D-backs Buzz on the Arizona Diamondbacks

How D-backs are shaping up in '12

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:59:00 PST

All in all, I'm feeling good about the off-season moves by D-backs GM Kevin Towers. Three names that stand out are Trevor Cahill, Takashi Saito, and Jason Kubel. In Cahill they're picking up a very solid middle of the rotation guy who the D-backs are hoping will return to more of his 2010 form when he went 18-8 with a 2.97 - outstanding numbers for an AL guy. Saito might be 42 when the season starts, but this guy is as nasty as he's ever been coming out of the pen...I really like this signing. Kubel was a surprise pickup to most of us, but I can see why KT wanted to put a little more pop into LF. Should be real interesting to see how Parra works his way into the lineup...he's certainly a valuable piece and his defense should still allow him to see the field on a semi-regular basis.

Looking forward to heading out to Salt River Fields in a few weeks! I certainly recall the D-backs of '11 looked awful during Spring Training....maybe they can kick it around the yard even more in ST of '12 and turn that into bigger and better results come playoff time...Regardless...it's almost time for baseball....

Where are the D-backs heading right now?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:33:00 PDT

I see this rubber game matchup tonight with the Rockies as fairly pivotal in the grand scheme of the long 2011 season. If they can win the series against the NL West leader (and I believe the division champion at the end of the year), it will set the proper tone going forward for what this team is able to accomplish.

Nobody is foolish to believe that the D-backs will contend at all this season, but I still believe in my prediction that they can be a .500 ballclub. That's a lofty goal to be sure for a team coming off of 97 losses of a year ago, but they should have enough hitting and defense (and just enough pitching) to finish in the middle of the division.

Losing this series with the Rockies will obviously not kick them to the basement, but it will bruise their psyche a bit and push them a step in the wrong direction.

DbacksBuzz interview with Barry Enright!

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:57:00 PST

D-backs starting pitcher Barry Enright was gracious enough to take some time out of his schedule to share with us his thoughts and opinions on a multitude of topics. Since becoming a Twitter regular last year, Barry has endeared himself to not only D-backs fans, but to the Twitter baseball community as a whole. His passion for both life and baseball is clearly evident for all of those who follow.

Andrew Ryan: What were your favorite sports to play growing up as a kid?

Barry Enright: Loved almost everything growing up. I played Soccer, basketball, baseball, and golf. Soccer turned into Football when I got to High school and football is one of the sports I miss most. Played four sports in High School. I'm a big believer in playing everything for as long as you can.

AR: Were there any family members or friends that were particularly instrumental in forming your love of sports?

BE: Everyone in my family has played their part. My dad (who past away when I was 13) played the biggest part as he coached all my sports growing up. If it wasn't for my mom staying committed to all my camps and my schooling along the way I wouldn't have had the opportunities that I did tho. Also my brothers, I would make them play with me everyday, sometimes I even make them play catch with me when I'm home to visit haha.

AR: What was your major at Pepperdine, and were you more of a stay-at-home studier or a partier?

BE: My major was Advertising with an emphasis on Business. I wasn't much of a partier. I came from a small Catholic High School and the transition in a 2,800 student body and Pepperdine wasn't too different. It made it easier to focus on school and especially Baseball.

AR: If you weren't a professional baseball player, what would you envision yourself doing?

BE: If I wasn't playing baseball I would probably be coaching or something along the lines of helping people. I love to teach and love to be able to make a positive influence on peoples, especially young kids lives.

AR: How would you describe your diet (the good, the bad and the ugly)?

BE: I try to do the best I can. Its hard sometimes after a game when you are hungry and there isn't much variety to eat. I try to "eat in" more often because I'm able to dictate what I'm making. When I eat out I eat tons of Sushi. Not always the best for you, but much better than most and it's my favorite!

AR: Favorite movies, TV shows?

BE: My favorite movie is "Boondock Saints" and I have a lot of guilty pleasures when it comes to T.V. Shows. Some embarrassing some not haha!

AR: What inspires you to strive for greatness in life?

BE: What helps me wake up and be motivated everyday is knowing I'm so blessed in getting to do something I love. With my dad passing away when I was 13 it showed me life and anything in life can be taken away from you at any moment. I try my best to never take anything for granted. God has blessed me and I do my best in glorifying him.

