Diary of a Diehard

When the Arizona Diamondbacks announced their promotional schedule, I was very intrigued by the final bobble head game scheduled for September 26 against the San Diego Padres. The description for that stadium giveaway was “Fan Vote Bobble Head”. As the season began more details were given as to what this really meant.

The fans were invited to go to the Arizona Diamondbacks web site and vote for one of five choices that they would like to see rendered as a bobble head. I chronicled our family’s vote as we registered and cast our votes for who we wanted to see as the final bobble head. At least one-fifth of our family was extremely excited when Augie Ojeda was chosen as the winner.

Continue reading ‘Augie, Augie, Augie, Oi, Oi, Oi’ »

Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants was a hallmark game for Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds. Looking at the box score you may not fully understand the significance of the season Reynolds has had. That night he went 1-5 with a double against Giants starter Matt Cain. That double in the bottom of the second inning allowed Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero to score.

As Montero crossed the plate it marked the 100th run batted in for Reynolds, a career high for him. That run coupled with the 43 home runs and 93 runs he has scored are all team and career highs for the young third baseman. Add to that total a team leading 24 stolen bases and Reynolds has clearly become an important part of the Arizona Diamondbacks offense.

Continue reading ‘Reynolds Rap’ »

Night games during the week typically begin with first pitch occurring at 6:40 PM Arizona time. Through the years this starting time has been continually tweaked to find a time that works for the team and the fans. During the early years the games would start at 7:05 PM. This meant that the game would normally end around 10:30 PM and we would get home close to 11.

While that time works for adults, it makes for a late night for families with school age children. The 6:40 PM start time means that we can usually make it home by ten so the kids aren’t up too late and hence are not as tired the next day for school.

Continue reading ‘Staying Relevant’ »

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks has been the inconsistency displayed by the team. There will be games when the players are all on the same page and look like the team that went to the National League Championship Series in 2007. On other nights the players look like they have never seen a baseball let alone played in a major league game. With this inconsistency comes a roller coaster ride of wins and losses.

It is not just the losing that is frustrating; it is how the Diamondbacks lose the games. Take for example the first game against the San Francisco Giants during this series. The Diamondbacks had numerous opportunities to drive in runs and take that game from a scuffling San Francisco club. Instead Arizona committed three errors including a throwing error in the eighth inning that allowed the Giants to score the ultimate winning run.

Continue reading ‘Please Keep Your Hands Inside the Car at All Times’ »

Yesterday’s game was not just about a parade in fact that was just a minor part of what took place at the ballpark. Before the game began the Arizona Diamondbacks held their own ceremony where they dedicated the broadcast wing of the press box at Chase Stadium and renamed it to honor Joe Garagiola Sr.

It is hard to imagine anyone not knowing who Joe Garagiola Sr. is. His career has spanned decades and crossed beyond just the boundaries of baseball to include all facets of life. I grew up in a rural town at Idaho yet I felt as though Joe Sr. was a close personal friend.

Continue reading ‘Say It Is So Joe, Say It Is So’ »

The Arizona Diamondbacks in conjunction with their partner APS have implemented a program referred to as the APS Renewables Kids Club. This free program allows kids with their parent’s permission to fill out a form and be given a membership card. The card can be used to gain points for attending Diamondbacks home games.

This fan loyalty program has been in existence several years although with different sponsors and under different names. The child swipes his or her card at various red kiosks throughout Chase Field along with their game day ticket and are awarded 10 points for each game they attend.

Continue reading ‘I Love a Parade’ »

Last night’s game at Chase Field was Christian night at the ballpark. Many of the local Christian churches around the state were welcomed to the stadium. The welcoming screen on dbTV read like a who’s who of religious groups. It’s always good when the Diamondbacks offer these special nights. The crowds are generally larger and it brings fans into the stadium that my not have otherwise attended the game.

It wasn’t just the welcoming on dbTV that gave this game’s theme away. There was also the church choir who sang the national anthem to a resounding amount of applause that signified that this was indeed a special night.

Continue reading ‘And the Heavens Opened Up’ »

As I reached across my desk and tore off a page from my Arizona Diamondbacks desktop calendar I let out a melancholy sigh. There before me was the date of September 18, 2009. It looked so innocent offering hope of another new day. To me it signified something much more ominous, a day that I had not looked forward to for a very long time.

September 18 meant that the Arizona Diamondbacks had returned from San Diego fresh from a series win against the Padres. It also meant that the team had been rewarded with a well-deserved day off yesterday and would be returning to work today at Chase Field.

Continue reading ‘The Beginning of the End’ »

In a season that has been filled with disappointment and frustration, the Arizona Diamondbacks scored a moral victory with their win against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. That win gave them 64 wins for the season and that means they can’t possibly end up as bad as the 1998 Diamondbacks.

Oh sure that might seem like a hollow victory but this season the fans will take whatever they can get. So when that final out was recorded on Tuesday I tossed the television remote control in the air and began dancing around the family room chanting, “We’re number three! We’re number three!”

Continue reading ‘How Are We Doing Now?’ »