Randy Johnson reacts to Braves’ Chris Sale’s honor with a number change

Atlanta Braves star Chris Sale’s recovery from injury-plagued years with the Boston Red Sox may be due in part to modeling himself after the size of former legendary pitcher Randy Johnson. The reason for this is that Sale changed his number to 51 because that was the number Johnson wore during his career, which the former Arizona Diamondback was “flattered by,” according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.

“I’m flattered,” Johnson said. “It’s incredible. To have that kind of influence on a young man I’ve never met before is pretty cool. I really wish I had met him when I was playing. I really admire his work. Tell him he has no regrets.”

Johnson gives Braves star Sale advice on how to make the most of his final years

Funnily enough, the two have not met yet, although the Braves pitcher would like to do so someday, but one can’t blame Sale for appreciating the career of Johnson, who is one of the best there has ever been. One piece of advice he would give Sale, who is 35, is to “make the most of these last couple of years.”

“You think you can play forever, but as you get older, injuries happen and the clock is ticking,” Johnson said. “The window closes and you can’t get back the years you lost. He’s not 25 anymore. He’s got to make the most of these last few years.”

“Tell him he’s still a young pup,” Johnson continued. “I know he’s been hurt, I know he’s had frustrations along the way, but there’s still plenty of time. He’s just got to do everything he can to stay healthy and stay on the mound instead of in the trainer’s room.”

Sale talks about his number change for Randy Johnson

Like probably other pitchers his age or even younger, Johnson had a huge impact on the game of baseball, especially in terms of his pitching technique. Sale would say that aside from his family, Johnson “had as much influence in my life as anyone,” which is why he changed his number, which was 49 with the Chicago White Sox and 41 with the Red Sox.

“Other than my dad and my grandparents,” Sale said, “he has had as much influence in my life as anyone. I just wanted to be like him. And throw like him.”

“That’s why I changed my number, in honor of Randy,” Sale continued. “I wanted a fresh start here. It’s like starting over, so why not start with one of the best left-handers of all time? I grew up trying to be like him, and now I get to wear his number.”

Sale on being included in the All-Star team after the tough last few years

Sale is in the midst of a great season, as he posted a 2.47 ERA and 136 strikeouts while going 12-3, a major league-best record. He was also selected to the All-Star team for the eighth time, which “feels pretty good” for the veteran pitcher, according to USA Today Sports.

“It feels pretty good, well, really good to be honest,” Sale said. “This is my eighth All-Star team and they all feel pretty special, but having gone through a rough time the last few years with injuries, I’m very happy to be back.”

“No, absolutely not,” Sale said of the prospect of receiving the honor. “Are you kidding me? Just playing baseball was satisfying enough, but to be an All-Star, that’s an incredible honor.”

During his final years with Boston, it looked more and more like a breakup was imminent, but the Braves decided to trade Sale and the rest is history. While people thought he was damaged goods due to all the injuries and setbacks he had suffered, Atlanta took the chance and Sale is “grateful” they did.

“It certainly would have been easy to jump ship and write me off,” Sale said. “Or say, ‘This guy is finished.’ You’ve seen that happen a lot, right? It happens a lot. So I’m just grateful and appreciate the people who stuck with me and believed in me. Now I get to experience that with them.”

Braves teammate praises Sales’ approach to pitching

Like Johnson, Sale is unique not only in the way he pitches, but also in his approach to a game where he reportedly “doesn’t concern himself with scouting reports or film.” Another veteran Braves pitcher, Charlie Morton, spoke about his teammate’s skills and how impressive they were, especially as the 40-year-old considers retirement.

“It’s not that he doesn’t know what pitch to throw,” Morton said. “I think it’s like, ‘I know if I throw the ball right and throw it the way I know how to, my skills and execution are good enough to throw somebody out.’ I don’t know what people think of that approach, like he’s just throwing the ball, but I think he has so much confidence and is so comfortable with himself on the mound that when the catcher puts the sign down, it’s like, ‘OK, here we go.'”

“I’m going to miss him being right back here,” Morton continued. “I was really lucky that I was here when he got here. Before that, I was a fan and just watched him from the other side. He was the guy, he was that guy, he was one of the best pitchers in the game. And then I became his teammate. Now I’m getting to know him and understand what a great person he is, how incredible he is to watch. I’ll be his fan as long as he goes.”

Sale: Will he play as long as Johnson?

While Johnson’s stats will be difficult for Sale to match, as he ranks second all-time in strikeouts thrown, is a 10-time All-Star, and has won five Cy Young Awards, perhaps some motivation could be that he pitched well until he was 42, even reaching double-digit wins. Sale is realistic, however, as he doesn’t think he can last that long in his career.

“Oh man, I’m not going to play that long,” Sale told Nightengale. “This is just unbelievable. I’m not Randy Johnson.”

The Braves are currently 51-40, which puts them in second place in the NL East, and they are looking to beat the Diamondbacks, Johnson’s former team, on Thursday night and win the current series.