Do baseball fans remember 6′ foot 10″ Randy Johnson, aka, “The Big Unit”? He’s long retired, but he made the news the other month when he was showcased for … not baseball … but photography. Randy has a passion for it, and particularly taking photos in Africa. In his own words, “One reason I like photography is because I’m just looking through my viewfinder. I have blinders on, just like I was when I was seeing the batter at home plate. I didn’t hear the crowd or see anything else. I had blinders on. It was just me and the catcher.”
For those out of the know, Johnson is a #16 BCIL, a rarity on the baseball field (or any athletic field for that matter). This intimidating #16 went on to lead the majors in strikeouts over four seasons (1992-1995), and he won the American League Cy Young Awards in 1995. Of course, BCILs are often known for their intellect and eccentricities. They are devout learners, always gleaning new knowledge, and they often enjoy studying philosophers, scientists, historians, and theorists.
In fact, one of those famous modern-day intellectuals is another #16 BCIL that you’ve likely heard of. His name is Jordan Peterson, and he rose to fame back in 2016 when he posted a video on YouTube criticizing political correctness and Canada’s Bill C-16, which sought to penalize Canadians for discrimination against transgenders and minority groups (in the name of “protection”, of course). Now, Peterson is a much sought-after “philosopher” who talks everything from religion to politics to raising children to marriage. If you haven’t seen him, do a quick YouTube search and dive into the depths of his deep, Conceptual intellect.
At any rate, if Randy Johnson ever decided to devote himself to the philosophical world, you can bet he too would have a knack for it. But for now, Johnson’s intellectual abstraction carries over into his hobbies, most notably photography. And while photography would seemingly pertain only to the Empirical, “sensing” world, Randy doesn’t see it that way. “The pictures I take are nothing in particular, a lot of abstract stuff, stuff that makes a statement.”
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Written By: Staff
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