AR: You are a great addition to the Twitter nation, as it's so rare for a professional athlete to engage with fans the way you do (and seem to enjoy). Do you have any concerns with athletes giving real-time criticism of players in their own sport, or do you find the impromptu and candid expression a positive addition overall?

BE: When it comes to anything like that I'm a very positive person. I try not to bash other players because I know someday someone might not always agree with what I'm doing or have done. Some people might be different and that doesn't mean I agree with all that other players have done. I just like to "try" to keep most of that stuff to myself.

AR: Where do you call home now in the offseason? With the new Salt River Fields complex now complete, will that make it any more likely for you to be in the Phoenix area year-round?

BE: I actually just bought a home out in Chandler Az. I love it out here and hope to be a part of the Dbacks for a long long time. We need to bring another ring back to the desert and that starts with putting some wins together this year. I can't wait to see everyone out at the ballpark! It's almost here!!!

D-backs/Rockies getting set for ST at Salt River Fields

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:58:00 PST

It's almost showtime for the new $100 million Spring Training complex in Scottsdale to be shared by the D-backs and Rockies. The facility has put together a very nice website at http://www.saltriverfields.com, where among other things, you can use the live webcam to watch the progress (http://www.saltriverfields.com/the-project/live-webcam.aspx). D-backs President Derrick Hall has a quick video of the site as well (http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13089877).

With an 11,000-seat capacity ballpark along with 12 practice fields on 140 acres, it's an impressive venue for not only the 6 weeks of Spring Training, but also for use as a general purpose facility for concerts, festivals, baseball, and soccer tournaments the rest of the year. It also looks to be a good offseason location for player use. One cool idea developed here is that both the Rockies and D-backs will each have a practice field that has the exact dimensions of their respective ballparks, Coors Field and Chase Field.

While the new complex will be fun to go see for the first time this Spring, I'm really just looking forward to baseball again. Nothing beats the smell of fresh cut grass as you approach the practice fields for the early spring team workouts. Come on February...get here already!

D-backs moving to the future after trade deadline

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:20:00 PDT

With the trading deadline now come and gone, it's time to reflect a bit on what the D-backs were able to accomplish. Overall, I think that interim GM Jerry Dipoto did an admirable job given the circumstances he was placed in. He managed to shed about $47M of payroll over the next few years ($23.8M for next season alone), which should allow for much more flexibility moving forward in terms of future acquisitions.

To be honest, the team is certainly in no worse shape than before the trading started, and I would argue a better team. The Dan Haren deal falls in the D-backs favor in that Joe Saunders is a very respectable starter in this league, and whose numbers almost exactly mirror those of Haren's this year, and gives them the lefty starter they've so desperately needed. It also clearly appears that Tyler Skaggs will be the PTBNL in the deal once August 7th rolls around, and he is a much coveted LHP that the D-backs could see in the bigs within a couple of years.

19-year old LHP Tyler Skaggs

For the Edwin Jackson dealing to the White Sox, I like getting Dan Hudson in return. Jackson was clearly not providing top of the rotation performance for the money for AZ, and Hudson is a young starter who had remarkable AAA stats this year. It remains to be seen if he will pan out, but don't see any downside over Jackson.

The Chad Qualls deal was a no-brainer...and I'm shocked the D-backs actually managed to get a PTBNL out of it.

As for Chris Snyder going to the Pirates, I'm not really sure what to make of this one, although dumping his salary was first and foremost for the front office. Getting a couple of veterans in Bobby Crosby and Ryan Church doesn't look to be long-term in nature, and guessing these guys were pushed on the D-backs in order to make this deal happen. RHP D.J. Carrasco struggled in his debut last night, but he'll be given a chance for the rest of the season to see if he can stick around.

As for the guys that were not dealt, sure glad that Kelly Johnson remains a Diamondback. He is an outstanding hitting 2B, and his price tag is well worth it. Let's hope he remains in uniform through next year as well.

Overall I'm quite pleased with how they fared. Let's see if the next month of waiver deals provides any additional movement.

D-backs in serious tailspin....good thing

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 29 May 2010 12:08:00 PDT

It reminds me of early 2009, when nothing seemed to go the D-backs way. This team is in such a skid right now that you wonder where to look next for help. But maybe that's actually a good thing....huh??? It's analogous to the stock market where the market runs out of sellers and it truly hits a bottom. Hopefully the sellers have dried up in the National League now as well and there's nothing but up now for Arizona.

