tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68018432011-12-14T19:46:27.423-07:00Arizona Diamondbacks baseball and other cultural diversionsStefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.comBlogger5061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1145566458193954702006-04-20T17:54:00.000-07:002006-04-20T13:54:18.260-07:00

To begin with, congratulations to Luis Gonzalez becoming the 21st player in major league history to hit 300 homeruns and 500 doubles. Gonzo is and has been my favorite Diamondbacks player, and so I'm happy he's reached a milestone which he himself indicated meant a lot to him.But enough about him. What about me? Where the heck have I been?As you probably know, I have a second blog, called

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1144034041355670412006-04-02T20:07:00.000-07:002006-04-02T20:14:01.366-07:00

Rotation OK, bullpen's just aliveNot many runs the offense will driveThe youngsters will be no disgraceIn their division, third placeThey'll lose 87, win 75(Yeah, it doesn't scan so well. Who are you, Robert Frost?)Play ball!

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1143729544414694452006-03-30T06:59:00.000-07:002006-03-30T07:39:04.920-07:00

For a Diamondbacks fan, Game Seven of the 2001 World Series is unquestionably the greatest game in the comparatively short history of the franchise. A come-from-behind victory against the most storied franchise in all of professional sports to bring the state of Arizona its first major professional sports championship, the game was both exciting in isolation as well as important in context.So it

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1142464370780150492006-03-15T18:55:00.000-07:002006-03-15T16:12:50.840-07:00

Appreciate the shout-out, Jim. I haven't posted because I haven't felt like I could give a perspective that fans couldn't already get from your shop. (Really, if you're a Diamondbacks fan, and you're reading me and not Jim... I shudder to think...)However, if we're being snarky, I'd point out that if you search on "Diamondbacks suck" on Google, only one Diamondbacks blog appears on the 1st

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141849345052434472006-03-08T18:02:00.000-07:002006-03-08T13:22:25.136-07:00

All set to write about Craig Counsell's shoulder today and the Diamondbacks' options, when news comes across the wires that Arizona traded Cintron today to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Jeff Bajenaru.So there goes that post.OK, not really. My basic argument was, even if Counsell was out for the season for surgery (an event the club does not expect to occur, though we've yet to hear from

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141759866901706122006-03-07T18:23:00.000-07:002006-03-07T15:58:42.080-07:00

For a recently-revived Diamondbacks blog, I had been writing comparatively little about the Diamondbacks. I had intended to tip the scales a bit today, writing about Counsell's shoulder or perhaps Chad Tracy's All-Star chances.But then I picked up the paper this morning, read the headline(s) about Kirby Puckett's death from stroke-related complications, and decided that could wait another day or

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141413749887745762006-03-03T18:09:00.000-07:002006-03-03T12:22:29.900-07:00

Even though I didn't post for four months, I still got a small stream of traffic, primarily the result of web searches. Nothing particularly weird or obscene, I suppose.Yesterday I got one of the weirdest searches -- somebody reached me using the phrase "alex cintron teeth".Yeah, I don't get it either. Is this some sort of advancement in sabermetric analysis that I missed out in my sabbatical -

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141250199573084942006-03-01T18:52:00.000-07:002006-03-02T14:44:59.330-07:00

Now that Random Fandom is back (sort of), we here at Random Fandom thought it was a good time for an exclusive interview with the uni-monikered proprietor of Random Fandom, Stefan. We sat down with Stefan recently and chatted with him about his time off, his return, and his future.Random Fandom: Stefan, thanks for sitting down with us today:Stefan: Sure, no problem. Happy to be here.RF: First

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141072967830783662006-02-27T19:18:00.000-07:002006-02-27T15:37:07.310-07:00

Daft punk is playing at my house, my houseI’ll show you the ropes, kid, show you the ropesGot a bus and a trailer at my house, my houseI’ll show you the ropes kid, show you the ropesI bought fifteen cases for my house, my houseAll the furniture is in the garageWell daft punk is playing at my house, my houseYou got to set them up kid, set them upYou got to set ‘em up, ooh ooh yeah (x2)You got to

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1130788700093922382005-10-31T19:24:00.000-07:002005-10-31T12:58:20.166-07:00

Dear Josh Byrnes,On behalf of the Arizona Diamondbacks community of blogs -- a small, huddling mass of people crowded around the back door bumming a cigarette -- welcome to Phoenix. You have been selected to replace the only General Manager the Diamondbacks have ever known. To be honest, this isn't really like replacing Pope John Paul II or FDR, but you probably knew that.If this were a movie,

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129837921476919262005-10-20T18:45:00.000-07:002005-10-20T12:52:01.483-07:00

As I noted a couple days ago, given Jeff Moorad's apparent willingness to run the Diamondbacks, I'm not sure the selection of a GM is quite so important. (Important, but not so important. See -- no "so" in that first part. Critical analysis, eh?)But Geoff over at Ducksnorts thinks the writing's on the wall, and that Kevin Towers will be on his way shortly. Geoff is not distressed, but I don't

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129665289228846752005-10-18T18:34:00.000-07:002005-10-18T12:54:49.280-07:00

(Semi-)retirement means you get to take the long view regarding things that the daily posting grind is less forgiving of.The flurry of Royce Clayton-ish news last week is an example.First, Moorad says he's gonna make Royce Clayton a contract offer. Horrors! Then we find out it's one year for $1.5 million. Frankly, I could live with that. It's a million that could probably be spent elsewhere (to

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129147223537669232005-10-12T18:45:00.000-07:002005-10-12T14:57:23.800-07:00

Every few months I update my links and then feel compelled to post about it.Why? I don't know.In any case...Adds:CardNilly -- It's one thing to ask for a link exchange (which CardNilly's proprietor has not done) -- it's another to link to a site on a regular basis. That really won't get you anywhere with me, but having read his posts, and found them enjoyable and insightful, I figured his (St.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129060926895796062005-10-11T18:24:00.000-07:002005-10-11T13:02:06.986-07:00

