According to Fox Sports Arizona , plans are in the works to have the first-ballot Hall of Famer’s jersey retired by the team for which he won four consecutive Cy Young Awards.
“My time (in Arizona) was career-changing, to put it that way,” Johnson said in a media teleconference Tuesday afternoon. “I’ve had special moments on all the teams that I’ve played for, hands-down there is no five years that match anywhere else.”
The Diamondbacks also announced that Johnson has agreed to rejoin the Diamondbacks organization as a special assistant to President and CEO Derrick Hall.
In his new role with the Diamondbacks, Johnson is expected to do a little of everything, but his biggest contribution could come in working with players, Hall said on MLB Network . The club wants him to work with players at all levels, including taking trips to all of the organization’s minor league affiliates.
Johnson recorded four 300-strikeout seasons in six years with the Diamondbacks and won his only World Series in 2001, when he and fellow Hall nominee Curt Schilling were co-MVPs.
“The biggest moment in my career — all professional athletes play to win championships — and in 2001 winning the World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks was one of my proudest moments,” Johnson said.
Johnson won 118 games and had a 2.83 ERA in his 232 regular season appearances with the D’backs that included a perfect game in 2004 against the Atlanta Braves.
The “Big Unit” was selected on 534 of 549 ballots by veteran members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the eighth-highest percentage in the history of voting.
