Dbacks Problems Run Deep

In the middle of the 3rd game of the season, i got upset at what i was watching and what i had seen, and questioned the ability of this Diamondback team to make a run at a division title. Just 4 games later, after the 7th game of the season, i am no longer questioning this team. I'm declaring them dead. 

This team has WAY too many problems that need fixing for anyone to consider them anything more than a 'project'. The fact that we didn't see this going into the season is an indication not on the team's ability to cover those flaws up, but on our insistence to quickly gloss over the issues and assume they would get better. I got news for anyone out there reading this: Their issues have not gotten better. In fact, they may have gotten worse. 

It doesn't matter how well the starting pitchers pitch (Davis goes 8 innings with 2 earned runs and Haren went 6 innings with 1 earned run in the last two outings), if the Dbacks can't score they aren't going to win. In the Dbacks only two wins, they threw up 9 runs in each. In their other 5 games they've put up a combined 6 runs. Scoring one run a game will not get it done, no matter how good your starting pitchers are. Ok, so how is this different from last year? How is is possibly worse? 

Last year the problem was an issue of timely hitting. The Dbacks got hits, got men on base, but couldn't move the runners and couldn't get the hits when men were in scoring position. This year? They can't even get men on base! The Dbacks have one hit from their right field position the entire season. One hit. From the Eric Byrnes/Justin Upton combination. Which is only slightly worse than the three combined hits they have from the catcher spot. Conor Jackson, the team's best hitter last season, is batting .214. 

And what about the small ball? Through three games the Dbacks hadn't even attempted a stolen base. Through 7 games they have two stolen bases and one caught stealing. With the speed of Chris Young, Justin Upton, Felipe Lopez, Eric Byrnes, and Mark Reynolds (who's faster than you think), they should be running a lot. Instead, they actually might be running less than last year, attempting just three stolen bases in 7 games. 

And let's not forget the other glaring problem with last year's team, the bullpen. To date this season, the ERA's of our bullpen are 15.75 (Buckner), 9.82 (Rauch), 2.25 (Pena), 8.10 (Gutierrez), 3.86 (Schoeneweis, 5.40 (Sltaen), and 0.00 (Qualls).  To be fair, Qualls has the least amount of work (2.0 IP) than anyone on the staff other than the left handed specialist Doug Slaten (1.2 IP). Not exactly a stellar round-up of ERA's. Does anyone on this staff not scare you when they come into the game? Qualls maybe, MAYBE, but it's hard to say with only two innings of work. He wasn't exactly a rock last year. 

Again, it's only 7 games into the season, but something would have to dramatically change in three different parts of the game (hitting, small ball, bullpen) for the Dbacks to accomplish anything this season. That is too much to overcome in the span of one season, when nothing improved in the off-season. As a result, let it be known that i'm the first to call this season over. The Dbacks are heading for a 90-loss, last place finish in the West season. I take no joy in this, and wish it would be different. I had a lot of optimism going into the season. But the Dbacks have managed to break that optimism in a span of just 7 games. No easy feat...

Is Game 3 Too Early To Declare The Dbacks Season Over?

It's a rhetorical question, and asked mostly in jest, but listening to the the third game of the opening series against the Rockies, it's becoming apparent the Dbacks have not solved any of their problems from last year. Just three games into the new season and the Dbacks are showing signs of the same bad habits that plagued them the second half of last season: They can't hit consistently, their defense isn't great, they can't play small ball, and their bullpen is getting killed.

In game 1, the Dbacks scored nine runs, but 6 of them were from the home run. They also managed three doubles, accounting for one more run. In game 2 the Dbacks managed to not put up a single run, and only had one extra base hit courtesy of Stephen Drew. Through 5 innings so far today, the Dbacks have just one run, again courtesy of a home run. In the last three innings alone the Dbacks have gotten their leadoff man aboard, only to leave him stranded at 1st base. In nine at bats they haven't been able to advance a runner a single base!

That's not even mentioning the pitching yet. Today Davis just left after 5 after giving up 4 runs. Webb was erratic (that's being kind) in game 1, and it came out today he has some shoulder stiffness and will miss his next start. If Webb misses any serious amount of time, you can forget this team even having a chance. In Game 2 Haren was fantastic, allowing just one run over 7 innings. Of course, he was relieved by Jon Rauch, who promptly gave up two earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. Now would be a good time to mention that a) Rauch was AWFUL after he gave over to the Dbacks last season, and b) he had the highest ERA (16 something) of any pitcher in Spring Training in 2009 (cannot verify this, but this stat courtesy of Schulte on the Dbacks radio broadcast).

Rauch didn't play in game 1, but that didn't stop Doug Slaten and Scott Schoenweis from each giving up an earned run in just 2/3 of an inning. Admittedly, Tony Pena and Chad Qualls both looked pretty good getting the last 7 outs of game 1. If there is any silver lining or hope to the bullpen, it's that these two provide a solid 8th and 9th inning for the Dbacks over the course of the season. 

Oh, and did i say something about small ball? The Dbacks have yet to even attempt a stolen base. For a team who told us all offseason they were going to get back to playing small ball and running the bases, that's a scary start to the season. 