Boy, you tell people that you don't feel like writing much anymore, and what happens?Somebody -- somebody with actual readers -- thinks you're the third-best Diamondbacks blog.So do I respond to this bit of external validation with a newfound devotion to my craft and a ironclad promise to never again refer to the music of the band Semisonic?Er, no.The great thing about deciding to scale back my

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1128699606786670512005-10-07T07:27:00.000-07:002005-10-07T08:40:06.796-07:00

Last year I unveiled a feature so popular that it literally made the Internet crash.OK, nobody really paid any attention to it, but then again, it had nothing to do with the Metrozoids, Jennie Finch, or Mark Grace cursing, so why should they?Being firmly in Billy Beane's camp regarding the general crapshoot nature of the playoffs, in lieu of making my own playoff predictions, I had my 3-year-old

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1128370194585250472005-10-03T07:26:00.000-07:002005-10-03T13:09:54.593-07:00

Closing timeTime for you to go back to the places you will be from.Closing timeThis room won't be open 'til your brothers or you sisters come.So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exitsI hope you have found a friend.Closing timeEvery new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.-- "Closing Time," SemisonicHere we are at the end of another season. For fans in other cities, the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1128124737112569512005-09-30T17:52:00.000-07:002005-09-30T16:58:57.120-07:00

Sure, plenty of other teams have exciting victories over teams out of playoff contention on Thursday, but while people care about Chicago's or Boston's or New York's victory, nobody cares about Arizona's.A sweep of the Dodgers. In LA. Again.Yeah, well, that and $8.50 will get you in to see Serenity. (No, I'm not one of the long-time fans. But it's intriguing enough in a slow movie year that I

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127938441932207642005-09-28T17:59:00.000-07:002005-09-28T13:14:01.940-07:00

OK. So the Padres came back last night. For a while there, amidst the Webb-Weaver duel in LA, the tantalizing possibility of climbing to within 4 games of the Padres floated out there like a chocolate dog in the Land of Chocolate.Alas, it was not to be. The Padres won. Even though Brandon Webb won a 2-0 game over the Dodgers, thanks to Chad Tracy's 25th home run of the year (Goal # 5

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127762846370461002005-09-26T18:12:00.000-07:002005-09-26T12:27:26.520-07:00

Yeah, I know I said not to look at the standings. But it's hard when the stupid Padres won't get their stupid act straight and win a stupid series against the Diamondbacks, who everybody thinks are just about the worst team in baseball.Except that we're not. (Yeah, I'm lookin' at you, Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles. And, yes, I figured that the expiration date on those "City Name Nickname

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127491900710384012005-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:002005-09-23T09:11:40.753-07:00

If Javier Vazquez wins the award for Most Frustrating Diamondback in 2005, Alex Cintron definitely placed 2nd in the balloting. Playing behind the least-preferred starting D-Back position player, Royce Clayton, Cintron responded to this challenge and opportunity by... doing not much.VORP? Clayton: 10.2; Cintron: 8.7 (though on a per-PA basis, Cintron is higher)Win Shares? Clayton: 10, Cintron:

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127331318953414282005-09-21T07:44:00.000-07:002005-09-21T12:35:18.963-07:00

Why not?I mean, San Diego lost 20-1 to the Rockies Tuesday night. Sure, the Diamondbacks have lost 3 games by 10 runs. And 1 by 12. Oh, and 1 by 13. Oh, and yeah, who could forget the 3 games lost by 14 runs. And -- my personal favorite -- 1 loss by 15 runs.But, hey, at least not 19 runs.And for all the naysayers regarding Diamondbacks attendance this year, the Diamondbacks managed to draw

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126814991472984892005-09-15T18:30:00.000-07:002005-09-15T13:09:51.533-07:00

I come not to bury Gonzo, but to praise him.Congratulations to Luis Gonzalez for receiving the 2005 Branch Rickey Award for his humanitarian efforts this year and over the years.The award was timely, because it comes on the heels of what is new for Gonzo -- trade talk.On the afternoon of July 3, Gonzalez was named to the All-Star Game. At the time, Gonzo was hitting .302, with an OPS of .874.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126726213914125812005-09-14T18:10:00.000-07:002005-09-14T12:30:13.923-07:00

So, uh, I haven't posted much lately. You might be wondering, has he been benched like Royce Clayton should be for the rest of the season (if only to let other talent show their stuff)? No, like Russ Ortiz' 2005 season, there's just no stopping me. Unfortunately.It's a confluence of things, really. Busy times at work. Busy times at home. Lackluster team on the field.Or maybe it's just all

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126295518021268292005-09-09T17:41:00.000-07:002005-09-09T12:51:58.030-07:00

Not focusing very well on the current moment right now -- I'm spending my time counting down the days to season's end.That was made easier thanks to the five minutes of Thursday's 12-inning 8-7 Diamondbacks loss to the Pirates that I actually saw. Those five minutes includeda) Wilson's incredibly long at-bat against Worrell, eventually leading to a Troy Glaus error, andb) Bay's homerun.That's

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126121852758584442005-09-07T18:08:00.000-07:002005-09-07T12:37:32.766-07:00

In my favorite scene from the excellent 1993 movie version of The Fugitive, Harrison Ford's Richard Kimble, trapped at the edge of a sewer drain, pleads with Tommy Lee Jones' Marshal Sam Gerard -- "I didn't kill my wife!," Kimble says. "I don't care," says Gerard, with just a hint of exasperation.I love Jones' delivery in that line (as did Oscar voters, since he won the Academy Award for Best

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1125606333813069192005-09-01T17:46:00.000-07:002005-09-01T13:25:33.870-07:00

