http://diarydiehard.com/ Just a guy from Section 112 Row 8 Seat 7 en Copyright 2008 Thu, 15 May 2008 10:07:06 -0700 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Today marks the end of another Rock-tober. With a win last night the Diamondbacks ensured that another series win against a National League Western Division opponent. Micah Owings looked good on the mound although he didn't necessarily start out that way. I have to admit I was pretty nervous when he threw 23 pitches in the first inning followed by 20 pitches in the second and 20 more in the third. Sitting at 63 pitches after 3 innings there was little reason to believe Micah would be in the game long enough to figure into the decision. I am not sure how much of that was attributed to Micah being wild and how much could be results of an inconsistent strike zone by home plate umpire Adrian Johnson. I'm sure the pitchers and catchers were frustrated and I know the fans were. The strike zone worked to the Diamondbacks favor when a third called strike was instead called a ball on Orlando Hudson who laced the next pitch into the gap for a double scoring two runs. Micah adjusted and the pitch count fell dramatically from the fourth through the sixth inning. Even so, at the end of the sixth he had tossed 100 pitches and definitely looked spent. I figured he would not have faced another batter if he had not gotten Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta to fly out to Eric Byrnes to end the inning. As it was, things worked out and Micah left the game holding a 4-0 lead. The Diamondbacks bullpen bent but didn't break allowing 3 runs in 3 innings work. Brandon Lyon came in for the ninth and retired the first two hitters then promptly allowed the tying run to reach third base before getting Brad Hawpe to fly out to Mark Reynolds to end the game and preserve the win. Through the first two games of this series the Diamondbacks have once again taken it to the Rockies and now lead the series this year 7-1. It now all hinges on today's game. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/what-a-webb-we-weave.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/what-a-webb-we-weave.html 2008 Regular Season Thu, 15 May 2008 10:07:06 -0700 You would have thought that yesterday would have been nearly perfect. Not only did the Diamondbacks win 8-4 ensuring that Diamondbacks fans in attendance would not starve at least for one day thanks to a Taco Bell chalupa but the game also ended a 3-game losing streak and gave Randy Johnson career victory 287 tying him with Bert Blyleven for 26th place all time. But something just was not right. My stomach was definitely not feeling well rolling over like the Rockies offense. I of course chalked this up to the fact that I tried something different at the concession stands rather than my normal Chase Field dining routine. I didn't think it was the food though, this was something much deeper. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/sick-and-tired.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/sick-and-tired.html 2008 Regular Season Wed, 14 May 2008 17:47:15 -0700 Before the season started I looked over the schedule and this was the stretch I was most worried about. Over the course of two weeks the Diamondbacks would face the New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, and the Detroit Tigers. That is 17 games against teams who had been predicted to be strong play-off contenders when the season started. That is also a stretch of 17 games with only 1 off day early in the season. Who could have guessed that the Tigers and Mets would have struggled starting the year (you wouldn't have guessed the Mets were struggling the way they played at Chase Field this month)? And who could have imagined how badly the Colorado Rockies would look after 5 weeks of the season? So after a brief three-game road trip to Chicago where the Diamondbacks were swept, what would be better than hosting the Colorado Rockies for three at Chase Field? http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/rocktober-is-over.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/rocktober-is-over.html 2008 Regular Season Tue, 13 May 2008 22:35:42 -0700 Now Hitting and I could even use this time to rearrange the entries on Diary of a Diehard but it's just not the same as going to a game. I guess the pain of a long off-season is just too difficult to be reminded of this early in the season. Today though was slightly different. I didn't mind so much that the Diamondbacks had the day off.]]> http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/taking-a-day-off.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/taking-a-day-off.html 2008 Regular Season Mon, 12 May 2008 17:15:38 -0700 It's Mother's Day! This realization struck me dead in the face along with the backside of Trina's hand when I didn't have an appropriate gift wrapped and sitting on the table when she got up. First off, I don't know how many times I have to keep telling her; she is not my mother. Second, I didn't forget it was Mother's Day. I merely chose not to expose her to the unnecessary commercialization of such a revered holiday. I don't know how many times we have had a similar discussion about Christmas and how the true meaning is lost. I figured she would appreciate me taking her side when it came to Mother's Day. Um, yeah I guess I figured wrong. I therefore had very little time to react if I was going to somehow escape unscathed from this dilemma. Luckily for me Dakota was sick today so someone needed to stay home with him. By luckily I don't mean "great news my kid is sick!" It's more like "great news, a kid throwing up in the bathroom just bought me an hour to figure out what I am going to do about a Mother's Day gift!" I had 60 minutes to come up with something and from the looks of Trina's reaction it better be good. