Luis Gonzalez and Randy Johnson will be the first two players in Diamondbacks history to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at Chase Field on Saturday, July 27. Fans will want to show up early, as the gates will open at 3:00 P.M., with the pregame ceremony starting at 4:45 P.M. MST.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Greg Schulte, who spent 26 seasons (1998-2023) calling games for the team on the radio, will be the main emcee of the event. President and CEO Derrick Hall and Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick will present both Gonzalez and Johnson with a commemorative Hall of Fame plaque that will then be placed in the Arizona Diamondbacks Hall of Fame and History Museum.
Gonzalez and Johnson played an integral role in bringing a World Series Championship to Phoenix, which remains the lone championship won by a major sports team. Johnson was Co-MVP of the series and Gonzalez’s ninth-inning single off future Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera sealed the victory. With their 2001 championship, the Diamondbacks became the fastest expansion team in major league history to win a championship, doing so in just their fourth season in existence.
Johnson, 61, signed with Arizona as a free agent following the 1998 season, instantly pushing the team to contender status. He won four straight Cy Young Awards in his first four seasons in Arizona, setting many franchise pitching records. He is Arizona’s All-Time leader in bWAR (52.6), wins (118), strikeouts (2,077), innings pitched (1630 1/3), and games started (232). He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in July 2015, with his No. 51 retired the following month.
Gonzalez, 56, was acquired in an offseason trade with the Detroit Tigers along with cash for Karim GarcÃa. Manning left field for the next eight seasons, he put up a .298/.391/.529 slash line with 224 home runs, 774 RBI, and 30.0 bWAR. His No. 20 was retired by the team in 2010, becoming the first-ever player to receive such an honor.
The event will be commemorated with a special promo, as the first 20,000 fans will receive a special Hall of Fame t-shirt depicting Gonzalez and Johnson.
Diamondbacks Hall of Fame T-shirt promotion depicting Luis Gonzalez and Randy Johnson. Photo courtesy of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