Despite the title of the article, i am by no means giving up on the Dbacks already this season. But it is scary, and disturbing, that through two and a half games they have yet to show any progress at correcting the problems that plagued them last year. Not a good start to a season with high expectations...

The Diamondbacks Starting Pitching Situation

Last week i previewed the 2009 Dbacks in two segments, one for the outfield, and the infield. Today i'll get to my last preview for the season, the starting pitching.

Unlike anything behind the mound, the Dbacks starting pitching for 2009 seems pretty well set. They made one major acquisition (Jon Garland), and had one major loss (Randy Johnson). They have one guy who will be stepping up into a starter's role (Max Scherzer), and three guys who were all here last year (Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, and Doug Davis). Without further adu, let's get into it.

#1
Just as it's been the last 5 years, Brandon Webb is the anchor of the Dbacks pitching staff. A ground ball machine, Webb is about as reliable a #1 starter as you could ask for. With a 22-7 record last year and his penchant for going deep into ballgames, Webb is the perfect pitcher to head a rotation.

#2
At 16-8 with a 3.33 ERA, Dan Haren has good enough stuff to be a #1 on a lot of staff's in MLB. The fact that the Dbacks only need him to be a #2 is fantastic. The Dbacks acquired Haren before the 2008 season, with the clear intention being that they were building on pitching on defense. Unfortunately for the Dbacks (and Haren), the defense wasn't always there. The pitching was, and Haren was a big part of that in 2008. He will be counted on again this season if the Dbacks look to win the NL West.

#3
There seems to be a bit of a debate on which pitcher to put in this slot and which pitcher to put in the #4 hole, but for now it seems like Doug Davis will be here. Davis is a lefty who won't overpower anyone with his stuff, but is a crafty pitcher. When his curve is working it's absolutely filthy. Most games he can be counted to get through 6 innings; anything more than that is a bonus. Davis went 6-8 last year with a 4.32 ERA, though to be fair he missed a good chunk of the season after undergoing surgery to remove some cancerous cells. Davis has a tendency to start the season a little slow but finish very strong. Something like a 12-8 record from him would be great.

#4
Diamondbacks newcomer Jon Garland will fit nicely into this spot for the club. A record of 14-8, which Garland posted last season with the Angels, would be a pretty good record from your #4 spot. Garland has been an 18-game winner twice, and has posted double digit win totals in each of the last 7 seasons. If he can continue to do that, the Dbacks are in good shape.

#5
Which brings us to the back-end of the rotation, the one 'weak' link if you will. How weak it actually is depends on how well you think a rookie will do. Ok, so maybe Scherzer isn't a rookie, as he got playing time last year, but this is the first time he goes into a season as a starter. He was just 0-4 last year, but posted a fantastic 3.05 ERA. It's hard to predict how he will react to being 'the man', but seeing as he's only the #5, and the Dbacks have four really solid pitchers in front of him, there shouldn't be a ton of pressure on him. All you really look from a #5 is something close to a .500 record.

So there you have it. I will not delve into the bullpen situation, mostly because it was such an abject disaster last year and i have no idea how it will play out this year. But with a very strong starting rotation, a little bit of defense, and a little more maturity from our young players, the Dbacks could be on the cusp of a great year. Let's hope it plays out that way...

The Diamondbacks Infield Situation

Part 1 of my Diamondbacks 2009 Season Preview is here, in which i took a look at their outfield. This is Part 2, where i will look at their infield.

Much like their outfield going into 2009, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Dback infield this spring. With as many as 7 different people figuring into the equation, it makes for a very confusing situation. Let's start with what we know for sure...

Short Stop:
Stephen Drew cemented himself as the Dbacks SS for the foreseeable future with a very solid 2008 season, including the second half of the season where he was nearly unstoppable. He posted career highs in nearly every statistical category, and was one of only two people in the lineup with any sort of consistency. Combine that with his solid play and good range at SS, and you've got yourself an every day player.

Second Base:
Acquired from St. Louis in the offseason, Lopez figures to be a a fairly constant fixture at 2B this season. He finished with a .283 batting average last season, including .385 in the last 43 games of the season. He's not a power hitter, with only 6 HR's and 46 RBI's, but he had a decent amount of doubles (28). He is also a switch hitter, and this lineup desperately needs left handed hitters. Unfortunately he doesn't appear to be a great defensive player, having lead the majors in errors by a shortstop in 2006, and in 2007 had the lowest fielding percentage of all NL shortstops. Yes, that was as a shortstop, and yes he is playing second base for the Dbacks this season. That versatility (or for the cynics questionable position) is a theme for the Dbacks infield in 2009.

Getting the majority of backup second base time will once again be super-sub Augie Ojeda. Ojeda is considered a utility infielder, and can play 2B, SS, or 3B, though most of his time is spent between 2B and SS. He has spent the ends of the last two seasons replacing an injured Orlando Hudson at 2B, and played and batted well in those stints. He will figure prominently in giving guys days off, and if there are any injuries in the infield.

