Kendrick believes D-Backs capable of winning record

[azdad1978]

By Jack Magruder, Tribune

TUCSON — Managing partner Ken Kendrick gave his inaugural spring address to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, stressing their opportunity to make more history.

"I'm kind of a statistics guy, and I let them know I had found there was only one other team that had a record similar to ours who the next season had a winning record,'' Kendrick said.

"I believe this team is capable of doing that. Not so much a challenge, but a statement of what I hope we can achieve.''

No team in modern baseball history (since 1900) has reached .500 after losing at least 111 games the year before (there have been 11 previous tries).

The 1936 Boston Braves came the closest, finishing 71-83 after losing 115 games in 1935. The 1889 Louisville Colonels of the American Association were 88-44 after losing 111 games the year before, but that was in a day when bidding wars and defections from the rival National League caused great fluctuations.

"Absolutely attainable,'' new left-hander Shawn Estes said.

"We're not looking to just have a winning record. We're looking to win this division. We're going to be competitive. We've got the pitching staff. We've got the lineup. Now we just have to one, stay healthy and two, get it done on the field.''

Kendrick, new partner Jeff Moorad and D-Backs president Rich Dozer held a morning meeting with the players in the clubhouse at Tucson Electric Park before the first full-squad workout.

History is nothing new to the franchise. The D-Backs became the quickest expansion team in major league history to win a division title when they won the NL West in 1999, finishing 100-62, a 35-game improvement from their first year.

The D-Backs also were the quickest expansion team to win a World Series, doing it in 2001, their fourth year. "Basically, they are saying that our organization is getting back to the old ways that we had around here, which is going out and winning games. Just being the old Diamondbacks,'' said left fielder Luis Gonzalez, the only roster player remaining from 1999.

"There are a lot of expectations that we carry out there. Our fans expect it from us, and us as players expect it. Last year we got away from that. It was a tough season. It's no secret with the guys they brought in here, we expect to win.

"In the last couple of years, we lost that swagger that we had before. We're trying to get that back.''

Added Moorad: "It was a real upper to be in that clubhouse and talk to a fresh group of players. We're excited about how it might come together in the field.''

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=36858

 

[AZZenny]

I thought this summed up where I'm at nicely.

Burying the hatchet with the D-Backs
FanBoy azcentral.com
Feb. 23, 2005 12:00 PM


I can trot out a whole bunch of cliches at this point to describe the feelings of baseball fans all around the world at the start of spring training. Everyone is tied for first, everyone is undefeated, blah, blah, blah. You get the picture.

Fans will tell themselves anything at this point to keep some semblance of hope that their teams will actually make it to the postseason. Here in the Valley, D-Backs fans are probably repeating the mantra that has been sent down from the cushy offices at the BOB that this team can actually compete in the NL West and can make the postseason.

I have been critical of the D-Backs' off-season moves. To me they are simply short-term solutions to long-term problems. But it is spring and it is time to bury the hatchet. There is no point complaining anymore about the amount of money they have thrown at Russ Ortiz or their obsession in seeing Shawn Green in a D-Backs uniform.

So in the spirit of spring, here are a couple of things that have to happen if the D-Backs are actually going to make things interesting around here in September.

1)The NL West has to be worse than most people suspect

The consensus is that the San Francisco Giants are the class of the NL West. Barry Bonds finally has some help in Moises Alou, and the signing of closer Armando Benitez gives Felipe Alou the security in the ninth inning that he didn't have last season.

But there are question marks. This team is old. Real old. Like 2004 Seattle Mariners old. So there is the possibility that the veterans will break down offensively and cause havoc on the best-laid plans of GM Brian Sabean.

And all this steroids talk isn't a positive thing. The Giants might put on a happy face and say that all this added attention isn't a distraction, but I'm sure they much prefer to be preparing for the season out of the limelight. And what sort of effect will all this have on Barry Bonds? If he doesn't have the type of season he has had over the past three or four years, then suddenly the Giants' offense isn't quite as impressive.

The starting pitching is a bit of a question mark after Jason Schmidt. Kirk Reuter and Brett Tomko can easily fall apart, while Noah Lowery and Jerome Williams are still pretty young. And don't forget that Benitez was run out of Baltimore and New York.

The Padres are probably the second best team in the division on paper. The starting pitching is solid and the offensive can be explosive at times. But like most teams, an injury here or there or an off year for someone like Mark Loretta and Brian Giles can derail San Diego's plans.

If either the Giants and the Padres falter, the D-Backs may be able to take advantage, but some things need to happen, like ...

2) The starters have to perform to their potential

No aspect of the team has been improved upon more than the starting rotation, which says more about how bad they were last season than the quality of the reinforcements. But starting this season with Vazquez, Ortiz, Webb, Estes and Gosling/Gonzalez/Daigle is much better than this time last season with Johnson, Webb, Dessens, Sparks, Daigle.

At the very least the D-Backs will have four starters that will chew up innings and that will have a positive effect on the bullpen. We all saw last season what happens to the relievers when you have to go to them in the fourth and fifth inning on a consistent basis.

And four of these starters have a chance to win 15 games each. Vazquez, Ortiz and Estes have done it at least once in their respective careers, while no one doubts that Webb's stuff is good enough to be a consistent 13- to 18-game winner throughout his career.

The D-Backs have to hope that all four guys can put it together for one season. Vazquez has to pitch like 2001 (16-11, 3,42), Ortiz has to go back to 2003 form (21-7, 3.82), Estes has to rewind the clock to 1997 (19-5, 3.18), and Webb needs to throw like his rookie season (10-9, 2.84)

If all this happens it will make things easier for ...

3) Gonzo, Glaus and Green have to turn into the Killer G's

There are holes in the lineup, but at least management was able to address the gaping hole at the top of the order by signing Jose Cruz Jr. While Cruz won't remind anyone of Rickey Henderson, he is a huge improvement over having Clayton or Counsell lead off.

But it is the meat of the order that will make or break the D-Backs offensively and health is clearly the key element here. Gonzo and Glaus have to come back completely healed from their injuries and they have to be the players they were a couple of seasons ago. Gonzo might never top 50 home runs again, but he still figures prominently in the D-Backs' plans.

Glaus is the true wild card for the D-Backs. If Glaus can stay healthy and be the monster he was in 2000 and 2001, the D-Backs will be lauded for pulling off the steal of the off-season. If Glaus can put up anything like 35 home runs and 100 RBIs, he will be worth the money they paid for him. Never mind all the strikeouts.

In case you didn't get your fill of "ifs" with Gonzo and Glaus, then the biggest "if" of all will be hitting in the five hole. Shawn Green's career has been on a perpetual roller coaster since he left Canada. He can hit anywhere from 20 to 50 home runs and there are no clear signs which Green the D-Backs will be getting.

If the D-Backs are lucky enough to get the 45-homer, 110-RBI Green this season, and that can be combined with the 35-homer, 100-RBI Gonzalez and the 47-homer, 120-RBI Glaus, the D-Backs are one step closer to printing up playoff tickets.

There are several other things that need to happen for the D-Backs to be battling for a playoff spot come September (like, is Greg Aquino the guy to close out games, and if not him, then who?), but if the Giants and Padres falter, and the starters are solid, and the Killer G's put up big numbers, then maybe, just maybe, the baseball gods will look kindly on the D-Backs.

Clearly there are a lot of 'ifs', but after all isn't that what the spring is all about?