Get the offense rolling again....get Haren back on top of his game....shore up the bullpen....

It's still only May, I have to think this way :-)

D-backs decisions very disappointing last night

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:36:00 PDT

Where to start after that absolute disaster last night......After getting away with a blown save the previous night, you just knew that the stars would not align two games in succession. The D-backs continued to show the offensive prowess that we've seen since season start, but some very disappointing performances and decisions killed what would have been a critical early-season series win.

Dan Haren pitched an outstanding game obviously....a masterful comeback start after his last abysmal outing. Although it wasn't a critical factor here, I though A.J. Hinch left Haren in the game 1/3 of an inning too long. I mean why on earth would he run him out there in the sixth with 110+ pitches already under his belt in his third start of the year.....Haren has historically been a poor second half of the season pitcher....don't think this type of decision is going to help reverse that trend.

As for Aaron Heilman giving up the first blown save of the night, I'll give him a pass there as it was really his only tough outing of the year.

Juan Gutierrez was nails as usual, and then the ball was given to Chad Qualls, who promptly gave up the second blown save of the night, and his second in as many nights. I won't even bother with the argument of whether Gutierrez should replace Qualls in the ninth, because there really is no discussion needed.

The next Hinch decision which was absolutely brutal of course, was in pitching to Andre Ethier in the 10th. Did Hinch not know that Ethier is a walk-off machine? The casual sports fan watching SportsCenter on occasion last year knew this guy was filthy in the clutch. I know Man Ram was on deck, but pitching around Ethier would have at least set up a double play situation that Manny could have easily rolled into.

I knew Gracie spoke way too early last night when he basically was handing the D-backs the series win in the ninth when they had the 2-run lead. It was a kiss of death. It's really too bad, because would have been a monster series win, and one that would have really helped to galvanize this team to really good things in April...

Last week of Spring Training in Tucson...forever

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:59:00 PDT

It is with great sadness that a Spring Training era comes to an end after next week. From the Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks, major league baseball will officially depart Tucson.....most likely forever.

For over 60 years, from the Indians first year in 1947, Tucson has always been the home to at least one team for Spring Training. With the Indians departure to Florida after 1992 (and now back in the Phoenix area of course), Tucson quickly rebounded and landed the Colorado Rockies in 1993. Five years later, the White Sox and Diamondbacks joined them.

It just seems hard to imagine not seeing any teams coming here again after next week. And it really won't hit home for real until next February when pitchers and catchers report and there will be nothing in Tucson but signs pointing north to go see baseball.

Hopefully a few Japanese league teams will in fact land here and play at TEP soon, but it still won't be the same. Nothing can replace good old-fashioned American major league baseball....especially in the spring.

Great day at the ballpark

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:49:00 PST

In what I would consider an absolutely perfect day for baseball, took in the D-backs and A's yesterday at TEP in Tucson. The backdrop of the snow capped Catalina Mountains beyond left-center field is a thing of beauty. Clear skies. About 70 degrees. Oh, and the D-backs hammered the A's 10-1.

I was quite impressed with Ian Kennedy in the start. Now the A's aren't exactly the Bronx Bombers of the West Coast, but saw enough of Kennedy to believe he will in fact be a solid fourth (or gasp third if Webb is DL'd) starter in this rotation. Probably as good as any fourth guy in the N.L. The Arizona bullpen was quite impressive as well - it seems to me that Juan Gutierrez is getting better and better. He's just seems to have a good combination of power and command.

Still pushing for Tony Abreu to make this squad, but my feeling at this point is that Augie Ojeda will make the club to start the season, and Abreu will go to AAA Reno. That gives the D-backs the flexibility of bringing Abreu back at anytime if needed. Abreu just really impresses with both his defensive skills (solid range, soft hands, and much better shortstop than Ojeda) and has displayed a great knack for spraying the ball around as well. Just don't think Byrnes and Hinch are quite ready to pull the trigger on Abreu and keep him on the Opening Day roster....but I'd give them many props if they did.

On the flip side, sure wish I was seeing more out of Chris Young. I'm seeing a lot of the same from him at the plate, and somewhat surprised as this spring is huge for Young in terms of getting back in the good graces of this team. Hope he picks it up in the next couple of weeks....

