David Eckstein
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2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART IV
* LOOKING FORWARD - Having once been a team of veterans drawn from other clubs, Arizona enters 2009 with a roster whose players are predominantly young and of local origin. For most of these players, the coming season will be their third together as a group. The experience of developing as a team is rare in modern baseball, where free agency and trades shuffle almost every organization's roster annually.
Indeed, the Diamondbacks have not been immune to turnover on their pitching staff or in the field. Several key players are gone from the 2008 edition. Unable to work out a new pact with the club, Randy Johnson has taken his quest for 300 wins to San Francisco. Orlando Hudson has joined another division rival, signing on to play second base with the Dodgers. A third NL West team, the Padres, have made David Eckstein their starting second baseman. The Nationals reached a two-year agreement with Adam Dunn, who will play first base in Washington. Ex-closer Brandon Lyon joined the...
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Major Chords: Take a Bow, Craig Counsell
The first casting call was answered by Andy Fox. More recently, Augie Ojeda and David Eckstein have reprised the role. In Arizona franchise history, however, no one has played the part of scrappy utility infielder quite as famously as Craig Counsell.
Like fellow underdog Rudy Ruettiger, Counsell played his college ball at Notre Dame. Drafted in 1992 by the Rockies, he made his ML debut in 1995, but Counsell's Colorado career amounted to a total of one hitless at-bat in three games. A 1997 trade to Florida gave Counsell his first big break; in the post-season, he demonstrated his flair as a supporting actor by scoring a run in extra innings to win Game 7 of the World Series. The Fish sent Counsell to Hollywood midway through the 1999 season, but his spell with the Dodgers was panned by the critics.
Los Angeles released Counsell in the spring of 2000, and he soon thereafter signed with Arizona. He performed well in his first year with the Snakes, playing quality infield defense and...
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