DbackFans

Which direction are they going?

2009-04-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Are the Diamondbacks going up, going down, or just staying where they are: mediocre?

They're in 4th place in the NL West, they are 4.5 games back from the Dodgers, and they are 3 games below .500. Not too good so far.

On the other hand, they are 5-5 over their last 10, have won two of the last three series they played, and that is a clear improvement over their first 10 games, when they were 3-7.

My answer to the first question: They are on their way up. Keep in mind they've shown this improvement without Stephen Drew (hamstring) or Cy Young winner Brandon Webb (shoulder).

When you look at this team, it's obvious they are never going to consistently score a lot of runs-- they haven't done so for over two seasons. But the starting rotation (with the exception of Petit) is excellent, and the position players who have been simply awful in this first month are starting to wake up. We can all agree on one thing, though: Jon Rauch has got to go. Okay, he is scheduled to make $2.5 million this season and $2.9M next year, but for a team who was willing to dump Russ Ortiz and eat $22 million, that's nuthin'. Let him go.

Luis Gonzalez a Diamondback? Not Likely.

2009-03-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

Nick Piecoro at the Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks have initiated a dialog with their former star regarding his return, but not as a player. Derrick Hall and Ken Kendrick would like to see him working for the organization in some capacity once his playing days are over.

Even though he's currently available (the Marlins declined to bring back the veteran who played the seasoned mentor role for them last year), Arizona shows no interest in adding him as a player. Piecoro adds that Gonzo still wants to play, but he's on the short list of free agents on the outside looking in, now that Spring Training is in full swing.

Luis has done well in the broadcast booth and could do well there for Arizona. He also seems to have the right temperment to coach young players. Just don't expect to see him on the 25-man roster.

Some gallimaufry while waiting for spring training games to begin

2009-02-21T15:20:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I consider this to be the worst time of the sporting year. The NFL is over, MLB spring training games have yet to begin, and we're still waiting for March Madness. So, while I anxiously await the start of the spring training games, here are a few random thoughts ...

Wow, the Dodgers got a pretty good signing of Orlando Hudson for 1 year at 3.4 million. Remember that the Diamondbacks replaced O-Dog with Felipe Lopez at a contract of 1 year at 3.5 million. I don't even think the Diamondbacks will tell you that Lopez is a better player than Hudson. So, for your rival to sign a better player for less money is quite a kick in the pants. The Diamondbacks can take some solace in that Hudson has 4.6 million in performance incentives, which could balloon the contract to 8.1 million (but then again, if Hudson plays well enough to collect that 4.6 million, I don't think the Dodgers will complain). In addition, the Diamondbacks get a draft pick from the Dodgers as compensation.

I've been watching baseball for almost 40 years, and I've yet to figure out the why major league teams needs a dedicated third base coach. I find it rather silly that the manager gives signs from the dugout to the third base coach, who then relays them to the players. Why not just have the manager coach third base? There are only two explanations I can come up with: 1) Having a dedicated third base coach is a way to get one more of the manager's buddies a cushy job or 2) The manager is so involved with planning strategy with his bench coach that he cannot split his attention. I'd bet the official answer would be #2, but I think the reality is closer to #1.

I heard that pitchers in Japan apologize to batters after hitting them with a pitch. This seems reasonable and shows sportsmanship. I once sent in a question to the Diamondbacks fan forum why this practice rarely occurs in MLB. I received one of the most stupid responses ever ... something to the extent that an apology would only be necessary if the beaning were intentional. Of course that's ridiculous ... if I ever accidentally hurt someone, I'm quick to apologize. However if I intentionally hurt someone I rarely apologize (probably because they deserved it). I concluded that the person who answered my question was probably some intern who gave it about 2 microseconds of thought.

A Worthy Gamble

2009-02-07T13:58:00.001-08:00

The Diamondbacks recently signed right-handed reliever Tom Gordon to an incentive-laden contract. "Flash" Gordon is coming off an injury-riddled season in 2008 and opted against having Tommy John surgery. Therefore, the Diamondbacks structured the contract with a low base (.5MM) and additional payments based on the number of days on the active roster.

The signing of Gordon effectively replaces Brandon Lyon, who signed with the Tigers. Given that Gordon's 2008 was cut short by injury, and that relief pitchers in general are inconsistent from year-to-year, I'll compare the last three years (2006-2008) of each pitcher's performance (omitting ERA because it is a poor measure of a reliever's effectiveness):

Gordon pitched 129 innings over the 3 seasons with a WHIP of 1.36 and a K/9 rate of 8.79. Lyon pitched 202 innings over the same period with a WHIP of 1.33 but a K/9 rate of 5.77. Assuming both pitchers are reasonable healthy, I think a reasonable conclusion that that both pitcher are similarly effective, but Gordon is much more capable of getting a strikeout -- a valuable trait to have when coming out of the bullpen with runners on base.