Back.I'd been gone for a week, far enough way to have the Diamondbacks' scores in the paper reduced to a one-sentence summary and box scores in their tiny font sizes. While the Diamondbacks agonized through a sweep by the Mets, I was in a much cooler place, drinking beer with friends and watching our kids run around together. We went to museums, to playgrounds; we caught up on jobs, mutual

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1124813572041973122005-08-23T07:53:00.000-07:002005-08-23T09:12:52.046-07:00

Did you know that "Live" is playing after the Diamondbacks-Phillies game on Saturday? You didn't? Then where in the world have you been living this past week? Under a FREAKIN' ROCK?Really, people, I don't think the Diamondbacks could be hawking that concert anymore if John and George were coming back from the dead to join Paul and Ringo after a Mets game.Speaking of which (hey... not a bad

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1124739692389234702005-08-22T17:31:00.000-07:002005-08-22T12:41:32.396-07:00

How much more of this must we endure? It's like the starting rotation has finally been infected with the inconsistency virus that has plagued the offense and bullpen since the start of the season. What was that movie -- 28 Days Later? You know, where a single drop of blood transmits a virus (named "Rage), turning the recipient into a snarling, murderous extra from a George Romero movie in, like,

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1124472449538202092005-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:002005-08-19T10:27:29.590-07:00

OK. She baked me a cake.The Diamondbacks pounded the St. Louis Cardinals 9-2 Thursday night and once more moved to within 3 games of the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks had that rare trifecta of good starting pitching (Claudio Vargas, whose summer dominance is both wholly unexpected and totally appreciated), good relief pitching (3 innings with just one hit), and good offense (14 hits,

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1124394446743246492005-08-18T17:26:00.000-07:002005-08-18T12:49:58.756-07:00

Working out this morning, I heard the Gin Blossoms' "Hey Jealousy," which I am nominating for Best Song Ever From Arizona. (I'm not clear who exactly is running this award, but that's an unimportant detail.) Seriously -- an incredible hook, great guitar work, and wonderful lyrics about someone who feels like a loser and desperately wants or needs love. I loved the song the first time I heard it

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1124297181060812682005-08-17T07:53:00.000-07:002005-08-17T09:46:21.066-07:00

Complete lyrics to "House of Jealous Lovers," by The Rapture:House of jealous loversHouse of jealous loversHouse of jealous loversHouse of jealous loversShakedownHouse of jealous loversOne hand ties the otherHouse of jealous loversHouse of jealous loversShakedownHouse of jealous loversOne hand ties the otherHouse of jealous loversHouse of jealous lovers1,12,23,34,45,56,67,78,8Written out like

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1124224023001375012005-08-16T17:49:00.000-07:002005-08-16T13:27:03.060-07:00

One would hope that a relaxing vacation and time off would have recharged my literary abilities so that I could discuss the National League West.No such luck.I'm tapped out for metaphors. My simile well is dry.The Week That WasRecord: 2-4 (2nd place, NL West, 3 games behind San Diego)Runs Scored/Runs Against: 5.25-6.25Transactions: Kelly Stinnett off the DL, Michael Gosling down to Tucson (8/9);

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123816001500441832005-08-11T19:58:00.000-07:002005-08-11T20:06:41.506-07:00

It's not supposed to be like this, you know. This Diamondbacks squad is just supposed to roll over and give up. Go on a nice 9-game losing streak that finally ends any of these delusions of playing meaningful games in September.They're not done yet, folks.Oh, sure for seven innings today it sure looked that way. Wasting a great performance by Brandon Webb, unable to push their lumpy mashed

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123795050378477852005-08-11T14:00:00.000-07:002005-08-11T14:31:14.303-07:00

You probably think this is a post about Luis Terrero, don't you? Picked off third in Wednesday's 10-5 Diamondbacks loss to the Marlins, the victim of the hidden ball trick played to perfection by Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell.And you'd be wrong.Look, clearly Terrero deserves criticism for being fooled by the play, which effectively ended the Diamondbacks' eighth inning, which otherwise would

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123691740909149452005-08-10T09:19:00.000-07:002005-08-10T09:35:40.930-07:00

... and out of mind.The advantage of watching the Diamondbacks lose 5-0 to the Florida Marlins in Miami Tuesday night is that it's real easy to not watch the Diamondbacks. 4 PM starts are easy to ignore, as are 3-hit performances by your favorite squad of ballplayers.It's quite difficult to find positives from such a shellacking... oh, wait, the bullpen pitched 3 innings of scoreless ball.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123619613572831162005-08-09T13:21:00.000-07:002005-08-09T13:33:33.580-07:00

How many times this season have the Diamondbacks been faced with a series that would truly show what kind of team they were? That they really weren't very good, the doubters would say.Plenty.Let's see... there was late April... and I think early June... and the series against the Padres after the All-Star Break... and probably a couple others in there (I'm on vacation, so I'm not required to be

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123273026905318172005-08-05T17:50:00.000-07:002005-08-05T13:21:47.870-07:00

Starting Lineup, Aug. 4, 2004 vs. Florida MarlinsMcCracken, LFAlomar, 2BBautista, RFHillenbrand, 1BTracy, 3BTerrero, CFCintron, SSBrito, CJohnson, PStarting Lineup, Aug. 4, 2005 vs. Houston AstrosCounsell, 2BClayton, SSGonzalez, LFClark, 1BGlaus, 3BGreen, RFTerrero, CFHill, CHalsey, PThe end result in both games was the same -- an atypically easy victory for the Diamondbacks -- 11-6 against the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123188249752140712005-08-04T07:59:00.000-07:002005-08-04T13:44:09.816-07:00

When you open up the local newspaper in the morning and the sports page headline that wakes you out of your fuzzy-headedness is...'Disappointing'in, oh, about 48-point font, you know that it was Not A Good Game.(And, no, it was not. Defensive miscues and an offense that nearly made Ezequiel Astacio look like Roger Clemens Part II.)So rather than ramble on about that, a few words about Joe

