Phoenix.BloggersPub

As Tom Hanks once famously (almost) said - except, he clearly hadn’t been to the Cactus League, where the game ends whenever the managers decide it will, usually when all the pitchers concerned have got their work in. Personally, I think I will settle for anything which is not a loss against the Rockies, having had my fill of that particular dish last October. This was a typical early spring-training game. Every starter was replaced before the end of the game, and a total of twenty position players as well as six pitchers used by Arizona, thanks in part to the DH being in effect, at the request of the Rockies. That sound you heard was Micah Owings gnashing his teeth in frustration, at not getting to the plate.

He pitched two innings, and was largely focusing on his change-up, as well as getting used to throwing from a new position on the rubber. The results were about what you’d expect: deuces were entirely wild for Owings, who threw two innings, allowed two hits, two walks and two earned runs, both earned, while striking out - inevitably - two. Of course, it was the second inning that proved his undoing, with the first three Rockies hitters all reaching, on a pair of hits and a walk, and two of them came around to score. Murphy followed Owings up, and it was feast or famine for Bill the Cat, who struck out three in his two frames, but also allowed three hits and a run. Fruto threw two shutout frames, but when Robertson gave up another run in the seventh, to put the Rockies up 4-0, it looked like this one was over.

However, Arizona had a different idea, plating four runs of their own to tie it up in the bottom of the inning. Emilio Bonifacio drove in the first score of 2008 for the Diamondbacks with a sacrifice-fly and non-roster invitee Donny Kelly came through in the clutch with a bases-loaded, two-run single. A wild-pitch then tied the game, and Bonifacio struck again, giving Arizona the lead with a single in the eighth. That gave Brandon Medders a chance of the win, after he’d pitched a perfect frame…albeit not, based on what Wimb said, without a couple of long, deep outs. However, Jailen Peguero couldn’t close it out, giving up two hits and two walks in the ninth, as well as hitting Jeff Baker with the bases-loaded to drive in the tying run. It might have been worse, had Peguero not started a double-play himself earlier in the inning.

Indeed, quite the game for those, with each team turning three apiece. Conor Jackson had two hits, but also caught straying too far off second and was nailed by Podsednik as part of one twin-killing. Geraldo Parra had a good day: playing right-field, where he replaced for starter Justin upton, he went 2-for-2 and scored both times. Alex Romero reached safely in both of his plate-appearances, on a pair of walks and Bonifacio, as noted above, drove in two runs. Less successful were leadoff man Chris Young [0-for-3 with 2 K’s] and our DH, Trot Nixon, who was 0-for-3 with four men left on base. Upton was also hitless in three at-bats.

Randy Johnson faced hitters today, throwing 53 pitches to designated cannon-fodder, chris Rahl and Trent Oeltjen [no word on whether they were wearing red shirts]. Nick Piecoro speculates, based on comments made by Johnson after the game that he’ll have another BP session and then “see where we go from there,” that the Big Unit’s first game will be around about March 7-9, putting him a week or so behind the other starters. Hmmm, if he remains that way, then I’m wondering if the club is aiming to put Johnson out there for the home opener, against the Dodgers on April 7th? Or possibly the day after, since Opening Day at Chase won’t really need any attendance boost. That would also mean he probably wouldn’t need to fly out from Arizona to start, either in Cincinnati or Colorado.

Not that flying appears to be bothering Johnson, since he popped over to New York on Tuesday, to catch Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood in concert, and was back in Tucson on Wednesday. Despite Johnson’s back issues, the trans-continental jaunt did not bother Melvin, “Especially when you are in a private plane, when you have as much room as you need.” Have to say, I was somewhat surprised by this: I hope it’s a sign that Johnson’s back is fully recovered, but it does mean I will probably be rather less sympathetic if the Big Unit cries off any road-trips this season, claiming back issues. I also am curious as to who’s private jet it was that chauffeured Johnson to and from Madison Square Gardens.

On that topic, I asked Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus about Randy’s back, and whether he thought the prognosis for the 2008 season was better or worse than last year. He replied, “Better, because last year they did a microlaminectomy - a small “let’s see if this will hold up and remove the pain” procedure. It didn’t, [so] he had the more serious, invasive, and permanent surgery. I’d think that he can go 25 starts, but it’s likely that he’ll make virtually all of them or very few (1 or 2). He’s not going to pitch in pain and has nothing left to prove.” Except, perhaps, for the shiny bauble of 300 wins.

