At San Diego series thread

[Lefty]

Does anyone know what the pitching matchups will be?

 

[AZCB34]

Probables look like this:

Johnson v Peavy Fri
Webb v Valdez Sat
Sparks v Eaton Sun

 

[minercon]

All I can say is that I am not impressed so far. Our pitching absolutely stinks!
Never, ever should have let Batista go. I'll hound this board for the next 150 games with that statement.

Gonzo should make a decision now...do the surgery or be taken out and let someone else field. He can't throw and worse he seems 10 steps slow this year in retrieving the ball. I can't remember him taking so long in getting the ball when it has been knocked along the third base line.

After such a horrible year watching the Suns I really don't want to waste my time watching 150 games with the DBacks and end up winning only 50% of them. With the money in this valley and the people who support all the teams we deserve Jerry to buy the best team he can and let them play. I am tired of all the trades, outsourcing of our players(may as well use the newest vocabulary word that may determine the outcome of the next presidential election an apply it to baseball), waiving them, demoting them and simply WHATEVER....I want a WINNER in town this time.

 

[schillingfan]

All I can say is that I am not impressed so far. Our pitching absolutely stinks!
Never, ever should have let Batista go. I'll hound this board for the next 150 games with that statement.

Well, I said way back when that it was mistake. But it wasn't that the D-Backs "let" Miggy go. If they had the money I imagine they would have liked him. They were under salary constraints and they insisted in their own minds that the only player not under contract that they were willing to pay more than a million for was Richie Sexson.

Joe Jr. had two problems that caused him to "let" Miggy walk. The first and most irksome was that he gave the two year contract to Elmer last year. Every time I see Elmer pitch I think "that's Miggy's money". Who would you rather have had? Obviously Miggy, but Joe Jr. gave Elmer that stupid two year contract.

The other problem is thinking that three mediocre veterans equals one above average player. If he hadn't handed the contracts to Reynolds, Sparks, Alomar, he probably could have squeaked out the money. I would rather have had Miggy and three guys from Tucson.

 

[AZCB34]

Couple of thoughts

PETCO Field is not surrendering the long ball right now so the Dbacks are going to have to level out those swings and hit more line drives (I heard their power alleys are 400ft???).

minercon, I said during the first series of the year that I think this adjustment to Gonzo's arm is going to become a bigger issue as the season progresses. It is only a matter of time before even some of the slower runners start pressing him by turning long singles into doubles. That will just compound the problem for our pitchers. At some point, his bat will no longer make up for the dreadful liability he has become in LF. He made a mistake in not having the surgery because that would have FORCED Joe Jr to make a move and be more prepared in the OF (my pet peeve so far) but instead, Jr seemed to ignore the OF problem and is happy going into the year with 3 OF's on the team ( a gimpy armed LF, a slow-starting aging CF leadoff man, and an inconsistent, injury-prone RF).

I don't blame Jerry for trying to operate within a budget since he provided this city with some playoff appearances and a Championship but he was overspending to do so. The problem is less the amount but the quality produced in spending it.

 

[Skkorpion]

Speaking of bad deals, anybody remember what we got for Padilla? I thought he was going to be good.

 

[AZCB34]

Speaking of bad deals, anybody remember what we got for Padilla? I thought he was going to be good.

Wasn't he part of the Schilling deal?

 

[Ryanwb]

Wasn't he part of the Schilling deal?

Yep! Along with Travis "whiff" Lee

 

[RLakin]

I don't blame Jerry for trying to operate within a budget since he provided this city with some playoff appearances and a Championship but he was overspending to do so. The problem is less the amount but the quality produced in spending it.

For example the Diamondbacks could be paying $4,100,000 for Brenly exiles Durazo and Sanders instead of $12,725,000 for the current 1st base/right field power combo of Richie Sexson and Danny Bautista. Last season, Sexson and Bautista combined for 49 home runs, 160 RBI, and a .471 slugging percentage in 890 at bats. Durazo and Sanders produced 52 homers, 164 RBI, and a .499 slugging percentage in 990 at bats.

 

[AZCB34]

Yep! Along with Travis "whiff" Lee

Didn't Philly also get Nelson Figueroa? I always had high hopes for that kid.

