Arizona Diamondbacks Team Preview
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 3:33 PM PDT
in Team Previews
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PrintThe Diamondbacks had their share of misfortune in 2009 and things haven't changed much so far in 2010. Brandon Webb was expected to be ready by opening day but once spring training began he entered the Jason Schmidt zone. He's been shut down, visited several doctors, and might be back in late May. Or not. We know how that dance goes. Miguel Montero the promising young catcher tore his meniscus over the weekend and was just placed on the DL. They upgraded at 1st and got Conor Jackson back in LF. They rebuilt the front end of the bullpen but it remains to be seen if they will be anymore effective then the bodies they replaced. The rotation would look better with Webb but without him they are using Rodrigo Lopez as the fourth starter and luckily for them have not had to use a fifth starter yet.
The Diamondbacks are fresh off a 15 run outburst against the Pirates which propelled them into 2nd place with a 4-2 record.
Changes:
Notable Losses: Max Scherzer, Chad Tracy, Eric Byrnes, Doug Davis
Notable Additions: Edwin Jackson, Tony Abreu, Adam LaRoche, Kelly Johnson, Ian Kennedy, Aaron Heilman
Old Friends: Edwin Jackson, Tony Abreu
Position Breakdown
1st Base-Ex Brave Adam LaRoche comes over to give the power position some punch. LaRoche a notorious slow starter has hit over 20 home runs every year since becoming a regular 1st baseman. A huge upgrade over the position in 2009 he was a big part of the Braves 2nd half run at the Phillies.
2nd Base-Another ex-Brave Kelly Johnson was signed as a FA to handle the 2nd base chores after losing his job to Prado in Atlanta. Johnson has good power for a 2nd baseman and brings some solid on base skills. He had a lot of health problems in 2010 and if they resurface expect Tony Abreu to step right in to fill his shoes.
SS -Stephen Drew had a tough 2009 after posting an excellent OPS+ of 109 in 2008. Other then his debut season he has yet to match up his production with the hype that followed him when he was drafted with the 15th pick in 2004. He enters his age 27 season so big things could still happen for him.
3rd Base - Mark Reynolds probably had his career year in 2009 with 44 home runs. Those home runs come with a price as he has struck out over 427 times in the last two years. Hard to keep a batting average around .260 when you make so little contact. Expect some regression across the board this year.
C - Miguel Montero developed into a solid catcher in 2009 replacing Chris Snyder. However Montero just tore his meniscus and has been placed on the 15 day DL meaning we will see Chris Snyder. Snyder who lost his starting job to Montero last summer had a huge game on Sunday driving in five runs.
CF - Chris Young holds promise but every year he comes up empty. He hit 32 home runs in his 23 year old rookie but that has dropped from 32 - 22 - 15 right along with his slug% from .467 - .443 - .400. Combined with a low batting average he's been a liability for the lineup. He has gotten off to a fast start in 2010 fueled by zero K's in the first week of the season.
RF - Justin Upton is expected to battle Matt Kemp for best complete player in the NL West over the next few years. Justin made his debut at the tender age of 19 so while he's been around a few years he's only 22 and primed for big things in 2010.
LF - Conor Jackson returns from a lost season to take over the leadoff and LF gig for the Diamondbacks. Connor Jackson gives you a decent average, good ob skills, medium power.
Bench -Tony Abreu provides support at 2nd, SS, and 3rd base. Geraldo Parra is an excellent fourth outfielder.
Starting Pitching for our Series:
Game One -Ian Kennedy was the number one pick in the 2006 draft out of USC for the Yankees. Ian came over in the three way Scherzer - Jackson - Kennedy deal where the Diamondbacks filled two spots in their rotation. Ian Kennedy was hurt last year but is expected to be a mainstay in the rotation this year.
Game Two - Much traveled Rodrigo Lopez will go in game two. Lopez has not pitched more then 14 games in the majors since 2006 but here he is in the Diamondback rotation. His skills are gone, and he may not be here the next time I do one of these.
Game Three - Diamondback ace Dan Haren will go in game three. Haren has typically been one of the best 1st half pitchers in baseball ever since he joined the Diamondbacks. With Webb still sidelined Haren has a huge load to carry until Webb shows up.
Bullpen: Chad Qualls has turned from a quality setup man into a quality closer. Trying to get the ball to him will be ex-Cub Aaron Heilman, ex-Brave Blaine Boyer, ex-Giant Bob Howry, and LHP Jordan Norberto. Filling out the bullpen is Juan Gutierrez, Esmerling Vazuez, and Leo Rosales. The only LHP in the bullpen appears to be Norberto so they will have a hard time matching up with Andre in late game situations. Heilman and Gutierrez have the best skills in the bullpen.
