Wouldn't RJ know that she wasn't in daycare? Why would he have kept paying? Is she some bank, that she's going to escrow the money until he asks for it back? "Here's 750$ you don't deserve... I dare you to take it... go ahead, double-dare.... you took it? Here's another 750.. go ahead... and another................ {years later}... now, give it back"

Maybe I should read the complaint first.

I suspect that Johnson's actions are the result of him knowingly paying an extra $70k over the past five years (it's his child after all), and then being hit up for more. The extra he paid more than covers a car and tuition to community college. What was done with the extra money? The mother stopped working and presumably lived off the child support. I have to side with Johnson on this one.

Wouldn't it have been easier to just turn your back? He knowingly gave the money away, whether it was for the initial intended purpose or whatever. He's hit up for more money. Why does he need to go lawyering and getting the money back? Why not just turn your back?

Countersuit is a tactic often used to help the other party come to their senses. Sounds like Johnson has generously let the money continue to flow. When Ms. Roszell got greedy, Johnson decided enough was enough and filed the countersuit to get her off his back.

What countersuit? He initiated the petition for adjustment, and not in response to her petition.

Sorry, my mistake to say it was a countersuit when it wasn't. But, the idea is similar. According to the article Ms. Roszell "last year...asked the all star to buy Heather a car and foot the bill for community college classes." Johnson's suit may be in part to make clear that he's been more generous than required.

I don't think guys should be indiscriminantly fathering children but to me it seems that he's had enough of being financially abused by this woman. He probably set the payments up to be made automatically and didn't realize he was paying daycare. He's just letting her know that he knows what the deal is. I bet he can't wait til that girl turns 18.

C'mon, he didn't know? And he only knew after he was asked for alot more money? His financial advisors know everything. This is a pure "I'm going to make you suffer" ploy.

"That's why he's a great pitcher." So you're saying that great pitchers are more susceptible to try to bilk the mothers of their illegitimate children out of money to raise the child than inferior, less-fiery pitchers?

I actually support Randy Johnson here. Too many times, the roles are reversed. Arguments are made that an athlete does not pay. Here, Johnson has paid what was required of him, then the child's mother wants a car and wants him to pay college, because he is a rich baseball player. I am sorry, a 17 year old does not need a car. As for college, I think a parent should pay for it, but it is not required for a parent to do such in most states. I could see a good argument for a child to work (especially if they decide to go to a community college). I don't think Johnson is making this public (though court records are public). Instead it is the stupid media blowing things out of proportion. Most things that the media puts out in the news, I do not consider newsworthy anyway (do I really care about who split up with Nick Lachey this week or that Andre Rison hasn't paid child support or that Eric Lindros had a girlfriend who lived in Vorhees, NJ?) I think we as a society have failed to separate personal with professional lives. I would love to see how people would react if someone came to the office and announced Jim in accounting hasn't paid child support. (I hate the gossipers at work as well). It shouldn't happen. I know athletes voluntarily put themselves in the public eye by making lots of money. They could choose not to be in the public eye by not sacrificing everything to make it to something that they love. However, I have another option - let's separate personal lives from sports. I want to know how Jeff Kent is hitting. I want to know that he is hurt. I do not care if he violated his contract by riding a dirt bike or he hurt his hand while washing a truck. Why does it matter. The man is hurt, that is all that matters. I'm done.

Michael,

I'm saying that hyper competitive athletes are likely to be highly dislikable people in real life, because they can't turn it off.

"Observers were befuddled that Johnson would file a lawsuit over what amounts to chump change for the millionaire - all while risking unwanted publicity on an intensely private matter."

And this is exactly what Roszell probably thought too. I can exploit RJ a bit because there's no way he'll fight this issue for fear of public exposure. RJ got sick of it and is fighting back.

Too often in these situations the dad doesn't pay anything, just as a way to get back at the mom -- and that is without either of them being athletes. I applaud RJ for having supported the kid without being dragged into court all the time. There's probably more to the story about the suit than what we've heard.

The actual court filing is available at the smoking gun website, including the original agreement from 1998.

The actual agreement is for "child care expenses" not "day care." The reporting is influenced by Johnson's own transformation of the term in his filing, and his claim that no actual expenses were incurred for at least five years. I'm not a lawyer and don't know how standard a meaning the term "child care" has, but it's at least a little broader than day care specifically and would include babysitting and afterschool programs.

Johnson paid nothing for his daughter until the agreement was reached in 1998 when she was about 8 1/2. It's not clear that he voluntarily entered the agreement, as opposed to signing the agreement under legal threat. [The agreement is drawn up in terms of plaintiff and defendant.] He's not necessarily a standup guy, even if the mother hs made excessive demands.

As a further part of the agreement, it appears that Johnson was supposed to contribute to a college trust fund. It is bizarre that this trust fund, which should be the source of funding for the girl's community college expenses, is not mentioned. I can only guess that the girl wanted to take a course or two while still in high school

I'm with rbj here, there's more to the story that we see so far.
To David's point, I've known a few world class athletes, and agree that that their intensity carries over somewhat to regular life, but I won't follow him nearly all the way to "likely to be highly dislikable people in real life.'

i realize this is a very personal matter to him but he really should be worrying more about giving up so many homers and less about $71k. thats a day's pay to him!

Randy Johnson is getting BAAAAAD legal advice.
There are child "support" laws and they are based on a percentage of your annual salary. Randy resides in Houston Texas. Texas has RETROACTIVE child support laws.
$71,000 a year and he's crying about that when he currently makes $17 million a year???? People, R.J. was getting off easy!!!! THAT IS LIKE PAYING $150 IN CHILD SUPPORT PER YEAR IF YOU MAKE $35,000 A YEAR!!! Now Randy CHOOSES to draw attention to himself by suing her for child support back? Randy is in for a very rude awakening!
Wake up Randy! She's your child, this is the real world and you're about to see what happens in a REAL court of law..... My hunch is he will have to pay A LOT in retroactive child support (according to Texas child support laws). STUPID MOVE RANDY! She's his child (love child or not) Randy needs to stand up, BE A MAN and take care of your kid to the percentage the law prescribes. Everyone else has to, why not Randy Johnson?
Randy's a GREAT MLB pitcher but he let his pride get in the way and this is one "game" in which he will more than likely lose and lose BIG!

The statement "I'm saying that hyper competitive athletes are likely to be highly dislikable people in real life, because they can't turn it off." reminds me of the old saw about how porn stars don't enjoy sex, in that both statements appear to be a way for the unlucky rest of us to feel better about ourselves. . . .

If Johnson is a grouch or a deadbeat dad or whatever, why the urge to make him somehow *emblematic*?

J.B., the suit is in the state of Washington, not Texas.

randy johnson does not live in houston texas.

i don't know if he still "lives" in arizona but he does NOT live in texas.

who knows WHAT the laws are in the state of washington?

Regardless of whether or not his baby mama was making some extra cash with the child care provision, it appears that Johnson has been a complete douchebag from day one in how he's handled his child and her financial situation. If you're worth a hundred million bucks, you don't need to quibble over paying for your kid's car or night classes.