Back Injury Ends Johnson’s Season

Randy Johnson, last season’s American League Cy Young Award winner, will undergo back surgery next month and will be out for the rest of the season, the Seattle Mariners announced.

The 6-foot-10 left-hander has been bothered by a bulging disc in his back.

Johnson went to California on Monday to be examined again by Dr. Robert Watkins, a back specialist. Watkins examined him July 19 in Anaheim.

“After examining Randy in Los Angeles. . . . Watkins recommends that Randy not pitch again this season and undergo surgery within the next couple of weeks,” Mariner general manager Woody Woodward said.

“We wholeheartedly support Dr. Watkins’ recommendation and wish Randy a very speedy recovery. I would like to commend Randy on his hard work on rehabilitating his back and making every effort to pitch when he was obviously not at 100%.”

Watkins said Johnson has an “extruded disc herniation.” Rehabilitation after surgery is expected to take 8-10 weeks.

Johnson started this season with five consecutive victories and went on the disabled list on May 12. He missed 73 games before returning as a reliever Aug. 6 because doctors prescribed rest as the only way to solve his back problems.

Johnson pitched nine scoreless innings in his first three relief outings, giving up six hits and striking out 15, but was ineffective in his last three outings.

In a Saturday loss at Boston, Johnson surrendered a home run to former teammate Darren Bragg, only the sixth home run Johnson had given up to a left-handed hitter in his career and the first since 1992.

“We’ve got to be prepared to play without him the rest of the year,” Manager Lou Piniella said before the Mariners beat the New York Yankees, 2-1, on Monday night.

“We’ve found out one thing with Randy. Pitching out of the bullpen isn’t going to work because of the ups and downs. I think we have to be fair.”

Johnson, 32, refused Piniella’s requests to return to the starting rotation, saying he wasn’t yet ready to pitch that many innings.

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Dwight Gooden has had his share of problems. That doesn’t mean he had any sympathy for fired New York Met manager Dallas Green.

Gooden, who maintained his silence while Green was still managing the Mets, let loose Monday before the New York Yankees’ game in Seattle.

“I’m surprised he lasted that long,” Gooden told The Record of Hackensack and the Daily News of New York. “I have no respect for him, as a manager or as a person.

“I saw how he handled players in the past. When he first came in, things were OK. When you did well, he was your best friend. When you struggled, he was against you. It was never his fault. Nothing was ever his fault.”

Green managed Gooden from 1993 until June 28, 1994, when the right-hander was suspended by baseball for failing drug tests.

Green refused to offer sympathy, instead calling drug addiction a selfish act that only lets teammates down.

“Doc has fallen by the wayside by his own choice--put that into perspective,” Green said at the time. “The organization is hurt. Baseball is hurt, because he’s a big name.”

Gooden had contained his anger since then, promising to make his feelings public once Green got fired.

“I was aware of what he said, but the thing that surprised me more than anything was with his health problems, a lot of that was from alcohol,” Gooden said. “He needs to check himself before he criticizes people.”

When Gooden left the Mets, he promised that as long as Green managed at Shea Stadium, there was no chance of a reconciliation. But now that Green is gone, Gooden is leaving the door open for a return.

“I wouldn’t have any problem going back over there now if things don’t work out here with the Yankees. But I wouldn’t be around him [Green]. Never.”

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The Baltimore Orioles dipped into the past in order to address the immediate future, signing free-agent catcher Mark Parent as a backup to starter Chris Hoiles.

Parent became a free agent after being waived by the Detroit Tigers last week. He was in the starting lineup Tuesday night for Baltimore’s game against Oakland.

Parent, 34, was in the Orioles organization in 1992 and 1993. He spent most of his time with Baltimore’s triple-A team in Rochester, playing in 17 games with the Orioles in 1992 and 22 in 1993.

To make room for Parent on the roster, the Orioles optioned rookie catcher Cesar Devarez to Rochester.

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Pittsburgh Pirate president Mark Sauer, eased out of running day-to-day operations following an ownership change in February, resigned. He is not expected to be replaced. . . . Hank Greenwald, the San Francisco Giants’ play-by-play announcer most of the past 16 years, announced that he will retire at the end of this season.