Opening Day start goes to Vazquez

[azdad1978]

Bob McManaman
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 22, 2005 12:00 AM

TUCSON - Javier Vazquez said last week he isn't going to try to replace Randy Johnson, but the right-hander will take over for something the man he was traded for has done each of the past six seasons for the Diamondbacks.

He'll be the Opening Day starter when Arizona plays host to the Chicago Cubs on April 4 at Bank One Ballpark.

Manager Bob Melvin announced Vazquez as his No. 1 man after workouts here Monday and said right-hander Russ Ortiz will be No. 2. Melvin said he would have felt comfortable choosing either, but sided with Vazquez because he has pitched three other openers in his career, all with Montreal before pitching for the Yankees in 2004.



"It's an honor, especially when you've got other quality guys in the rotation," said Vazquez, who went 14-10 last season and was dealt to the Diamondbacks in a four-player and cash deal involving Johnson. "Hopefully, I won't disappoint."

Vazquez said he had hoped to get the No. 1 call but would have been satisfied pitching second. Brandon Webb will be the No. 3 starter, but if a left-hander emerges as the No. 5 man, Webb will slide to No. 4 behind lefty Shawn Estes to break up the southpaw combination.

Melvin talked to his top four starters about it Monday, and all of them were content with his decision.

"Whatever it takes to help the team," Melvin said. "That's what everybody is saying around here.

"It's good to see that everybody has the same team concept that we're going to be preaching from Day 1."

Getting better

Left fielder Luis Gonzalez, who is recovering from major surgery on his right throwing elbow, made some decent throws back into the infield Monday while shagging fly balls after a round of batting practice, impressing strength and conditioning coach David Page.

"One of the highlights of the season was seeing him go out there every day for four or five months and sucking it up the way he did," Page said, noting Gonzalez played with a torn ligament in his arm. "Talk about a commitment to his teammates."

Gonzalez likely won't start in left field when Cactus League games commence, but Melvin said the slugger will get in to his fair share of games this spring as the team monitors his progress on a daily basis.

Short hops


• Pitcher Jose Jimenez, a non-roster invitee, apparently is having legal issues getting out of his native Dominican Republic, but his agent, Adam Katz, declined to provide details when reached by phone on Monday.

Jimenez has now missed five straight workout days and the longer he fails to report, the shorter become his chances to crack the 25-man roster as a member of the Diamondbacks' overcrowded bullpen.


• Left-hander Michael Gosling, who is in the mix for the No. 5 starter's job, skipped his scheduled bullpen session Monday because he was feeling a little bit ill and will throw today if he is able, pitching coach Mark Davis said.


• Right-hander Jose Valverde might be nursing a sore hamstring, Melvin said, but it isn't serious and probably is mostly because of normal fatigue.


• Ramon Peña, the pitcher formerly known as Adriano Rosario, is changing his name again. Well, sort of. Instead of being called Ramon, he asks that he now be referred to simply as Tony.


• Estes (sprained right ankle) is scheduled to throw off the mound for the first time Thursday.


http://www.azcentral.com/sports/special3/articles/0222dbacksnb0222.html

 

[azdad1978]

Melvin picks Vazquez as opening-day starter

By Jack Magruder, Tribune

TUCSON - By the end of the season, Javier Vazquez and Randy Johnson may be joined at the hip. Traded for Johnson, Vazquez was named Monday to fill Johnson's traditional role as the Diamondbacks' opening-day starter.
Johnson started six straight D-Backs openers after joining the team in 1999.
"It is an honor, believe me, especially when you have quality guys in the rotation,'' Vazquez said. "Hopefully, I won't disappoint. I didn't expect it. I was hoping for it, because you are always hoping for that.''

New D-Backs starters Vazquez, Russ Ortiz and Shawn Estes all have started season openers, but manager Bob Melvin said Vazquez's previous recent experience was the deciding factor.

"Other than that, Ortiz is a No. 1 guy,'' Melvin said. "Brandon Webb is going to be a No. 1 guy down the road. And Shawn Estes has pitched up in the rotation, too. We feel good about every one of those guys.''

Vazquez started the 2001 and 2002 openers for Montreal, both Expos victories, and was scheduled to start the 2003 opener before a strained right calf pushed him back to the third game of the year.

"One and two, we just want it to be just a number,'' Vazquez said. "Hopefully,
when we go out there, no matter who it is, we give the team a chance to win every day.''

Ortiz, identified earlier as the other candidate, said he was not disappointed.

"Why should I be?'' Ortiz said. "You're pitching in the big leagues. You're making a good living. You're having fun. You're on a good team. That's an ego thing. Once it starts to become about me, I'll probably quit.''

LYON'S SHARE

The move to the bullpen added 5 mph to right-hander Brandon Lyon's fastball, according to D-Backs reports, and that velocity is a reason he is considered a top candidate for one of the two apparent remaining relief roles.

Closer Greg Aquino, Jose Valverde, Mike Koplove and Randy Choate appear set in a projected six-man bullpen.

Lyon, 25, went from pitching in the 90 mph range as a starter in Toronto to throwing 94-95 mph as a reliever, according to the reports. While Lyon has not thrown at full speed this spring, he has shown a sinker with the drop and heaviness some compare to the pitch Webb throws.

"Being a starter, you kind of have to pace yourself a little bit. If you go out for an inning, you can just let it go, knowing that you are only going to go that inning. It is just more using max effort, for me at least,'' Lyon said.

Acquired in the Curt Schilling trade before the 2004 season, Lyon was expected to contribute last season but suffered elbow soreness in spring training that led to ulnar nerve transposition surgery.

SHORT HOPS

The D-Backs have scheduled an intrasquad game March 2 before spring training games begin the next day against the Chicago White Sox at Tucson Electric Park.. . .

With the starting middle infield of Craig Counsell and Royce Clayton joined by outfielders Shawn Green and Quinton McCracken, the only players left to report are outfielders Jose Cruz Jr. and Luis Terrero and pitcher Jose Jimenez, who remains in the Dominican Republic because of a legal matter. "Eager beavers,'' McCracken said of the early arrivals. "Ready to start new and put last season to rest.'' McCracken was married in the offseason.. . .

Counsell arrived exactly two weeks after the birth of his second son, Jack.


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