On September 7, 2008, more than 54,000 fans packed Dodgers Stadium expecting an epic showdown between two future Hall of Famers — Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux. But that’s not the pitching matchup they ultimately got.
Instead of Johnson and Maddux squaring off for just the second time in their careers, both the Dodgers and Diamondbacks opted to go with some of their young stars.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre swapped out Maddox in favor of the 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw, who he hoped could neutralize Adam Dunn and Stephen Drew. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, scratched Johnson from the start due to shoulder stiffness. In his place, the 24-year-old Max Scherzer made his MLB debut.
Imagine going to the ballpark expecting to see Randy Johnson vs Greg Maddux and end up lucking into *this* pitching matchup in 2008 pic.twitter.com/BjdEDUubwM
— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) September 22, 2023
Little did fans in attendance know what they were witnessing. Likely disappointed by missing a Hall of Fame duel and having no idea what the future held, it was lost on them that they were witnessing, well… A Hall of Fame duel.
Maddux and Johnson became first-ballot Hall of Famers in 2014 and 2015, respectively. And while they are still currently pitching, both Kershaw and Scherzer are destined for Cooperstown as well.
The Dodgers won that day, defeating the Diamondbacks by a score of 5-3. Scherzer surrendered three runs over five innings, striking out 11 batters along the way. Kershaw lasted just four innings, giving up two home runs, three earned runs and striking out four.
Neither Kershaw or Scherzer factored into the decision. Hong-Chih Kuo picked up the win and Jon Rauch was hit with the loss.
