Just a guy from Section 132 Row 9 Seat 9
Owners of the 30 Major League Baseball teams arrived in Arizona to begin two days of meetings in Paradise Valley at the Sanctuary resort. For the first time, the owners are opening their meetings up to others.
In this case the General Managers for each of the teams have been invited to the owners meetings so that they can get an understanding of the types of decisions facing management for the upcoming season and beyond.
After the end of the regular season, most baseball fans will put away their team allegiance and root for a play-off team. With each subsequent round of the play-offs teams are eliminated and the fans narrow their focus until ultimately they are left rooting for the World Series regardless of who is playing in it.
Once the final out is recorded, fans will again flock to their favorite teams as we enter the off-season. For most of the country the fall and early winter is spent huddled somewhere warm longing for baseball season to begin again.
In perhaps one of the worst kept secrets in all of Major League Baseball, St. Louis Cardinals hitting coach and former first baseman Mark McGwire today issued a statement admitting to using steroids during his career including 1998 when he broke Roger Maris’ single season home run record.
It has long been rumored that McGwire had used steroids. Further suspicion was raised in 2005 when McGwire appeared before Congress and refused to broach the steroid issue when he was questioned.
I have had a love-hate relationship with the Arizona Republic newspaper since the inception of the Arizona Diamondbacks franchise. In the early days they were covered by beat writer Pedro Gomez. And I use the word covered very loosely here. Rarely did I ever agree with anything Gomez “reported”.
When he left to join ESPN and become Barry Bonds personal media darling I fully expected baseball fans in the Phoenix area to have a ticker tape parade to cheer his departure. The current Diamondbacks beat writer for the Republic is Nick Piecoro.
Continue reading ‘Is the Brandon Webb – Arizona Diamondbacks Marriage Over?’ »
During the dark cold winter months everyone looks for signs that spring is just around the corner. Some swear by the Farmer’s Almanac to forecast the beginning of spring. Others rely upon the groundhog not seeing his shadow to signify spring is coming. Still others await the return of birds from their southward migration to tell them when winter is finally over.
As for me, I look to baseball to let me know when winter is finally waning. To a baseball fan, the first sign of spring comes when Major League Baseball announces the schedules for the Cactus League and the Grapefruit League.
Each year after the Hall of Fame inductees are announced I sit and ponder the vote and wonder once again why Dale Murphy does not garner more support than he does. I should probably begin by saying I am not a Dale Murphy groupie nor have I ever met the man in person.
Growing up like many other kids one of the few “national” cable stations that we received was the Turner Broadcast System’s channel from Atlanta. What this meant was that we were able to watch more Atlanta Braves baseball games than any other team in the country.
Like many other baseball fans, I looked forward to today when the National Baseball Hall of Fame would announce the inductees for the 2010 class of the Hall of Fame. While I do not have a vote myself for the Hall of Fame I have my opinions of who should be included.
Each voter is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) and have been writing on baseball for a minimum of ten years. The ballot was sent to each voter with the instructions they may vote for up to ten players listed.
January 6, 2010 will be a day many fans will remember as when a legend of the game said his final good-byes to an illustrious career. In a conference call with reporters left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson announced his retirement from baseball.
At the age of 46, Randy Johnson decided it was time to close one chapter in his life and open another. He leaves the game after 22 big league seasons after playing for the Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and of course the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Continue reading ‘Randy Johnson Completes Illustrious Career’ »
When the Arizona Diamondbacks began in 1998 they opened a new Spring Training facility in Tucson. Tucson Electric Park was built to accommodate both the Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox. Adding these two teams brought the total of teams training in Tucson to three.
Prior to the 2008 season the Chicago White Sox negotiated with Pima County to break their lease to allow them to move to a new state-of-the-art facility in Glendale Arizona with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This well documented decision led to the downfall of baseball in Tucson.
Continue reading ‘Tucson Charities Lose Game But Still Win’ »
