Big Unit Expects to Succeed with Diamondbacks

Randy Johnson may not be ready to pitch in the first homestand for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the 6'10" tall southpaw goes into the 2007 season expecting big things. ALSO: the inside scoop on whether the Diamondbacks actively sought a cleanup hitter this offseason.

INSIDE PITCH

   Whenever Randy Johnson is able to complete his rehab from October back surgery and be ready to pitch for the Diamondbacks -- be it Opening Day, sometime in April or perhaps in May -- the future Hall of Famer is certain he will make a positive impact on Arizona's upcoming season.

   Just how much of an impact, neither he nor anyone else can say. But after his trade from the Yankees was finalized, Johnson wasn't bashful about what he will be able to bring to the table.

   "I think I'm capable of going out there and being competitive," he said. "I think in any year, I can still win 20 games. But going out there and being competitive is all I ever really wanted to do."   

      "I'm looking forward to pitching the way I did when I left here. Now, does that mean I'm going to be throwing 99 mph? No. Does that mean I'm going to be striking out 20 batters? Well, I might. You never know. Nobody probably thought I was going to throw a perfect game when I was 40 years old."

   Now 43, and coming off a season in which he posted the highest ERA of his career (5.00), the Big Unit blames a bulging disk in his lower back for any performance issues he had in 2006, when he still managed to win 17 games and record 172 strikeouts.

   "A lot of people say my career is over," he said. "I had a 5.00 ERA. Well, I was out there pitching with a bad back for most of the year. Most people may not choose to do that, but I decided that's the kind of person I am -- an overpaid athlete that wants to try and give something back. I know it sounds corny, but that's where I'm at."

   Johnson has always used criticism and doubt -- even when it has been self-manufactured -- to further spur his intense motivation. He has other quests, too, such as winning 300 games. He needs 20 to get there, and his two-year contract with Arizona should be more than enough time to make it happen.

   "I've always had to defend myself," Johnson said, "so when I walk around with a chip on my shoulder, it's because it's always been an uphill battle. I've always had to prove my worth, you would say. Much like now."

NOTES, QUOTES

   --GM Josh Byrnes acknowledged the Diamondbacks never actively sought a power hitter who could fill the club's lack of a traditional No. 4 man in the lineup. They went without one last year after failed experiments of bringing in the likes of Richie Sexson and Troy Glaus.

   "Lineup construction can be a funny thing," Byrnes said. "Our record was very good when Conor Jackson was our cleanup hitter last year. We might not have that prototypical No. 4 guy, but I think we're going to have eight very good hitters, bench players who can hit, and I think we'll be looking at a lineup where every spot can hit 10 and several spots might hit 20 homers. So I think there's a lot of danger in the lineup."

   --RHP Brandon Webb will start on Opening Day for the second consecutive season, manager Bob Melvin said, adding, "He deserves it after what he did last year, winning the Cy Young Award."

   --LHP Randy Johnson didn't ask the Yankees to trade him, and New York wasn't out to get rid of him either, but after Johnson's older brother, Gregg, died in December from a brain aneurysm, a condolence call by Yanks GM Brian Cashman led to a lengthy conversation about family matters. It was mutually agreed that a move out West to be closer to his mother in California would be beneficial to Johnson.

   ---Manager Bob Melvin on LHP Randy Johnson's return and availability following October back surgery: "We're not going to rush him. He's always been a guy who, after injuries, has been ahead of schedule, and that's what (doctors) are telling us right now, that he's probably ahead of schedule. He'll start playing catch and get on the mound, and we'll analyze that every time out. He'll analyze that, too. There's no timetable. If he's late, it certainly won't be too long. I'm hoping sometime in April, but I have not ruled out he could be ready for Opening Day."

   --GM Josh Byrnes on the team's core of young position players such as SS Stephen Drew, 1B Conor Jackson and OFs Carlos Quentin and Chris Young, who will be counted upon to help lead the Diamondbacks' offense: "They know the expectations are on them to be ready to perform. We're not doing this as a trial period or a developmental period. They're going to be given the chance to perform."

   --The Diamondbacks avoided arbitration with two players, agreeing to one-year deals with RHP Jorge Julio ($3.6 million) and RHP Juan Cruz ($1,437,500).

   BY THE NUMBERS: 103 -- Victories by Randy Johnson in a Diamondbacks uniform, which ranks first on the club's all-time list. 1,832 -- Strikeouts by Randy Johnson in a Diamondbacks uniform, which ranks first on the club's all-time list. 2.65 -- Career ERA by Randy Johnson in a Diamondbacks uniform, which ranks first on the club's all-time list. 36 -- Complete games by Randy Johnson in a Diamondbacks uniform, which ranks first on the club's all-time list. 1,389 2/3 -- Innings pitched by Randy Johnson in a Diamondbacks uniform, which ranks first on the club's all-time list.

   QUOTE TO NOTE: "As short-lived as it was, as well-documented as it was, I wouldn't change a thing. I think those are life experiences that make a man. I made some mistakes there, I 'fessed up to the mistakes I made, and on the field I gave everything I had." -- LHP Randy Johnson on his two-year run with the Yankees, which was often marked by controversy and a sense of underachievement, even though he won 34 games in that time.