Diary of a Diehard

Given the way the Arizona Diamondbacks have played during the 2009 season I don’t think anyone was looking forward to this current road trip.  After a tough series with the National Western Division leading Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field the Diamondbacks had to travel cross-country for a single game with the surging Atlanta Braves.

The game with the Braves was a make-up game necessary due to the rain out of May 17.  At the time the Diamondbacks were playing well and had momentum going their way. Things have definitely changed and the team is resigned to the fact that they have no chance at the post season and are playing for pride or perhaps for their jobs.

Continue reading ‘Houston We Have a Problem’ »

As the 2006 season wound down the Arizona Diamondbacks had a decision to make.  Do they pick up the option on left fielder Luis Gonzalez or do they part ways with their most popular player in franchise history.

The outcome has been well documented in baseball circles.  Gonzalez met with Diamondbacks owner Jeff Moorad and General Manager Josh Byrnes who expressed their appreciation for “Gonzo” and his accomplishments but explained that the team wanted to go a different direction.

Continue reading ‘Going Gonzo Again’ »

Let me start by saying up front; this is one of the few times when an entry at Diary of a Diehard is not baseball related. When the Arizona Diamondbacks 2009 season schedule was released I could see that there was going to be trouble. During the month of April the Diamondbacks had an unprecedented 18 home games compared to only four road games. What this meant was that at some point during the season the Diamondbacks would not be in town for a while.

August happened to be that month with the Diamondbacks having just nine home games all month. This of course has been a blessing and a curse. On the one hand it has meant I am home a lot this month. Again, this has been a blessing and a curse. My wife has attempted to help me through this difficult time by handing me her “honey do” list. Again, this has been a blessing and a curse. Rather than having to endure yet another day of yard work, house work, or really any kind of work; I decided to instead focus on the computer.
Continue reading ‘Geeks Invade Diary of a Diehard’ »

There are times throughout the season when I have tidbits of information or small subjects that do not warrant an entire blog post be devoted to them. In most cases these ideas get jotted down on a piece of paper that litters my desk until I finally clean them off at the end of the season and throw them away.

With the Diamondbacks in the middle of a four city road trip that begins on the east coast; I have had a lot of time on my hands. In an effort to avoid my wife’s “honey do” list I have focused my attention on my desk and the computer. The result was that I came across my stack of short subjects. I thought that instead of letting them go, I would consolidate some of these into some sort of potpourri of blog subjects.
Continue reading ‘Potpourri of Subjects’ »

It seems like an eternity ago that Major League Baseball held its annual draft but really it has only been a couple of months when the teams met at the MLB TV studios for the first-year player draft. After that hectic two day event the real work began.

The teams had until midnight ET August 17 in order to sign their draft picks. Any selection not signed by then, the team loses negotiating rights to the player. For high school players they are not eligible to be redrafted until after their sophomore year of college. Sophomores are not eligible to be redrafted until after they have graduated.

Continue reading ‘Signed, Sealed, and Delivered’ »

After the last out was recorded yesterday at Chase Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks packed their luggage and left for the airport meaning it is time for another episode of State of the Home Stand Address. They are on their way out of town for a four-city, ten game road trip. The Diamondbacks are now paying the price for the early season glut of home games.

Today was to be an off-day for the team but instead they flew to Atlanta, Georgia for one game against the Atlanta Braves. This game is a make-up from the game that was rained out on May 17.

Continue reading ‘State of the Home Stand Address – August 10 – 14’ »

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. His performance this season has become the poster child of inconsistency. During the first half of the season Petit could best be described as awful.

His pitch selection and location were very erratic and you never knew what to expect during one of his starts. He may come out and dominate through a rotation in the batting order then not be able to get out of an inning.

Continue reading ‘Missed Opportunities’ »

I think my family could probably be considered a typical baseball fan family. Ok let me rephrase that. If I take myself out of the equation, I think my family probably represents a typical family of baseball fans.

Let me explain what I mean. Each season I have a personal goal to attend every Arizona Diamondbacks game. My wife and children on the other hand seem to think that there is something besides baseball (I know I don’t understand that either and have to live in this hostile environment).

Continue reading ‘Oh Yes It’s 80′s Night and I Feel Alright’ »

Everyone has an archenemy. For Superman it was Lex Luthor, for Batman it was the Joker, and for me it is Rally Sally. Oh sure some will say she’s not that bad; it’s not like she is plotting world domination or anything. These of course are the same people who believe global warming and nuclear waste dumps are good for the environment.

Each night as I go to the game I pray that I won’t have to see this diabolical mastermind and her gyrating pompoms. The game is usually going along just fine and then “WHAM!” one of the Chase Field camera guys will flash her picture on dbTV and the dancing begins.

Continue reading ‘Archenemies and the Trade Deadline’ »