Diary of a Diehard

It’s interesting how our expectations change as life goes on. Early in the season if someone would have suggested that the Diamondbacks go 4-2 during a home stand in August I would have been ecstatic. But here we are a day after the final game of the latest home stand and I am actually a little depressed and frustrated that the team lost 2 games. Given the recent level of play by the Diamondbacks we’ve started to expect that the team will win not just each series but that they will sweep their opponent. The Diamondbacks should have won the game yesterday and had an opportunity to do that on several occasions but were unsuccessful in doing so. Even with two losses the Diamondbacks should be feeling pretty good as they leave town with a 3 game lead over the San Diego Padres in their quest for a National League West division championship. Let’s not get a head of ourselves though. Let’s focus on the last six games as it is time for my regular segment, the State of the Home Stand where I talk about how I thought a home stand went.

Continue reading ‘State of the Home Stand – August 7-12’ »

As part of their “back to school” promotions; the Arizona Diamondbacks were offering a kid’s backpack as the giveaway at today’s game. The promotion would give a Sedona Red and black backpack to the first 10,000 kids ages 12 and under who entered the stadium. On the surface you would think that this type of giveaway would have very little impact on the fans since it would serve as a constant reminder that school was about to start if it hadn’t already. I know when I was a kid the last thing I wanted to hear was that someone was celebrating the fact that I was about to be imprisoned inside a small school house for the next nine months. This was especially bad in October since most of the play-off games and World Series games were played during the day. In my mind it was just another way for “the man” to hold me down. What kind of cruel punishment is it that baseball was played during school hours before the Tivo was invented? (To be honest it was before the VCR was invented but I didn’t want it to sound like I grew up in Bedrock and rode a dinosaur to school). Kids today have it so easy, but I digress. I was talking about baseball and backpacks. I didn’t anticipate any issue with this particular giveaway. Unfortunately I was sorely mistaken.

Continue reading ‘Backpack, Backpack’ »

For the past several games we have been getting teasers about Saturday’s game. First the time change. Instead of a normal 6:40 PM start time today’s game has been changed to 5:05 PM. It seems the Diamondbacks have gotten a few complaints and comments that 6:40 is not a good time for weekend baseball. By the time the game ends the evening is shot (funny, I thought the game was the evening). Fans with families commented that it does make for a long night for the kids especially with Sunday games scheduled for 1:40 PM. Not much of a turnaround time for many people. As an experiment the Diamondbacks are moving tonight’s game and see if 5:05 PM makes any difference. Personally they could have moved the game 1:00 AM and I would still be there so they are obviously not catering to my schedule. It did make me wonder whether I could make game schedule requests. My parents 50th wedding anniversary is on July 18, 2008 so if the Diamondbacks have any say at all with the scheduling people I would really appreciate it if they could make that an away game preferably on national television. So far my mom has been less than thrilled with my commitment to be at their celebration “as long as there is not a Diamondbacks game that weekend”. She did help raise me so I have to think part of this is her fault.

Continue reading ‘We Got Us a Convoy’ »

Riding a modest two game winning streak the Arizona Diamondbacks open an important weekend series against the powerhouse Washington Nationals. I know; I had as much trouble writing “powerhouse Washington Nationals” as you did reading it. This is the same Washington Nationals who many sports writers thought would be battling the 1962 New York Mets for worst team ever. But times they are a changing. The two hottest teams in the National League since the All-Star break are the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Washington Nationals. Diamondbacks fans are well aware of the local team’s success of late; with a record of 19-8 in the second half and winners of 16 of their last 19 games. In the euphoria of being in first place in the National League West we sometimes forget that there are other teams who are also having some success. The Nationals have a record of 17-11 in the second half and come to Chase Field having won 11 of their past 16 games. This Washington series should prove to be much tougher than it would first appear on paper. The optimum word there is “should”.

