“That’s like me telling my wife I want a divorce and not leaving” - When Randy Johnson was upset with the Mariners for not extending his contract

Randy Johnson enjoyed a 22-year career in the big leagues, largely with the Seattle Mariners where he dominated. During that time, he was a 10-time All-Star, a five-time Cy Young Award winner, and a nine-time strikeout leader, to name a few.

Johnson arrived in Seattle in 1989 after being traded from the Montreal Expos. He immediately became the ace, but there would be some problems later down the road.

During the 1998 season, Johnson grew upset that Seattle would not offer him a contract extension. He wanted to stay in Seattle but they were not budging, via the Los Angeles Times' Mike Digiovonna.

"It's over and done with. They told me they have no intention of giving me an extension. That's like telling my wife I want a divorce and not leaving," - said Johnson.

The Mariners were worried an extension would not be the best investment for the club. Johnson dealt with a lingering back injury that started in 1996, but he was still dominant.

"I'm here, I'll do my job to the best of my ability, but if I'm not here [in the near future], it's not because of something that I've done ... I have all the reasons to want to stay in seattle" - said Johnson.

However, his desire to stay in Seattle was not enough. He would later be traded to the Houston Astros right ahead of the 1998 trade deadline.

Randy Johnson had a great career following his trade from the Seattle Mariners

Randy Johnson - Syndication: Arizona Republic - (Photo via IMAGN)

Randy Johnson would only finish out the 1998 season with the Houston Astros before he was on the move again. Houston did not give Johnson an extension, making him a free agent that offseason.

Johnson would then sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona was in their third season and looking to make a splash. In his first season in Arizona, Johnson became the third pitcher in MLB history to have won the Cy Young Award in both leagues. He recorded the 17th perfect game in MLB history in 2004 against the Atlanta Braves.

After retiring following the 2009 season, it did not take him long to get into the Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2015, being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He was also enshrined in Mariners and Diamondbacks HOF as well with Arizona retiring his famous No. 51.