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123097883748969972005-08-03T08:23:00.000-07:002005-08-03T12:38:03.756-07:00

So the proprietor of this fine blog finally made it out to a 2005 Diamondbacks game last night, joining nearly 32,000 fans at the BOB to watch the division-leading Diamondbacks take on Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros.Want to know why there weren't more fans at the game?BECAUSE THEY WERE STUCK AT THE TICKET WINDOWS!Seriously, I bet there are people outside BOB this morning still trying to get

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1123022611419993722005-08-02T17:55:00.000-07:002005-08-02T15:43:31.426-07:00

Last week I thanked the Diamondbacks for not doing much in the prior week or so while I was mostly out-of-pocket.The Diamondbacks must have taken that as a challenge, because I dare say this was the most exciting week of the 2005 season, with implications for the next two weeks, two months, and beyond.So let's begin.The Week That WasRecord: 4-3 (tied for first with the Padres for 1st place in the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1122911078384716342005-08-01T07:18:00.000-07:002005-08-01T08:44:38.410-07:00

52-55.First place, National League West.If you'd told any Diamondbacks fan on April 1 that on August 1 their team would be 3 games below .500, they would've been happy. That translates to about 79 wins for the season as a whole, above all but the most optimistic of projections.If you'd told any Diamondbacks fan on April 1 than on August 1 their team would be tied for first place in the National

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1122666617545845252005-07-29T12:31:00.000-07:002005-07-29T12:50:17.570-07:00

I'd like to thank the Diamondbacks for being on autopilot during the past couple weeks. It's vastly reduced the amount of guilt I've had for not posting much during the vacation/family visits/busy time at work over the past couple weeks.So the Diamondbacks clip along at .500 or so, just like the .500 or so team they are.Let's see... what happened in my absence...-- The Diamondbacks are 2 games

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1122564897271471602005-07-28T07:20:00.000-07:002005-07-28T08:34:57.276-07:00

Well, I guess Conor Jackson's off the trading block.Jose Cruz, Jr., designated for assignment; Conor Jackson, up from Tucson.Now, there are many in the D-Back fan community who have been screaming for these moves loudly while fearing that Jackson -- "our precious" -- would be traded away for kibble.I was not part of that community then, and am not of that community now, particularly as it related

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1121725601824627602005-07-18T15:19:00.000-07:002005-07-18T15:26:41.830-07:00

I'm on vacation.I hope the D-Backs aren't.This is an odd time to be cutting back on posts, as this has been generally acknowledged to be the most crucial 10-game stretch of the season. "Most crucial" only because it occurs in mid-July, and this team still could end up being an 85- or 65-win team.Given this weekend's series against the Padres, though, 75 wins seems most likely. A split series

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1121455155110660262005-07-15T18:02:00.000-07:002005-07-15T12:19:15.123-07:00

Going to the gym in the heat and -- gasp! -- humidity of a pre-6 AM Phoenix July morning, grasshoppers scrambled to get out of my way as I walked in from the parking lot. You wouldn't even see them in front of you until they just flew away. They're in our house, too, though I think that's because we had part of our roof replaced recently and they probably snuck in that way.In any case, they're

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1121371630757048142005-07-14T17:41:00.000-07:002005-07-14T13:07:10.766-07:00

It's, uh, been a while since I've done one of these. Life happens, no? But with the freedom granted by the All-Star Break, I feel like I can move forward with this last 44.4444444% of the season (excluding the playoffs - 'cuz we're gonna make the playoffs, RIGHT?) with new bloggy energy.Or is that groggy energy? Or froggy energy? ("Hi ho, dere, Kermit THE Frog here to talk to you about O! B! P

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1121285949264163002005-07-13T12:40:00.000-07:002005-07-13T15:31:15.753-07:00

Well, there goes the Diamondbacks' home-field advantage in the 2005 World Series.What? They're not going to be there anyway? Oh, phooey!In lieu of anything substantial to say, here's a review of the team's first 55.5555555555% of the season.First Base: Tony Clark and Chad Tracy have combined for a VORP of 38.6, 3rd in baseball for first-basemen (7th overall in NL) behind Derrek Lee and Albert

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1121126349913951152005-07-11T18:32:00.000-07:002005-07-11T16:59:09.943-07:00

Swept at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds? Thankfully, that didn't happen.Tony Clark, who ranks second in the team's VORP, even though he's had just half the at-bats of everybody else, hit his 13th homerun of the year off of Eric Milton, who had looked absolutely lights out for 6 2/3 innings. Michael Gosling (MLB ERA as a starter: 3.54; MLB ERA as a reliever: 7.36) pitched 5 2/3 innings of

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1120856385415168082005-07-08T17:44:00.000-07:002005-07-08T13:59:45.420-07:00

I prefer the mad dash -- The Bounce, for whatever reason, looks dorky to me.But it was nice to see the Diamondbacks mob Luis Gonzalez at home plate and do The Bounce after Gonzo's walk-off homerun off Ray King in the Diamondbacks' 2-1 victory over the Cardinals Thursday night. After spoiling a great Claudio Vargas outing by giving up the tying run in the top of the 8th, National League Rookie of

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1120753667289687672005-07-07T07:56:00.000-07:002005-07-07T09:27:47.336-07:00

My daughter has recently taken up "Chutes and Ladders." Despite our best attempts to de-emphasize winning (we have "first winners," or we play other games in which the playing, not the winning, is the key), our daughter has shown a competitive streak that would make Lou Piniella blush. (Luckily, she's not old enough yet for an allowance, otherwise she'd be complaining that it wasn't sizeable

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1120665328886227342005-07-06T07:43:00.000-07:002005-07-06T08:55:28.893-07:00