First Base:
Your starter most likely is going to be Chad Tracy. Tracy is something of an question; A could-be batting title winner who struggles to find a true position on defense and can sometimes struggle from the plate. It's hard to take too much stock from the last two seasons as he has been injured, including microfracture surgery in his knee. His last full season, 2006, he batted .281 with 20 HR's and 80 RBI's. I should also mention he is a left handed hitter, which as noted above this team desperately needs. I think Tracy can be a very productive member of the team if he stays healthy and shows an ability to play a decent 1B.

Your backup is Big Tony Clark once again going into 2009. After trading him away between the 2007 and 2008 season, the Dbacks re-acquired Clark from the Padres towards the end of last year. He is used primarily as a pinch hitter and late inning defensive replacement, as he is good with the glove. Unfortunately, he struggled mightily from the plate after returning to the Dbacks. Going through Spring Training and spending the full season with the Dbacks should allow Clark to return to a solid hitter. Like Lopez, he is a switch hitter.

Conor Jackson needs to be mentioned in the debate about 1B as well. If for some reason his stint in LF does not work out, or if Byrnes warrants a return to the line-up in that position, it pushes Jackson back to 1B, where he spent most of his first few years. Jackson though, prefers LF and plays a better field there in my opinion. If he is kicked back to 1B, Tracy possibly gets moved to our next position...

Third Base:
Your starter, at least to begin the year, is Mark Reynolds. The man everybody loves to hate and hates to love. If Tracy is a question, Reynolds is a downright enigma. He managed to set a MLB record for most strikeouts in a season last year, yet also finished first or second on the Dbacks in HR's, RBI's, walks, and runs scored. And after a stellar second half of the season in 2007 at 3B after being called up from AA, he spent most of 2008 struggling in the field, leading MLB in errors by a SS by a lot.

His ability to hit 450ft HR's is hampered only by his inability to hit anything resembling a breaking ball. By the 2nd half of the season the scouting report on Reynolds was simple: Don't throw him anything fast or straight. He couldn't hit anything else, nor could he lay off anything else. I'm listening to Matt Williams on the radio as i type this, and he had a long conversation about the time he's been spending with Reynolds, both at the plate and in the field. Let's hope the work pays off, as Reynolds could be the power guy the Dbacks are lacking.

So there you have it. While the outfield has 4 players splitting time for three positions, the infield has 7 splitting time for 4 positions. If things go well you've got a solid lineup and a decent field. If things go bad you've got neither. These 7 players may very well decide the fate of the Dbacks in 2009.

Next up this week is a look at the Dbacks starting pitchers, a group that figures to be much more stable than either the infield or the outfield. Stay tuned, and thanks for the support.

The Diamondbacks Outfield Situation. Also, My Return.

...And we're back. With the return of the Dbacks set to begin tomorrow in their first Spring Training game, this blog returns to regular posting. More than anything the timing is coincidental at best. To be honest i was a bit burnt out from a variety of reasons, and as such my writing suffered. And i hate when what i write is total crap. So i stepped away for a while.

But recent events got me thinking it was time to return. First off was the transformation of the old AZ Sports Hub site into Fanster.com. The guys over there, including Greg, Matt, and Vince, have been awesome to me and have supported me throughout the adventure that has been this blog. Their new site is fantastic, and is definitely worth spending some time whether you live here in the Valley or elsewhere.

Second, i've increased my web presence even more by starting my own personal blog (which you can find to the right) and signing up on Twitter. Find me on twitter here, it's a combination of both this blog and my personal life.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

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The Diamondbacks head into 2009 as a team with a lot of questions, in a lot of different positions. After a disappointing end to a 2008 season that started with such promise, the team is looking to bounce back with a solid, and hopefully more consistent, 2009 season. Over the course of the next week, i'll be taking a look at some of the positions the Diamondbacks face uncertainties at. The first i'll look at is the outfield situation.

Center Field:
I'll start with the only sure-fire, guaranteed position in the outfield. Chris Young isn't going anywhere, and we should all be very happy about this. At 25 years old, CY is already one of the best defensive CF's in all of baseball. His range and speed are his biggest assets, allowing him to cover up deficiencies from both the LF and RF in that area. He also has the ability to become a decent power hitter, and is capable of becoming a doubles machine.

That said, he's coming off of a bit of a disappointing 2008. Despite playing in more games and getting more at-bats, his numbers were down from 2007 in many offensive categories, including stolen bases, home runs, doubles, slugging, and OPS. Not to mention the fact that he struck out 165 times last year.

If CY can continue to develop while refining other aspects of his game, he could be set for a monster year. He could become a 40-steal, 40-double guy, with the ability to knock in 30 HR's and 100 RBI's. Ambitious yes, but not out of the question. The biggest thing he needs to do is cut down his strike-outs and get back to running. Do that and everything else will fall in line.

Right Field:
No, i'm not gonna say he's a lock in the outfield. Not yet. Not after he spent time last year injured and in the minors. Yes, the kid is immensely, immensely talented, and has all the tools to become a superstar in this league. All he's gotta do is put it all together.

Just 21 years old, Justin Upton could very well be the real deal. We've seen flashes, him gunning down a runner at home plate, him absolutely destroying baseballs into the upper deck, him flying around the bases with unparalleled speed. We've also seen the inexperience, him dropping fly balls, him missing the cut-off man, him getting picked off on the base paths.