Spring Training video from today

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:08:00 PST

Another great day at the yard today watching the D-backs practice. As promised yesterday, I grabbed some miscellaneous video from the happenings of the day:

Thoughts on Spring Training workout today

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:12:00 PST

Finally got down to TEP today to see the D-backs first full-squad workout...and wasn't disappointed. From the clear blue skies and snow capped Catalina mountains hovering over the outfield fences, to the reliable Susan with her energetic clapping and praising.

I'd give the team a B+ for what I saw out there today. Mainly focusing on the newer guys, I thought Kelly Johnson really looked the part of a defensive second baseman. For a guy that's pretty big for that position (6'1" and 205), he looked rather fluid in his fielding and quick releases to both second and first. Backup Tony Abreu infielder also was impressive with his defensive skills. If improving the D-backs defense this year is a priority, adding Abreu, Johnson, and the reliable Adam LaRoche (2 errors last year) to the infield will be a clear boost.

Mark Reynolds looked the part of the guy about to get paid...how about that wig of hair he's sporting right now...wow....

I was also trying to get a feel for the atmosphere of the team with it being the first time A.J. Hinch now running the show. I have to say that it did feel a bit more serious than in years past. Maybe that was due in part to the ever serious Matt Williams running many of the drills, but maybe just due to the fact that this team feels like it has something to prove this year...and that's not a bad thing.

Overall, was a good day out there. But, then when isn't a day of Spring Training baseball a good day. Heading back out there tomorrow and hope to get some video to return here.

Figuring out Spring Training

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:23:00 PST

Trying to figure out exactly which games to attend this spring.....since it's the last year in Tucson, would like to see as many as possible. The first date that jumps out to me is the March 16 game against the Reds. Having Cincinnati in AZ for the first time this year is sweet. I grew up being a huge Big Red Machine kid, and although I've lost interest in the team over the last 20 or so years, it still brings back so many good memories thinking of my heroes: Rose, Foster, Bench, Morgan.......unreal.

Seeing the Dodgers would be good for obvious reasons....but the last time I saw them it was a total zoo at the park. I quite frankly would rather go see the Royals or A's than the Dodgers or Cubs. Those big draw games tend to get out of hand with some of the fans....I'd much prefer to sit around with some of the knowledgeable D-backs faithful any day. And staying outside of the NL West is also a good thing...18-19 games for each of them coming in the next 6 months is quite enough.

So, that settles it.....A's, Reds, Royals to start...and maybe finish it off with the Rangers. Sounds like a perfect March to me.

Pre-season prediction

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:59:00 PST

It's still a week away now from pitchers and catchers, but here's a quick off the cuff prediction of the D-backs fate in 2010: second place behind the Rockies with a record of 88-74.

Looking forward to '10

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:30:00 PST

I'm really looking forward to 2010 for the D-backs. With some new pitching help in Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, and 2B Kelly Johnson, I can see some positive things on the horizon. Plus the bonus of bringing Brandon Webb back in what will hope to be at least 90% of his former self, gives me a good deal of optimism for '10. Even though Webby's stay in AZ may be short lived, that's a really nice rotation that sets up at least for this year.

On the offense...well, just need to hope that Conor Jackson is back healthy and that Mark Reynolds can continue to build on his performance of last year. As for Eric Byrnes....I'm still pleading with Josh to get him moved to the Yankees...Cashman is looking for a backup right-handed hitting outfielder...what better guy to see in the Big Apple than our favorite showman Byrnes.

Absolutely brutal bullpen woes

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:12:00 PDT

As unbelievable as Dan Haren was tonight...and I mean spectacular...from both the bump and at the plate...for him to go out without a win was an absolute disaster. I really feel for Haren - the guy does everything possible, and that corps of guys out in that pen are a complete disaster. Tony Pena looked worse tonight than last night...loading the bases up before handing the ball over to newcomer Daniel Schlereth - which in my mind was inexcusable to put him in that situation. Hinch doesn't have many options out there, but for a guy just called up last Friday, it's not the right call in that big of a stage. Sure hope that doesn't hurt his confidence down the road.

This was one of the most disappointing losses I can recall in the last 10 years. Just when you think they're coming together...they fall right back apart.

Well....let the Hinching begin

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Fri, 08 May 2009 21:53:00 PDT

I'm a bit skeptical as the A.J. Hinch era officially began tonight at Chase Field. I think Hinch may end up getting the job done, but signing him to a contract through 2012 seems absolutely absurd. I mean...based on what? Sounds like a whole lot of wishful thinking going on in the upstairs of Chase.

