A week ago at this particular moment, the Dbacks returned from a 7-3 East Coast road-trip that witnessed them playing some flawless ball. Quality starts, solid bullpen efforts, clutch/timely hitting, above-average defense, etc... You name it, the Dbacks appeared to be on the verge of greatness. Sitting perched since 5/23 a top the NL West standings and also would have generated quite a bit of interests locally since our Phoenix Suns were eliminated from the play-off run in quite dreadful fashion against the Dallas Mavericks. The Dbacks were also were destined to add to their margin over the Dodgers by returning back to what had been the friendly confines of Chase Field against teams that they have faired well enough so far this season.
Suddenly though, the unthinkable happens.... which obviously most everyone is well aware of. A report that a journeyman reliever who was attempting to overcome/recover completely from lingering injuries did so by using illegal banned substances to quicken his progress. Unfortunately, all of that leads to the now infamous search of Jason Grimsley's home and the realities have been confirmed. Amid all the reports, the now bickering between Dbacks managing general partner, Ken Kendrick, and Grimsley's agent, Joe Bick whether or not his client is entitled to receive the remainder of his salary. Now, commissioner Bud Selig and the MLB has responded resoundingly with a 50-game suspension to a player who will more than likely never adorn a Major League uniform again. Just a 38 y/o pitcher that should have never been a Dback to begin with.
Management, players, and some fans alike contend that there is no correlation between the eventual demise of Grimsely and the Dbacks recent horrid 7-game losing streak (of course 6 of those defeats were at Chase courtesy of the Phillies and Mets). Some may argue that Grimsley has only been a Dback since this past off-season, so he should not have any affects on the players. However, several overlook the fact that the Dbacks have 10 other players on the active roster who are in their first full campaign wearing the turquoise (teal), copper, black and purple. That all the newcomers along with Grimsley bonded together to try to make the transition easier. Also, another factor to take into account that there are quite a few younger Dback pitchers who have endured lingering injuries and more than likely admired Grimsley in how he defied the odds to persevere after many setbacks and make a comeback on a Major League mound. Suddenly, then to find out that he did all of that illegally/unethically just jolted/tarnished all their hopes that a player can revert back to former form so quickly the natural way.
The key questions are: Does all the reports that have circulated about Grimsley’s admitted use of HGH affected the Dbacks so gravely that they will not place themselves back in position to contend for the NL West Division Title? Or, the GRIM REALITY might be, that the first month and a half of the Dbacks season until the uproar was all an aberration?
I somewhat agree with the latter. I predicted just prior to the start of the season that the Dbacks will accumulate within the range of 70-77 victories…that there were too many question marks coming into the season. First, the starting rotation… Only Brandon Webb was a legitimate bona-fide Major League starter compared to the others. One being a pitcher that no one is really certain of his actual age who was pretty much regulated to long-relief the previous season, that being the since departed Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez. Another starter had been converted into a closer for the Toronto Blue Jays for over the past couple of seasons and then he was subjected to re-adjust to the life of a starter, that being Miguel Batista. Then, there is the pitcher who excelled in brief sample-sizes to finish off the 2005 season after being claimed from the Washington Nationals, but we all still do not know if that the signs of brilliance that he displayed was nothing but a fluke, of course that is Claudio Vargas. Then, well, there is Russ Ortiz and obviously enough said on that one, no need whatsoever to elaborate other than just typing his full name out for any justification.
Currently, the Dbacks are relying on a rookie pitcher who did not advance AA until this season to try to be the stopper of their recent 7-game slide and prior to that depended on an under-achieving starter by the name of Juan Cruz who shows flashes of being a prolific strike-out artist, but over-throws to the extent that he may remain as someone who constantly battles through arm-ailments throughout his career and will never live up to his vast potential.
The other area of concern was the Dback’s line-up not possessing one true power-hitting threat. True, Eric Byrnes has generated some impressive stats, but is too inconsistent to depend on in that regard. There is the rookie who is still trying to find his niche at his position that has somewhat detracted away from his offensive prowess, but Conor Jackson has exhibited some outstanding patience at the plate with a pretty solid 24 Walks/21 Ks ratio for a rookie. It is just that he has not mounted the power numbers that are greatly attributed to a ML 1B.