RJ could be the last to reach that mark for some time. Does Mike Mussina have 50 more wins in him? If not, then the only other under-40’s more than half-way there are Pedro Martinez (209) and Andy Pettitte (201). The Hardball Times Preseason Annual had a fun chart predicting their chances of reaching 300 victories. The leader there is Mussina at 29%, but Martinez is not seen as likely, because of his recent injury issues, and only gets a 2% chance. Pettitte is next, at 12%, and then its Felix Hernandez, which kinda makes sense - he has 30 wins and is still only aged 21. He’s given a 10% chance of hitting 300. Brandon Webb is down at 5%, though only a handful of active pitchers are above that: Carmona, Hudson, Santana and Schilling (6%); Beckett, Peavy and Verlander (7%); Smoltz and Zambrano (8%); Sabathia (9%). Oddly, the book doesn’t list Johnson, but by using this online version of the Bill James Favorite Toy, it gives Randy a 48.4 percent chance of reaching 300.

Finally, a curious story out of Colorado. Call Girl Confesses: Sex At Exclusive Denver Club:

Hmmm. This could potentially get very nasty. Let the baseless speculation begin!

What is it about Patrick Lalime this season that we just cannot seem to solve? He just isn’t THAT good (even though he has some decent games, he implodes waay too often). But like most do or die situations, this game was a lucky-is-sometimes-better -than-good crapshoot. 1 - 0 Hawks was NOT the outcome I […]

Finally, the long, boring, drug-addled off-season is really, really over! Yeah, I know, the pitchers will go at most two innings. We’ll see faces and numbers that will disappear two or three weeks from now. And my player, Eric Byrnes, isn’t even starting today; he starts tomorrow. (That’s OK, I like Jeff […]

If you watched the Suns give up 115+ yet again last night, you surely noticed a #43 out there for a whopping 24 minutes. I’m still trying to figure out how this works.Usually when a team signs a guy to a 10-day contract for no reason other than filling a roster spot, that player […]

(Layne Murdock/NBAE Photos) Led by MVP candidate Chris Paul (25 points, 15 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals) the Hornets beat the Suns, 120-103, for the fourth straight time this season. Shaq or no Shaq it just won’t matter to the Hornets who are now 4-0 vs the Suns this year.
Stoudermire led the Suns with 32 […]

It’s so close that we can now taste it. Tomorrow sees the opening of the Cactus League, as the Diamondback face the Colorado Rockies - hang on, didn’t we play them last time? Micah Owings will get the start for Arizona, though is only scheduled to pitch two innings. Bill Murphy, Emiliano Fruto and Connor Robertson will follow him to the mound, throwing two more innings apiece and we’ll then get one innings of Brandon Medders to finish things off. It seems like forever since we were last able to write that: “Micah Owings will get the start.” Of course, if we can kick the Rockies ass tomorrow, so much the better. The revenge starts here, folks.

Fascinating interview with Josh Byrnes over on ESPN. One point of note was that Byrnes would never give any pitcher an eight-year contract - but might give one to somebody like Justin Upton. He also commented on the bullpen’s role on our success: “A lot of that luxury of usage was because of the starting rotation throwing a lot of innings. That really allowed Bob to use the bullpen that way. There was a pretty clear definition of roles for when the team was ahead, tied or behind. We were able to maintain that over a long season pretty well.” He’s not too concerned about the hitters, feeling there were “encouraging signs” during the year, and that Drew was unlucky. Of particular note, perhaps, are his comments on the long-term contract signed by Byrnes:

Byrnes is also covered on Diamondbacks.com, though there isn’t too much there beyond what you would expect. In fact, Byrnes appears to make an attempt on the record for consecutive cliches in a paragraph, held by Micah Owings, who managed six before his debut last year. Take it away, Eric: “I’m not going to change. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I love this game. I love having the opportunity to play professional baseball and I realize how fortunate I am. There’s not a day that I take for granted playing Major League Baseball.” Oh, just short, Eric, with five - and we have to deduct points for admitting afterwards, “It sounds rehearsed and politically correct.”

Leo Rosales has been impressing in practice, with three good pitches and a particularly-plus change-up, which also has lots of movement in both dimensions. He’s the guy we got in exchange from the Padres for Scott Hairston - to some discontent at the time, since Rosales was unable to pitch after the trade, due to a broken hand. Suffered when he punched a bathroom wall. A titanium plate and six screws later, a suitably-mollified Rosales is back in action: “I was angry and did something stupid. It cost me five months. It was a live-and-learn type of deal. It was one of those things that will never happen again.” Certainly hope so.

On a somber note, Bob McManaman reveals that Orlando Hudson almost lost his mother in November. If anyone can read the following paragraph, describing what Hudson went through, without feeling both a chill, they’ve a colder heart than I: “I looked around and there she was, passed out on the floor, and blood was just everywhere. I thought somebody had come in and shot her dead. I truly did. There was…there was just so much dang blood.” Happily, she pulled through - though not before flat-lining twice. He ended up having to postpone his wedding, but he didn’t care. “The scariest day of my life,” Hudson said. “Nothing scared me so much as seeing my mom like that.” I trust everyone now has an overwhelming urge to call their own Mom. Get well soon, Mrs. Hudson.