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/a-mother-of-an-idea.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/a-mother-of-an-idea.html 2008 Regular Season Sun, 11 May 2008 16:57:56 -0700 When the Arizona Diamondbacks are on the road I feel kind of like a kid who lost his best friend. I wander around a lot and don't exactly know what to do with myself. It seems so foreign to watch a game on television. I never know exactly how to act. I try sitting in my Chase Field seats with my seat cushion thinking maybe it will make me feel like I am at the game but it never seems to work out. Maybe it's because Trina keeps yelling at me every time I throw peanut shells on her floor. I keep telling her that she doesn't have to worry because there are people who come in after every game and hose things down before the gates open for the next game. She insists that a) people do not come in and clean our house and b) there are no gates to open. Oh and please quit asking to see people's tickets every time someone rings our door bell. The neighbors are starting to question what is wrong with me. So I am forced to sit on the couch and watch a game without peanuts or a stadium. How do people do that? http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/another-letter-from-home.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/another-letter-from-home.html 2008 Regular Season Sat, 10 May 2008 20:29:38 -0700 Welcome to the latest edition of my State of the Home Stand where I look back over the just concluded home series to provide my feedback of how things went. I try to include items on the field as well as around the stadium. If possible I try to identify anything new that may be around Chase Field and give fans some tips of things to look for during their next visit to the stadium. So without further adieu let's look back at the home stand that began April 28 and lasted through May 8. This home stand is the longest stretch of home games the Diamondbacks have all season so fans had a lot of baseball in town. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/the-state-of-the-home-stand-ad-2.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/the-state-of-the-home-stand-ad-2.html 2008 Regular Season Fri, 09 May 2008 19:45:33 -0700 I kept looking at the calendar today to see if I had somehow done a Rip Van Winkle and overslept a day. I have no other explanation for the sheer number of afternoon games that the Diamondbacks are playing this season. For the second time in the home stand the Arizona Diamondbacks game starts in the early afternoon. This time is a real getaway day not like against the Astros when the next day was an off day for both Arizona and Houston. No, after the game today the Diamondbacks will travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs tomorrow afternoon; how appropriate. But before we get ahead of ourselves looking forward to the Cubs series, there is still the little matter of the final game against the Philadelphia Phillies. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/farewell-phillies.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/farewell-phillies.html 2008 Regular Season Thu, 08 May 2008 21:44:21 -0700 I have been an Arizona Diamondbacks Season Ticket Holder for the majority of the Diamondbacks existence. I was there the no-hitter by Jose Jimenez in 1999 and I saw the bloop hit by Luis Gonzalez to win the 2001 World Series. I endured the 2004 season; all 111 losses. And I was there last season as the Diamondbacks won their fourth National League Western Division title returning to the post season. Over the course of 81 home games each season I have pretty much witnessed just about everything that a fan could possibly see at a baseball game. So you would think that there wouldn't be much that would surprise me. But there you would be wrong; I find myself experiencing something completely new and different at every game. Most of the time the game experience is relatively normal but the last couple of games have even left me scratching my head wondering what is going on with Major League Baseball fans. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/when-the-fit-hits-the-fan.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/when-the-fit-hits-the-fan.html 2008 Regular Season Wed, 07 May 2008 18:02:25 -0700 After a rough outing against the Houston Astros, everyone was wondering how Randy Johnson would respond. Was the 6 runs in two innings an aberration or is this what they could expect from a 44 year old pitcher coming off yet another back surgery. Around the ballpark I heard countless comments of how the Big Unit was not the pitcher he once was and that he should just hang it up. I think they are underestimating how much Johnson has left in the tank or what he can contribute to the team. Personally I would much rather have a Randy Johnson at this point in his career over say an Edgar Gonzalez at this point in his career. Oh sure we may never see another 99 mile per hour fastball leave Johnson's hand but he is still capable of getting big league hitters out and making them look badly in the process. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/countdown-goes-to-fourteen.