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Comments
Catching up on the threads…
…boy that was a disappointing road trip.
On honeycutt: that’s fascinating stuff. I’d really like to see how he compares in his visits with other coaches.
On Loney: I don’t really get the calls to platoon him. Either you think he should be given this year to put it together or you don’t. If you don’t, the platoon solves nothing. I do think he should be given this year, and a horrible first week, though frustrating, doesn’t change that. Ask me again in August.
By the way, I’m posting by iPhone and it’s tough to review/edit my comments, so please forgive typos.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Apr 12, 2010 10:13 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
I agree on Loney
We have a fairly healthy contingent led by M White and Oshea who don’t like Loney at all but they are not the majority. Not yet anyway.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions
+1
This is the crucial year for Loney, but let him have the [half-]year. He is still relatively cheap and we don’t need to make any major decisions on him right now. Here is my main thought on Loney: I’m not sure if he’s going to be the solution for us at 1b, but I do think as soon as he’s traded he breaks out. There’s not even doubt in my mind on that last point. I’m still bullish long-term, though it does get frustrating at times.
Loney really confuses me a lot. I still like him well enough, but he seems so different from the hitter that I saw when he first came up. Back then, he seemed to hit almost everything on the screws with lots of line drives resulting, the only question was whether he could get elevation on those line drives so that they turn into HRs. Now, he seems to he many more dribblers, I don’t get it.
Pitchers adjusted?
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions
Thing is, I’m not so sure I’m right about Loney. The bears could be right, he might not develop, and they’ll have the right to say they told me so all along. I just think he should get one more year, but “no, he shouldn’t” is in my opinion an entirely reasonable position.
What’s for certain is that Loney didn’t do himself any favors this week.
That’s enough from me about Loney. Now: bison. That was some awful at bat from my favorite player.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Apr 12, 2010 11:03 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Montero Update:
Per RotoWire:
Miguel Montero © AZ 4/12/2010
Montero (knee) will need to undergo surgery to repair his torn meniscus, the Arizona Republic reports. The D-Backs haven’t announced a timetable for his recovery, but a four-to-six week absence seems like a good starting point if no further damage is discovered. The D-Backs still haven’t determined if there’s ligament damage, which could significantly add time to that timetable. Ultimately, Montero’s recovery will depend on how quickly he’s able to regain the range of motion and strength in his knee following the operation.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Nick Piecoro (AZ Republic) says Jon Hester has been called up from Reno to take Montero’s roster spot.
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Been a while since I thought about Osuna. I liked him quite a bit.
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Holy shit, Osuna is only 37 today. Sign him up! :)
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks for playing, Mr. Ortiz (either one)…be sure to grab all of your stuff on the way out.
by KellyStephen on Apr 12, 2010 12:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Wow, Scherzer fell apart in a hurry today.
The Ultimate Ned's Kind of Guy
by Humma Kavula on Apr 12, 2010 11:17 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
The biggest over favorite
was Boston over Minnesota today, but I see that the line has had a “major” correction since last night and it’s quite a bit more reasonable.
vr, Xei
Not sure if this is good or bad
AZ Diamondbacks promo:
Head to Taco Bell today between 4-6pm. Since the #Dbacks scored more than 6 runs yesterday, get three FREE Tacos w/the purchase of a drink!
As a DBacks fan
It helped keep me fed last season.
Of course, when the only thing less reliable than my income was the Diamondbacks pitching, it wasn’t fun. But whether I got tacos or watched our bullpen, either way I had to worry about intestinal unhappiness.
"Do we hug?" "I think we're too manly."
by kishi on Apr 12, 2010 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Posey
He’s on fire in AAA. If he’s not their starting catcher by the All-Star break, they’re really stupid.
Can't handle Velocity:)
which is why’s he catching Bumgarner:)
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 11:59 AM PDT up reply actions
I thought that anecdote was funny. I, like Eric Collins and Steve Lyons, had never heard a catcher described in such a way before.
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Unless it was used to describe their hitting ability
As in Bob Uecker could not handle velocity.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Kennedy has quite a cheesy grin.
It will be entertaining to hear what Vin has to say about him tomorrow.
I hope Vin gets his anecdotes about Kennedy in before Kennedy is lifted in the 3rd :)
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Hell yeah!
But you’ve gotta think this is Kennedy’s biggest career start. I’m sure he was a huge Dodger fan growing up.
by silverwidow on Apr 12, 2010 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions
He’s from Huntington Beach – is he just as likely, or more likely, to have been a huge Angels fan while growing up?