Then, there is last year’s AL Gold Glove Award winner at 2B who is somewhat difficult to figure out from an offensive stand-point. Orlando Hudson has had some games in which he exhibited some excellent spray-hitting that enabled him to get anywhere between 2-3 hits, however, then there are contests in which he goes 0-5 and strikes-out on most of those ABs. Though.. he does compensate by his stellar defense which has saved plenty of runs.
Shortstop there is a player who does the little things, but Craig Counsell is for all intents and purposes just a stop-gap until touted phenom Stephen Drew is ready to pull the reigns as an every Major League shortstop. Counsell did generate some decent power output last season, but his stats are quite down at this time mainly because he is suffering from several injuries, but is too gritty enough not to want to remove himself from the line-up.
Chad Tracy has exceeded my expectations both offensively and especially defensively with more improved play at 3B. The problem though that he has lost his patience at the plate by striking out at a constant rate because he’s entrenched in a role that he is not really accustomed to, which is being heavily relied upon to be one of the imposing threats in the middle of the order. He is better suited for the upper portion of the line-up where he could take more pitches (get on base more with walks) and spray the ball to all fields. Now without the power threat such as a Troy Glaus, Tracy has since pressed himself to emphasize trying to hit more HRs with greater frequency and that is not one of his strong points.
Johnny Estrada was a low-risk/high-reward scenario since coming back from last-seasons brutal collision from Darin Erstad. In the process, Estrada is playing at the level that he did during his ’04 All-Star campaign that makes him appear to be one this off season’s steals. Although, he is not going to put up the numbers that a Jorge Posada, Victor Martinez, or a Ramon Martinez has at their respective position, but Estrada is not truly that far behind.
Then there are the corner out-fielders, both who are somewhat beyond their prime and their years of excellence are behind them. Shawn Green is too streaky offensively and does not seem to hit with the authority he even demonstrated last season. Luis Gonzalez is being relied on in the clean-up spot, so he is developing the pull-first mentality, which is quite a shame since he could be inching closer to 2500 hits if he was batting at his better suited 3rd spot. Just neither of these two provide the offensive clout that is necessary in today’s game. Of course these 2 may very well be dealt to an AL contender who are in dire need of a veteran professional hitter to play DH which hinges on whether or not the Dbacks are contenders or just mere pretenders.
Cannot overlook the bullpen questions which were: Would Valverde be effective enough to remain as the Dbacks closer? Well, he was thriving at one point, but the agonizing fate he suffered against the Phillies and Mets have since sent him into a deeper funk. Hitters have figured out his fastball and his off-speed pitches are either too outside or kept well within the zone. Would Lyon remain healthy enough as reliable middle reliever? He has, but the question still is, will be able to sustain this throughout the duration of the season without any stints on the DL? Vizcaino has come in and done what he was advertised to do, which is to hold fort until the closer is brought in. Kevin Jarvis is another journeyman who is just there for mop-up duty, Brandon Medders has filled the voids of Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal quite well, and Jorge Julio has been dominant since joining the Dbacks, but he too has battled through control problems over the years, so it is too premature to embrace him as the Dbacks long-term closer.
The bench, Tony Clark has dropped off considerably, Damion Easley has immediately become this year’s version of Tony Clark, with capitalizing with his rare opportunities by cashing in with exceptional numbers, Andy Green is the ultimate utility player, while Jeff DaVanon is too streaky for my taste. Chris Snyder has made some strides as a ML hitter, but will be supplanted soon by Montero. The end result, the bench has probably been the greatest strength for the most part and I do not foresee that changing.
The main question was Bob Melvin and the rest of his staff. I believe Melvin still has not solidified himself as a Major League manager, especially in the midst of what can be dubbed as “Grimsley Gate”. Usually, Major League managers possess some extraordinary leadership skills and would prevent something of this nature of being quite the distraction, but it just seems that Melvin has been horrible in that regard.
Also, the other issue is how well is Melvin handling the younger players? Well, he still removes Jackson from the line-up to play the percentages in spite if Jackson went 3-4 with 2 HRs the game before. That really affects the player’s psyche tremendously.
And then Melvin’s tendency to constantly change the line-up day in and day out really distracts the hitters since they cannot find their own role, that they are forced to figure out whether they need to focus on hitting HRs from the mid-3 places in the line-up or be the table-setters at the front/back-ends.
Fortunately, the injury concern has not factored in as much, however, there are probably quite a few players hurt, but are afraid to admit it since they do not want to risk their spot on the team, especially the OFers who notice that Carlos Quentin and Chris Young are poised enough so they do not want to become the next Wally Pipp.
