Diamondbacks All Time Team: Third Base
By Joseph Jacquez
Venom Strikes readers have spoken, and it wasn’t a contest. Jay Bell is the Diamondbacks all time second basemen joining Paul Goldschmidt on our all time Diamondbacks team. Sixty-eight people voted, and fifty of them voted for Bell. Orlando Hudson received 10 votes, Junior Spivey got 5 votes, and Craig Counsell finished in last with three votes.
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Our informed and intelligent readers made the right choice. Bell is without a doubt the best second-basemen in Dbacks history. Bell’s 1999 season with the team stands out above all the rest. That year in 151 games played he hit 38 HR, with 112 RBI’s, and a .289 batting average. If you look at the advanced stats, there off the charts. He finished with an oWAR of 4.9, a .395 wOBA, and a 128 wRC+.
He was one of the main reasons that the Diamondbacks made the playoffs that year for the first time in franchise history, and fans are not going to forget about that year. Bell also scored the most important run in franchise history, and I don’t think I have to tell you what that was. Its no surprise that Bell was chosen, and it was clearly the right choice.
Now its time for you guys to decide who is the Diamondbacks all time third basemen. This is a tough decision at least for me. Matt Williams and Chad Tracy are great candidates, and only one of them can win.
Tracy was with the Diamondbacks during the prime of his career from 2004-2009. His best season with the Snakes came in 2005 when he hit .308 with 27 HR, and 72 RBI’s, with a wOBA of .385, and a wRC+ of 130. The problem for me with Tracy is that he didn’t play in a lot of games during the back half of his tenure.
Williams played with the Diamondbacks during the last part of his career from 1998-2003. His best season with the Dbacks came in 1999 when he hit .303 with 35 HR, and 142 RBI’s, with a wOBA of .369 and a wRC+ of 112.
The advanced stats actually favor Tracy, but Williams RBI total was off the charts, so I will give the nod to Williams. Who will you pick as the Diamondbacks all time third basemen. Weigh in by voting in our poll, and leave your thoughts in the comments section! Voting ends on February 19th!