This should be shaping up to be his break-out year. He got a pretty decent run at it last year, getting the experience and know-how of what it takes to be a full-time MLB player. Now it's time for him to put it all together and show what he is capable of. He has no real competition at right field, but Bob Melvin also won't let Upton hang himself out there if he's not getting it done.

Count me among the ones who is hoping he will get it done and have a breakout season.

Left Field:
The situation in left field has been mishandled for going on three years now. Luis Gonzalez, while getting old, could have been serviceable out there for another year when the Dbacks decided to dump him. When they did, they turned it over to Eric Byrnes. Byrnes is a nice player who does a great job hustling, but he's no star. That didn't stop the Dbacks from giving him star money, to the tune of $10 Million a year for three years. After receiving the contract, he promptly finished the 2007 season batting under .250, and spent most of 2008 hurt.

Which brings us to Conor Jackson, who replaced Byrnes in LF last year. Jackson actually became a bit of a revelation in LF, seeming much more comfortable there than he had been at First Base. That comfort in the field led to comfort at the plate, and it showed in 2008. Jackson posted career highs in batting average (.300), walks (59), hits (162), runs (87), doubles, triples, and total bases. All of which led to many people calling for Eric Byrnes' head, or at least for him to be shipped out of town.

Neither of which happened. Which creates one of the more interesting position battles in camp. What to do with Eric Byrnes. Can you pay $10 Million a year for a fourth outfielder? Do you let Byrnes and Jackson fight out it in an open competition for LF? Where do you stick Jackson if Byrnes were to beat him out? You can't leave Jackson out of the lineup, he's arguably the team's best hitter.

All indications are that Jackson is set in LF, and Byrnes will be the fourth outfielder. If Byrnes comes back healthy though, and is able to hit and run, can you keep him out of the lineup? What if Upton is struggling both in the field and at the plate?

Interesting questions, to be sure. Though if you think that's a messy situation, you obviously don't know about the infield situation, which involves as many as seven different people, including LF Conor Jackson. I'll be looking at that in the coming days.

As always, thanks for your support.

Cubs Swept

And that, my friends, is why the Cubs are the Cubs. 

Best record in the NL and swept right out of the playoffs... At least put up a fight Cubs. That. Was. Pathetic.

Make it 101 years...

BoSox

You must be kidding me. 

Granted that was a Home Run, but the play before that at 2nd base the runner WAS OUT. It wasn't even close. He was out by a mile. Good job by the refs to FUCK IT UP.

I fucking hate the Bosox. Especially when they keep getting the benefit of the doubt from the umps over, and over, and over, and over, and over, AND OVER, AND OVER A-FUCKING-GAIN. FUCK! 

They're the 'luckiest' team in fucking baseball, and it's a fucking disgrace. FUCK.

My Brief Brush With Cubs Fandom

As anyone who knows me or reads this blog regularly knows, i grew up in iowa. Northwest iowa to be specific. Growing up there, you had three choices of baseball teams to root for: The Royals, the Twins, or the Cubs. 

Back when i was young and growing up, the Royals were actually good and had George Brett, who was a great player. In fact, my first professional baseball game was at Kaufman Stadium to see the Royals. 

The Twins were also good back then, winning the World Series in 1987 and 1991, when i was 6 and 10 respectively. In fact, my first memory of any World Series was listening to Jack Morris pitch Game 7 of the '91 series for a 1-0 win over the Braves. 

Then there were the Cubs. As usual for most of the last 50 years, the Cubs were terrible. Though they had some great players, with Mark Grace, Shawn Dunston, and Ryne Sandberg. To be honest, i don't really have any memories about the Cubs as a kid except for a poster of Sandberg my friend had in his room. 

When you're young, allegiances to teams are formed mostly arbitrarily, born out of things like 'this is my favorite player!' and 'this is the first team i saw live!'. It can also be passed down from family, from a mother or a father or an older brother. 

So which team was i a fan of growing up? None of them. In fact, to be honest, i didn't really like baseball all that much growing up. I thought the game was boring. I never played Little League. Hell, i never played tee-ball. I played hot-box occasionally with my friends, but that was the extent of my baseball interest as a kid. I was more interested in watching and playing soccer and football and basketball. 

Fast forward 15 years, to when i'm in college. By this point my interest in baseball had increased only to the point that i would watch the World Series every year. I remember Game 7 of the Indians-Marlins in '97, The Blue Jays repeating in '93, The great Braves winning their one Series in '95, and of course watching the Yankees dynasty in the late '90s. 

It came to a head in 2001. I was amazed by what the Yankees had been able to do the previous 6 years, and with them in the World Series again shortly after 9/11, i was captivated. Of course, i also happened to be in Phoenix for my brother's wedding at the same time, who was a huge Diamondbacks fan. We watched Game 1 during his rehearsal, Game 2 during his wedding reception. That Series turned out to be one of the best Series ever played, and to be honest transformed me into a baseball fan for the first time. 

Then came the 2003 season. In July of that year, halfway through the baseball season, i moved into a house with 10 other people (Yes, you read that correctly). A majority of those people were from the greater Chicagoland area; As such they were all huge Cubs fan. Cubs games became appointment viewing, playing every night on every tv in the house. Because i watched them every day, and because everyone around were big fans, and because they were actually good that season, i got swept up in Cubs fever. 

