Luis Gonzalez
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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....
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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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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...
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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...
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Diamondbacks Notes: August 13, 2008
* DUNN DEBUTS -- Adam Dunn lived up to his reputation in his first game for Arizona. Batting fourth and playing RF, the Diamondbacks newly acquired slugger did (almost) everything expected of him.
In the top of the first, Dunn worked a full count, then struck out swinging at a Ubaldo Jimenez sinker that bounced in the dirt. Dunn followed up by taking a pair of called strikes to lead off the fourth, but rallied for a walk on four consecutive pitches, including another sinker that bounced in front of the plate for ball four.
His first Diamondbacks hit came as Dunn drove an 0-1 fastball to RF for a double in the fifth. He would have earned an RBI had Stephen Drew not been caught in a run-down at 3B as Conor Jackson reached by fielder's choice on the preceding play. Dunn took four straight Jorge de la Rosa fastballs for his second BB to start the seventh, but the bottom of the order left him stranded for the third time on the night.
Batting with a runner in scoring...
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