Big Unit's big homecoming

He's 45-years old with 4, 789 career strikeouts, a World Series title (Arizona, 2001), five Cy Young awards, 295 career wins (including a perfect game) and a 6'10" frame that earned him the nickname "Big Unit."

He defines the "Giant" in San Francisco Giants.

Randy Johnson's recent signing with the San Francisco Giants is the icing on the cake on what has been a hall of fame career.

"I'm excited to come back to where I started my baseball career," said Johnson who will enter in 22nd season. "As a visiting player with the Diamondbacks, a couple of the reporters would ask me, 'Toward the end of your career, do you see yourself playing in the Bay Area?' It's always nice to come back and play there."

The Walnut Creek native signed a one year, $8 million contract with the Giants on Friday and will join a starting rotation that now has, including Johnson himself, three Cy Young winners (Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito being the others) and two young promising pitchers in the right-hander Matt Cain and lefty Johnathan Sanchez. They also become the first team to have three Cy Young winners since the 2002 Atlanta Braves who had John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux.

The Giants were 17th in ERA in the majors with a 4.38 ERA last season as they turned to a youth movement that struggled towards a 72-90 record, fourth in the NL West in 2008 and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive time since their 2003 postseason loss to the Florida Marlins.

With Johnson now, not to mention the offseason signings of shortstop Edgar Renteria and relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Bobby Howry, the Giants go from bottom of the barrel to immediate contenders for the NL West title in 2009.

Johnson will also bring the fans back to AT&T Park as the Giants also failed to reach 3-million fans for the first time in the park's nine-year history as they went 37-44 at home in 2008.
In 30 starts with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, Johnson went 11-10 with a 3.91 ERA and 173 strikeouts as he now has 295 career wins and (barring injury) will get #300 in his hometown. He also made his season debut in San Francisco last April.

Johnson also looks forward to mentoring that young Giants rotation, at the same time he'll look to enjoy his time in the Bay Area as it might be his last in the majors.

He wouldn't tell you that though.

"I don't think I want to, and people are going to go, 'My God, will you retire already?' " Johnson said. "I'm not going to say I'm done because I haven't even started this year. I'm excited to start this year. The last two seasons have been very draining for me because I've had to come back and prove that I'm healthy."