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Apr 12, 2010 12:36 PM PDT up reply actions
The fact he went to USC
means he was a Dodger fan. Otherwise if he wanted a half ass education but a great baseball program he could have stayed behind the Orange Curtain and become a Titan.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 12:41 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree wholeheartedly. Either that or it was the chicks. Lord knows it wasn’t the neighborhood.
by KellyStephen on Apr 12, 2010 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions
YES!
So who from TBLA is going tomorrow? I’ll be there w/2 daughters and .
by KellyStephen on Apr 12, 2010 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions
I’m a little surprised the Dodgers are using Larry King in the Opening Day festivities for this particular season. Is spotlighting a six-time divorcé a good way to try and keep the McCourt marital issue out of the discussion?
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
They are combining Day of the Dead festivities with Opening Day
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm sure we've all seen King around the Club level
He really is a wizened old man.
The commenter formerly known as El Lay Dave.
by David Young on Apr 12, 2010 12:46 PM PDT up reply actions
And this...
Frank’s attorney Marshall Grossman has counseled Larry King previously as well.
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 12:49 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Thanks
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
by Phil Gurnee on Apr 12, 2010 12:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Whenver Marquis
gets past the 1st inning and the game is interesting, that is of itself noteworthy.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Hamels getting hammered
in Philly home opener. Hope Clayton does not follow suit.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Garrett Jones
with zero XBH since hitting his 3rd home last Wednesday.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Hey Phil: any tix still avail for May 1?
by KellyStephen on Apr 12, 2010 1:33 PM PDT up reply actions
http://www.truebluela.com/2010/3/16/1376225/tbla-dodger-stadium-outing-may-1st
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
(sigh)
Missing it again… WILL go to the next for sure…
by Julio Nievas on Apr 12, 2010 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes
I’ll repost the game info since we still have eight. Kind of disappointed in the response.
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
In that case I’ll take 4 more; total of 6.
by KellyStephen on Apr 12, 2010 1:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I would love to attend. I live too far away. If we have a TBLA night n St Louis I am there. :)
by keithc13 on Apr 12, 2010 2:24 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Only his Cardinal brother
Rogers Hornsby has a higher OPS+ (175-172) than Pujols. The question will be, when will his decline begin?
But on this silverwidow pronouncement, he is not far off. Even if Pujols were to fall into the 160-170 OPS+ range, he would be one of the best RH hitters of all time.
Both Hornsby and Pujols played in eras with question marks, Hornsby in the first “live-ball era” while Pujols played during the PED era.
And before anyone criticizes Hornsby
He had power numbers to back up his high BA. Think of Jeff Kent with Rod Carew batting avg. skills.
and Hornsby was at 178 OPS+ through age 30.
Amazing the company that Pujols keeps though, even just among Cardinals.
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Yes, he will have hard time surpassing Hornsby in certain rate stats
Hornsby was a career 177 OPS+ in over 6000 PA as a Cardinal
Jimmy Fox is better, but give Pujols a few years, he’ll be there. Also, was Rogers Hornsby a righty? I’d put him in that race.
I still might go with Schmidt
Combining his offense and defense, he might be the best I ever saw. And nobody was as scary with a bat in his hands than early 2000s Bonds.
I’m with you there. The next closest (not counting Bonds, because screw that guy, lol) would be Alex Rodriguez, but he doesn’t have near the skill with the bat that Pujols has got, which is saying something huge.
A-Rod may have all the pub
And he is a very good player but I think he lost a little bit by not staying at SS, if he stayed there, perhaps he could have challenged Wagner as the greatest. As a 3B, he is very good but its not the same.
He will go down as either the first or second best hitting 3B ever (depending on how long he’s at 3b, and if we want to just count him as a 3B and not just use his stats only at 3b), so that’s still incredible. The big differences between Pujols and Arod is that Pujols has incredible patience, and while Arod walks alot, he strikes out a ton. I will be the first to tell you strikeouts don’t mean everything, but when comparing similar players, I’ll look at strikeouts and walks to see just how patient they are. Another thing is that Pujols get’s on base at a much better clip than Arod, and Arod’s OBP for his career is in the .390s to my knowledge.