While I certainly agree that this team has underperformed tremendously over the past year, I'm still not sold on the fact that sacking BoMel was the right call here. A change was certainly necessary here as the team has clearly stagnated since the start of the year.

But could effective change have been accomplished with Melvin still at the helm?

Yes, and here's how it could have happened:

1.) Fire the hitting coach, Rick Schu.

2.) Send Chris Young and Conor Jackson down to Reno for a couple of weeks, minimum. It would clearly send a message to the rest of the team that it's time to put up or realize that your major league career is in serious jeopardy.

3.) Hope and pray.

For the sake of this team and the fans, let's hope the Josh Byrnes/A.J. Hinch marriage works out. I'll evaluate after a month and see where we are.

Bob Melvin was an incredibly classy guy and will be missed by many, including myself. Good luck BoMel.

Some impressive looks in Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 08:20:00 PDT

The one guy that I have been impressed with thus far this spring is Ryan Roberts. The 29-year old journeyman second baseman has put up some pretty good numbers. Hitting .344 with 3 stolen bases, and leads the team with 32 ABs. I got to see him for the first time yesterday in game action, and while the tatted up Roberts is not likely destined for the 40-man roster, a good spring will give the D-backs some options with him.

Conor Jackson continues to rake....and made more than a few excellent catches in the outfield. A couple against the wall....a shoestring catch on a ball in shallow left. It's going to be very difficult for Mr. Eric Byrnes to make a case for playing time in left. He will need to hope that Conor ends up playing a lot more first than Jackson would like.

D-backs Spring '09 Report - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 13:26:00 PST

Talk about a hitting clinic. The Sunday edition of the spring workouts at TEP brought a trio guys together that just smoked the ball for a good 20 minutes or so. The three guys: Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes, and Chad Tracy. I haven't seen a dinger barrage like that in quite some time.

Even Bo Mel was quite impressed. He came over in the middle of it all, and it was obvious he was happy with what he saw. He was congratulating the BP coach when the rare ground ball would find it's way off of a bat. For the most part, all that was seen were either screaming line drives, or towering home runs. And of course Susan the super fan was right there giving her hoopla to the festivities. It was good stuff.

I think there really is something to make of the Jackson and Byrnsie competition. I'm just a guy on the outside looking in, but there seems to be a little fight there...and who could blame either guy. Nobody wants to lose their job. Not that last year wasn't a good year for Jackson, but I really believe this will be a breakout season for him.

First game is on Wednesday, and I will certainly miss the workouts. It's the one time of year where getting so close to the action truly gives you the inside perspective on how the team operates, both from the standpoint of strategy and the relationships that can be seen and developed.

D-backs Spring '09 Report

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 12:30:00 PST

There's nothing quite like spending an hour or two watching Spring Training workouts. To get insight into their workouts and seeing what the coaching staff is stressing in practice is really quite interesting.

One of the things that bench coach Kirk Gibson and Brett Butler have been emphasizing is smarter base running. In a workout on Friday, Gibson was emphatic to the young players in his approach to taking the correct angles on the bag, accelerating into the turn, and pushing off in order to maximize the chances of taking the next base. While this team does have decent home run power, running the bases properly is easily worth a few wins a year. Given the competition they will face with the Dodgers this year, that can't be understated.

As for batting practice, the guys that jumped out to me were Justin Upton and Conor Jackson. Both guys were smoking the ball. Not so much out of the park, although Upton did hit a couple of monster shots, but more the bat speed and ferocity that both were taking to the plate. Eric Byrnes didn't look too bad either, as he will certainly have his hands full getting playing time this year. But knowing Byrnsie, he'll be in there more than he's not.

As for the up and comers, Gerardo Parra has always impressed me, and continues to do so. He and fellow outfielder Trent Oeltjen will both be participating in the World Baseball Classic in early March (Parra with Venezuela and Oeltjen with Australia), so will miss a chunk of the early games, but I think both will make a good impression in limited action. Oeltjen is a fun guy to watch. Always smiling and kidding around with the guys. They all seem to get a kick out of his funky Aussie accent.

More updates to come....

A-Rod story is sad for the kids...

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:22:00 PST

For all of you out there in the 30+ age bracket like myself, yesterday's revelation that Alex Rodriguez used steroids in 2003 is the nail in the coffin for a complete era in baseball.

Sad....so sad.