Moreover, the contract situation favors Gordon. Both players are signed for one year, but Lyon is guaranteed 4.25MM but can make up to 4.75MM. Gordon, on the other hand, is guaranteed only 0.5MM but can make up to 3.0MM.

Given Gordon's injury history, there's no guarantee that the Diamondbacks will get any amount of innings from him. However, I like the structure of the contract, and I like that Flash might be able to get a strikeout in the 7th or 8th inning to get out of a jam. This signing looks like a reasonable gamble.

Now, what will the Diamondback do to replace Juan Cruz?

Fat Lady Sings for D-backs at the Hall of Fame

2009-02-03T10:46:00.001-08:00

Well, the quest for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame ended for four former Diamondbacks as quickly as it began. Last month the results were announced, leaving Mark Grace, Matt Williams, Jay Bell, and Dan Plesac (all of them appearing on the ballot for the first time) out in the cold.

Adding insult to injury, they have also been banned from future consideration for the Hall because they each received less than 5% of the vote.

Three of these guys certainly belong in the Arizona Diamondbacks Hall of Fame, having contributed to the 2001 World Series Title. All three were there for the ninth inning of Game 7: Grace hit a lead-off single, Jay Bell scored the winning run, jumping into the waiting arms of Matt Williams standing at home plate.

I'd like to give a quick shout out to a three other former Diamondbacks who also made it onto a Hall of Fame ballot, and were also smacked down in their first (and only) appearances:

2008: Todd Stottlemyre

2007: Bobby Witt, Devon White

Does this make sense?

2009-02-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

Let's look at two pitcher's stat lines for 2008

Player ERA WHIP IP SO Walks HR

Pitcher A 3.91 1.24 184 173 44 24

Pitcher B 4.90 1.51 197 90 59 23

Which pitcher looks better to you? Pitcher A has a much better ERA, WHIP and throws more strikeouts while walking less than Pitcher B. Both pitchers ate a lot of innings and gave up roughly the same home runs. So far, advantage for Pitcher A. What if I told you that Pitcher A was asking for a $5 million salary, while Pitcher B received a 7.25 million (6.25 base + minimum of 1 for a buyout). Well, the scales tilt even more towards Pitcher A. Now, if I told you that Pitcher A was a future Hall of Famer, who will likely win his 300th game in 2009, you'd say that Pitcher A was definitely a better signing than Pitcher B.

Well, Pitcher A is Randy Johnson and Pitcher B is John Garland, who the Diamondbacks recently signed. As you know, Mr Johnson is now an employee of the San Francisco Giants, getting paid 8 million for 2009. However, keep in mind that he had offered a hometown discount to the Diamondbacks rumored to be 5 million. But, given the facts above, wouldn't have RJ been a better signing even at 8 million to Garlands 7.25 million?

The Diamondbacks originally cried poor when RJ signed with the Giants, and letting him go made some sense. After all, they'll have a rotation of Webb, Haren, Davis, Scherzer, with the fifth spot maybe going to Petit. That's pretty solid, if not deep. My hope was that any extra money would be going towards the bullpen which has already lost Brandon Lyon and will likely lose Juan Cruz.

Maybe the Diamondbacks have some inside medical knowledge of Johnson's back. Perhaps they don't think he'll be able to throw 150+ innings again. If that's the case, then replacing Johnson with Garland might make sense. But at this point, the move is rather curious.

How Sweep It Is

2008-07-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

Sure it's only the Giants, but sweeping them in their house is still big. Perhaps even more significant: The Snakes are two games above .500 for the first time since June 25th (yes, that's more than a month).

It is also important to note that since his terrible outing against Milwaukee on the first of July, Randy Johnson has had a great month. In the four starts since then, he has given up a total of five earned runs (ERA of 1.71), struck out 19, walked only two batters, and won all four games. He is currently on a streak of 15 scoreless innings!

By the end of June I was worried that his back problems were returning, but Randy is looking much sharper. I'm also glad his strikeout numbers are falling-- that means he's throwing fewer pitches and can go deeper into games. The D-backs will need him to pitch at least six innings each start to avoid over-taxing the bullpen.

Another positive sign for the Diamondbacks: Over the last ten games, they have scored 57 runs. It is nice to see the offense waking up again. They have what it takes to win the NL West (almost any team does), but they will need pitching AND hitting if they plan to get out of the first round come playoff time.

