i know this isn't much help, but consider that all the "great" pitchers of our time have struggled out of the blocks. first maddux, then rj and now pedro. check this out pedro was awful, too maybe it's a sign, you know, changing of the guard and all that. oakland's aces (except mulder) look better than ever. kansas city isn't doing bad either. and the cubs. right now, they have the 1-2 punch that we used to brag about. when all's said and done, though, i'm still a dback fan, and still the world's most hardcore randy johnson fan. he's given us a fun run, and i don't think it's over yet. even if his era stays stuck at 6+ and loses 30 games, i'd still pull for him and cheer every strikeout.