Archive for August, 2009

Everyone knew the time would finally come.  Time for fan favorite Luis Gonzalez, “Gonzo”, to come back to the team he helped propel into a winner and eventual World Series Champion.  Saturday, August 29, 2009, yesterday, that day finally came. Now, there are those circles that wish he had come back in a different manner.  Take my wife Andrea for instance.  She is of the opinion the Arizona Diamondbacks should have signed him to a contract so he could play out the season with them and retire properly.  I know there are others in that very same circle.  I agree, [...]

For awhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks were actually outscoring the football Arizona Cardinals.  The Diamondbacks had 14 runs and the Cardinals had 10 points at one point this evening.  After scoring 10 runs in the first two plus innings, the Dbacks held on to beat the Houston Astros 14-7. Another rookie got a hit in his first at bat.  Tonight it was John Lester,  He hit a home run in his first at bat.  Gerardo Parra also managed that feat in May.  Trent Oeltjen hit a home run in his first game, but had a single in his first at bat.  [...]

The road was not too kind to the Arizona Diamondbacks the past 10 days, thanks to the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, and San Francisco Giants.  The only real complete game from both ends of things was last night in San Francisco, where the Dbacks won 11-0, maybe the best all-around game the Dbacks have played all season.  Too bad it came on August 27th and not May or June 27th.  Oh well. The Dbacks return home to face the Houston Astros, who make their second trip to Chase Field this season.  Max Scherzer is on the mound tonight.  [...]

Have you looked at the Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitching rotation lately?  Not very good, huh?  Those that have performed well for a stretch this season, don’t expect them to be around in 2010.  All five pitchers in the current rotation could have different teams/roles in 2010, save for Dan Haren.  However given Haren’s recent performance, I suggest a seven man rotation. A look at the current top 7: Brandon Webb – he is injured, out for 2009.  He lasted only a few innings before injuring his shoulder, arm, chest, whatever it is.  Whatever it is though is going to keep [...]

43-12.  That’s all you need to know about the last five games for your Arizona Diamondbacks. Five games, five laughers – for the opponents. Sunday – Los Angeles Dodgers 9, Arizona 3 Monday – Atlanta Braves 9, Arizona 4 Tuesday – Philadelphia Phillies 5, Arizona 1 Wednesday – Philadelphia 8, Arizona 1 Thursday – Philadelphia 12, Arizona 3 Quite embarrassing and quite the lack of effort from both the pitching and the defense.  Dan Haren has even fallen off the face of the great pitching planet.  He didn’t even stop on his way to the good pitching planet – he [...]

After losing game one of their four city road trip in Atlanta, against the Braves, 9-4 yesterday, the Arizona Diamondbacks are now in Philadelphia.  Currently the Dbacks lead the Phillies 1-0 in the 3rd inning, now waiting out a rain delay.  No surprise in Philly.  Stephen Drew lead off the game with his 11th home run. So what to do now?  The Dbacks should be used to rain on the road.  They had rain in New York two weeks ago and yesterday’s game in Atlanta was a rain makeup from May.  Maybe they should go study how to hit Pedro [...]

This season has not exactly gone many of us expected it would.  If you take a look at today’s roster versus what was there on April 1st, you would find some current gems missing from that roster. A look at the rookies: Gerrardo Parra – He has very quietly snuck himself into the discussion of the NL Rookie of the Year.  He won’t get it.  He doesn’t produce many of the big numbers voters look at.  What he does do is get on base and produce results.  Case in point last night, hitting a game-winning single (which would have been [...]

Some news and notes from over the past few days: CF Chris Young was FINALLY demoted to AAA Reno. You know the old saying “closing the barn door after the horse has left”?  Well that applies here.  I know the Dbacks were reluctant to send the third year player to Reno given his contract and trying to do everything humanely possible to get him to right the ship, but enough was enough.  It was enough two months ago really.  Manager A.J. Hinch said he could be called back up in September, but that will mean he has to perform in [...]

The Arizona Diamondbacks have finally found a groove.  Too bad they can’t play the Pittsburgh Pirates everyday. Tied 6-6 going to the 12th, the Diamondbacks got five runs in the 12th to sweep the Pirates and win for the sixth time in seven road games on this trip.  Now, it’s off to Washington.  I’m thinking a little payback is in order after the Nationals came in and beat Arizona two out of three in May at Chase Field. Everyone, well almost everyone, thank you Chad Tracy, got into the action.  Mark Reynolds hit his 33rd home run.  Alex Romero and [...]

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Justin Upton just found himself on the disabled list again, at the same time as he found himself on the DL last season.  He strained his right oblique muscle after injuring his left one last season. In his place, meet Trent Oletjen.  All he did in his debut tonight was so far go 2-5 with a single and home run.  He got the single in his first at-bat as a major-leaguer.  I say so far because the game is still currently in action, with Arizona just taking a commanding 11-6 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates with five [...]