Ed. note: I have corrected the stats above.

Like Old Times

2008-05-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Randy Johnson took the mound in the stadium where he threw his perfect game on Saturday, and in many ways, it was like watching the Big Unit of old: 10 strikeouts, no walks... and no run support.

Up until now, Randy has been winning again in a D-backs uniform not because he's been shutting down other teams, but because he was pitching fairly well and had lots of run support. When he finally pitches a gem, the bats are silent. Yep, it's just like old times.

What's up with Byrnes?

2008-05-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

So, the $10 million man is in a slump. It has pretty much lasted the entire season, and no one knows what to do, other than boo him.

He's had only 5 hits last in the last 10 games, and in those 44 at-bats, he has not drawn a walk once. He's swinging at bad pitches, swinging badly at good pitches, and looking pretty foolish.

The last time a high-priced veteran on this team was scuffling for an extended period (Matt Williams), the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment, effectively ending his career.

Instead of being the hero, Byrnesy needs to just leave the bat on his shoulder a lot more. Hell, take every pitch in an at-bat, if that's what it takes. He needs to start seeing balls and strikes, and being able to tell the difference. If he were getting on base a little more often by walking, at least he have opportunities for stolen bases and head-first slides-- two things that could re-energize him and get the crowd behind him.

Valverde Watch: Oh my. Papa Grande seems to have gotten his stuff together-- after allowing 10 runs in his first seven games, Valverde has made 14 appearances without giving up a run, collecting 10 saves and two wins in the process. In fact, in those 14 appearances, he has only allowed 9 total base runners.

Stupid "dropped third strike" rule...

2008-05-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Who came up with that one, anyway? It's like awarding a first down to a football team that fails to convert a 4th and inches, if a defensive player misses the high five with his teammate. If you swing and miss on the third strike, you're OUT. Walk back to the dugout, please.

Instead, the Phillies got four outs that inning, Connor Jackson's birthday was ruined when his face attacked Victorino's helmet, and the D-backs lost the game (Victorino ended up scoring the tying run).

In the end, we can't pin the loss on the rule, Snyder, or Qualls... it was obviously Micah Owings' fault for failing to get a single RBI. His 1 for 4 outing was disappointment, for sure.

Scherzer makes case he belongs in "The Show"

2008-04-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Andy Behrens over at Roto Arcade got it right in his blog post yesterday when he predicted we might see Max Scherzer later that night, since the Diamondbacks' 4-inning specialist (Edgar Gonzalez) was starting.

What he couldn't predict was how thoroughly Scherzer would dominate the Astros: He retired all 13 batters he faced, striking out 7. Since Edgar had already given up 6 runs in the first 2 2/3 innings, Arizona lost anyway. Unless Scherzer can hit like Micah Owings, it's pretty hard to get runs back that the starter already gave up.

Will he be added to the rotation, pushing Gonzalez into middle relief? No one knows yet. One thing we do know: All eyes will be on him the next time he takes the mound.

Valverde Watch: Nothing motivates like going up against the team that traded you... The Big Potato still has an ERA of 6.92 and three blown saves, but he struck out the side against Arizona in the ninth last night to notch his 5th save.

Valverde trade looking very good... so far.

2008-04-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find much wrong with the Diamondbacks right now, when everything is coming up roses. The bats are hot, the starting pitching is exceptional, and that bullpen is earning every cent (even Brandon Lyon managed to face the minimum in his most recent save).

So let's talk about what could have been. There were mixed reviews of the trade that sent Jose Valverde to the Astros in exchange or Chris Burke and Chad Qualls. After all, Valverde led the majors in saves last season (47), and finished 8th in the NL Cy Young voting. But what if he were still here?

Valverde has pitched a total of 4 innings for Houston, giving up at least one run in every game he 's pitched. His ERA is 11.25, he has walked 2, and only struck out 3. He has one save recorded, and one blown save (although in a bizarre twist of fate, the offense picked him up and he "earned" the win in that game).

Instead we have Lyon, who is at least doing a little better. We also now have Chris Burke, who made the 25-man roster and has done an adequate job of filling in around the infield. Lastly, we have Chad Qualls, who is currently the stud of the bullpen. In 5.1 innings of relief, Qualls has 5 strikeouts, an ERA of 0.00, and a save. He has walked four batters, but managed to work around them.

It's still way too early for a final judgment, but so far, shipping Papa Grande off to Houston looks pretty good.

Great Weekend in the Mile High City

2008-04-06T15:35:00.001-07:00

It seems the Colorado Rockies are resting on their laurels... their season-opening home series featured various celebrations at every game for their NL Championship last season, but they played nothing like the team who swept the Diamondbacks in the NLCS. Arizona swept the Rockies, out-hitting them 37 to 19, and out-scoring them 20 to 5.

