Spring Training: Don’t hit the Panic button
By Tyler Roberts
Sometimes when there is so much hype surrounding a baseball team, such as there is with the Arizona Diamondbacks, people tend to get skeptical at the first sign of trouble even if it is in spring training before the season has even begun. If anything, the D-backs struggles in spring training is a good sign of things to come.
Last year in spring training, the Diamondbacks went a mediocre 12-25 and this spring training’s 1-4 doesn’t seem to be much different and I know you all remember how the Diamondbacks finished the 2011 season, winning the NL West crown. Now there is something to be said about manager Kirk Gibson’s philosophy coming into spring training. He seems to be more focused on fundamentals and situational baseball, which should be the focus entering spring training.
There have been flashes of brilliance, but overall the things we need to be concentrating on is the players getting the reps and practice so they are in game shape by opening day. So if someone tells you it is time to hit the panic button on the D-backs NL West repeat bid, you can calmly and cooly be reassured that is not the case.
There have been several bright spots so far in the first six games of spring training one of which has been Chris Young. He has been an animal at the plate, hitting .500 with a .667 slugging percentage, a home run and an RBI. Another of the bright spots has been top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer. Bauer started the first game of spring training, throwing two innings of no-hit ball while striking out two batters.
Again, don’t be so quick to pass judgment on the start to the spring training, we are just beginning and there are much better things to come from this young team in 2012. Gibson will have this team ready to take on the rigors of the season and they will be at the top or near the top of the division.
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