On May 18, 2004, 40-year-old Randy Johnson walked onto the mound at Turner Field and shut down the Atlanta Braves for 27 straight outs. The 17th perfect game in MLB history. The Big Unit became the oldest pitcher in baseball history to throw one — breaking a record that had stood for exactly 100 years. Cy Young threw the previous "old-man" perfect game on May 5, 1904, at age 37. Johnson, at 40 years and 8 months, blew past it by three and a half years. The 6'10" lefty struck out 13 of the 27 Braves he faced, his fastball still touching 98 in the 9th inning. Eddie Pérez was the final out — a check-swing strikeout on a slider that froze him. Johnson barely smiled. Catcher Robby Hammock leapt into his arms; Johnson looked like he was getting a deep-tissue massage. "Just one of those nights," he said afterward. He had four Cy Young Awards already. He'd retire with 4,875 strikeouts (second all-time) and a near-unanimous Hall of Fame plaque. But the perfect game at 4, long after most pitchers have moved to the broadcast booth, was the one he said felt most unlikely.
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