I became a fan of the Cubs. I even went to a couple games that summer in Wrigley. I can't say i completely immersed myself in them like some of my housemates, but i definitely cheered for them and followed them closely. When the playoffs rolled around and the Cubs were rolling, it was an exciting time. 

We all know what happened from there. In ways that can only happen to the Cubs, they collapsed and did not make the World Series. The rest of the house was heartbroken but not surprised. They seemed to sense something like that might happen. I was more dumbfounded than anything. How could that happen?

The following year i moved to Kansas City as baseball season was getting in swing. Royals games were cheap, therefore i went to quite a few that first summer. I started following the Royals. not because they were good (they were terrible), but because they were the local team. As i said, i was a baseball fan but never a fan of any certain team. I followed whatever team i had the most access to. 

Two years after that i moved to Phoenix. I moved in with my brother, who was still a huge Diamondbacks fan. As a result i became a Diamondbacks fan. Only this time was different. I became a fan not of the local team, as i had with the Cubs and Royals, but i became a fan of the Diamondbacks. I started following the team, looking at statistics, paying attention to the farm system. Things i had never done with any other team. The Diamondbacks became my team. And they were terrible that year. 

Since then they've remained my team, and to be honest will always be my team wherever i go from here. I've had season tickets each of the last two years, and was at each of their playoff Series' last year. 

All that said, the Cubs still have a special little piece of my heart due to that 2003 season. I keep my eye on them, to see how they are doing, and to be able to talk to all my friends from back home who are big Cubs fans. I will always root for the Dbacks first, but i pull for the Cubs. 

This long rant was to focus on one thing, as i sit here and watch Game 2 of the NLDS between the Cubs and Dodgers: The Cubs fans suffer. A lot. That is one tortured fanbase. Game 1 starter Ryan Dempster gives up more walks in 4 1/3 innings than he has in any start this season. In the 2nd inning of Game 2 the Cubs commit 2 errors and the Dodgers score 5 runs. This is a cursed franchise indeed. 

I feel bad for the Cubs and their fans. It's been 100 years since their last World Series win, and it's looking like it's going to be at least one more. The Cubs and their fans deserve more than this. No other fanbase is as loyal to their team as the Cub fans, and no other franchise has waited as long as they have for a World Championship. Things happen to this franchise that happen to no other franchise in baseball, from curses to bad luck to collapses. 

As this game goes on, i keep getting texts from my die-hard Cubs fans friends, and they all have varying ways to same the same thing: Of course this is happening. This is the Cubs. Why would i think anything else would happen?

I used to laugh at the futility of the Red Sox until they broke through; I can't do the same to the Cubs. It's too painful. The Lovable Losers are becoming less parts lovable and more parts loser by the year. And it is a sad sight to behold indeed...

The 2009 Diamondbacks Season

A few days back i wrote a (lengthy) piece on the 2008 Diamondbacks season, with a promise to write a follow-up post about where the Dbacks go from there. This is that post.

That 2008 column ended with a line about the Dbacks facing a mountain of questions going into the 2008 off-season and into 2009. While an admittedly cheesy wrap-up to the post, it was nonetheless true. The Dbacks have a ton of questions they need to answer, and i'm not sure where they (or i) will even begin.

Let's start with a big one: The Big Unit. Randy Johnson is sitting on 295 wins, just five short of they mythical 300. There's no denying it would be a great accomplishment for him, and based on the way he pitched the second half of this season he will get it next year. But will he be in a Diamondbacks uniform? Hard to say.

The Dbacks aren't going to pay Johnson a lot of money. They still owe him something like $41M for his last contract with the Dbacks (no, not this one. The one from before. You know, back from when he won the World Series here?). It's hard to tell what Randy will do; He's always been a bit of a selfish player, but i wonder if he recognizes he should stay here and win 300 with the team he's going into the Hall of Fame with. If he does re-sign here, look for it to be around only $4M, even though he could command upwards of double that in the open market.

Staying in the starting rotation, you have Webb and Haren as the unquestioned leaders. Behind that? Murky. Doug Davis is a crap-shoot as to whether he will be back or not. Max Scherzer will be your number 4, probably regardless of who is here and who isn't. A rotation of Webb, Haren, Johnson, Davis and Scherzer isn't bad. Webb, Haren, Scherzer, Petit, and a started to be named later not as much.

The bullpen is even worse. Depending on who you listen to, the Dbacks need to either get rid of everyone or everyone had an off year and will be better next year. Realistically it's somewhere in the middle. I don't know how you bring Jon Rauch back after his trainwreck of a season here. Chad Qualls is the 2009 closer, mark it down now. He will be fine in that role. Move Lyon back into the 8th inning, i think he will be fine there as well. Either Tony Pena or Juan Cruz are likely gone; Make the other the 7th inning guy.

Billy Buckner and Leo Rosales will be the long-relief guys. What the Dbacks are in desperate need of, and what they have been in desperate need of for years, is a left handed reliever. Sorry Doug Slaten, you are not the answer. Will Ledezma, a late season pickup, could be it. He pitched fairly well in admittedly limited action.

