A Heartfelt Thank You !!!

[Catfish]

As we head into the doldrums of another Arizona summer, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Diamondbacks, and specifically owner Ken Kendrick, for giving us something special to hang onto in this time of crashed economies, football lockouts, an as yet unsolved dilemma about the Coyotes ownership, the fading flame that was the Phoenix Suns, and the annual heat and dust with the accompanying fires in the forests. He has given us a wonderfully 'Old School' baseball team to follow. I especially want to thank him for the hire of Kevin Towers as GM of this franchise.

It was Towers, who looked first before he acted, then correctly decided NOT to make a move with his field manager. His retention of Kirk Gibson was astute, and has gone a long way toward bringing life back into this organization. Then the moves to bring in veterans like Blanco, Bloomquist, and especially JJ Putz into the locker room to provide the player leadership that was missing gave Gibson some of the tools to work with as he went about righting the wrongs. The replacement of Mark Rennells and his too-frequent strikeouts sent a message to players up and down the order that this will no longer be tolerated.

Together Towers and Gibson have changed the attitude that pervaded this group last year that losing was okay. They are now a plucky group, who have the spunk to fight back when they have been dissed by their opponents. Even Justin Upton is beginning to see the light, and has become a 'team' player, who is buying into what Gibby has been preaching. The transformation of this club from last year to this year's model is astonishing. The are playing the game the right way, 'Old School', and are having fun doing it, and so are we, the fans. It is so very nice to have something so positive to look forward to each day instead of the usual summerime doldrums here in the valley. Thank you again Mr. Towers, and Mr. Gibson, and a very special thanks to you Mr. Kendrick.

 

[az240zz]

I love all those who claim playing the "right way" is great. The only thing that is great is playing winning baseball!!!!! Oh what is "old school", when was "old school". Did Mantle play the game the right way,he was a drunk, Williams hated the public unless he had a fishing rod in his hands. Koufax and Drysdale held out. Before steroids there were "greenies".

I'm so tired of hearing announcers saying " he's playing the game the right way". Just what the Hell does that mean?

 

[Mulli]

I love all those who claim playing the "right way" is great. The only thing that is great is playing winning baseball!!!!! Oh what is "old school", when was "old school". Did Mantle play the game the right way,he was a drunk, Williams hated the public unless he had a fishing rod in his hands. Koufax and Drysdale held out. Before steroids there were "greenies".

I'm so tired of hearing announcers saying " he's playing the game the right way". Just what the Hell does that mean?

For the sake of discussion, what do any of the above have to do with how those dudes played the game?

 

[Catfish]

I love all those who claim playing the "right way" is great. The only thing that is great is playing winning baseball!!!!! Oh what is "old school", when was "old school". Did Mantle play the game the right way,he was a drunk, Williams hated the public unless he had a fishing rod in his hands. Koufax and Drysdale held out. Before steroids there were "greenies".

I'm so tired of hearing announcers saying " he's playing the game the right way". Just what the Hell does that mean?

Wow, (just Wow). Did somebody pee on your corn flakes???

 

[DWKB]

Wow, (just Wow). Did somebody pee on your corn flakes???

No, but your nostalgia is a bit off-putting so I see why you got that response. It's the epitome of old-fogeyism.

Such a devoted fan with such wisdom of the right way to play the game should at least know it's Mark Reynolds I think.

 

[Catfish]

No, but your nostalgia is a bit off-putting so I see why you got that response. It's the epitome of old-fogeyism.

Such a devoted fan with such wisdom of the right way to play the game should at least know it's Mark Reynolds I think.

At least you got me pegged correctly. I am just an old fogey who remembers the days of listening to the radio. Games played in Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field. Guys like DiMaggio and Ford, Kiner and Newcombe, Berra, and Campennela. Day games called by Mel Allen and Al Helfer. Three generations of family gathered around my Grandfather's Philco, radio on a Sunday afternoon. And yes, I was the one who pulled for 'Dem Bums' to win, (a totally hopeless cause until 1955 when Clem Lebine came along with his magic). Hopefully, some day you won't be nearly so put-off by the nostalgia of a game played between two rivals, when there were no bad guys.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Catfish, I appreciate your post for what it was worth. It was giving thanks to an owner that had patience and played within his limitations to build something correctly. Though the D-Backs will never have a huge payroll as they did 10 years ago - they are making good decisions, and will hopefully stay competitive for years to come. With the new pitching they just drafted, there is a decent shot to be much more than just competitive...