The Tribune also writes about Hudson, but looks forward, rather than back, asking, Is Hudson too good for D-Backs to keep?. Jack Magruder thinks, with a good season, Hudson could be looking at $10m-plus per year in his next contract. Chase Utley [seven years, $85m] is mentioned as a “market standard”, though that seems significantly more than Hudson would get, since Utley is much more a threat at the plate than Hudson [Career OPS for the two thus far = 126/97 in favor of Utley]. It does raise the question, can the D-backs afford to sign Hudson? Can they afford not to? Should they bother trying? Or do we presume Hudson has peaked and let some other team pick him up on the downside of his career? And if we do, who is going to play second-base?

O-Dawg, too, makes a stab at the cliche record, going with: “I want to spend the rest of my career here. I love it here. Right now, I’m just thinking about getting my team better and about getting to the postseason again - winning the World Series. I’m not thinking about no contract - no way, shape or form. If I do what I’m supposed to do, everything will be taken care of, anyway.” Bad luck, Orlando! You end up, tied with Eric on five, one short of the record. [I confess to feeling some sympathy for pro athletes who are expected to wax lyrical and find new, interesting ways of expressing the same sentiments. No matter how genuine the feelings, it’s almost impossible for them to do so, without becoming targets for snarky bloggers. But turnabout’s fair play: O-Dawg and Byrnes are welcome, any time, to come and mock my hacks in the batting cages at Crackerjacks. ]

The Tribune, also has a cute story, with Special K and JUpton remininscing about time spent growing up. Upton used to accompany big brother BJ on his travel team trips…where he used to play alongside Mark Reynolds. Said Mark of his now-teammate, “He was always just that annoying little brother running around. Him and my brother just made me and B.J.’s life hell.” Justin was aged six at the time; I imagine if you’d told him then, that he and Mark would end up as rookies on the same major-league team, he’d have laughed, and gone back to playing with his Pokemon cards or whatever.

The good news is, Tony Pena is scheduled to have arrived at Diamondbacks training camp by the end of today, having finally sorted out his visa problems. The bad news is, we have to refer to him for the rest of the season as Carmen Morales. If anyone from the State Department asks, yes, we do have a grandmother, residing in a Sun City retirement home, pitching out of our bullpen. She’s got impressive life on her fastball for an 84-year old. Especially one in a wheelchair.

I removed the D-backs 2008 roster from the sidebar. Unlike previous years, there is really precious little to be decided as we go into Spring Training, with the rotation, position players, bullpen and almost the entire bench apparently set. So there’s not really much point in listing a roster we all should be able to recite by heart. I also got my copy of the Hardball Times Season Preview 2008 through today, and look forward to using its data for an inside edge during our SnakePit Fantasy Baseball season [the league for which should be opening over the weekend - more info to follow shortly on that]. Go buy a copy.

I also wrote a fantasy baseball preview on the D-backs for RosterMag, the fantasy wing of MVN - a lot more good, free information for rotisserieheads can be found over at rostermag.com. I guess that’s somewhat disloyal of me, since MVN are one of SB Nation’s rivals, but I’m not going to change. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I love covering this game. I love having the opportunity to write about professional baseball and I realize how fortunate I am. There’s not a day that I take for granted writing about Major League Baseball. Now, why does that sound familiar?

And with that, may battle commence - for the first time in 2008, I get to say, “Let’s go, Diamondbacks!” And, boy, does it feel good.

So the Suns have sputtered a bit since the trade. They’ve had a few tough losses and a couple blowouts as they played without Marion and now with Shaquille O’Neal. A subject that’s been coming up a lot is the playoffs. After what we saw with Dallas last year (and even Cleveland when you think […]

Well as Mike correctly predicted last week, the Cardinals low balled OL Elton Brown and offered him a paltry $927,000 offer today.  If another team matches or beats that, then the Cards will get a 4th round pick in return.  They also decided not to present Darryl Blackstock an offer.  The idea in all of […]

photo courtesy of azcardinals.comThis is a post by Mark on MVN.com The release of Roosevelt Colvin by the NE Patriots likely indicates that the perennial power is going to take a run at a replacement and I think Calvin Pace is squarely on their radar screen. He’s a perfect fit for the Patriots system and mindset […]

Brent,I understand this must be a tough time for you. The San Antonio Spurs traded you to Seattle to retool in their quest for a repeat and fifth NBA title. It’s gotta hurt. Not only did they feel they could get there without you, now they are dangling money to come back as if nothing […]