 

[Ryanwb]

For example the Diamondbacks could be paying $4,100,000 for Brenly exiles Durazo and Sanders instead of $12,725,000 for the current 1st base/right field power combo of Richie Sexson and Danny Bautista. Last season, Sexson and Bautista combined for 49 home runs, 160 RBI, and a .471 slugging percentage in 890 at bats. Durazo and Sanders produced 52 homers, 164 RBI, and a .499 slugging percentage in 990 at bats.

Bautista only played in HALF the games last year because he was hurt....talk about skewing the numbers to prove your argument

 

[Ryanwb]

Also,

Durazo wasn't a team player, he wouldn't try the outfield because he sucked as a 1B...

I agree that Sanders got a raw deal here....that whole bit about not starting game 7 of the WS was overhyped, probably never happened

 

[devilalum]

Also,

Durazo wasn't a team player, he wouldn't try the outfield because he sucked as a 1B...

I agree that Sanders got a raw deal here....that whole bit about not starting game 7 of the WS was overhyped, probably never happened

Why has Sanders played for a different team every single year he's been in the league?

 

[AZCB34]

Why can't our hitters work counts?? Alomar and his .167 avg swinging away. Cmon let's work the count a little.

 

[AZCB34]

Memo to "Boots" Alomar. If you aren't going to hit the ball, can you at least not boot grounders right at you?

 

[Lefty]

I want to see Tracy and Tererro called up and Alomar and Finley to sit.

 

[AZCB34]

I want to see Tracy and Tererro called up and Alomar and Finley to sit.

I am not so sure about Finley although he is NOT a leadoff man. Alomar is just horrible. Can't hit and is really struggling in the field. I know he wants 3000 hits but at this rate he would have to play another 4 years.

I am torn about Tracy. Do you bring him up just for the sake of bringing him up? Or do you want him to keep playing everyday down in AAA?? Kata would work just as well at 2B IMO (and quite frankly earned a chance to play everyday last year and this spring). So where does Tracy go?

 

[AZCB34]

Randy is looking very sharp tonight.

 

[Ryanwb]

Randy is looking very sharp tonight.

So is Peavy

 

[Ryanwb]

So is Peavy

That was for jinx purposes

p.s. Alomar looks like he is just going through the motions...what a joke

 

[schillingfan]

Didn't Philly also get Nelson Figueroa? I always had high hopes for that kid.

Figgy will always be a fringe major leaguer. Not sure who he is playing with this year. He was with the Pirates last year. Very nice guy, but marginal talent. He'll be back and forth between AAA and the majors for most of his career.

Padilla, OTOH, should have a very long and successful major league career. Phillies were brilliant in converting him from a reliever to a starter.

Omar Daal is with the Orioles, but on the DL I believe.

According to Tim McCarver the Yankees are "anxiously" awaiting the return of Travis Lee from the DL. I thought they were smarter than that, but again, did people see Jason Giambi botch that grounder in the first inning tonight?

 

[AZCB34]

p.s. Alomar looks like he is just going through the motions...what a joke

You know, it does look like he is out there just going through the motions. What a crappy way to end a pretty good career.

Peavy is pitching very well. The Dbacks are helping by swinging upwards alot in a stadium that just isn't giving up as ton of homeruns. They need to level out those swings a bit more and try to hit more line drives.

 

[schillingfan]

I am torn about Tracy. Do you bring him up just for the sake of bringing him up? Or do you want him to keep playing everyday down in AAA?? Kata would work just as well at 2B IMO (and quite frankly earned a chance to play everyday last year and this spring). So where does Tracy go?

I believe that after a certain point a player regresses at AAA if he isn't promoted. Once he has mastered AAA pitching, playing all the time at AAA isn't going to teach him anything. The few at bats he might get as a bench player in the majors are more educational and further his career. Plus there is the frustration, too.

Others would disagree.

 

[Evil Ash]

I believe that after a certain point a player regresses at AAA if he isn't promoted. Once he has mastered AAA pitching, playing all the time at AAA isn't going to teach him anything. The few at bats he might get as a bench player in the majors are more educational and further his career. Plus there is the frustration, too.

Others would disagree.

Its truely an individual thing. Some players can't ever seem to grasp the mentality of hitting off of the bench and so it may regress them in their hitting career due to the frustration that they face. Therefore, he's better off playing in the minors everyday

Others do exactly as you mention and use it as a learning experience and it helps them later on in their career.

Now which category does Tracy belong to? I honestly don't know

 

[Evil Ash]

Good to see the defense has shown up tonight