D-Backs' Aaron Hill (2) is congratulated by manager Kirk Gibson after hitting a solo home run against the Mariners during the seventh inning at Chase Field, 6/18/12. Image: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

I am a wrestling fan.  Not as big as I used to be, but I watch enough to keep up with current happenings.   One of the big stars in WWE  right now is Daniel Bryan.  What does this have to do with the Diamondbacks?  Well, I asked myself this past weekend if I still thought Arizona was going to reach the World Series.   The answer, to borrow the signature catchphrase of Mr. Bryan, was and still is a resounding   YES!   YES!   YES!

I wrote last week that all we should expect from Arizona against the Rangers and Angels was a 2-4 record during their toughest six game stretch.  That is exactly how it worked out.  Even though they were shut out twice in Los Angeles, they actually outscored the Angels 5-3.   Ian Kennedy easily had his best outing on Sunday.  One of the games lost in Texas was a 1-0 defeat and in the D-Back win, they held the powerful Rangers to only three runs.  That’s four runs allowed in two games in a ballpark and against a lineup that is a nightmare for pitching.  Clearly both the rotation and the bullpen are rounding into form.   The bats are poised to awaken from their season-long slumber.  They should feast at home with the Mariners currently visiting and the Cubs due this weekend.  Last night’s 7-1 victory against Seattle featured a cycle by Aaron Hill.  In their last three victories, Arizona has scored five runs or more, for a total of 23.  Snakes alive?  You bet.

After this coming Sunday, count on the D-Backs to be at least two games over .500.   This is a team that is heading up.  They still won’t catch the Dodgers but that won’t matter.   Although the record does not indicate it, they should be the favorites to capture a Wild Card.  After all, they did win 94 games last year and stand to improve with the return of Stephen Drew  and the potential Major League debut of Trevor Bauer.    Would back-to-back playoff seasons and a World Series appearance make the Valley happy?  YES!  YES!  YES!

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Aaron Hill drives in Arizona's only run in a 6-1 loss to the Dodgers on 5/21. Image: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

They are now 10.5 games out of first place.  Their #2 pitcher has been missing since week two of the season.  And if you read the comments by fans on mlb.com, their best player has been, ahem, lacking focus.  It would be easy to completely dump on the Arizona Diamondbacks.   I won’t do that, at least not now but I will say this:  it is time for Diamondback fans to think of the Wild Card as the entry into the playoffs.

Let’s face it, the Los Angeles Dodgers will not be caught this season.  Beginning last August 1^st, the Dodgers are a robust 63-33 and barring a major injury, show no signs of slowing down.  Actually, their best player, Matt Kemp, has been hurt missing seven games so far and the team has thrived without him.  In fact, LA should only get stronger as ownership has been stabilized and will make the necessary improvements to make sure the team remains in first place.  With Arizona’s bullpen already overworked, it would seem impossible the D-Backs will be able to repeat as National League West Champions.

This is not to say 2012 is lost for Arizona.  As we have seen time and again, deficits like these, particularly at this point of the season, are not insurmountable for teams who make a Wild Card run.   There is still too much talent and too many players that will be heard from in the second half of the season.  One of those players might be Trevor Bauer who could get a call to the Majors in order to alleviate the tremendous burden on the relief pitchers.  And unless the team totally collapses, I would think GM Kevin Towers as a deal or two in him to help the team make it to October baseball.

Hang tight, fans.  No one said it was easy to follow the day to day grind of a baseball team.  Forget about winning the division as the route to the postseason will be through the Wild Card.  After that, dream those big World Series dreams.

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Sep. 24 2011; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks chief executive officer Derrick Hall claps from the stands during a game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks defeated the Giants, 15-2. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

The sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers in late March to a group headed by Lakers’ legend Magic Johnson is certainly good for the game of baseball.  It will revitalize one of the game’s most storied organizations as Johnson and former Braves executive Stan Kasten will do whatever it takes to put a winner on the field.  It will also present a new set of challenges for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

For the past couple of seasons, the Dodgers were hamstrung by the bitter divorce proceedings of Frank and Jamie McCourt.  This fight paralyzed the team when it came to making moves to keep the club competitive.  That will not be the case now, starting at this year’s trade deadline, if not sooner. You can bet Johnson, who has winning seeping through his pores, will stop at nothing to bring a World Series Championship to Chavez Ravine for the first time since 1988.   Having a respected baseball man such as Kasten running things means the baseball operations are in fine hands.

What this means for the Diamondbacks is a little bit like what the Tampa Bay Rays must contend with in the same division as the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.  They will not be able to outspend Los Angeles so they will have to rely on superior personnel decisions.  As chronicled many times here at Venomstrikes, the farm system does have the talent on hand.  The D-Backs do have two benefits that the Rays do not.  The first is Arizona spends more on payroll than Tampa.  The second is that as long as the Rays stay at Tropicana Field, the D-Backs will always have much better attendance giving them a more potent revenue stream.

The sheriffs in Los Angeles will definitely have everyone talking about the Dodgers again.  Will they have enough in 2012 to knock off the new kids in Arizona?

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