We learned a few things during this fine weekend:

1. I may have been wrong about Chris Young. Since my initial grousing about what a poor fit he is for the lead-off spot, he's managed to make me look pretty foolish. In 6 games, his OBP is over .400, and he has actually drawn seven walks. His lead-off home run on Saturday was a nice touch, too. Six games doesn't make up for all of last season, but I'll give him a break for now.

2. Brandon Lyon may not be the closer for very long. His ERA of 12.00 and two blown saves in three attempts are not getting him anywhere, and Chad Qualls came in on Sunday to finish the game off. Even though he walked the first two hitters, Qualls then forced a double play, and Stephen Drew caught a line drive to end it. He faced four batters, allowed no hits or runs, and collected his first save. Did I mention that his ERA is 0.00? Qualls has only allowed one hit in 4.1 innings pitched. Something tells me he has a good shot to replace Lyon.

Why is Chris Young batting Lead Off?

2008-04-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

I like Chris Young. He is an exciting player, both in the field and at the plate. I wonder though, if he is the right fit for the lead-off spot in the lineup.

Last season, Young had an on-base percentage of .295. Look at that number again: .295. I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty hard to move over (or drive in) your lead-off guy when he's already back in the dugout. Micah Owings had an OBP of .345. O-Dog's was .376. The overall team OBP for the Diamondbacks was .321, and that includes the pitchers. Among positions players who appeared in more than 100 games for the D-backs, Chris Young was the only one whose OBP was below .300.

Part of the problem with Chris is his strikeouts. He led the team with 141 (just slightly less than the number of games in which he appeared: 148). Opening day was no exception-- Chris excited the Arizona fans with a solo home run, but he also struck out three times.

I'm not saying that Chris shouldn't be playing... he is a key part of this lineup and has a lot to contribute. But a lead-off hitter is supposed to get on base-- and it's clear that someone else needs to be filling that role. Orlando Hudson or Eric Byrnes would be fine by me.

Bullpen Perfect in Dback's First Win

2008-03-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

Chad Qualls, Tony Pena, and Brandon Lyon each pitched a perfect inning to preserve the win for the Snakes' ace Brandon Webb in their season opener over Cincinnati.

Webb gave up two runs on only three hits (although he did walk four) through six innings. Chris Young and Eric Byrnes hit back-to-back homers in the 3rd, and Jeff Salazar added another solo homerun in the 7th.

Arizona stays in Cincinnati for two more, closing out the series at 9:35am (Arizona time) on Thursday.

So... Who is the new Closer?

2007-12-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

With Valverde giving Houston fans Rolaids moments in the 9th next year, who will the D'backs run out there?

Brandon Lyons has my vote. He has been a successful closer in the past, and was a dynamite 8th-inning setup man all last season.

One darkhorse possibility: Can you imagine leading a game by a run or two going into the ninth, and out from the bullpen comes... The Big Unit? I've said it before: He closed out the biggest game of his life (Game 7, 2001), and I'd love to see Randy as the full-time closer.

off season quiet time

2007-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

Well I am hoping the D-backs can find a way to make a nice deal this off-season. Maybe trade Quentin with either Conner Jackson or preferably Chad Tracy for a good pitcher. They kind of proved they don't need Quentin and while some folks I know don't like Jackson, I think the injury prone Tracy would be a better trade. We shall see what happens.

D-backs are NL West Champs!

2007-09-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe... the worst-hitting team in baseball has clinched the NL West, and is guaranteed to have the best record in the National League and home-field advantage for the first two rounds.

Congratulations, Arizona!

It's over.

2007-08-15T11:36:00.001-07:00

According to the Arizona Republic, the Diamondbacks released Byung-Hyun Kim. According to Kendricks, Kim will likely go to Japan to play. That's too bad! Arizona has always had good luck when facing him... now that's out of the question.

What a waste of time, money, energy, and several jerseys. At least they saw their mistake and got rid of him.

KIM!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

They supposedly put a bid in on Kim to keep another team in the West from picking him up? Why? The D-backs knocked him around when he opposed them. Even if they have to pay financially by dropping him, they need to do it. It will be a lot less than they paid Ortiz to go away.

Tonights box: B. Kim 0.1 IP 4 Earned Runs

Let's not forget Kennedy who they picked up off waivers and who gave up 6 runs tonight. He actually out did Kim in that area with the .1 IP and 6 ERs.

Hey D-backs next time it might not be such a bad idea to let players fall to other teams during August Waivers.

