D-Backs Preview by ESPN

[schillingfan]

ESPN posted their season previews yesterday on ESPN.com. Here is the preview for the D-Backs

ESPN preview

 

[minercon]

My prediction now: Batista, Grace and Williams will be in position at least 50% of the season for various reasons.

 

[DWKB]

I assume by "position" and Batista you mean starting and not bullpen.

If Grace is maning 1B and Batista is starting more than 50% of the time then that could very well bode trouble in the long term if not just the short term for this team.

If Overbay, as a 26 yr old who has torn up the minors for most of his career (caveats taken into consideration of course) can't keep his starting position or has ti taken away from him than it's going to be a problem for the org in some form.

 

[RLakin]

Related to Overbay:

The Cubs sent down Bobby Hill, a young 2nd baseman who was supposed to start everyday but had an 8-52 spring. Overbay has 4 more hits than Hill in the same number of at bats.

 

[DWKB]

Originally posted by RLakin
Related to Overbay:

The Cubs sent down Bobby Hill, a young 2nd baseman who was supposed to start everyday but had an 8-52 spring. Overbay has 4 more hits than Hill in the same number of at bats.

Like I said, if we're as inept an org as the Cubs are.....God help us. Thye sent Hill down in favor of Mark GrudzielaneK ( 3-18 ) and Ramon Martinez ( 5-37 ). Maybe Hill can "season" in AAA til he's 30, then Dusty will be willing to play him

 

[unc84steve]

Originally posted by DWKB
Like I said, if we're as inept an org as the Cubs are.....God help us. They sent Hill down in favor of Mark GrudzielaneK ( 3-18 ) and Ramon Martinez ( 5-37 ). Maybe Hill can "season" in AAA til he's 30, then Dusty will be willing to play him

Funny

Next you'll tell me they kept Tom Goodwin. It's not April Fools Day yet is it?

(For anyone wondering, this is BP-type OBP-worshipping smirking )

 

[schillingfan]

You said it yourself. Bob Brenly is not Dusty Baker. He will have patience with the kids. However, he'll ride the hot hand, too. So if Grace is hot and Overbay isn't he'll play Grace until he cools off.

Dusty Baker would never have let the World Series ride in the hands of a 22 year old closer (thought maybe BB shouldn't have either.

 

[DWKB]

Originally posted by unc84steve
Funny

Next you'll tell me they kept Tom Goodwin. It's not April Fools Day yet is it?

(For anyone wondering, this is BP-type OBP-worshipping smirking )

[full-on thread hijack]

Baker on losing Alfonseca for at least 5 weeks:

"We'll just go with whatever options we have," Baker said. "Today's game, tomorrow's game, how many consecutive days are we playing the team that we're playing. Are they left-handed strong? It's going to require a lot of thought.

"Maybe I'll call that guy in Boston, whatever his name is. Yeah, maybe I'll call Bill. That's right up Bill's alley, isn't it?"

Baker on deciding to start LHB Choi at 1B on opening day against LHP Glavine or to start RHB Karros (who is 14-60 lifetime against Glavine)

"If it's Glavine, I've got to see how Karros has done against Glavine," Baker said Saturday. "Then who are they going to go with the next day? Leiter?

"I don't want Choi to sit out two days in a row. I know Leiter is tough on both. I have to see how Karros does against Leiter and Glavine. If he's good against both of them, then I've got a decision to make. That early in the year, you don't want guys who have been playing every day in the spring all of a sudden to sit out two days."

[...]

"It's really hard to impress me with 40 at-bats," Baker said. "[Choi's] hit against left-handers. He hung in there good against Randy. If he impressed me or not, what am I supposed to do with Karros? He's got to play sometime. That's a lot of money ($9 million guaranteed) to be sitting on the bench."

Also...

If Grudzielanek gets enough at-bats and is OK for Opening Day, it looks like there will be one roster spot open.

That spot appears to be a battle between infielder-pinch hitter Lenny Harris and outfielder Tom Goodwin, who opened play Saturday leading the major leagues with 8 stolen bases this spring.

"I can't tell you my team right now," Dusty Baker said.

How about keeping both Harris and Goodwin?

"Maybe," Baker said.

[/full-on thread hijack]