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/countdown-goes-to-fourteen.html 2008 Regular Season Tue, 06 May 2008 22:20:44 -0700 What a heart breaking loss at yesterday's game. It was such an awesome game and completely lived up to the billing of a pitcher's duel. Dan Haren continues to prove why the Diamondbacks had targeted him as an acquisition last off-season. Likewise on the other side it was clear why it was so important for the Mets to go out and get Johan Santana. Augie Ojeda continued his dominance at the plate filling in admirably for Stephen Drew who was given the day off against the left-handed Santana. When the starters left the game it was a low scoring event with the Mets up 2-1. Although Haren had given up 2 runs he had allowed only 3 hits while striking out 7. That was definitely a quality start and no one could have expected much more. When the Diamondbacks tied the game in the seventh inning it looked for sure like this was going to be an extra inning game. But the wheels seemed to fall off in the ninth inning when a Conor Jackson error allowed the go ahead run to score and ultimately two more would cross the plate making it a 3-run loss. It was pretty hard to deal with losing like that. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/cinco-the-boat.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/cinco-the-boat.html 2008 Regular Season Mon, 05 May 2008 17:15:36 -0700 I don't know about you but it feels as though this election season has been going on forever. Candidate after candidate can be seen stumping for votes. They take time visiting with the people shaking hands, kissing babies, and stating their qualifications that would get them elected. Signs are appearing all over town as people stand behind their favorite candidates hoping to get them elected. There is of course talk of corruption and buying the voters with promises of prosperity. It just seems as though these elections have gotten more bitter as time has gone by. It is no longer enough to campaign and hope people relate to your stance on the issues. No now the candidates make outrageous promises and voters want to know what is in it for them if they throw their support behind a candidate. At least I know my family's votes cannot be bought. Well I did think that until this weekend, now I am not so sure. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/rattle-the-vote.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/rattle-the-vote.html 2008 Regular Season Sun, 04 May 2008 16:41:14 -0700 I think every Diamondbacks fan at Chase Field last night collectively held their breath when Orlando Hudson motioned from second base for the trainer. It brought back memories from last September when he suffered a thumb injury ending his season. As he hobbled back to the dugout I had to wonder how serious his leg injury was and what it might mean. The Diamondbacks had gotten off to such a great start thanks in no small part to the defensive skills of the O-Dog. Not to take anything away from his hitting but Hudson's defense is just amazing to watch. I was just a little curious as to who Bob Melvin would go to as a replacement for Orlando. I was slightly surprised to see Augie Ojeda's name on the line-up board. I kind of expected to see Chris Burke take over consider he had been described as the second baseman of the future during his tenure with the Houston Astros. But I guess it makes sense that you replace one dog with another. The question was, what do you lose when O-Dog is replaced by Augie Doggie? http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/dog-days-of-may.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/dog-days-of-may.html 2008 Regular Season Sat, 03 May 2008 21:39:36 -0700 Each month Arizona Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall holds an on-line chat where for 30 minutes he subjects himself to being peppered by Diamondbacks fans. It is an interesting opportunity where the fans are allowed to speak their mind and ask whatever they want. The questions are submitted then the Diamondbacks determine which questions will be answered. At first that was a little frustrating since many of my questions never get brought up. But after several months of this I have come to appreciate that functionality. Knowing the questions I am asking I respect the Diamondbacks not answering some of them. And if my questions are strange and unusual I cannot even imagine what some of the other fans must be asking. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/that-was-a-close-one.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/that-was-a-close-one.html 2008 Regular Season Fri, 02 May 2008 14:03:16 -0700 I have long been a proponent of attending a Diamondbacks baseball game in person. It is just so different from watching it on television or listening on the radio. Don't get me wrong, I think the Diamondbacks announcers do an outstanding job. I'm especially a fan of Greg Schulte and have listened to many a broadcast both while at the ballpark as well as when the Diamondbacks are out of town. Still, you just can't beat being at the park in person. Oh sure it's not always perfect; there are times when Rally Sally escapes from her cage and moves around the upper deck into my sight line or in a moment of temporary insanity one of the cameramen will show her on the new dbTV high definition screen. This is usually met with screams from the fans followed by parents covering the eyes of their children to protect the youngsters' retinas from being scarred for life Other than that potential health risk, I believe the experience at Chase Field far outweighs the other broadcast options for baseball fans. The best thing about going to a game in person is that you just don't know what to expect. Yesterday was a prime example of this axiom. http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/that-was-amazing.html http://diarydiehard.com/2008/05/that-was-amazing.html 2008 Regular Season Thu, 01 May 2008 16:18:50 -0700