The Big Pinstriped Unit

The Yankees and Randy Johnson have come to terms over a two-year contract extension. I think this is a good deal for the Yankees, providing Johnson -- at 41 years of age -- is able to stay healthy through the 2007 season (a big if, although the 6'-10" hurler has been relatively healthy over his career). It is definitely a good deal for Yankee fans who will now get to see this dominant pitcher on the mound every five days. And it is definitely a good deal for Johnson, who will now be seen by the New York press every five days.

Even Steve Goldman, who smirks at the long list of aged, Hall of Fame-bound pitchers who have graced Yankee Stadium in their...er...golden years, makes an exception for a certain kind of Ancient:

...Investing in hurlers with so much mileage that the odometer (arm-ometer?) has rolled over is a bad idea.

But there's one exception to the rule, although trying to characterize it seems silly: you make an exception for gods. The official definition of pitching gods is like the judge's definition of obscenity: you know it when you see it. The list above omitted the most successful over-35 pickup in team history, Roger Clemens, who joined the team on the cusp of turning 37. Not only did he win 77 games for the Yankees over five years, but he pitched over a thousand innings with a below-league ERA, saving about 70 runs over the average pitcher.

Clemens is one of the top pitchers of all time, and he's had an unusually slow decline because he combines all the attributes of a pitcher: a great fastball, absolutely no tendency towards complacency, leading to great conditioning, flawless mechanics, and an intelligent approach to pitching. These things fight the aging process better than yogurt and a daily rubdown from Cindy Crawford.

Randy Johnson is in the same category. Last season he and Clemens vied to turn in the best season ever by a pitcher in his forties (Big Unit Value Over Replacement, 69.3; Rocket VORP, 61.3). He has been both incredibly dominant and incredibly durable. Certainly there is no second-guessing this acquisition.

Randy Johnson versus the Drama Queen, Opening Day, Yankee Stadium. Oh my oh my.