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You never get a second chance at a first impression. Unfortunately for Brad Halsey, you never get a second chance at a last impression, either.

With 8 hits in 4 innings against the Giants Tuesday, Halsey certainly did his bid for the #5 spot no favors. It doesn't sound like Melvin was too, too concerned -- "Certainly, that one inning didn't look great, but I don't count that big-time against him… I like how he responded afterward," Melvin said -- but, still. A solid outing by Michael Gosling in front of 35,000 fans Thursday night at BOB, and Gosling may squeak by.

One possible suggestion that has been floated is that of going to a 4-man rotation in April, given some off days early on. This may not be a bad idea, as it would allow Halsey and Gosling to make 3 more starts down in Tucson to permit further comparison. But it doesn't sound like Melvin's going to go that route.

Other notes...

Matt Williams' limited partnership stake in the D-Backs was approved by MLB. This is not really news, but it does say that Williams' $3 M stake will be worth 0.5%, making the team's estimated value $600 million. (Of course, if you want to talk about the deferred nature of the payments -- $300,000 per year for 10 years -- at 6% interest, that makes the team's estimated value $442 million.)

The Hardball Times has its D-Back preview up -- nothing terribly earth-shattering, though it's interesting to see a national perspective on D-Backs management that doesn't repeatedly skewer them. One point on the discussion of "Weren't these guys supposed to be bankrupt?" -- it misses the point that with all the signings the D-Backs made this offseason, their 2005 payroll is still maybe $15 million below 2004.

Finally, as I listened to Bob Kemp's SportsZone on AM 1060 last night (avoiding my traditional favorite, "Gambo and Ash" on AM 910, who were talking about the Loren Wade case, which is way too depressing in way too many ways), Kemp mentioned that two local baseball writers have moved on to other pastures. Mark Gonzales, the national baseball writer for the Republic, is now the Chicago White Sox beat reporter for the Chicago Tribune (which must be akin to a CNN reporter asked to cover Rupert Murdoch). Ed Price of the East Valley Tribune, generally considered the best of the D-Back beat reporters, has moved on to cover the Yankees at the Newark Star-Ledger. (Guess the whole Randy Johnson affair was a long interview of sorts.) Their departure leaves the reporting on the D-Backs and baseball in local papers as pretty thin...