So, is the “Grim Reality” that this current scandal engulfing the team caused the recent turnaround for the Dbacks or was their fast start just an aberration. The answer is, a combination of both, but ultimately only time can tell what the verdict is. I guess I will allow everyone else to be the judge.
Suddenly though, the unthinkable happens.... which obviously most everyone is well aware of. A report that a journeyman reliever who was attempting to overcome/recover completely from lingering injuries did so by using illegal banned substances to quicken his progress. Unfortunately, all of that leads to the now infamous search of Jason Grimsley's home and the realities have been confirmed. Amid all the reports, the now bickering between Dbacks managing general partner, Ken Kendrick, and Grimsley's agent, Joe Bick whether or not his client is entitled to receive the remainder of his salary. Now, commissioner Bud Selig and the MLB has responded resoundingly with a 50-game suspension to a player who will more than likely never adorn a Major League uniform again. Just a 38 y/o pitcher that should have never been a Dback to begin with.
Management, players, and some fans alike contend that there is no correlation between the eventual demise of Grimsely and the Dbacks recent horrid 7-game losing streak (of course 6 of those defeats were at Chase courtesy of the Phillies and Mets). Some may argue that Grimsley has only been a Dback since this past off-season, so he should not have any affects on the players. However, several overlook the fact that the Dbacks have 10 other players on the active roster who are in their first full campaign wearing the turquoise (teal), copper, black and purple. That all the newcomers along with Grimsley bonded together to try to make the transition easier. Also, another factor to take into account that there are quite a few younger Dback pitchers who have endured lingering injuries and more than likely admired Grimsley in how he defied the odds to persevere after many setbacks and make a comeback on a Major League mound. Suddenly, then to find out that he did all of that illegally/unethically just jolted/tarnished all their hopes that a player can revert back to former form so quickly the natural way.
The key questions are: Does all the reports that have circulated about Grimsley’s admitted use of HGH affected the Dbacks so gravely that they will not place themselves back in position to contend for the NL West Division Title? Or, the GRIM REALITY might be, that the first month and a half of the Dbacks season until the uproar was all an aberration?
I somewhat agree with the latter. I predicted just prior to the start of the season that the Dbacks will accumulate within the range of 70-77 victories…that there were too many question marks coming into the season. First, the starting rotation… Only Brandon Webb was a legitimate bona-fide Major League starter compared to the others. One being a pitcher that no one is really certain of his actual age who was pretty much regulated to long-relief the previous season, that being the since departed Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez. Another starter had been converted into a closer for the Toronto Blue Jays for over the past couple of seasons and then he was subjected to re-adjust to the life of a starter, that being Miguel Batista. Then, there is the pitcher who excelled in brief sample-sizes to finish off the 2005 season after being claimed from the Washington Nationals, but we all still do not know if that the signs of brilliance that he displayed was nothing but a fluke, of course that is Claudio Vargas. Then, well, there is Russ Ortiz and obviously enough said on that one, no need whatsoever to elaborate other than just typing his full name out for any justification.
Currently, the Dbacks are relying on a rookie pitcher who did not advance AA until this season to try to be the stopper of their recent 7-game slide and prior to that depended on an under-achieving starter by the name of Juan Cruz who shows flashes of being a prolific strike-out artist, but over-throws to the extent that he may remain as someone who constantly battles through arm-ailments throughout his career and will never live up to his vast potential.
The other area of concern was the Dback’s line-up not possessing one true power-hitting threat. True, Eric Byrnes has generated some impressive stats, but is too inconsistent to depend on in that regard. There is the rookie who is still trying to find his niche at his position that has somewhat detracted away from his offensive prowess, but Conor Jackson has exhibited some outstanding patience at the plate with a pretty solid 24 Walks/21 Ks ratio for a rookie. It is just that he has not mounted the power numbers that are greatly attributed to a ML 1B.
Then, there is last year’s AL Gold Glove Award winner at 2B who is somewhat difficult to figure out from an offensive stand-point. Orlando Hudson has had some games in which he exhibited some excellent spray-hitting that enabled him to get anywhere between 2-3 hits, however, then there are contests in which he goes 0-5 and strikes-out on most of those ABs. Though.. he does compensate by his stellar defense which has saved plenty of runs.
