He was Randy Johnson before Randy Johnson was Randy Johnson—a 6'5" lefty with a fastball measured in degrees of terrifying and control that came and went with the summer breeze. Hitters who bailed out on him could defend their cowardice by pointing to this quote from Mr. McDowell himself: "I was the biggest, most helpless and most violent drunk in baseball." Worse than Mickey Mantle? Whoa. Them's fightin' words!