Looking out into the outfield, there is a logjam. Chris Young is the starting Center Fielder. His bat suffered this season, but his defense is gold-glove-worthy. Justin Upton is the Right Fielder. His defense is suspect, but he's only 21. And his bat became electric the last month of this season. In left-field you have some issues.

After the way CoJack adjusted to the switch and how he started to hit once out there, you are basically forced to leave him in left. Problem is you're paying Eric Byrnes $10M a year to be the left fielder. And i know not many people remember this, but when healthy Byrnes isn't a bad player. He hit .276 in his two full season with the Dbacks, 2006-2007, and has some pop in his bat. Not to mention he's the best base-stealer on the roster, something the Diamondbacks sorely missed this year. From the things Bob Melvin and Derrick Hall have been saying, it sounds like Byrnes will go into 2009 as the 4th outfielder. Hard to put $10M on the bench, but in this case it looks like the best option. He'll get plenty of chances to play.

On the infield you have a total disaster. Shortstop is the only position locked up with Stephen Drew. Drew really came around the last month and is poised to have a seriously good breakout season in 2009. The rest of the infield is completely up in the air. Mark Reynolds will be there, though there's no telling where. Third clearly isn't the best place to put him (though he played pretty well there in 2007). There are a lot of rumors about him moving to second, which is where he played in the minors, to replace Orlando Hudson, who will be gone. Just in the last week there has been some talk of putting Reynolds at first as well.

Where Reynolds plays will depend largely on what the Dbacks do in the offseason. If they can get a good third baseman, Reynolds moves to the right side of the infield. If the Dbacks get a stud second baseman, Reynolds may stay at third. The Dbacks do have some options already here. Augie Ojeda and David Eckstein wouldn't be a bad combo at second for the year. Both are good with the glove and good enough from the plate. If the Dbacks go that route, i could see them going after a third baseman in free agency or through trade, and putting Reynolds at first.

Either way, there are a lot of choices and decisions to be made. The Dbacks could also bring Jamie D'Antona up; He can play either corner infield spot. And, of course, all of this is assuming Adam Dunn is gone as well. There has been talk of the Dbacks trying to re-sign him, but i don't think it will happen. Dunn strikes out too much in a lineup filled with people who strike out too much, and is a defensive liability pretty much everywhere on the field.

The last position is catcher. Unlike every other position on the Dbacks, catcher is locked up. Chris Snyder is the starting catcher, he can play almost every day, and he brings a decent bat to the order. Behind him could be interesting. Miguel Montero has been rumored to be working out at third base in the offseason. If that's the case, Robby Hammock would likely be the back-up catcher.

No matter how you shake it, the Diamondbacks will be a very different looking team in the 2009 season. It would not surprise me to see 8-9 players from this season's team gone next season. And while that is a lot of change, it is not necessarily a bad thing. As we saw down the stretch this season, something needs to be done. Let's just hope the Dbacks can pull the right strings...

George Brett Is Not Shy About His Bowel Movements

This video is awesome...



H/T to AA for the find...)

Fact Of The Day

Mark Reynolds: 22 Home Runs, 69 RBI's, 68 Runs Scored.

Manny Ramirez: 20 Home Runs, 68 RBI's, 66 Runs Scored.

I'm not saying, i'm just saying...

ManRam To The Dodgers

Well, that kinda came out of left field. Literally.

Manny Ramirez is now a Los Angeles Dodger. For peanuts no less. The Dodgers gave up nothing to get him.

ManRam's numbers this year are: .299 BA, 20 HR's (that's it?), 68 RBI's, .398 OBP, and .590 Slugging Percentage. Not too bad, though to be honest i was surprised at the HR total. Mark Reynolds has more HR's than Manny.

Anyway, what does this mean for the Dodgers, and how does this affect the Dbacks? Well, the obvious is that the Dodgers just got more pop in their lineup. I think the Dodgers will be better, but i'm sure how much better.

Think of it this way. No matter how you look at it, the Dodger's lineup is not the Red Sox lineup. They don't have the players around Manny to protect him the way someone like David Ortiz did in Boston. Manny as a Dodger will be fairly easy to pitch around or walk in big spots with a base open.

The clubhouse chemistry could be interesting as well, as Manny has been known to be, uh, quirky. That said, i think with Joe Torre as the manager and Manny now on a new team in a contract year (no chance LA has him next year), Manny will actually be a great clubhouse presence for them.

Whatever happens, it should tighten the race for the NL West even more. The Dbacks have the type of team built to counteract the Manny signing, namely a good rotation and a (mostly) good bullpen. Manny is a great hitter, no doubt, but in the postseason pitching always beats hitting. Always.

With the Dbacks in Chavez Ravine to open a four game set tonight, the NL West is now officially a sprint to the finish. Game On.

Dodgers 6, Dbacks 5: A Microcosm Of The Season

Well, that was disappointing.

In a game in which the Dbacks put on full display to the Valley of exactly their season woe's, the Dbacks lose a heart breaker and series-clinching game to their number 1 current rival, the LA Dodgers.

Last year's motto for this team was 'Anybody, Anytime'.

