs into fans, they always talk about that World Series, Johnson said. 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Cheap Shoes Wholesale China . -- Houstons All-Star tandem of James Harden and Dwight Howard refused to let the Rockets give in to fatigue.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chris Sale will return to the Chicago White Sox rotation Thursday. But closer Matt Lindstrom will likely not return before late August with surgery scheduled. Sale, an American League All-Star pitcher the past two seasons, will come off the disabled list Thursday and start against the New York Yankees. Lindstrom, who limped off the field in the ninth inning Monday with a left ankle injury, has a torn sheath protecting the outer tendon. He will undergo surgery Friday with the recovery time projected around three months. Lindstrom had the White Sox first six saves of the season before the injury. Manager Robin Ventura said right-hander Ronald Belisario, who logged a save Tuesday, would be his closer. Sale went on the disabled list April 22 with a flexor strain in his left arm. He allowed one run and one hit in seven innings against Boston on April 17 in his previous start, throwing a career-high 127 pitches and reported he was sore the next day. "Im excited," Sale said. "Its been a long time. Its something Ive been looking forward to.dddddddddddd Its been longer than I expected. I think it was just our taking time and not rushing back before the rehab process (was over), to come back at 100 per cent." Sale made a 68-pitch rehab start, striking out 11 in four scoreless innings with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. He threw a bullpen session Tuesday at Kansas City before a game against the Royals with no problems. Sale, who has won 28 games the past two years, is 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA in four starts this season. "Its big," Ventura said having Sale back. "A guy like him you get a pretty good feeling that youre going to win. Hes proven that. With everything hes gone through, it feels good." The White Sox went into their game Wednesday against the Royals at 23-24 despite losing Sale for more than a month and with major league home run leader Jose Abreu and Lindstrom on the disabled list with ankle injuries. "Were happy with the way theyre competing," Ventura said. "The schedule doesnt stop. You miss the guys that are out, but you cant be thinking about that." ' ' '