PHOENIX - In an expansive 42-minute news conference marking his election to baseballs Hall of Fame, Randy Johnson mixed humour, memories and humility in recalling a career he called a great ride.I never joined a fraternity in college, he said. Now Im amongst one of the coolest.Johnson has spent the five years since he retired mostly away from the game — travelling the world, engaging his love of photography and making a series of USO tours.I knew that I needed that time to kind of unwind, Johnson said. I was wound pretty tight for 22 years, especially probably the last 15, when I really came into my own in this game.His most successful years came with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he won four consecutive Cy Young Awards — he had a total of five — and his only World Series championship. He struck out 20 in nine innings once, and at age 40 pitched a perfect game.The Diamondbacks announced Tuesday that Johnson had been named special assistant to President Derrick Hall.Hall said that the left-handers No. 51 would be retired soon.Johnsons first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame after a 22-year career was a foregone conclusion.Still, he said, when he got the call on Tuesday he got goose bumps and felt like Ive never felt before in my life.He called his 87-year-old mother to tell her, and she reminded him that at age 7, he had left Little League tryouts frustrated and came home, then she brought him back and made sure he got registered to play.Johnson recalled that as a youngster growing up in Livermore, California, he would throw tennis balls at a taped strike zone on his garage door.And I was Vida Blue with those tennis balls, he said.I didnt envision any of this and Im sorry I couldnt share more of what I was really about when I was playing, Johnson said. But I guess it was more about how my dad raised me and taught me to not ever be content with what youre doing because theres always somebody better than you doing it.Johnson spoke of trying to harness some control in his pitching early in his career.I was a really bad pitcher growing up, he said. Being almost 7 feet tall, 6-10, youre not meant to be a pitcher. My limbs are too long and the biggest thing in being a pitcher is you need to have a consistent release point. Well its pretty hard when youre all arms and legs. So that took me a long time to overcome.Johnson said the issue of what cap he would wear on his Hall of Fame plaque was out of his control. He said he expected the subject to come up when he meets with Hall of Fame officials later this week.And while he said there was something special about all six of his major league teams, his years with the Diamondbacks were career-changing.Current Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick said his best memory of Johnson was in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series against the New York Yankees, when after pitching the previous day, the Big Unit came out of the bullpen to thunderous cheers to get the final four outs as Arizona rallied for a 3-2 victory.It was astounding, Kendrick said.Johnson said hed trade four Cy Young awards for a couple more World Series chances.To be dogpiling on the pitchers mound, and be celebrating, and be riding down the street with your family on a fire truck, I mean, who doesnt dream about that? he said. Thats pretty cool stuff. Thats what you play for and I got to do that.When he runs into fans, they always talk about that World Series, Johnson said. That, he added, and the time he killed a pigeon with a pitch in spring training. Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys .ca/CurlingSkins - with the Top 16 curlers earning a ticket to Banff, Alta. to compete in the TRAVELERS ALL-STAR CURLING SKINS GAME Presented by Pintys, running Jan. Discount MLB Jerseys .com) - Maria Sharapova reached her 10th career grand slam final after beating Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets at the Australian Open on Thursday. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/ . It took five games, but the Celtics finally helped Stevens earn his first NBA victory. "Im going to celebrate for a whole 12 minutes, and then Im going to start watching Orlando and trying to figure them out," the first-year Celtics coach said after Boston beat the Utah Jazz, one of the leagues other winless teams, 97-87 on Wednesday night. Cheap MLB Jerseys Nike 2020 . This week, topics cover the Blue Jays rotation, the futures John Gibbons and Alex Anthopoulos, protecting pitchers and a bonus question on his predictions for the MLB playoffs. MLB Jerseys China . Its other five picks were all six foot or better, with three at 6-1 or above. Third-round pick Brett Lernout stands six foot four and weighs 206 pounds.Jamie Vardy believes the work ethic of his Leicester City team-mates this season has fired them to Premier League glory. The Foxes have shocked the footballing world this season by winning the English top flight only eight years after being relegated to League One, having begun the campaign favourites for the drop and 5000/1 outsiders for the title.Vardy has also fought against the odds. He was playing non-league football only four years ago for Fleetwood Town, is now a Premier League champion and vying for a place in Roy Hodgsons starting line-up for Euro 2016. The striker, who played host to the entire squad on Monday night as they watched Tottenham hand them the title with a dramatic 2-2 draw at Chelsea, says the teams spirit has laid the foundations for their success.Its an unbelievable feeling, Ive never known anything like it. We were scrapping to stay in the league last season and on Saturday well be lifting the trophy, Vardy told the clubs website. Jamie Vardys lookalike Lee Chapman spoke to Pete Colley after he got to mmeet the man himself That gives you an idea of how much hard work has gone into this season from every single player and member of staff.dddddddddddd Its the biggest achievement in the history of a great club and we all feel privileged to be part of it. Its even more special to have done it with these lads. Every minute of hard work weve put in on the training pitch has been worth it for this moment.Celebrations in Leicester have hardly stopped since Monday night and they will continue this weekend when the Foxes lift the Premier League trophy after their game against Everton on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports 1. Leicesters players celebrated becoming Premier League champions at their training ground Also See: Merse: Mahrez, Kante to leave The next Leicester? Ranieri: Title is a one-off VOTE: Leicester in 2016/17 ' ' '