The apparent motto for your 2008 Diamondbacks is 'If it ain't one thing, it's another'.

With the exception of the first week of the season, when the Dbacks in all likelihood peaked for the season, this Dbacks team has had any number of issues. Ranging from the inevitable (injuries), to the mundane (batting woes), to the completely inexcusable (poor fundamentals), this team has gone through long stretches of each this year. When one part starts to come back a little bit, another bit goes. It's as though this team is incapable of putting together a 'complete' game.

The last two nights, in spectacular fashion no less, it was the closer Brandon Lyon. With the exception of the first week of the year, Lyon has been a rock at the back end of our bullpen, the one person who the Dbacks could count on. In the last two games, he's been given a combined 6-run cushion, and has promptly given up 7 runs. I'm amazed we managed to win one of those games...

In a series in which it appeared the Diamondbacks bats were starting to come around, especially the top 4 to 5 hitters, the bullpen completely fell apart. And though it was Lyon in the last two games, it did not escape our set-up men either, with Leo Rosales and Doug Slaten giving up the tying and winning runs, respectively.

In all three games against the Dodgers, the Dbacks jumped out to early leads, compiling 11 runs in the first two innings, while managing to score just 4 runs in the other 23 innings (game 1 went 11 innings). Regardless, that should have been good enough in all three games to win them.

The scary stat of the week, courtesy of Daron Sutton and Mark Grace, is this: Last year, the Dbacks lost 6 games in which they had the lead after the 6th inning the entire year. This year already they've blown 16. Take even half that amount and the Dbacks are 56-42 with an 8 game lead in the division.

Which brings us back to the bullpen. Granted Qualls and Pena have had their struggles lately, but nothing like the total meltdown Brandon Lyon has had the last two days. That Valverde trade is looking worse and worse, given that we got back an unreliable set-up man in Qualls and a completely worthless Chris Burke (.186 BA, 0 home runs, 7 RBI's, why is he still on the team?).

I still think Lyon can be a good closer, on this team even, but his struggles are just an indication of a bigger problem with the Dbacks: Their bullpen as a whole. Juan Cruz is injured. Conner Robertson is mediocre at best, Doug Slaten ditto, especially as a left handed 'specialist', Edgar Gonzalez is out for the season, Qualls is slightly injured, Pena has struggled as of late, and Lyon just blew two saves (I'm still calling game 2 a blown save even though it technically wasn't). Yusmeiro Petit has actually looked good as of late, but he's a long reliever/starter, so doesn't get much time in relief. Though maybe he should.

So, rumors are swirling. Jon Rauch from the Nationals is the hot name, presumably to come in as a closer and push Lyon back to the 8th inning. Problem is, the Nationals will want something in return, and Dbacks are hesitant to give up a top-flight prospect or any of their big league guys. I've also heard a rumor about moving Micah Owings to the bullpen (where he pitched from in Philly right before the all-star break, which i thought was curious at the time), and moving either Petit or Max Scherzer into a starter's role. I think this could be an interesting role, though i'm not ready just yet to give up on Micah as a starter.

Personally i think you could also look at moving Scherzer or Cruz into a permanent set-up role, but that's just me. All i know is that right now, the bullpen as presently configured isn't getting it done and is costing the team games. It's getting too late into the season for that to be happening...

Manny Being Manny

I really can't stand the Red Sox, or anything about them really, but this video does crack me. I think more so because Steve Phillips is practically peeing himself while this plays, but it is pretty funny just watching Manny...

Ouch

Yeah, this pretty much looks bad...


I hope CoJack is ok and doesn't miss too much time...

Phoenix Sports Odds & Ends

I haven't kept up writing reactions to the Suns-Spurs series as well as i would have liked, mostly because i can't properly put into words exactly what i've been feeling about it. After Game 1, which everyone agrees was an instant classic, the series looked poised to become on of the all-time greats.

Then Game 2 rolled around, and the Suns stayed close towards the end before folding. Then they lost at home in Game 3. And suddenly they were down 3-0 and on the brink of elimination.

Game 4 was a win, which was predictable all things considered. Game 5 is tonight, another must-win for the Suns in order to avoid elimination. There are a considerable amount of people out there that believe the Suns will win tonight, and at least make this somewhat of a series. I am skeptical at best.

As a indictment of how deep my skepticism runs, i will be attending tonight's Dbacks games instead of watching the Suns Game 5. I also have tickets to tomorrow's Dbacks game. Oh, and well pretty much every other game this season at Chase Field. Season tickets. They're a beautiful thing.

Especially when the team is so damn good.

The Dbacks are rolling. Absolutely cruising, rolling through the competition like a freight train on the way to an MLB best 19-7 record and a 6.5-game lead in the division. They have played in eight series, and have lost only 1. On offense they lead MLB in runs scored, RBI's, Slugging Percentage, and total bases. For pitching they lead MLB in ERA, wins, (least) losses, hits given up, and Batting Average Against.

Does this sound like a team that might be good? How about you combine that with the fact that they are one of the youngest teams in baseball also?

This baseball team is fun to watch, in the way they play the game, in the way they come up big in the right spots, in the way they interact with each other. Everyone keeps saying that the season is still young, but it's not that young anymore. We're a month into the season, and things don't look to be stopping for the Dbacks.

