Gibby continues to work magic:

[Catfish]

I can't be more proud of the way that Gibby has handled this team. He has gone out and challenged the players to dare to play hard, and has encouraged them to continue this even when they failed. Early on, not much good was happening with this team, other than the home broadcast team had endeared the fans to them and to Gibby and his staff.

Gibby challenged the players to MAKE the tough catch, or the tough throw, and he backed them when they did, even though it didn't always work out well. Now he has them believing in themselves and each other. Look at the recent throwing gems by Parra, Montero, and Roberts, not to overlook the fine catches made by a number of the players. Look at what he has done with the pitching staff, by believing in them until they show him that he needs to ship them out.

How much fun has it been to watch this team come from the cellar to just two games out of first place. How much better is it to be two games over .500 than it was to be ten games under.

Right now, the only two position players who have not bought into his plan are Upton and to a lesser extent, Young. That is a real shame, because both of these guys waste more talent than most big leagers have. I hope that he is as successful in getting these two on the same page as the rest of the team, because they can be real difference makers. Upton possesses real Star-Power and talent, and Young is not far behind. If they spend as much time listening to Gibby as they do to each other, this team could really be special.

 

[AZ Native]

Good post Catfish. Based on what I have seen, we should trade Upton and get a player who wants to be a team player. Young will then come along. He will then see the light.

 

[Catfish]

Good post Catfish. Based on what I have seen, we should trade Upton and get a player who wants to be a team player. Young will then come along. He will then see the light.

I would not give up on Gibby just now. He understands Upton, as they both were very much alike at that early age. Gibby also learned some harsh lessons. I truly believe he is working with Upton, and that there is still some possibility of his work bearing fruit. Let's see how things pan out before we throw anyone under the bus just yet. I believe Gibby will know when the time is right for him to remove Upton from the locker room if that is what is needed. I wouldn't wish to hurry the timetable. As I recall, the things I value most in life, were the ones that I worked the hardest at, and waited the longest for. That may be the case here too.

 

[AZ Native]

I would not give up on Gibby just now. He understands Upton, as they both were very much alike at that early age. Gibby also learned some harsh lessons. I truly believe he is working with Upton, and that there is still some possibility of his work bearing fruit. Let's see how things pan out before we throw anyone under the bus just yet. I believe Gibby will know when the time is right for him to remove Upton from the locker room if that is what is needed. I wouldn't wish to hurry the timetable. As I recall, the things I value most in life, were the ones that I worked the hardest at, and waited the longest for. That may be the case here too.

Insightful, but I have had it with Upton. I hope your are right, but I would trade his sorry lack of fundamentals and disrespect for the game for someone who appreciates the game of baseball. IMHO.

 

[BC867]

How 'bout those Rockies?

I didn't want to start a new thread about this, but today the Rockies outhit the Dodgers 14-11, but lost by the score of 7-1.

Their 2-through-5 batters went 9-for-18, but had zero runs scored and zero RBI's between them.

............................AB.....R......H.....RBI
2....D. Fowler...........5......0......2.......0
3....C. Gonzalez........4......0......2.......0
4....T. Tulowitzki......5......0.......2.......0
5....T. Helton...........4......0.......3.......0

That's the heart of their batting order!

I'm loosening my traditional thinking about Drew batting cleanup for us.

'Glad we're at the top.

 

[Longcolts]

Insightful, but I have had it with Upton. I hope your are right, but I would trade his sorry lack of fundamentals and disrespect for the game for someone who appreciates the game of baseball. IMHO.

You may have had it with Upton but I'm very glad that Gibson and the organization have not. He's only been playing the outfield for a few short years after playing the infield his whole life. That's a huge adjustment to make.

 

[Catfish]

Check it out,----- a five hit game including a tape measure HR. Nice to see him rewarded after all those empty HR swings he has taken lately. I am more impressed with the singles he got, (and was that really him stealing third base)? Maybe he has decided to follow his team-mates examples and pay attention to Gibby and the staff. That would be huge, (this game is testament to that). Lets hope he takes this opportunity to heart and finds a way to fit in with the rest of this wonderful team. This could be the start of something really big.

 

[Avondale Red Rage]

This is starting to remind me of the run the Tigers went on to start the season in 84 when they ended up winning the division easily and going on to spank the Padres. I remember distinctly the feeling we have a long way to go but Sparky kept them on the straight and narrow. The beauty of it is our manager and bench coach were a big part of it. Bless You Boys! (sorry, couldnt resist)

 

[AZ Native]

I really like this quote from Upton after the game last night:

"We've got a good group of guys and everybody's here for the same goal and that's to win," Upton said of his team's roll. "We've had our struggles, but at the same time, we've stuck with our goal and that's what makes a good team."

Maybe Gibson is having an impact on him. I hope so

 

[The Commish]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/ari/arizona-diamondbacks#