Continue reading ‘Nationals Pastime’ »

Last night I took my daughter Mallorie to the second game of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mallorie has been away at college so this is only her second game this season (the first being Carlos Quentin bobble head day). I’d like to say that Mallorie went to the game because she is a huge baseball fan but that wouldn’t necessarily be accurate. She likes baseball; she just thinks it is best taken in moderation. Given that attitude I had to wonder why she had a sudden interest in going not only to this game but several during this home stand and the next. I happened to mention to Trina my curiosity as to why the change. Trina stated that Mallorie had been talking to the other kids and found out that both Dakota and Whitney had gotten new Diamondbacks jerseys which they believed was a reward for attending at least 20 games each. During the bobble head game Mallorie had spotted the cutest Diamondbacks sweatshirt in the team shop and since it was only half the price of a jersey she felt justified in asking for that if she went to 10 games. I’d argue that but since I had been to every game and I had 4 jerseys I wasn’t sure I had a good excuse as to why her logic was flawed. Instead I decided I should just enjoy the one-on-one time we would spend together over the next 9 games.

Continue reading ‘Oh For the Love of Kim’ »

Yesterday definitely pegged the weirdness scale. I am not sure I can really explain it. It was kind of like going all day long and then finding out when you were getting ready for bed that you had been wearing your shirt inside out all day and nobody said anything. You’re not sure whether people were just being polite or if you were just so strange that the general population decided it was best that they left you alone. That sounds a little paranoid but like they always say, “just because your paranoid doesn’t mean somebody is not out to get you.” Yesterday should have been a joyous occasion. The Diamondbacks were returning from a 5-1 road trip through the National League West having taken series from both of their closest competitors. They were atop the divisional standings and just a couple of games away from having the best record in the National League. They would be showcasing their best minor league prospect Justin Upton in his Chase Field debut. And they were facing the last place team in the anemic National League Central division. What could possibly happen to damper this night? That’s a question I should never ask.

Continue reading ‘A Very Strange Day’ »

You would think that after a while I would learn but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Just one day after posting a blog entry suggesting that fans come to the ballpark to cheer on Eric Byrnes in what looks like his final season in a Diamondbacks uniform the team calls a news conference where they announce that they have re-signed “pigpen” to a three-year contract extension worth a reported $30 million. I should be on the psychic network in Bizarro World. For those of you unfamiliar with Bizarro World, it is an alternative universe that is the exact opposite of Earth. In fact the real name of the planet is Htrae which is Earth spelled backwards. The inhabitants of Bizarro World are mirror opposites of the characters to Superman. Now I ask you, what other baseball web site offers you the diversity that this one does? You come to find details on the re-signing of Eric Byrnes and in the process you get a history lesson of character development within the DC Comics universe. That is what I call diverse.

Continue reading ‘I’ve Been Byrnes-ed’ »

Recently the Arizona Diamondbacks held a relatively unique promotion. Playing off the popularity of outfielder Eric Byrnes the team held an “Eric Byrnes Look-Alike” contest. Fans were asked to dress up as the quirky fan favorite. It was somewhat disconcerting to arrive at the ballpark and see the plaza filled with curious fans looking quite confused at coming face-to-face with hair-care-challenged filthy replicas of Byrnes. And while it was fun seeing the fans attempt to replicate the fun-loving outfielder the promotion struck me as oddly timed. It came shortly after Arizona broke off talks with Byrnes on a long-term contract.

Continue reading ‘Bye, Bye Byrnes’ »

When the Arizona Diamondbacks began this six game road trip there were a lot of questions as to whether they would falter against their divisional rivals. The Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Padres make up the top of the National League West food chain and each are very capable of running away with the divisional crown. While Arizona has played San Diego evenly over the course of this season the snakes have been abysmal against Los Angeles. The Dodgers have flat out owned the Diamondbacks so far in 2007 with Arizona only managing a 2-7 record. This is the kind of albatross that can drag a team down into a state of depression that they never recover from. As I looked at the schedule for August it was this past week that just made me cringe. The 8 game winning streak at the end of July could be a distant memory if the Diamondbacks got swept in San Diego and Los Angeles. Fortunately that hasn’t been the case.

Continue reading ‘La, La, La, La, I Can’t Hear You’ »