M’S Johnson Has Unfinished Work As Talks Begin, Big Unit Says He Hopes For Better In Seattle

Pitching ace Randy Johnson is musing on what might have been - and what might come next.

Of the Mariners’ loss to Baltimore in the American League divisional playoffs, Johnson said, “The end came so abruptly, I don’t know if any of us were ready.

“I don’t think it would have ended if it had been Cleveland or New York,” he told The Seattle Times.

“But Baltimore… Mussina… They had our number.”

Johnson lost twice to Baltimore’s Mike Mussina as the two pitchers dueled in the playoffs. They were Johnson’s first losses in consecutive starts since 1994. The Mariners fell to the Orioles three games to one.

“No matter if I do well against them or do badly, the results were the same,” said Johnson, who pitched well Sunday, only to have Mussina do better.

The Mariners are expected to open contract extension talks soon with Johnson. He is under contract for 1998, because the club exercised its option to retain him at $6 million, about $4 million to $6 million less than current market value for similar pitchers.

A sizeable increase in his 1998 salary might be an opening gambit in the talks, The Times reported. But Johnson said he will leave all that to Barry Meister, his agent.

“I do want to stay,” he said. “But I’ve learned that nothing is certain. Well, one thing: If I am here next year, I’ll help this team battle to keep the season going a little longer. We have some unfinished business in Seattle.”

Despite finger tendinitis that caused him to miss four starts late in the season, Johnson became the first Mariners pitcher to win 20 games. The 1995 American League Cy Young Award winner also reached 2,000 strikeouts for his career.

“We all combined to make it a baseball town,” he said.

“We drew 3 million people here this year. When all is said and done, that may be the most significant achievement for any of us because we did it together, the organization, the players on the field and the fans.”