Who knew I’d be rooting for Edwin Jackson again after his disappointing performance for the D-backs in his stint in Arizona? Image: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

I am betting that the Arizona Cardinals’ 4-0 start has distracted many Arizona fans from the disappointment of the D-backs’ season; but still, having a team, or individual players, to root for in the playoffs makes watching the playoffs sans the D-backs a tad more fun.

For me, I mostly root for NL teams once the D-backs are eliminated. I’m betting I’m not alone in that. So, who should D-backs fans root for out of the Giants, Reds, Cardinals, Nationals and Braves?

Obviously, the Giants are out. I mean, at least it’s not the Dodgers, but I can never bring myself to rooting for the Giants. I’d say the Cardinals are out. They won the series last year and I can’t imagine the hyperbole if they win again without Albert Pujols. So they’re out.

That leaves the Braves, Nationals and Reds. I could see rooting for the Braves. It is Chipper Jones’ swan song and it would be fun to see him make a run in his last year. But for me, I’ve also seen how the guy tweets (@RealCJ10), and I don’t want any of that in the World Series. Seriously, it’s like he has taken every single baseball cliché and smashed it into a single Twitter handle. I thought that was John Kruk’s job.

So that leaves the Reds and Nationals. I was having a hard time deciding between these two teams until I remembered Mat Latos pitched for the Reds. I  HATE that guy! Nats all the way! Okay, maybe that is purely personal feelings but I don’t care; because, if you DON’T hate that guy, you should!

Besides, the Nationals are just a fun story. They are built for a few years from now probably but their pitching is just way too good and it accelerated their time table. Yes, Stephen Strasburg is not pitching in the playoffs (how asinine is that?), but they still have Jordan Zimmerman, Gio Gonzalez and surprisingly effective Edwin Jackson.

It would just be fun to watch them make a run to the series. Especially if the Orioles provide the second-biggest shock of the season (besides them actually making the playoffs), and meet the Nationals in the World Series. Can you imagine the hysteria in that part of the country? That would just be too much fun to NOT root for it. So, hop on the Nationals bandwagon and get some of the NATitude. On second thought, don’t use the word NATitude. Please. Seriously, stop saying it!

Other guys to root for: Ryan Roberts with the Rays and Jarrod Parker and Ryan Clark of the A’s. Obviously, all three guys were Diamondbacks at one point and I would like to see all of them succeed in the postseason.

Jun. 4, 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Joe Saunders against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

It wasn’t that long ago that the only professional sports team in Phoenix, Arizona was the Phoenix Suns.  That changed in 1988 when the NFL’s Cardinals moved to the desert and became the Phoenix, then Arizona Cardinals.   This was followed by the birth of the Phoenix Coyotes  who were relocated from their former home in Winnipeg before the 1996 season.    Finally, Major League Baseball came to town with the Arizona Diamondbacks  playing their first game in 1998.  

So how can a person living in New York accurately gauge the temperature of the sports scene in Phoenix?  Well, the truth is I can only speculate what the pulse of the people is in the Valley.  However, there are enough nuggets of information out there for me to form a somewhat enlightened opinion.  We can start with the D-Back Fan Fest that took place in February.  The estimated crowd was 25,000 compared to 10,000 that showed for the 2011, a staggering increase for a team that finished last the prior two seasons.    They are a team that is starting to become stacked with potential superstars.  At this point in his career, Justin Upton  is just about at the level of what Larry Fitzgerald  means to the Cardinals,  Steve Nash  means to the Suns and Shane Doan  means to the Coyotes.   Mix Upton in with an ace in Ian Kennedy  and a colorful character such as Ryan Roberts  and you can see why it didn’t take long for Arizona fans to fall in love with this team. 

Fans are hungry to see a winner.   Builidng on their National League West Championship, the Diamondbacks are on the verge of having a prolonged winning period.  Might I add, the only pro franchise to win a Championsip was the Diamondbacks in 2001.  The Cardinals finished strongly last season but until they can settle their QB situation, it is hard to picture the Birds matching the potential success of the D-Backs.  The Suns appear to be on the verge of entering a painful, but hopefully not long, rebuilding process.   Given how the NBA is shaking out with superstars pairing up, maybe the best scenario for the Suns is to miss  the playoffs and to get lucky in the lottery.  Although they are playing admirably, the Coyotes can not expect to see any sustained success as long as their ownership situation remains unsettled. 

It is all there for the Diamondbacks to become the leader of professional sports in Phoenix.  Now all they need to do is to back up my words. 

Follow me on Twitter @ltj41 and at www.clearthebases.net

Sep. 25, 2011; Phoenix AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks fans hold up a poster before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-US PRESSWIRE

I was scouring the sports section of the Arizona Republic today and I came across a Phoenix Suns ticket holder that sent a complaint to the editor about being a season ticket holder who misses out on discounts and promotions just for people who buy single-game tickets.  I immediately had a couple of thoughts.  First, would an Arizona Diamondbacks fan complain too and, secondly, what’s he complaining about?  He has season tickets and us single gamers don’t.  I think he should take a long hard look at the reasons why he is complaining.

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