"We are trying to come up with other ways to say ['you're fired']. For instance, if someone is from Idaho, I could say, 'You're back in Boise for apple-picking time.' " -- Martha Stewart on her upcoming Apprentice showIn the elegant dance of Arizona Republic newspaper sections my wife and I perform every morning at the breakfast table, the Business section (or whatever it's called) is the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1120591294439879872005-07-05T17:11:00.000-07:002005-07-05T12:21:34.446-07:00

What the pitching taketh, the pitching also giveth away.A day after winning 10-3, the Diamondbacks lose 10-3, this time to the Cardinals. There's not much to report here -- needing a great game to give his last-minute All-Star Game bid legitimacy, Brandon Webb had a middling, though not horrible, game. (Still, at least Webb's in 3rd place at the moment, and Roy Oswalt's leading, surprising me as

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1120510560104395782005-07-04T13:45:00.000-07:002005-07-04T13:56:00.110-07:00

If I wasn't in the midst of a relaxing holiday weekend, I would've posted something about the undue panic and alarm in Saturday's Republic after Friday's 7-0 Diamondbacks loss to the Dodgers. I mean, at four games, the losing streak wasn't even the Diamondbacks' longest of the year. Calm down, people, or something like that.But I was in the middle of a relaxing vacation and I decided to let the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1120241482846314762005-07-01T11:04:00.000-07:002005-07-01T11:11:22.856-07:00

OK, I, too, hoped that the Diamondbacks would make short work of a reeling Giants team instead of getting swept by them and making them think they might actually compete in the NL West.But, no, 4-2 and 9-2 losses put the kibosh on that hope and my other, unspoken hope that we would enter July at or above .500.The Republic articles make it sound like Melvin is thisclose to doing something drastic.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1120060203429162562005-06-29T07:33:00.000-07:002005-06-29T08:50:03.436-07:00

There are a number of frustrated digressions I could go off on regarding the case of Diamondbacks v. Giants, in which the court on Tuesday night ruled in favor of the Giants, 11-3:1) The same day the bullpen gets an article praising it, it collapses in the 9th inning, giving up six runs (Lance Cormier VORP: 13.2, rest of active bullpen: -5.9, or -10.4 including Vargas).2) The killed rally in the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119999474516220312005-06-28T18:27:00.000-07:002005-06-28T15:57:54.523-07:00

Old joke. Two women are talking about a recent unsatisfying meal at a local restaurant.Woman #1: Oh, that food was awful.Woman #2: And such small portions, too!Sometimes I feel that way reading the Republic. (Sometimes you probably feel that way reading this blog, too, but let's not go there.) I don't like criticizing the paper's articles for a number of reasons, not least of which is the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119888431214882622005-06-27T07:39:00.000-07:002005-07-07T11:01:45.426-07:00

I ground a stump this weekend.As yardwork (no, not Yard Work, yardwork) goes, stump-grinding is not one of the more pleasant tasks out there.Lawn-mowing? Dull, but easy, and with a satisfyingly (though unnatural) evenness at the end.Vegetable gardening? Slow, but with a tangibly tasty end product.Stump-grinding? Hard work, with nothing to show for it except a big hole and sawdust scattered amidst

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119629481156833242005-06-24T07:53:00.000-07:002005-06-24T09:24:34.623-07:00

Watching the Diamondbacks face Kirk Rueter in their 7-2 victory over the Giants Thursday night was like that old Monty Python sketch...A prisoner is escorted out of his prison cell, followed by a large firing squad. The commandant (and camera) stays inside the prison. The sound of many shots are heard. Just as quickly as the prisoner and guards were escorted out of the prison, the guards and

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119557613794154212005-06-23T13:09:00.000-07:002005-06-23T13:13:33.806-07:00

From today's Under The Knife (subscription required):Diamondbacks prospect Conor Jackson was talking on his cell phone near the Tacoma visitors clubhouse, which is located just beyond the 16-foot high left-field wall. A home-run ball cleared the fence, beaning him and knocking him unconscious, if only briefly. Jackson was taken to a local hospital for observation, but appears to be fine. His

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119542383066607322005-06-23T07:38:00.000-07:002005-06-23T09:03:07.810-07:00

There are the stories of grasslands, unfortunately, "on fire." (And destroying homes.)Then there are the metaphorical stories of teams or players "on fire." The good news for the local readers (well, those of 'em who aren't UA alumni -- sorry, Ryan) is that the Sun Devil baseball team is "on fire." Five straight games in which a loss would end the season -- five straight wins.The bad news for the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119455337549889692005-06-22T07:34:00.000-07:002005-06-22T08:48:57.566-07:00

... no Jeff Larish, at least not Tuesday, but his one homerun was enough. 6-4 Diamondbacks win over the Giants.And the bullpen. 4 innings, 2 hits and 1 walk (all by Valverde). No runs. Claudio Vargas didn't pitch great (I don't think it's heresy to say that even Russ Ortiz had pitched better, on average, this year), and needed 102 pitches just to get through those 5 innings, but he pitched

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119384254770184512005-06-21T12:42:00.000-07:002005-06-21T13:04:14.776-07:00

To begin with, I didn't watch it.I can't just spend the day after Father's Day completely ignoring my typical role of "bedtime enforcer" just to watch a June baseball game.And then I had to go to the grocery store. Sure I could listen to the game to and from the store, but that only made things worse.American colonies were founded and died away in less time than it took to play last night's game

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119296134673173722005-06-20T12:19:00.000-07:002005-06-20T12:37:50.226-07:00

Father's Day with your child and wife? Fun.Parties with friends? Fun.The Diamondbacks right now? Not fun.I'd forgotten that Cleveland is in the Eastern time zone, and by the time I remembered, I turned on the TV shortly after 5 PM Friday night to see the Diamondbacks mercifully make the last out and exit the 3rd inning trailing 10-6. (They ended up losing to the Indians 13-6.)That's when I

