"Future generations of Livermore children will get to grow up playing baseball on a field named after one of their own.

A newly renovated field at May Nissen Park has been designated Randy Johnson Field, after star San Francisco Giants pitcher and Livermore native Randy Johnson. The athlete, who has been with the Giants since the start of the year, is expected to return home for a dedication ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the field at 685 Rincon Ave.

The 6-foot 10-inch Johnson, nicknamed "The Big Unit," will throw out the first pitch at the event, which will also include hot dogs, a game after the ceremony and an appearance by Giants mascot Lou Seal. The public is invited.

"When we signed Randy earlier this year, it was a natural connection. Wouldn't it be fantastic to do something in Livermore where you grew up? I know he is very excited about coming back," said Paul Giuliacci, associate director for the Giants Community Fund, the team's nonprofit arm. The organization's major flagship program is the Junior Giants, which sponsors baseball programs for underprivileged and underserved children.

Johnson, 45, a 1982 graduate of Livermore High School, recently helped fund the renovation of a 58-year-old field across from Marylin Avenue Elementary School - one of the area's poorest and most diverse schools."