Boston Red Sox
Showing Results 1 - 5 of 5
Page 1 of 1
Diamondbacks Notes: April 15. 2009
* CARDS TAKE GAME 3, SERIES - On a blustery day, the Diamondbacks showed off their bats and not much else in a 12-7 loss to the Cardinals. High winds whirled through Chase Field, an atmospheric effect that made the location seem more like St. Louis than Downtown Phoenix. The weather must have made the Cards feel at home, as they recorded hit after key hit against their hosts.
It was nice to see the Arizona offense maintain the roll that began with Tuesday's big walk-off victory. Unfortunately, even their seven runs were insufficient on a day when the Snakes' pitching labored and their defense was spotty.
Starter Jon Garland (3.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 5 BB) threw 88 pitches without retiring a St. Louis batter on strikes. After walking Joel Pineiro to begin the Cardinals third inning, Garland fell asleep on the mound and allowed Pineiro to steal his first career base. Five runs would score before Garland could record the third out.
In the field, the performance was mixed. Chris B. Young...
Continue reading to see the post in its entirety.
Series Preview: Diamondbacks v. Dodgers
*PREVIEW: ARI v. LAD - The first few weeks of the year are supposed to be a feeling-out period. Maybe that would be the case if the Diamondbacks (1-2) were facing inter-divisional opponents or had made wholesale changes to their lineup. But heading into a weekend series with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2), the 2009 season feels more like a continuation of 2008 than a fresh start.
The Snakes' biggest changes among regulars are the substitution of Felipe Lopez for Orlando Hudson (who missed much of the second half due to injury) and the departure of short-timer Adam Dunn. Otherwise, Arizona looks much the same in the field. Since modifications to the batting order are par for the course under Bob Melvin, it doesn't feel especially odd to see Lopez leading off or Justin Upton batting eighth. It's been awhile since we witnessed Chad Tracy at 3B or Eric Byrnes in the outfield, but those sights are not unfamiliar.
It's a similar story in Los Angeles. After the...
Continue reading to see the post in its entirety.
2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART III
* WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN - As a franchise, the Diamondbacks' age, payroll and record rocketed sky-high on the way to their 2001 World Series victory. Those expensive, aging veterans that won Arizona's first major professional title began to fall from the stratosphere in the seasons to follow. The 2002 Diamondbacks (98-65) managed to repeat as NL West champs, but were swept 3-0 in a NLDS rematch with St. Louis. By 2003, Arizona would slip to a third-place finish at 84-78 behind a half-hearted mix of veterans and youngsters.
Fortunately, Arizona had found its cornerstone in Brandon Webb, whose sinker opponents were helpless but to pound into the infield grass. Drafted in 2000 while the "old" school roster was still ascendant, Webb would make his debut in 2003 and come to exemplify the Diamondbacks' new strategy: to win by developing its own talent. Another pair of building blocks joined the organization that year with the selections of Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin....
Continue reading to see the post in its entirety.
Curt Schilling Should Enter HOF as a Diamondback
With the announcement of his retirement on Monday, Curt Schilling sparked a firestorm of debate over his worthiness to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Let’s assume for a moment that he’s Hall of Fame material and consider whose cap he ought to wear on his plaque. Schilling’s ML career spanned 20 seasons with five clubs, so there are multiple contenders for the honor. Here at Diamondbacks Nation, we are firmly resolved that Schilling should be the first player inducted into the pantheon as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Have Gun, Will Travel (1988 to 1991). Originally drafted by the Red Sox, Schilling was dealt to the Orioles in July 1988 and made his first ML appearance with Baltimore that September. After a handful of starts over three seasons, the hard-throwing right-hander was shipped to Houston, where he pitched exclusively from the pen. (The 1991 Astros club also featured future Diamondbacks Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley, the latter included with Schilling in the...
Continue reading to see the post in its entirety.
2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART I
* BUILDING UP TO OPENING DAY - With Opening Day 2009 fast approaching, Diamondbacks Nation is very pleased to begin its first full season providing news and commentary by and for fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Today brings the first installment of our 2009 season preview.
We believe that to understand and evaluate the Diamondbacks of 2009, one must recognize where this club has been and how the current edition came to be. So before we take a look at the season to come, Diamondbacks Nation will try to put things into an historical context. Our preview of the 2009 season begins with a look way back to the early days of our favorite team.
We will then fast-forward to the club in the present day, focusing on the winter moves and the season schedule; the rotation and bullpen; the position players, bench and batting order. We'll dig deeper, with a review of the front office, field management, and minor league operations. And we will finish our run-up the 2009 campaign by...
Continue reading to see the post in its entirety.
1