When I was growing up, major league baseball players were viewed in such high regard and esteem by us Little Leaguers. Certainly the players of the 70's and 80's were not perfect, not by any stretch. But they were truly my heroes. My friends and I all looked up to them; wished we could be just like them; dreamed of someday playing like them.

Unfortunately, today's kids don't have that luxury. Sure, they have the PlayStation and Wii that we never had. But they've been stripped of their imagination to dream of becoming someone that they really believe in. They can't believe in these players today...and it's sad.

Pitchers & catchers in less than 2 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:11:00 PST

Wow....what better gift could I imagine my wife getting me for Valentine's Day than the D-backs pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training. Yeah, it's a bit lame, but this is the date we hard core seam heads wait for three months to see every year.

And it's really hard to believe it's less than two weeks away now.

From mlb.com, here are some important dates upcoming in February:

FEB. 1-21, 2009

Salary arbitration hearings

FEB. 2-7, 2009

Caribbean Series

FEB. 14, 2009

• First date injured players, pitchers and catchers may report to Spring Training.
• All World Baseball Classic players for the teams from China, Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei must report to Spring Training.
• All pitchers and catchers for other World Baseball Classic teams must report to Spring Training.

FEB. 17, 2009

• First date all players may report to Spring Training.
• Remaining World Baseball Classic position players must report to Spring Training.

FEB. 22, 2009

Mandatory Spring Training reporting date for all players.

D-backs finally snag Garland in rotation

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:51:00 PST

Well, it wasn't easy....but the D-backs were able to get back with Jon Garland today and sign him to a 1-year deal with an option for 2010. This will definitely help the rotation with the loss of the Big Unit. No specifics were available on the money, but believe to be in the $6 - $8 million range. Not too bad. Although Randy did sign for $8 million with San Francisco, the front office obviously sees more value in the 29-year old Garland.

Garland has never been able to reproduce his 2005 World Series winning season with the White Sox where he went 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA (although he did have a 18-7 and 4.51 ERA in '06), he is certainly a durable pitcher when you look at his innings.

Thumbs up on the move Josh Byrnes.

New MLB network

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:28:00 PST

Gotta admit...seeing the new MLB network come to life on my cable system on Jan 1 was better than any Xmas present I could have received. For die hard seam heads like myself, I can't get enough of it. Although, I still have to challenge my four and seven year old kids between the Disney Channel and Game 5 of last year's World Series, I'm winning at least some of the time.

The Hot Stove show has caught my interest the most thus far. It's just the kind of junkie outlet that I can turn to at various times in the day. And the classic World Series games are truly epic...especially for somebody like myself who grew up watching the Game of the Week on NBC in the late 70's...seeing these old time games is awesome.

So, many thanks to MLB for putting this network on the air. It is already starting to fire me up for Spring.

D-backs ink 2B Lopez

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:09:00 PST

Jon Heyman from SI.com has indicated that the D-backs have signed a 1-year deal with Felipe Lopez. That's not a bad signing. Lopez, who played with the Nationals and Cards last year, hit .283 and is a lifetime .262 hitter over eight seasons. It's obviously a stop gap measure to fill at second base for Arizona, so hopefully something bigger will pan out in the coming years.

But, the best part of the Lopez signing for the D-backs, is that they now pick up one of the "hot baseball wives" according to umpbump.com. Here's a shot of the infielder's wife on umpbump.

D-backs pick up Rauch option?

noreply@blogger.com (Andrew Ryan) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:46:00 PDT

Well...not much suprises me anymore...but the when I saw that the Diamondbacks decided to pick up the option year of Jon Rauch yesterday, well....that was an unpleasant surprise. The D-backs were on the hook for $2M for him next year, and decided to pick up the 2010 option year at $2.9M.

"He's been a successful Major League reliever," Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said. "Having Jon for two more years is a good thing.

Had they not picked up his option year he would have been eligible for salary arbitration in '10. So....the D-backs are locking up their big gun Jon Rauch because they expect a banner performance out of him next year and don't want to get burned by arbitration that may not go their way.....hmm.....

Somebody might want to run over to Chase Field and see if Rauch is still on the mound getting shelled. I think the season ended and Bo Mel just left him out there.

I realize that Rauch did have an impressive start when coming to Arizona at mid-season, but he just fell apart after that. Maybe at $2.9M it's not that big of a deal and he'll come around, but I'm sorry, I just don't see it.