Shortstop there is a player who does the little things, but Craig Counsell is for all intents and purposes just a stop-gap until touted phenom Stephen Drew is ready to pull the reigns as an every Major League shortstop. Counsell did generate some decent power output last season, but his stats are quite down at this time mainly because he is suffering from several injuries, but is too gritty enough not to want to remove himself from the line-up.
Chad Tracy has exceeded my expectations both offensively and especially defensively with more improved play at 3B. The problem though that he has lost his patience at the plate by striking out at a constant rate because he’s entrenched in a role that he is not really accustomed to, which is being heavily relied upon to be one of the imposing threats in the middle of the order. He is better suited for the upper portion of the line-up where he could take more pitches (get on base more with walks) and spray the ball to all fields. Now without the power threat such as a Troy Glaus, Tracy has since pressed himself to emphasize trying to hit more HRs with greater frequency and that is not one of his strong points.
Johnny Estrada was a low-risk/high-reward scenario since coming back from last-seasons brutal collision from Darin Erstad. In the process, Estrada is playing at the level that he did during his ’04 All-Star campaign that makes him appear to be one this off season’s steals. Although, he is not going to put up the numbers that a Jorge Posada, Victor Martinez, or a Ramon Martinez has at their respective position, but Estrada is not truly that far behind.
Then there are the corner out-fielders, both who are somewhat beyond their prime and their years of excellence are behind them. Shawn Green is too streaky offensively and does not seem to hit with the authority he even demonstrated last season. Luis Gonzalez is being relied on in the clean-up spot, so he is developing the pull-first mentality, which is quite a shame since he could be inching closer to 2500 hits if he was batting at his better suited 3rd spot. Just neither of these two provide the offensive clout that is necessary in today’s game. Of course these 2 may very well be dealt to an AL contender who are in dire need of a veteran professional hitter to play DH which hinges on whether or not the Dbacks are contenders or just mere pretenders.
Cannot overlook the bullpen questions which were: Would Valverde be effective enough to remain as the Dbacks closer? Well, he was thriving at one point, but the agonizing fate he suffered against the Phillies and Mets have since sent him into a deeper funk. Hitters have figured out his fastball and his off-speed pitches are either too outside or kept well within the zone. Would Lyon remain healthy enough as reliable middle reliever? He has, but the question still is, will be able to sustain this throughout the duration of the season without any stints on the DL? Vizcaino has come in and done what he was advertised to do, which is to hold fort until the closer is brought in. Kevin Jarvis is another journeyman who is just there for mop-up duty, Brandon Medders has filled the voids of Lance Cormier and Oscar Villarreal quite well, and Jorge Julio has been dominant since joining the Dbacks, but he too has battled through control problems over the years, so it is too premature to embrace him as the Dbacks long-term closer.
The bench, Tony Clark has dropped off considerably, Damion Easley has immediately become this year’s version of Tony Clark, with capitalizing with his rare opportunities by cashing in with exceptional numbers, Andy Green is the ultimate utility player, while Jeff DaVanon is too streaky for my taste. Chris Snyder has made some strides as a ML hitter, but will be supplanted soon by Montero. The end result, the bench has probably been the greatest strength for the most part and I do not foresee that changing.
The main question was Bob Melvin and the rest of his staff. I believe Melvin still has not solidified himself as a Major League manager, especially in the midst of what can be dubbed as “Grimsley Gate”. Usually, Major League managers possess some extraordinary leadership skills and would prevent something of this nature of being quite the distraction, but it just seems that Melvin has been horrible in that regard.
Also, the other issue is how well is Melvin handling the younger players? Well, he still removes Jackson from the line-up to play the percentages in spite if Jackson went 3-4 with 2 HRs the game before. That really affects the player’s psyche tremendously.
And then Melvin’s tendency to constantly change the line-up day in and day out really distracts the hitters since they cannot find their own role, that they are forced to figure out whether they need to focus on hitting HRs from the mid-3 places in the line-up or be the table-setters at the front/back-ends.
Fortunately, the injury concern has not factored in as much, however, there are probably quite a few players hurt, but are afraid to admit it since they do not want to risk their spot on the team, especially the OFers who notice that Carlos Quentin and Chris Young are poised enough so they do not want to become the next Wally Pipp.
So, is the “Grim Reality” that this current scandal engulfing the team caused the recent turnaround for the Dbacks or was their fast start just an aberration. The answer is, a combination of both, but ultimately only time can tell what the verdict is. I guess I will allow everyone else to be the judge.