 

[Catfish]

Catfish, I appreciate your post for what it was worth. It was giving thanks to an owner that had patience and played within his limitations to build something correctly. Though the D-Backs will never have a huge payroll as they did 10 years ago - they are making good decisions, and will hopefully stay competitive for years to come. With the new pitching they just drafted, there is a decent shot to be much more than just competitive...

Maybe the best part of the whole thing, is that your kids will have a chance to grow up like I did, pulling for a team whose players played for each other and genuinely liked each other like family. Then maybe the team will have a deep rooted fan base like the teams I grew up with, instead of displaced people cheering for the opponent to come in and visit. I just don't get the 'winning is the only thing' mentality that comes seemingly without values or loyalties.

I have come to treasure people like Towers, and Gibson. People who know that those things in life that are the most meaningful, are those that were worth working the longest and hardest to get. All the championships in the world are kind of meaningless when they are merely purchased. That is why there is such a disconnect between the fans and the local teams so far here in the valley. There are probably less than ten thousand fans supporting today's D-Backs, who were supporting them in '71. Most of the people who go to games now, were not fans at all when they won it all.

It takes time to establish loyalty. Time to suffer through the losing, and the 'almost dids'. Time to become family, with generations of nurtured growth. That is what is missing from the 'me', or the 'now, generations. They don't want to take time to develop that following. They are like the players and the owners who want it all, and they want it right now. The sad thing is that a purchased championship is sort of hollow, and it is not binding like something that is slowly built, (the right way), and nurtured to fruition over generations, with depth and youth in its farm system. Even Colangelo lost interest after he purchased a championship.

Purchased championships are as fleeting as the players who were purchased to win them. When they move on, so do the loyalties. As for me, I will take 'Old School' any day over the 'me' and 'now'. I am a displaced mid-westerner, but these are MY D-Backs. They are my my wife's D-Backs, and my Son's D-Backs too, and someday, hopefully they will be my grand-son's D-Backs. If, they ever win another championship, they will have more than likely established roots, and have grown that championship, and THAT will truly be something that their generations of fans will hold very dear to their hearts.

 

[az240zz]

And I too am a dbacks fan but I'm also realistic. Had season tickets from 2001 thru 2009 going to 60+ games a year. Winning a championship while drawing 15000 won't happen. Oh there may be a few winning years but the game, due to money, has changed. Purchasing players and retaining players takes money.

At some point our young stars will leave because there just isn't enough money to pay them. Winning is the only thing that will improve attendance.

By the way I got my first baseball from Lou Bourdette [sp] at Braves field in Boston. Must have been 1952 or 1953.

 

[az240zz]

Wow, (just Wow). Did somebody pee on your corn flakes???

No and my rant wasn't against Catfish,I'm just tired of the media saying he plays the game the right way. Just what is the right way?? When was the right way played?

 

[az240zz]

Mark Grace was pulled over, last week, and was arrested for DWI. There are some who want him fired. Go back to the days of yore, you never heard bad things, and so you assumed all the players were saints.

Well, they weren't, but many nostalgically pine for those days.

 

[Longcolts]

Mark Grace was pulled over, last week, and was arrested for DWI. There are some who want him fired. Go back to the days of yore, you never heard bad things, and so you assumed all the players were saints.

Well, they weren't, but many nostalgically pine for those days.

There wasn't the internet back then either where everything that is done by anyone can be flashed around the world in a matter of minutes.

 

[splitsecond]

I will hold off on giving Kendrick thanks and praise until I know he is willing to spend the money on the few extra pieces we need to win the division. Let's talk after the trade deadline.