Byline: Sam Adams, Rocky Mountain News
TUCSON -- Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson says baseball's 'Big Unit' feels like a healthy unit in 2004.
That's not good news for National League batters.
Johnson expects to rebound from a knee injury in 2003 that hampered his ability to be the dominant pitcher fans have come to know over the years. He made his spring-training debut Monday against the Colorado Rockies with three innings of work under the hot sun at Hi Corbett Field.
The Rockies' Luis Gonzalez and Vinny Castilla hit doubles off Johnson in the first inning, and catcher Charles Johnson sent a Johnson fastball over the fence for a long solo home run in the second inning. But 'Unit' also struck out three of the 13 Rockies batters he faced.
Johnson even argued pitch location with home plate umpire Casey Moser - during a third-inning at-bat in which Johnson produced an opposite-field single off Rockies starter Scott Elarton.
Afterward, Johnson was upbeat about his performance in an otherwise meaningless spring game. He has reasons to be fired up - in particular, wanting to prove his 6-8 record last season was merely an injury-induced fluke, not the sign of a soon-to-be 41-year-old pitcher on the decline.
Going into his 17th season in the majors, Johnson has recorded 3,871 strikeouts - 129 shy of becoming the fourth pitcher in history to reach 4,000 strikeouts. His career 3.10 earned-run average ranks 16th all time, and he has won 230 games - making him one of only 54 pitchers in history to record at least 230 victories.
'Being competitive,' Johnson said, keeps him motivated. 'Going out there and continuing to do what I do, and what I like to think that I can do - at the same level that I've always been doing it at.
'It's easier said than done. Obviously, over time, eventually you're not going to be able to pitch at the same level. As a professional athlete, it depends on what you want to continue doing. Do you want to continue staying on top of the game, on top of your game? That's what I want to do, and I think I can now that I'm healthy.'
Only Nolan Ryan (5,714), Steve Carlton (4,136) and Roger
Clemens (4,099) have totaled more career strikeouts than Johnson, who broke into the majors with the Montreal Expos in 1988.
'It's just something that over time accumulates,' Johnson said. 'One thing that needs to be realized is, I'm getting ready to go into my (17th) major league season. I've been on the disabled list three times in my career.
'For a power pitcher, that's a lot to say. That's why I've been able to accumulate that many strikeouts because I've been healthy and been out there. It's like anybody else - if you're a home run hitter, you have to be healthy to hit home runs. Longevity is important.
'I've never wanted to cheat myself or my teammates. Now that I've had success, I want to maintain it. Any athlete in any sport who has a great deal of pride in what he does will want to continue doing what he does - and do it at the level he's known for doing it at. That's what drives me.'
LINE DRIVES: Sure, it's only spring training. But going into Monday's game against Arizona, the Rockies ranked last among all major league teams in batting this spring with a .192 team average. On the flip side, the Rockies' team ERA of 3.00 before Monday's game tied them with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for fourth-best in the majors this spring . . . The Diamondbacks' Johnson is one of seven prominent athletes being portrayed as competitors in different sports for Nike's 'What if' ad campaign. In his spot, Johnson portrays a professional bowler. 'It was either that or be a horse jockey,' he said. 'I figured it probably would be better to be a bowler than riding a horse.' Then, Johnson - who is known for 300-strikeout seasons, not rolling 300 games - paused and said, 'I'm just kidding. I enjoyed doing it. I've been given the opportunity a few times over my career to do some funny things like that, and I enjoy it. I'm not a bowler. I have bowled, but that was the role given to me.' . . . Straight from the bartender's shot glass: Some new 'What if' roles for Nike to consider - San Diego Padres pitcher David Wells as an NHL goal-tender, Houston Rockets center Yao Ming as an NFL receiver and boxer Mike Tyson as a NASCAR driver . . . The list of baseball alumni for Yavapai College (in Prescott, Ariz.) includes Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling and former Cherry Creek High School athlete Donzell McDonald. Three
members of Yavapai College's 2004 team have Colorado ties - former Chapparal High athletes John Leines and Tommy Borrelli and former Cherry Creek athlete Tommy Rudden. Denver native Sky Smeltzer is Yavapai's baseball coach.