Hopefully Cirillio pays off for them. That is if we still have him. I just looked at the Box Score again and I didn't see him get a bat in the blow-out.

Let's Hope the Experiment is Over

2007-08-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Two and two-thirds innings pitched. 78 pitches thrown. An ERA of 23.6. We've barely seen Byung-Hyun Kim... but I've seen more than enough.

He's getting more efficient, though. It took him 63 pitches to spot Pittsburgh 5 runs last week, but he managed to give Florida 4 runs on 17 pitches while only getting one out! His own throwing error helped, of course.

Gotta hand it to the bullpen though... they managed to give up TEN more runs, and I stopped paying attention in the 7th. Perhaps the Marlins will get a few more.

While I'm sure Florida was delighted to see Kim return, I certainly hope he's gone before his next scheduled start against Atlanta.

Geez. Like no one saw this coming???

David Wells as a Fifth Starter?

2007-08-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

San Diego is dumping Boomer, and given his ties to the Diamondbacks (Kirk Gibson is a good friend of his), he seems like a much better option that BK. He's not a bad value, either... his current salary is $3 Million compared to Kim's $2.5 million.

Classless... but they were right.

2007-08-09T11:58:00.001-07:00

I found it pretty classless that hometown fans booed Byung-Hyun Kim when he debuted in the first inning last night. I understand that he is no fan favorite, but he IS a human being, and he hadn't even thrown a pitch!

Granted, it turned out they were right, and the boos he received after being pulled in the 3rd inning were well-deserved.

Why in the world did they sign this guy? They get to pay the remainder of his $2.5 million contract, and I wouldn't be surprised if they skip him when his next start comes (there's a day off that will allow them to just use four pitchers over the next five days).

I understand that Petit's last two outings were pretty rough, but his ERA is still below the league average. Isn't that good enough for a 5th starter? Perhaps the Diamondbacks are just experimenting. they can bring Petit up (and send him back down) as many times as they want, and in the meantime try out a few other guys.

I just never would have guessed it would be Kim.

Here's another mystery: Why did the Marlins put Kim on waivers?

I suspected that it was some kind of personality conflict... Kim just won his last start only a day earlier, posting a season-best 10 Ks. He went 5-3 for the Marlins since May, and seemed like a good fit for them.

I couldn't find anything in the Florida newspapers, except a quote from the manager who refused to answer why Kim was waived. He referred the reporters to the general manager.

I just now found a blog post at FishStripes, a very fine Fan blog for the Marlins. The author suspects it was all about dumping salary now that it is obvious Florida is not playing into October. Take a look.

What is Going On?

2007-08-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

Dbacks won't resign Byrnes. They make him the new face of the team. Gonzo gone... cheer for Byrnes. But then they won't pay him what he is worth for a couple seasons. No they want to bring up players that aren't ready for the Big Show.. Quentin, Upton, (at times Chris Young) I have nothing against these young guys. I just think the current ownership is rushing guys up to the big leagues.

Are they modeling themselves against Atlanta? Well at least the Braves aren't afraid to resign the veterans when needed.

I believe the dbacks have a talented pool in the minors. I do not always believe in the way they manage them though. They have had some awesome win streaks and some horrible losing streaks. When it comes down to it though this team is carried by guys like Hudson and Byrnes.

Management is crazy to think that this team doesn't need those two in the future. How can you expect the youth to mature without these role models. Also you have to spend money to make money.

Tonight before I heard the story, my husband gave me the worst news... they picked up Kim off waivers.... They sign the biggest head case in the history of the Dbacks, but they can't keep fan favorites around.

Webb regaining Cy Young form?

2007-04-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Diamondbacks fans exhaled a collective sigh of relief last night when Brandon Webb set a personal best for strikeouts (13) and held the Padres to a single earned run over eight innings.

Webb was back at the top of his game, walking just two batters and yielding only a single fly ball. Out of the 106 pitches he threw, 75 were strikes.

Webb deserved the win, but was stymied by Chris Young's dreadful error in the eighth inning, and the Diamondback's terrible record of often not providing run support for their ace pitcher (ask Randy Johnson about this topic...).

If Webb can keep it together, and Don Davis can bring his walk count down some more, this could be a pretty formidable rotation. It's gonna be a fun year.

WooHoo: Eric Byrnes drives in the go-ahead run in the 12th after San Diego intentionally walked Stephen Drew to get to him. Said Byrnes: "You're not human and probably not playing baseball at this level if you're not going to take that personally."
Boooooo: Chris Young drops a routine fly ball, stealing Webb's possible win and forcing extra innings on the bullpen. Concentrate, dude!