Baseball: Roundup

Randy Johnson retires after 22 seasons

Associated Press

San Francisco -- Randy Johnson is retiring after 22 major league seasons.

The Big Unit, an overpowering lefty who last June became the 24th pitcher to win 300 games, made the expected announcement Tuesday on a conference call.

"I really wanted to go out on my terms," Johnson said. "I just feel like there's not a lot more for me to do in this game. I just think it's a natural progression when you play this long. Eventually you have to say it's time."

A five-time Cy Young Award winner, the 46-year-old Johnson accomplished just about everything in his remarkable career that a player hopes for in baseball.

He owns a World Series ring and co-MVP honors, and was a 10-time All-Star. He threw two no-hitters, including a perfect game, and ranks second on the career strikeout list.

The 6-foot-10 Johnson finishes with a career record of 303-166 and 4,875 strikeouts in 4,135 1-3 innings for Montreal, Seattle, Houston, Arizona, the New York Yankees and San Francisco. His strikeouts are the most by a left-hander and second to Nolan Ryan's 5,714.

Johnson overcame several injuries to keep pitching at a high level into his mid-40s. He said before last season ended that he looked forward to going home to Arizona and spending time with his family before making a decision about his future.

"It's taken this long into January because I definitely wanted to just kind of relax from the season being over and make sure I had a clear head when I made this decision, and that I would be making it wholeheartedly and would be sticking to it," he said.

Johnson went 8-6 with a 4.88 ERA in 17 starts and five relief appearances for San Francisco last season despite missing more than two months with a strained left shoulder that also had a tear in the rotator cuff. He returned in late September as a reliever, a role he couldn't see himself embracing in order to keep pitching.

Johnson had said part of his decision would be based on whether he thought he could be durable enough to be a starter again. As he was working his way back last year, he acknowledged that pitching more than five innings and being effective would be tough at this stage.

He came out of a game July 5 against Houston with an injury, the first serious shoulder problem of his career. He felt something in his arm on a swing during that start but initially tried to pitch through it. He then left the game after committing a throwing error in the fourth inning.

He was on the disabled list from July 6 to Sept. 16, marking the 10th DL stint of Johnson's career. He had four knee operations and three back surgeries, but worked his way back each time.

Johnson signed with the Giants to try to help them reach the playoffs, but they missed the postseason for a sixth straight year. San Francisco stayed in the NL wild-card chase well into September.

Pitching in San Francisco, Johnson was only about 40 miles west of where he grew up in Livermore.

He largely stayed to himself in his final season, insisting the 300-win milestone wasn't his top priority. Then on June 4 at Washington, he became the 24th pitcher in big league history to accomplish the feat.

Johnson pitched his first no-hitter in 1990, won 19 games with 308 strikeouts in 1993 and led the Mariners to their first playoff berth with an 18-2 record in 1995. He finished his 10-year stint in Seattle with a 130-74 record before being traded to Houston in 1998.

He signed as a free agent with the Diamondbacks before the following season, beginning one of the most dominating runs a pitcher has ever had. Johnson won the Cy Young in each of his first four seasons with Arizona, capturing the coveted pitcher's triple crown in 2002 with a 24-5 record, 2.32 ERA and 334 strikeouts.

His most memorable moments were in 2001, when he came out of the bullpen to beat the Yankees in Game 7 of the World Series to give the Diamondbacks the title. He went 3-0 in the Series, sharing the MVP award with Curt Schilling.

Johnson pitched a perfect game at age 40 against Atlanta. Rickey Henderson certainly felt the heat before that. The Hall of Famer struck out in 30 of 59 at-bats against Johnson, making him the Unit's top victim.

Johnson didn't have as much success after leaving Arizona for the first time following the 2004 season. He won 34 games in two seasons with the Yankees, although the tenure was marred by a run-in with a camera man and postseason struggles.

He returned to Arizona in '07 and won just 15 games in two years while struggling with back problems.

Angels broadcaster Rory Markas dies at 54

Rory Markas, a play-by-play sportscaster who spent the past eight seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, has died. He was 54.

Markas was found dead at his home in Palmdale on Monday and the cause of death was not immediately available, Angels spokesman Tim Mead said Tuesday. Markas had surgery for a blood clot on his brain in late 2008.

He also was the voice of the USC men's basketball team and a reporter and sportscaster for KTTV-TV in Los Angeles. USC also had no details on his death.

Markas called Angels games on both television and radio, and was best known for celebrating the club's wins with his signature line: "Just another Halo victory!" Last month, Markas was named the Angels' lead television broadcaster for the upcoming season.

Markas was in his 12th season as the radio play-by-play voice of USC, most recently calling the Trojans' victory over Arizona State on Saturday night.

"We held him and the outstanding broadcasting work he did for us in the highest regard," USC athletic director Mike Garrett said. "He was a consummate professional and a well-loved individual. He'll be a very difficult person to replace. We want to extend our support and condolences to his family."

After a busy, varied broadcasting career that included a four-season stint with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1990s, Markas joined the Angels just in time for their run to their only championship. Many remember his call to end Game 7 of the 2002 World Series when outfielder Darin Erstad circled under the San Francisco Giants' final fly ball: "Erstad says he's got it! Erstad makes the catch! The Anaheim Angels are the champions of baseball!"

Markas also worked for the Milwaukee Brewers for parts of 11 seasons and spent six years calling Pacific Coast League baseball. The San Fernando Valley native also had been a sports reporter for KNX Radio, and appeared on television with KCBS and Prime Ticket in Los Angeles.

"Rory was one of the great professionals in the business," said Jim Hefner, the color analyst on USC basketball broadcasts. "But more importantly, he was one of the nicest, kindest people I've ever been around. I'm sure that everyone who worked with him will truly miss him. He was one-of-a-kind."

Markas was honored with two Associated Press Sportscasting awards and received the 2008 Radio Play-by-Play Award from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association.

Markas is survived by his mother, Billie, and brothers Gary and Troy.

Source: Red Sox, Beltre reach tentative deal

A person familiar with the negotiations says third baseman Adrian Beltre and the Boston Red Sox have reached a tentative agreement on a one-year contract.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement is subject to a physical and is not yet final.

Beltre would be guaranteed $10 million, another person said, also speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal was not final. Beltre would get $9 million this year with a $5 million player option for 2011 with a $1 million buyout. The option could escalate to $10 million

Beltre would take over at third base for Mike Lowell, whose proposed trade to the Texas Rangers last month was derailed when an examination revealed an injured thumb.

Shoppach, Rays reach deal

Kelly Shoppach and the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a $5.5 million, two-year contract.

The deal, announced Tuesday, will pay the team's new catcher $2.25 million this year and $3 million in 2011. It includes a club option for a third season at $3.2 million or a $300,000 buyout.

The Rays obtained the 29-year-old Shoppach from Cleveland on Dec. 1 for a player to be named. They later sent right-hander Mitch Talbott to the Indians to complete the trade.

A .241 career hitter, Shoppach struggled last season after posting impressive numbers while filling in for an injured Victor Martinez with Cleveland in 2008.

After leading American League catchers with 21 homers two years ago, Shoppach batted .214 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 89 games last season. He is expected to compete with incumbent starter Dioner Navarro for playing time in Tampa Bay.