August 13, 2009
Today is one of those days that I absolutely dread; an off-day during a home stand. They only happen about five times a year which is a very good thing. I am not against the Diamondbacks having a day off; I think everyone deserves a few days off but when they happen during a home stand it just messes me up.
Yesterday the Diamondbacks concluded a three game series with the New York Mets with a getaway afternoon game. There is nothing better than an afternoon of baseball. After so many years; my mind and my body equate those mid-week afternoon games as the end of a home stand.
Continue reading ‘Messing With My Mind’ »
August 12, 2009
The Arizona Diamondbacks are clearly having a season that has not met expectations. Prior to the season this team was predicted to battle the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West title. Instead they find themselves 17 games back of the Dodgers and scrambling to try and get back to .500.
When a team is this far removed from the post season at this juncture of the season, there can be a tendency for them to just go through the motions without any passion. After a disastrous first half of the season I wondered whether the Diamondbacks would suffer this fate.
Continue reading ‘Are They Still Engaged?’ »
August 11, 2009
One of the unsung heroes of the Arizona Diamondbacks 2009 season has been starting pitcher Doug Davis. Davis came to the Diamondbacks along with pitcher Dana Eveland and outfielder David Krynzel in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on November 25 for catcher Johnny Estrada and pitchers Greg Aquino and Claudio Vargas.
At the time the big free agent available was pitcher Barry Zito. The Diamondbacks front office was ecstatic getting Davis. They believed Davis compared favorable to Zito at a much lower cost. I wrote a blog post, From “Z” to “D” giving my take on that comparison.
Continue reading ‘Double-D on the Double-W?’ »
August 10, 2009
Recently several friends and I embarked on a conversation to try and identify who was the “face of the Arizona Diamondbacks”. For many years this was a question with a simple answer. From 1999 until his departure at the end of the 2006 season the face of the team was nearly unanimous given to outfield Luis Gonzalez.
Gonzo had all the qualities necessary to be named to such a post. On the field he was one of the best players the Diamondbacks had ever seen. He could hit for power, drive in runs, and he collected extra base hits like clothes collect lint.
Continue reading ‘Who Is the Face of the Franchise?’ »
August 9, 2009
After beginning the road trip 6-1 the Diamondbacks were now scrambling to find a way to stop the bleeding and somehow salvage one win in the series. On the mound for the Diamondbacks was the newly dominant Yusmeiro Petit who had a one-hitter in his last outing.
Petit had a career best 14 inning scoreless streak going as he started the game today. The streak did not even make it out of the first inning when Petit gave up two runs in the first and a total of four runs over just 4 innings of work.
Continue reading ‘I Hate Brooms’ »
August 8, 2009
When staff ace Brandon Webb was taken out of the game on Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies everyone thought he was just having a bad game. Then came word of shoulder stiffness and the inevitable waiting period to see if the soreness would go away.
The days stretched into weeks that soon became months. Any team that loses their ace is bound to feel the dramatic effects of not having a number one starter. While it has been bad not having Webb this season, the loss was tempered by the fact that the Diamondbacks had a second ace up their sleeves.
Continue reading ‘Dan Where Have You Gone?’ »
August 7, 2009
When the 2009 season first began, the team and the fans expected to see the kind of baseball that the Diamondbacks have been playing this road trip. After first taking three of four from the New York Mets they then swept the Pittsburgh Pirates giving them a 6-1 record on this road trip.
From Pittsburgh the Diamondbacks travelled to the nation’s capital to begin a three game series against the Washington Nationals. Yes the Washington Nations; owners of the worst record in Major League Baseball. On paper this seemed like the perfect storm.
Continue reading ‘The Five Run Folly’ »
August 6, 2009
Arizona Diamondbacks fans everywhere cringed and screamed when right fielder Justin Upton stopped between first and second base last night and dropped in excruciating pain. In a year that has already seen injuries to Brandon Webb, Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes, Tom Gordon, and countless others we watched as the training staff worked on Upton and finally helped him off the field.
The Diamondbacks had to soon be running out of players at the minor league level that could adequately fill in for the major league team. The team had already brought up Gerardo Parra and Alex Romero to man the outfield and now they would need to dip into their farm system again to find someone who could take the place of Justin Upton.
Continue reading ‘The Amazing Aussie’ »
August 5, 2009
On August 14, 1971 Bob Gibson took the mound at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Gibson had just won his 200th game of his career earlier in the month and like was usually the case; the St. Louis Cardinals were heavily favored to win with their ace on the mound. The Cardinals hurler was indeed dominating striking out 10 Pirates that day including two strikeouts of Willie Stargell the final one ending the game.
As the dust settled, Gibson had pitched a no-hitter beating Pittsburgh 11-0. It was the first no-hitter against the Pirates at home in more than 60 years. It was one of the most masterful pitching performances in the modern era of baseball.
Continue reading ‘One-Hit Wonder’ »