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1119053542254871472005-06-17T17:06:00.000-07:002005-06-17T17:13:47.630-07:00

I thought another Point/Counterpoint would be fun, so I asked Jim from AZ Snakepit to fill in the blank in the following sentence:"The Diamondbacks' offseason maneuvers have worked out ___________ thus far."Jim's response starts us off, with mine below his. I wrote mine without looking at his, so look for comments in the days ahead as I respond to his specific, er, charges. Dear readers, join

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118938329918406422005-06-16T07:53:00.000-07:002005-06-16T09:22:21.780-07:00

"The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away." - from Babette's FeastI missed the last part of Wednesday night's 12-6 Diamondbacks loss to the White Sox because I was on my way to something else, but caught enough of the 6th inning meltdown ("immolation"? "collapse"? Really, what word fully signifies giving up 10 runs in an inning?) that I might have spent more time brooding about the inning had

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118850772481603072005-06-15T07:37:00.000-07:002005-06-15T09:04:36.776-07:00

Jim put it best -- Complete game + four homers - bullpen = Diamondbacks victory. On Tuesday night, the Diamondbacks tinkered with the formula a bit:Nearly complete game + four homers + NL Rookie of the Year = Diamondbacks victory.Works for me.The Diamondbacks' 10-4 victory over the White Sox Tuesday night was one of those games I felt, early on, would either be a blowout win for the D-Backs or a

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118765883187481102005-06-14T07:04:00.000-07:002005-06-14T09:32:50.886-07:00

... that the Diamondbacks would go into the ballpark of the team with the best record in baseball and beat them 8-1, I would've been, at most, mildly surprised.If you told me Shawn Estes would throw a complete game 1-run in that win over the Chicago White Sox, I would've thrown my back out doing a double take.The man pitched lights out, no two ways about it. 8 hits, no walks, 5 K's. In just 108

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118675162150046752005-06-13T07:55:00.000-07:002005-06-13T08:12:36.056-07:00

Let me start up the bandwagon -- Lance Cormier should be National League Rookie of the Year.Cormier's VORP of 13.3 is the highest of all rookie pitchers. It's just a hair behind outfielders Ryan Church (14.3) and Jason Ellison (14.2) of the Nationals and Giants, respectively. It's a fair ways behind Clint Barmes' 20.5, but thanks to Barmes' unfortunate stairway-venison imbroglio, Barmes probably

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118674519562868552005-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:002005-06-13T08:14:00.783-07:00

As I said last week, "For once I'd like to see the Diamondbacks blow a team out of the water. If not the Royals, who?"The answer, evidently, is "nobody."Friday, 12-11 Diamondbacks win in 10 innings; Saturday, 8-5 loss; Sunday -- the worst of all -- a 9-4 12-inning loss to the Royals. A sixth straight series losss.I watched the first six innings or so of yesterday's game. A really good pitcher's

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118420473132429912005-06-10T07:29:00.000-07:002005-06-10T12:59:05.306-07:00

It took a "subpar" performance by Javier Vazquez (the man walked 3 -- send him to Tucson!), good relief outings by Cormier and Lopez, and another high-wire act by Brian Bruney, but the Diamondbacks once again avoided a series sweep by beating the Minnesota Twins Thursday night 4-3.I didn't see the game, so I'm moving on to the big news of the day -- the optioning of righty reliever Mike Koplove

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118333265122773732005-06-09T06:58:00.000-07:002005-06-09T09:07:45.126-07:00

I have Johan Santana on my fantasy team.Although I've decided to bench Torii Hunter during the Diamondbacks-Twins series (did that make his heroics on Tuesday night more or less painful for me? Hmmmmm....), I chose to let Santana make the start for my team when he took the mound for the Twins Wednesday night.Bad for the Diamondbacks, good for my fantasy league standings. Complete-game, 4-hit, 9-

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118246762421490892005-06-08T07:36:00.000-07:002005-06-08T09:06:02.486-07:00

"We have to find a way to score eight runs and win the ballgame." -- Arizona Manager Bob Melvin after Tuesday night's 9-8 Diamondbacks loss to the Minnesota TwinsCouldn't have said it better myself.The Diamondbacks threw 3 gopher-balls to the Twins, 2 to Torii Hunter, who I can say without a doubt will be Boyfriend of the Day to BatGirl's batlings. Minnesota, home of the Golden Gophers (as I was

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118188805999575772005-06-07T18:38:00.000-07:002005-06-07T17:00:06.006-07:00

A day late, perhaps, but it seemed weird to include the Philly series as part of the interleague jaunt, so I decided not to...The Week That WasRecord: 2-5 (2nd place in NL West, 3.5 GB San Diego)Runs Scored - Runs Against: 4.6 - 5.6 (high/low dropped)Transactions: Stephen Drew signed to major-league contract (5/31, and barely!); traded OF Doug DeVore to SF Giants for P Matt Herges (6/3); acquired

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118165030734963722005-06-07T10:22:00.000-07:002005-06-07T10:23:50.736-07:00

Justin Upton picked #1 by the Diamondbacks.Not shocking at all. Were the Diamondbacks anywhere else but #1, I could understand going for a pitcher, but at #1, go for the best player.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118164943372934402005-06-07T07:06:00.000-07:002005-06-07T10:22:23.396-07:00

Before I discuss yesterday's game, I want to address a subject that brought a whole bunch of traffic (relatively) to my site yesterday.In baseball, what does AO mean?Maybe there was some sort of internet treasure hunt going on, in which people had to ask that question in a certain search engine and then go to, say, the 4th result. Maybe there was some sort of alien mind-meld going on and instead

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1118080379917235342005-06-06T07:33:00.000-07:002005-06-06T10:52:59.963-07:00

