azdad1978
Championship!!!!
By Jack Magruder, Tribune
TUCSON - When teams talked trade with Arizona last winter, three of the young players most coveted were Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin and Sergio Santos.
"Our crown jewels,’’ Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said.
All have hit well here — Santos and Quentin singling Wednesday, Santos hitting safely for the fifth time in six games — but the D-Backs are willing to bide their time.
The three are likely to be the 3-4-5 hitters at Class AAA Tucson this season, where Jackson is expected to play first base after playing left field in his previous two minor league seasons.
"We made some moves there that have kind of put up a roadblock at least this year for them,’’ Melvin said, "but there are organizations where these guys would be playing in the big leagues right now.
"We were offered quite a bit for some of these guys this year, and we were not willing to part with them. We feel like they are going to be everyday big leaguers."
Jackson is hitting .364 in his first major league spring camp while Santos is hitting .357. Each has a homer. Quentin is at .154. Santos was the organization’s No. 1 draft pick in 2002. Jackson and Quentin were taken in the first round in 2003.
NO EXTRA DH
While Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. may be used as designated hitters in National League games while recovering from injuries this spring, the D-Backs are unlikely to ask for special treatment for recovering starters Luis Gonzalez and Troy Glaus.
"If we think we are under the gun where we need to get Gonzo some more at-bats, that is something I will think about,’’ Melvin said. "But we also want to implement our pitchers into this thing, and that means getting them some at-bats, too.’’
Gonzalez is to play left field again Friday against the Cubs at Hohokam Park, Melvin said, and likely will DH in a splitsquad game Sunday against Oakland, an A’s home game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The commissioner’s office has said Bonds can be used as a DH in Giants home games as long as the Giants let their opponent also use a DH.
MEETING OF THE MINDS
On the 10th anniversary of the day the D-Backs were granted a major league franchise at the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Fla., the D-Backs’ five general partners and six members of the executive committee held their quarterly meeting at Tucson Electric Park.
Melvin spoke to the group before Wednesday’s game with a spring training update that "was very encouraging,’’ partner Jeff Moorad said.
"We’ve been as successful an organization in the seven years we’ve been on the field in the big leagues as you could hope for,’’ Melvin said. "It’s a nice anniversary.’’
Despite a 51-111 record in 2004, the D-Backs are 575-559 in their seven years, the only one of the four most recent expansion teams — Colorado (1993), Florida (1993) and Tampa Bay (1998) are the others — to have a career record over .500.
SHORT HOPS
Greg Aquino played catch Wednesday but will take several days off before pitching off a mound, Melvin said. . . . Melvin will attend the D-Backs’ split-squad game Sunday against the Brewers in Maryvale to take an extra look at the Brewers, a regular season opponent. The D-Backs do not play Oakland this season. . . . Randy Choate pitched a hitless inning in a "B’’ game against the White Sox and starter Orlando Hernandez on Wednesday, while Mike Koplove pitched two scoreless innings. Marland Williams, Andy Green and Dan Uggla had two hits apiece, and Green stole two bases. Alan Zinter had an RBI groundout against El Duque, the lone run he allowed in four innings.
AT A GLANCE
Angels 16, D-Backs 2
Notable pitching: Brandon Lyon had the only perfect inning in the game, striking out two of the three he faced while using mainly sinkersliders in a 15-pitch seventh inning. . . . Shawn Estes wanted to work on fastballs early, giving up five runs on five two-out hits in the first.
Notable hitting: Scott Hairston had two singles, driving in a run in the ninth to break up the shutout. . . . Corey Myers also had two hits, including an RBI single in the ninth.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37728
TUCSON - When teams talked trade with Arizona last winter, three of the young players most coveted were Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin and Sergio Santos.
"Our crown jewels,’’ Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said.
All have hit well here — Santos and Quentin singling Wednesday, Santos hitting safely for the fifth time in six games — but the D-Backs are willing to bide their time.
The three are likely to be the 3-4-5 hitters at Class AAA Tucson this season, where Jackson is expected to play first base after playing left field in his previous two minor league seasons.
"We made some moves there that have kind of put up a roadblock at least this year for them,’’ Melvin said, "but there are organizations where these guys would be playing in the big leagues right now.
"We were offered quite a bit for some of these guys this year, and we were not willing to part with them. We feel like they are going to be everyday big leaguers."
Jackson is hitting .364 in his first major league spring camp while Santos is hitting .357. Each has a homer. Quentin is at .154. Santos was the organization’s No. 1 draft pick in 2002. Jackson and Quentin were taken in the first round in 2003.
NO EXTRA DH
While Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. may be used as designated hitters in National League games while recovering from injuries this spring, the D-Backs are unlikely to ask for special treatment for recovering starters Luis Gonzalez and Troy Glaus.
"If we think we are under the gun where we need to get Gonzo some more at-bats, that is something I will think about,’’ Melvin said. "But we also want to implement our pitchers into this thing, and that means getting them some at-bats, too.’’
Gonzalez is to play left field again Friday against the Cubs at Hohokam Park, Melvin said, and likely will DH in a splitsquad game Sunday against Oakland, an A’s home game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The commissioner’s office has said Bonds can be used as a DH in Giants home games as long as the Giants let their opponent also use a DH.
MEETING OF THE MINDS
On the 10th anniversary of the day the D-Backs were granted a major league franchise at the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach, Fla., the D-Backs’ five general partners and six members of the executive committee held their quarterly meeting at Tucson Electric Park.
Melvin spoke to the group before Wednesday’s game with a spring training update that "was very encouraging,’’ partner Jeff Moorad said.
"We’ve been as successful an organization in the seven years we’ve been on the field in the big leagues as you could hope for,’’ Melvin said. "It’s a nice anniversary.’’
Despite a 51-111 record in 2004, the D-Backs are 575-559 in their seven years, the only one of the four most recent expansion teams — Colorado (1993), Florida (1993) and Tampa Bay (1998) are the others — to have a career record over .500.
SHORT HOPS
Greg Aquino played catch Wednesday but will take several days off before pitching off a mound, Melvin said. . . . Melvin will attend the D-Backs’ split-squad game Sunday against the Brewers in Maryvale to take an extra look at the Brewers, a regular season opponent. The D-Backs do not play Oakland this season. . . . Randy Choate pitched a hitless inning in a "B’’ game against the White Sox and starter Orlando Hernandez on Wednesday, while Mike Koplove pitched two scoreless innings. Marland Williams, Andy Green and Dan Uggla had two hits apiece, and Green stole two bases. Alan Zinter had an RBI groundout against El Duque, the lone run he allowed in four innings.
AT A GLANCE
Angels 16, D-Backs 2
Notable pitching: Brandon Lyon had the only perfect inning in the game, striking out two of the three he faced while using mainly sinkersliders in a 15-pitch seventh inning. . . . Shawn Estes wanted to work on fastballs early, giving up five runs on five two-out hits in the first.
Notable hitting: Scott Hairston had two singles, driving in a run in the ninth to break up the shutout. . . . Corey Myers also had two hits, including an RBI single in the ninth.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37728