Cardinal Greatness
fun with Baseball-Reference (and I’m throwing in a LHB here too)…
Through age 30 season
Hornsby: 6617 PA, 178 OPS+
Musial: 6070 PA, 172 OPS+
Pujols: 6109 PA, 172 OPS+ (through Sunday)
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions
just wait for this guy
god bless the nats
But after going 5-for-13 with three home runs in Southern Nevada’s four-game sweep of JC of Southern Idaho this weekend, Harper is hitting .422/.516/.891 with 15 home runs and 42 RBIs in 128 at-bats. He has already breezed past the single-season school record for home runs (12, by Joe Wagner, with metal bats in 2001). He has 54 hits—29 of them for extra bases.
yes, I’m kidding. He’s a left-handed hitter :)
by hirambocachica on Apr 12, 2010 5:20 PM PDT up reply actions
nice
dee gordon is getting used to AA now..
yeah
2 for 3 with a walk and no Ks… suprised at how little he is K’ing
ad he is now 2 for 2 on the day...
very soon… he might be leading off if he continues to adjust well
Andruw Jones having a monster game
3-3 with 2 homers and 4 RBI’s . .. its a shame that tub of lard didnt hit for us
by SeanMillerSavior on Apr 12, 2010 5:52 PM PDT reply actions
Dude had 3 multi hit games with us
But on the other hand, he did have 8 games where he had at least 3 K’s… what a shitbox
were people here making fun of the juan pierre andruw jones combo just today??
someone was saying how they are 4 for 32 with all 4 singles…
lol
off topic
Hey guys, my girlfriend and I are driving from santa cruz this weekend down to chavez to catch either the sat or sun game against the gnats. Which do you guys think would be a better game to see? The sat game which is a day game after a night game, or the sun game which is getaway day? Which game has a better chance of seeing more of the regulars? Thanks guys!
4+1=awesome
by grizzlyadams on Apr 12, 2010 6:02 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
We actually went down last april and saw his 13 k domination of the gnats and the walkoff walk. Kershaw it is! Thanks!
4+1=awesome
by grizzlyadams on Apr 12, 2010 6:10 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
sunday Game!!
Kershaw is pitching!! Although the knuckler Haeger is scheduled to pitch saturday so it could be interesting as well
by SeanMillerSavior on Apr 12, 2010 6:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Gotta vote Sunday
for Kershaw.
As far as regulars, they will likely rest one of those two days, perhaps staggered over both days.
Saturday is a day game after the night game, but Sunday is followed by an off day Monday so they could try to piggyback, making one game off a two-day break.
by Eric Stephen on Apr 12, 2010 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions
awesome!
Thanks eric, Sunday it is. The last game I saw at chavez was the kershaw gem last april. Hopefully this game will be as dominating as that one. I usually get stuck going to games at at&t or whatever phone company it’s named after that week This site is top notch, keep up the good work guys!
4+1=awesome
by grizzlyadams on Apr 12, 2010 6:40 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
jerry sands beasting it
3 for 4 today with 2 doubles while playing Right field….
.444 average on the year.. 2 Ks in over 20 PAs with 4 walks a only 2 Ks…. 2 homers and 2 doubles for a slugging % of over .800 and a OBP of over .500
yeah
everyone should read it.. its a great report on ethan martins first start in INland empire… and it also has 2 videos of him pitching one from behind..
Songco hits a weak fly ball and goes 0-5 for the day.
by Julio Nievas on Apr 12, 2010 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions
Sands hits a hard single passed the short stop
by Julio Nievas on Apr 12, 2010 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions
damn
sands is on FIRRE 4 for 5 2 doubles on the day
Blake Smith flys out to the LF, 2 outs in the 9th, 4-3 Lugnuts
by Julio Nievas on Apr 12, 2010 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions
No
I was foolish enough to pay the $6.95 per month
by Julio Nievas on Apr 12, 2010 6:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Smith has a nice swing and looks great, physically. Same with Sands. Both look athletic. I like the way Sands hit that single, really uses his hips
by Julio Nievas on Apr 12, 2010 9:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Sands = Jason Bay
I said it first (in the 2010 Maple Street Press Dodger Annual) and I intend to become quite annoying reminding people of that.:)
dee gordon
now 3 for 3 with 2 doubles… he also has an error.. his second of the year…
his middle infield mate pedroza has 3 errors on the night which give him 4 on the young season..
nice to see
Dee with a breakout game. Now if the rest of the positional prospects there could get it in gear…
Ha
I believe he’s hitting above .400 now…
by Julio Nievas on Apr 12, 2010 9:35 PM PDT up reply actions
justin uptons a beast
i would take him over matt kemp any day of the week..
damn pirates
they are starting some guy i have never heard of (burres) and they are already down 3-0 to the damn giants
Reason to relax tomorrow
Joe Torre has won 12 straight home openers!
Last one he lost was in 1997 to Oakland
Couple of notes
on Thursday, April 15, aka Jackie Robinson Night, Don Newcombe will throw a ceremonial first pitch to Matt Kemp before the game.
on Friday, both the Dodgers and Giants will carry over wearing #42 one extra day.
kenley jansen
another 2 innings and 3 Ks with 0 Hits and 1 Walk…
2nd impressive performance of the year
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