Former Jaxpo Randy Johnson Elected to Southern League Hall of Fame

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Former Jacksonville Expos left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson is the Jacksonville Suns representative for the 2015 Southern League Hall of Fame class, announced by the league office on Wednesday.

Johnson joins longtime Suns owner Peter Bragan, Sr. in the Southern League Hall of Fame, with Bragan being a part of the inaugural Southern League Hall of Fame class in 2014. This is another Hall of Fame honor for Johnson, who in January was elected to the 2015 Hall of Fame class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Johnson was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos from the University of Southern California in the second round of the 1985 draft. Two years later, Johnson made his Southern League debut pitching with the Jaxpos in 1987.

During his time in Jacksonville, Johnson went 11-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 24 starts. Johnson worked 140 innings with the Expos where he walked 128 batters compared to 163 strikeouts.

The 1987 Jacksonville Expos, led by manager Tommy Thompson, were one of the most memorable teams in Suns' franchise history, going 85-59 in the regular season and winning the Second Half Eastern Division title. The Suns fell one game short of the Southern League Championship Series, falling to the Charlotte O's in a hard-fought five-game Eastern Division Championship Series.

12 1987 Jacksonville Expos went on to play in the major leagues, with eight of those players pitchers led by Johnson. The 1987 club also included future All-Star Larry Walker who would go on to be the 1997 National League Most Valuable Player.

Johnson never returned to Jacksonville after 1987, and did see his first major league time with the Expos in 1988. He would go on to pitch in 22 major league seasons, going 303-166 with a 3.29 ERA. His long major league tenure where he was a 10-time All-Star included pitching for the: Expos (1988-89), Seattle Mariners (1989-1998), Houston Astros (1998), Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004, 2007-08), New York Yankees (2005-06), and San Francisco Giants (2009).

He won the Cy Young Award five times (1995, 1999-2002), and was shared the World Series Most Valuable Player Award with rotation mate Curt Schilling as their pitching helped the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in the seven-game 2001 World Series.

Johnson ended his career with 4,875 strikeouts which is second-most all-time behind Nolan Ryan, and his 303 wins are the fifth-most by a left-handed pitcher.

Other 2015 inductees include: Scott Brosius (Biloxi Shuckers), Frank Thomas & Rollie Fingers (Birmingham Barons), Trevor Hoffmann (Chattanooga), Razor Shines (Jackson), Jacksonville native Chipper Jones (Mississippi), Turner Ward (Mobile), Lou Whitaker (Montgomery), Jason Kendall (Pensacola), Carlos Delgado (Tennessee), and Harmon Killebrew, who was elected on the special consideration ballot.

The Suns will honor Johnson during the 2015 season. The purpose of the Southern League Hall of Fame is to recognize individuals for their accomplishments and contributions to the League on the field of play or in an administrative role. This shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, players, managers, coaches, umpires, League and team executives, owners, and media members.

For the latest Suns news this offseason, fans are encouraged to visit www.jaxsuns.com and can keep up with the Jacksonville Suns on the club's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social media platforms, as well as the "Tales from Bragan Field" blog: www.sunsradio.com.