I do not know know what the rest of the season holds for the Dbacks, but if they keep playing the way they started this year, it's hard to imagine many teams finishing ahead of them...

(By the way - Found this through my brother, but check out the forums over at Diamondbacks Bullpen. These guys are awesome with their info, and their gameday threads are second to none from any team and any sport.)

And I'm Back

Sorry for the extended delay. I was out sick for a while, then out of town for a wedding. Both bad excuses, but i'm back. And with Baseball season in full swing and the NBA playoffs about to start, expect a lot of writing coming up...

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Leading the league in runs scored. Leading the league in home runs. Second in total bases. Leading the league in RBI's. Second in batting average. First in On Base Percentage. First in Slugging Percentage.

Chris Young is first in the league in runs scored. CY tied for 2nd in home runs. Mark Reynolds tied for second in RBI's. Justin Upton 4th in Slugging Percentage.

Sounds like the Dbacks might be off to a pretty good start right?

Oh yeah, i forgot: They also have the second lowest ERA in the majors and third lowest batting average against.

All of this sounds like a recipe for a 10-4 start to the season for the red-hot Diamondbacks.

Hey NL West, the NL, and baseball in general: Better watch out, these Diamondbacks are on fire.

Coming into the season, everyone figured the pitching would be there. With last year's AL All-star starting pitcher Dan Haren combining with Cy Young winner Brandon Webb at the top of the rotation, that figured to be a strength for the Dbacks. It was hard to tell what you would get from Randy Johnson and Micah Owings, who was coming off a terrible spring (0-2, ERA north of 9.5), but at least at the top you had stability. The bullpen figured to be strong, with the lone question mark being the closer.

Well, Randy made his first start yesterday and looked pretty good, all things considered. If the defense had shown up at all, he would have had the win. Owings has been spectacular, going 3-0 so far. The bullpen, with the exception of the closer spot (get to that later), has been solid as well.

What people weren't sure about coming into the season was the Diamondbacks offense. Everyone knows about the offensive woes last season, getting outscored over the course of the season, struggling to score runs, batting averages 4o points or more south of where they should be, etc.

This year that has seemed to turn around. Drew is batting near .300. Upton is hitting .388. Conor Jackson is at .313. Byrnes is at .291.

I realize the season is still young, but if nothing else the start will give confidence to all our young guns for the rest of the season. That's all these young guys need, a little confidence and the knowledge that they belong here and can hit at this level.

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I mentioned that the Dbacks were 10-4 on the season, but what i didn't mention is who they've beat. In the middle of a 22-game stretch against NL West Division foes, the Dbacks have gone 9-2 against the likes of Colorado, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Besides the great overall start, they are off to a great start in their own division, which is always big.

I realize seasons are not won in April, but they can be lost. The Dbacks have done the work and put themselves in a great position to start a season in which they have high expectations. Up to this point, they have shown why those expectations were so high to begin with.

Weekly Press Conference

Sorry for the lack of posts this week; My family was in town and i've been under the weather so this website got pushed to the back burner. Anyway, here's you bi-weekly press conference, this one an old school flashback to baseball and Hal McRae. The phone he tosses and his pirouette as he does it is classic...

I Said Amen Brother!

Dbacks Reynolds practices patience.

ps- Baseball is back! Yeah Spring Training!

The Mitchell Report Fallout: Thoughts...

Wheeeeeeee! It's like Christmas morning! Does everyone else find this as hilarious as i do?!?

More on this later, but a couple things i wanted to point out:

What the hell were the Astros thinking trading for Miguel Tejada yesterday? Seriously, you don't think the fact that he might be in this report didn't come up once during trade talks? Either the Astros are freaking retarded, or they just don't care. As sad as it is, i'm inclined to think it's the latter...

The MLB Players Association sent out a letter to players during the investigation basically telling them not to cooperate. Lovely.

It was amazing to me how many of the players paid for these steroids with a CHECK. Hello, paper trail?! Are you stupid? Let's see, i'm buying something illegal and i don't want anyone to know about it. Instead of paying him the $1,100 to $3,200 (average payment) in cash i'm sure most of these guys carry, they pay with a personal check. The guy they were buying them from, Kirk Radomski, kept copies of all the checks players had given him. You think he wasn't covering his ass just in case?

Players mentioned in the report who have links to the Dbacks are:
- Jason Grimsley (We already knew that)
- Matt Williams (Same)
- Alex Cabrera
- Jack Cust
- Chris Donnels
- Stephen Randolph
- Mike Bell
- Matt Herges
- Troy Glaus
- Jose Guillen
- Darren Holmes
- Multiple Members of the Dbacks farm team the El Paso Diablos (Who reportedly repeatedly crossed the border into Mexico to purchase steroids.? Players on that team include the aforementioned Cabrera, Cust, and Williams, as well as notable names such as Alex Cintron, Travis Lee, Lyle Overbay, Robby Hammock, and Junior Spivey. Not for nothing, but Cintron, Cabrera, and Cust led the team in pretty much every offensive category. I'm just saying...

More on this later as more comes out and i delve deeper into the Report...