The 1989 Score brand baseball card set was the first time fans got to see a rookie card for future Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson. While Johnson would go on to have one of the most dominant careers of any left-handed pitcher in MLB history, capturing five career Cy Young Awards, his rookie card from the 1989 Score set showed that he was still developing as a young pitcher finding his way in the major leagues.
Johnson’s rookie card is number 636 in the 1989 Score brand baseball card set. The front of the card features a photo of Johnson from his rookie season with the Montreal Expos wearing their blue and red road uniform. He is shown mid-windup, demonstrating his unique sidearm throwing motion that would bewilder hitters for decades to come. His statistics from his 1988 rookie season with the Expos are listed on the front as well, showing he made 11 appearances, including 7 starts, compiling a 4-2 record with a 4.46 ERA in 55.2 innings pitched.
The back of Johnson’s rookie card provides more context into how he was developing as a pitcher in his first big league season at age 21. It notes he made his MLB debut on September 11, 1988 against the Philadelphia Phillies. In that appearance, he allowed just one hit over four innings of work in a no decision. It also mentions he struck out 35 batters in his 55.2 innings as a rookie, showing the overpowering stuff that would become his trademark was starting to emerge even in his first Cup of Coffee in the majors.
Scouting reports on the back of the card from Expos officials praised Johnson’s blazing fastball that could reach the upper 90s mph even in his first season. They also made note of his deceptive sidearm delivery that provided a unique look for batters. The scouting report soberly stated “control must improve” however, acknowledging the walks would be an issue for Johnson to refine as he gained more experience. It predicted he had the potential to develop into a solid mid-rotation starter if he could command his pitches more consistently.
While that 1988 rookie season showed glimpses of the dominance, Johnson struggled to find consistency early in his career. He bounced between the Expos and their Triple-A affiliate through the 1990 and 1991 seasons as he continued refining his command. His 1992 season was a breakout, as he went 16-9 with a 2.23 ERA and 274 strikeouts over 212.1 innings to finish fourth in NL Cy Young voting, proving the scouting report on his rookie card right that if he could harness his elite stuff he could become an elite starter.
Johnson was then involved in one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history, when he and three other players were shipped from Montreal to the Seattle Mariners prior to the 1989 season in exchange for reliever Gene Harris. That trade helped turned both franchises in different directions, as Johnson went on to have the bulk of his Hall of Fame career with Seattle while the Expos never recovered from losing such a future star pitcher.
With the Mariners, Johnson continued evolving into arguably the most unhittable pitcher in baseball during the mid-1990s. He captured his first two Cy Young Awards in 1995 and 1996 while leading the AL in strikeouts each season and establishing the most dominant four-year stretch for any left-handed pitcher in MLB history from 1995-1998. In 1995, he set the still-standing single season strikeout record with 372 punchouts, easily eclipsing the previous record of 341 set by Sandy Koufax in 1965.
After the 1996 season, Johnson signed as a free agent with the Houston Astros and continued raking up accolades and award, winning a third Cy Young in 1999 during his four years in Houston. He then was traded back to the Diamondbacks prior to the 1999 season, reunited with his former Seattle manager Buck Showalter. With Arizona, Johnson captured his fourth and fifth career Cy Young Awards in 1999 and 2002 at ages 34 and 37, doing so while leading the Diamondbacks to their first and only World Series title in 2001 where he was named World Series MVP.
By the time Johnson retired following the 2009 season at age 46, he racked up a total of 303 career wins, a 3.29 ERA, and 4,875 strikeouts, third all-time behind Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. His 5 career Cy Young Awards are tied for the most all-time with Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martinez. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility.
For fans who own Johnson’s 1989 Score rookie card, its has taken on deep significance. It serves as the earliest tangible baseball card representation of the player who would go onto author arguably the greatest pitching career of any left-hander in MLB history. While it showed him as still developing command of his elite arsenal in his first brief big league look, it hinted at the overpowering stuff that would make him a pitching force for decades. The card pays homage to the early signs of greatness that were there even in Randy Johnson’s first exposure to major league hitters during the 1988 season depicted on his rookie card from the 1989 Score set.
