Wells Happy at Home

The return of the prodigal left-hander became official Wednesday as David Wells -- pitcher, author, surfer, San Diego loyalist and frequent bad boy -- met the local press for the first time since signing a one-year contract with the Padres.

“I’ve always dreamed of coming here where I started,” said Wells, 40, who accepted the Padre offer -- a $1.25-million base salary with incentives that could make the deal worth $7 million -- after the New York Yankees decided to offer him only a minor-league contract.

Back spasms forced Wells out of Game 5 of the World Series against Florida after one inning, and he underwent arthroscopic surgery six weeks later. Twenty pounds lighter and dedicated to daily exercise, he told reporters he would be ready when the Padres open in their new downtown digs, Petco Park.

“I wanted to come here and show San Diego that I’ve got a lot left in my arm,” said Wells. “There are going to be days when I go out and get my butt whipped, but I’m a rebounder.”

Wells grew up in the Ocean Beach neighborhood and graduated from Point Loma High but has spent his pro career in Toronto, Detroit, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Chicago and New York. In 17 seasons, his record is 200-128 with a 4.06 earned-run average. He was 15-7 with a 4.14 ERA last season. He’s eager to get back to the beaches, the haunts and the easy-going lifestyle of Ocean Beach.

“It’s seen a lot of me for a lot of years, it’s my stomping ground, for me there’s no other,” he said.

Still, Wells said his wife, Nina, prefers Florida so a relocation for the family does not look imminent.

“You’re in God’s country here,” Wells said. “Florida is a great state, but it’s too hot, too many mosquitoes, too many gators ... It’s a place for the newly-wed and nearly dead.”

His history has preceded him: he wrote about his use of alcohol and drugs, the fight at a Manhattan restaurant that cost him two teeth, and his disdain for conditioning in last year’s autobiography, “Perfect I’m Not! Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball.”

Wells’ return to San Diego has provoked considerable speculation about what Padre fans can expect on and off the field. “A son returns/Ocean Beach has changed/Has David Wells?” asked an editorial in a San Diego newspaper.