Diamondbacks hire Randy Johnson as special assistant
Randy Johnson's election into the Hall of Fame is already paying dividends for his post-playing career.
Moments after Johnson learned of his achievement of baseball immortality, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced that they've hired the 10-time All-Star to serve as a special assistant to the club's president and CEO. The club also said it plans to retire Johnson's No. 51 this coming season.
#Dbacks Randy Johnson says that he's looking forward to working with some of the org's pitching prospects.
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) January 6, 2015
Johnson, 51, spent eight seasons in Arizona, winning four straight Cy Youngs during a dominant stretch that solidified his place among the sport's greatest pitchers. The tall lefty received 97.3 percent of this year's Hall of Fame vote - the eighth-highest percentage of all time.
Related: Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz, Biggio elected to Hall of Fame
Tuesday's hiring figures to bolster his chances of being inducted as a member of the Diamondbacks. According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, though, Johnson prefers to let the Hall determine which logo will be on his cap next summer in Cooperstown.
Johnson played for six different teams during his 22 seasons in the majors, including an impressive 10-year run for the Seattle Mariners.