For Mother's Day I told my wife I would make her a new cover for our clothes dryer, which sits just outside our back door. The old one, present when we moved into our house, had deteriorated badly, and needed to be replaced.I finally got around to doing it yesterday, after having done some preliminary work on a couple other weekends.Six hours later, I had splinters all over my knuckles, was

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117836882423311952005-06-03T17:54:00.000-07:002005-06-03T15:14:42.430-07:00

First up, the news many of you have already heard -- the trade of minor league OF Doug DeVore for erstwhile major league San Francisco right-handed reliever Matt Herges. Herges was DFAed Sunday by the Giants, but I don't see how this can be bad. Herges at least has a positive VORP (barely), while several relievers on the squad (and I'm looking right at you, Mr. Ligtenburg) do not. In a system

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117817050981697872005-06-03T07:30:00.000-07:002005-06-03T09:44:10.986-07:00

OK, naysayers. The Diamondbacks outscored the Mets in their series, 9-8, but lost 2 of 3. You happy? They're on the bad side of luck!Clearly last night's 6-1 loss had its fair amount of luck involved, all of it good for the Mets, all of it bad for the Diamondbacks.Mets -- Good: Mike Cameron gets turned around by a rocket off the bat of Jose Cruz, Jr. in the top of the sixth. Falls down.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117751117196303042005-06-02T18:00:00.000-07:002005-06-02T15:25:17.203-07:00

Better late than never might be overselling it a bit, but that's the angle I'm taking...The Week That WasRecord: 2-4 (2nd place in the NL West, 2.5 games behind SD as of MondayRuns Scored/Runs Against: 4.25- 8.00 (high/low dropped)Transactions: Kelly Stinnett purchased from Tucson; Koyie Hill optioned to Tucson; Oscar Villarreal placed on 60-day DL to clear space on the 40-man for Stinnett (all 5

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117742745843992782005-06-02T12:42:00.000-07:002005-06-02T13:05:45.886-07:00

One day the Diamondbacks offense will beat the crap out of a pitcher, and the next, they make Victor Zambrano look like Carlos Zambrano when he's not super-ticked off at an umpire or in an Internet chat room. Zambrano, whose previous outings made him look more like Victor Hugo than an actual major league pitcher (though you always figured the Hunchback of Notre Dame might've made a decent

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117657273415700842005-06-01T13:03:00.000-07:002005-06-01T13:21:13.453-07:00

Man goes to New York City, where he used to pitch, and pitches seven innings of lights-out shutout ball. 113 pitches, sure, but 6 strikeouts and only 1 walk.And the bullpen. Two innings, 26 pitches, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. Thanks go out to you, Messrs. Koplove and Valverde!Even better, the offense decided to give him some breathing room, the most breathing room they've given any pitcher this

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117568825456455562005-05-31T12:31:00.000-07:002005-05-31T12:47:05.486-07:00

Hey, it was Memorial Day weekend, my first three-day weekend in, what, a couple months? And you're wondering why I haven't posted?C'mon, dude, it's Memorial Day, a day to honor sacrifices made by others to defend a country and people like me who feel compelled to post occasionally lucid thoughts on the local baseball squad. For free, for both you, the reader, and me, the writer. The least I

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117215310908929582005-05-27T07:24:00.000-07:002005-05-27T10:35:10.926-07:00

When your team loses 10-0 at home to let their opponent retake the division lead, your options are pretty much:a) rant endlessly, orb) look forward to Memorial Day weekend.For the most part, I'm gonna do b) here. I only listened to about 1 inning of the Padres' 10-0 rout of the Diamondbacks Thursday night -- bottom of the 6th, top of the 7th -- and it was very microcosmic of the game itself.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117124577140677262005-05-26T07:54:00.000-07:002005-05-26T09:22:57.180-07:00

The Diamondbacks would've lost this game last year.Dicey starting pitching, shaky bullpen work, defensive miscues. Those are all familiar. The offense, powering a season-high 12 runs en route to a 12-11 win over the Padres Wednesday night, less so. Last year, it just seemed like the Diamondbacks would've collapsed after an opponent's big inning (5 Padres runs in the 5th) or let the opponents

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1117050194730905442005-05-25T12:24:00.000-07:002005-05-25T12:43:14.750-07:00

Wasn't Russ Ortiz supposed to be an innings-eater?Pitcher, IP/Start, ERABrandon Webb, 6.9, 3.32Javier Vazquez, 6.7, 3.49Brad Halsey, 6.2, 3.47Shawn Estes, 6.2, 3.56Russ Ortiz, 5.5, 5.20Those numbers shouldn't surprise anybody who's been half-awake through the first quarter of the season. Those innings from Ortiz haven't tasted good thus far.And at this rate, he'll be lucky to give us 180

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116976872801039522005-05-24T19:06:00.000-07:002005-05-24T16:21:12.806-07:00

A little bit late, perhaps, but here's the weekly look at random stuff that wouldn't fit anywhere else.***************Comings Department: Check out Rising Suns -- the one and only Suns blog -- while it's still relevant. (Glad to see somebody filled the gap I noticed six months ago.) It's all basketball at the moment, so be warned...***************Goings Departments: Bye-bye Roses and Rattlers.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116952689888545632005-05-24T07:52:00.000-07:002005-05-24T09:38:09.943-07:00

Let's get to it.The Week That WasRecord: 4-2 (1st place in the NL West, 0.5 games ahead of SD, 3.0 games ahead of LA)Runs Scored/Runs Against: 3.75 - 2.25 (high/low dropped)Transactions: Brandon Lyon on 15-day DL, Matt Kata recalled from Tucson (5/18)Two road series, two road series wins. I don't care if you're playing the St. Mary's Sisters of the Poor and your son's 6-year-old T-ball league,

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116865020379757712005-05-23T07:57:00.000-07:002005-05-23T09:17:00.416-07:00

