Dbacks Better 10 Years Later and So Am I
By Scott Allen
Ten years ago today, 35,000 of you attended my wedding. Some of you probably remember that day too. September 25, 2001. The Arizona Diamondbacks played their first home game after September 11th, against the Milwaukee Brewers. I married my beautiful Andrea against a very emotional background. A firefighters convention was in town, and they were all on the field after the wedding and the before the game to help sing the national anthem. The Dbacks were 84-67 after losing that game 9-4. As we all know they finished 92-70 that season, two games ahead of the San Francisco Giants.
So many correlations from this season to that great World Series Championship season of 2001. The Dbacks fought the Giants for the division then, as they did this season. The Brewers this weekend are fighting the Dbacks again too – for better overall record and home field advantage in the NLDS. For everything said and done, this team will finish the same as or probably better than the 2001 Dbacks did in the regular season. Let’s hope the postseason can repeat itself too.
So, back to the night of September 25th. It was a night to remember off the field, not so much the night on the field. Jeromy Burnitz and Richie Sexson each hit three homers. It’s a night that my wife say two of her least favorite players in the world do well against the Dbacks. Don’t even get me started on when the Dbacks decided to sign Sexson for a short period of time later.
During the game we had our pictures taken of course. We had family in the bleachers whom we had bought tickets for. We had 72 tickets we bought for the game that night. With such an extended family my wife has, we unfortunately couldn’t pay everyone’s way. So some came on their own accord. We went and visited them in the upper deck, in full wedding garb. This is how much we love the Dbacks. We walked around the stadium and even climbed the upper deck in a tuxedo and wedding dress. On our way back down, we were met by some firefighters from Pittsburgh. They wanted to take pictures of us. I’ll never forget it. With all the emotions of being a firefighter at the time, they wanted our picture. I was blown away. They thought what a cool thing to get married at a baseball game.
So, the Dbacks lost that night but would go 8-3 the rest of the way to win the National League West by two games. It is amazing to think about how this team was constructed versus how the 2001 team was constructed and to think record-wise, this team is better. That blows me away. Now with the Dbacks 92-66, it most likely will happen. The Dbacks need just one more win to actually be better than the 2001 regular season Dbacks.
Twenty-five couples in all got married that night at Chase Field, which of course was Bank One Ballpark at the time. I often wonder how many of those couples are still together. I know I plan on my with my Dbacks baby forever. you see, we had our first date at a Dbacks game. We got engaged at a Dbacks game as I proposed before a Chicago Cubs-Dbacks game in August of 2000. I’m a fan of all sports, but somehow the Dbacks have just always been our thing. To have the Dbacks in the thick of the playoffs again this year is going to be very special.
So, not only are the Dbacks a better team, at least in the regular season in 2011, I am definitely a better man for having married my Andrea. She keeps me grounded. She makes me laugh and smile. She gives me someone I can legitimately talk baseball with. It’s so much fun to be married to someone who knows what I talk about when it comes to the Dbacks and baseball. She always looks forward to what I have to say in this blog. My titles are what she looks forward to the most.
She gave me my beautiful son Brady, who is now four-years old. He absolutely loves the Dbacks. Chris Young, Justin Upton, Miguel Montero, and Ryan Roberts are his favorite players. He loves going to the games. He has his Dbacks jersey and now a “Tatman” shirt to wear to the games.
Happy 10th Anniversary Andrea. I love you. Now, it’s time to go change that chant from “win the west” to “win the National League”. I am a better man and a better husband each and every day I’m married, I would expect the Dbacks to only do the same, get better each and every day.