That rumbling you heard in the Valley of the Sun over the past 24 hours was thousands of people jumping off the Suns' bandwagon as the Spurs took Game 1 of their series 121-114. Seriously, just reading the paper this morning and listening to talk radio... it's a seven-game series, people!But to those of you who've given up on the Suns, let me introduce you to a new bandwagon getting ready to

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116620685239127142005-05-20T18:19:00.000-07:002005-05-20T13:24:45.246-07:00

Part one yesterday covered the position players. Here, then, is a brief review of the pitchers at the quarter-way point.Pitcher Innings Pitched, WHIP, VORPStarters-- Brandon Webb 54.3, 1.34 ,13.1 -- Brandon's been lucky to be 5-0, perhaps, but deserves some good luck after last year's horrible luck.-- Javier Vazquez 58.0, 1.21, 9.4 -- How good are these numbers without Opening Day? A WHIP of

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116606083946375362005-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:002005-05-20T09:21:23.993-07:00

[Ed. note: Stefan caught an early-evening showing of Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Thursday night and was unable to watch the Diamondbacks-Astros game. Special Guest Correspondent Yoda fills in.]Greetings. I come from a galaxy far, far away. Even with that distance, the game of baseball I really like. It... amuses me.The Diamondbacks a much better team this year, they are.

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116542787712320722005-05-19T18:43:00.000-07:002005-05-19T15:46:27.733-07:00

25% through the season, 25 men on a baseball squad, so what better way to review the squad than by writing no more than 25 words apiece. The analysis is worth about, uh, a quarter. If that much. Part two (the pitchers) tomorrow.(By the way, I realize the symmetry in breaking the 15 position players into, er, quarters, but I think they more naturally break up into three groups.)Player - Plate

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116516682017412912005-05-19T07:10:00.000-07:002005-05-19T08:44:36.843-07:00

So how did the Diamondbacks choose to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Randy Johnson's perfect game?By playing an entirely different game.OK, they won, beating the Astros 7-6, but aside from that there was little similarity between last year's team and this year's.To begin with, Russ Ortiz looked shaky, giving up 9 hits and 3 walks (with no strikeouts) in 5 1/3 innings. A very un-Randy-like

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116457705806684822005-05-18T18:40:00.000-07:002005-05-18T16:08:25.840-07:00

One of the hazards with being married and a parent is that it can have a tendency to reduce your moviegoing (and, to a lesser extent, music-listening) choices to "safe" options. If you're going to spend $70 on an evening out (even though I knew it instinctively, I still did a mental double-take when I calculated the evening's cost), you have a greater tendency to not take a chance on an edgy or

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116431413105623772005-05-18T07:21:00.000-07:002005-05-18T09:16:02.626-07:00

"Traveling through hyperspace isn't like dusting crops, boy!" -- Han Solo to Luke Skywalker in Star WarsThe top of the first inning in Tuesday's 3-0 Diamondbacks loss to the Astros was all I needed to get a bad feeling about the game. Runners at first and third with one out, and Troy Glaus and Shawn Green can't get the ball out of the infield. And at that point, I just had this feeling that the

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116367803738362042005-05-17T18:58:00.000-07:002005-05-17T15:10:03.756-07:00

Over the oddest things...Thanks to Jim at AZ Snakepit for asking me to weigh in on the Diamondbacks' "Ultimate Baseball Experiences." My "point" (or is it the "counterpoint") takes more of a "meh, whatever" tone while Jim does his best Ash Campbell impression on the policy. (Side note: I've never seen the Raimi trilogy, so in finding that last link I was surprised to find out that the trilogy

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116359287891994472005-05-17T07:04:00.000-07:002005-05-17T12:48:08.800-07:00

Without any further ado (not that there was much ado to begin with)...The Week That WasRecord: 5-2 (overall: 23-16, 1st place in the NL West, baby! 0.5 game ahead of the Padres before their win Monday night)Runs Scored/Runs Allowed: 4.0 - 3.6 (high/low removed, thankfully, once more)Transactions: Jose Cruz, Jr. off the DL, Matt Kata to Tucson (5/9); Kelly Stinnett signed to minor-league contract

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116262698841341452005-05-16T07:42:00.000-07:002005-05-16T09:58:18.896-07:00

"That's the kind of guy Counsell is. I don't think he goes up there looking for a home run, but he certainly has, Number 1, a flair for the semi-dramatic and, Number 2, a great awareness of where the game is, what needs to be done." -- Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin on Craig Counsell, who hit his first homerun since July 5, 2004 to help the D-Backs to a 5-4 victory over the Rockies on Sunday.So

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116027343803390602005-05-13T18:23:00.000-07:002005-05-13T16:35:43.810-07:00

I've shown a tendency thus far in my Waiver Wire missives to stray far afield from baseball-related subjects. But this week...A couple subscription-based articles of note from BP. The first is an interview with Mark Johnson, a mathematician who spent a year with the St. Louis Cardinals. It's an interesting look inside a baseball organization from a saber-friendly guy. (Meaning he uses

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1116000156568276272005-05-13T07:43:00.000-07:002005-05-13T09:02:36.610-07:00

I would like to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks for beating Colorado 6-3 on Thursday night.Because if they'd won 3-2 again, I was going to be pretty lost.I'm watching the game in the 8th inning and start of the 9th with the D-Backs leading 3-2, wondering exactly how I would be able to write about the game without re-emphasizing points that, frankly, were already pretty tired the first couple times

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1115915224973144832005-05-12T07:57:00.000-07:002005-05-12T09:27:05.450-07:00

That's got to be the Diamondbacks' offensive motto, right? Because they weren't all that good this homestand. In their last five games, they've scored just 13 runs, and somehow managed to win two of those games. At BOB. An "extreme" hitters' park.But the D-Backs won again last night, beating the Nationals 3-2 for the second game in a row to take the Series.Javier Vazquez pitched another

Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0