Season thread - The Road to.......

[IndyDevil]

The masses have spoken - time for a new thread!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the D'Backs money woes cause the trade of Schilling to Boston? I'm watching Fox Sports Detroit tonight, and Rod Allen (former AZ color announcer) is telling the audience that Schilling forced the trade from AZ. I know Curt probably had a no-trade clause, but did he actually go to Jerry and demand to be traded??

Is Rod Allen so bent at the D'Backs that he is taking cheap shots at us like that, or is there some truth to what he said?

Oh yeah, they are playing a game tonight....Fossum gives up a blast to Guillan, 1-0 Tigers in the 2nd. Fossum had a runner picked off at 1st (2nd inning), but nobody went to cover second to tag the runner (Cintron? Hairston? ANYBODY??).

 

[IndyDevil]

Tracy pulls through with a 2 RBI single in the 5th, then Alomar (!) drives in two more for a 5-2 D'Backs lead....both hits with two outs!

 

[Ryanwb]

Who is the color announcer????

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Who is the color announcer????

Ken "Digger" Phelps

You must be registered for see images

KEN PHELPS
Television and Radio Play-By-Play

The newest member of the Diamondbacks’ broadcast team brings a wealth of Major League experience and Arizona roots. Ken Phelps will serve as analyst on the Diamondbacks’ Radio Network, teaming with Greg Schulte for all 162 games.

Phelps is not a stranger to the Diamondbacks radio booth, having served as a fill-in analyst at various points over the past six seasons.

Phelps played in 761 Major League games over 11 seasons. He saw duty with Kansas City, Montreal, Seattle, New York Yankees, Oakland and Cleveland. Phelps, a lefthanded-hitting first baseman, clubbed 123 home runs in the Major Leagues, with his best season coming in 1987 when he belted 27 roundtrippers for the Mariners. While with the A’s, Phelps played on Oakland’s 1989 World Championship squad.

Phelps earned all-America status at Mesa Community College in 1974, then moved to Arizona State University, where he played for two seasons under legendary coach Jim Brock. Phelps was a two-time all-Western Athletic Conference performer as well as a member of the all-College World Series team during his Sun Devil career (1975-76). He later returned to Tempe as an assistant coach under Brock in 1990. He has also served as a coach in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Phelps and his wife Debra have two sons, Nathan (18) and MacKinley (11). They reside in Paradise Valley.

 

[AZZenny]

Everything I've heard was that the team first approached Curt and asked for what teams he would waive his no-trade clause; he gave them 2-3 teams but said it had to happen before the season, not during - that he would not waive it midseason - and it had to be a team willing to sign him to an extension. That was his 'demand' as I have heard it very consistently. This "Curt demanded a trade" just cropped up recently somewhere, and I've seen it a couple times in the past 2 weeks, but I doubt it's accurate.


Phelps is a horrible announcer.

 

[IndyDevil]

Well, it was nice to have the lead for a while....Detroit comes back with 3 in their half of the fifth, tying the score at 5; Service is now in for Fossum with two outs & a runner at 2nd.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

What really disgust me more than anything was Hillenbrand's AB in their 5th inning.....Why did he swing at the 1st pitch w/less than 2-outs (when Bonderman was on the ropes) is beyond me.....

 

[IndyDevil]

Nice job by Finley to get the lead back 6-5, but trying to steal 3rd base off of Pudge??

 

[AZZenny]

What really disgust me more than anything was Hillenbrand's AB in their 5th inning.....Why did he swing at the 1st pitch w/less than 2-outs (when Bonderman was on the ropes) is beyond me.....


This is one of those "Why did the chicken cross the road?" things.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

This is one of those "Why did the chicken cross the road?" things.

Not chicken.....Seagull! Seriously....wow....all those seagulls there at "CoPa"..... Makes one feel relieved that neither Dave Winfield or Randy Johnson are out there today to "slaughter" them......

Anyways, glad that Service has done some clutch pitching, and I hope he's out there in the 7th......

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Anyways, glad that Service has done some clutch pitching, and I hope he's out there in the 7th......

Okay, I "spoke" too soon.......

I guess a consolation is that at least Koplove's, Villafuerte's, Choate's, etc arms have been well rested as of late......

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I just dont know....just dont know....just dont know....just dont know.... just dont know.... just dont know......

Dbacks lose 7-6 on an Eric Munson walk-off HR......The longest HR in the history of "CoPA" since play began there in '00......

The noose around Brenly's neck has really gotten tighter.....

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

If they get swept don't be surprised of Brenly comes home to a pink slip. Too bad because he is only partially at fault for the disaster that is the 2004 DBacks. Also the RJ trade rumors should start picking up about now. I wonder if this losing is going to make him change his mind about his decision to want to remain here, especially if a contender offers him a situation like Clemens has in Houston, where he is not required at the park on non-pitching days.

 

[AZZenny]

We are teetering on the cusp of three straight series sweeps. TWENTY games under .500! Brenly should be fired, if only for not replacing Hillenbrand with a PH the second time he came up with bases loaded. Period. "An rbi machine," I believe he-whose-name-must-not-be-spoken called him last year...Rbi-killing machine - just call him the RISP Terminator. Grump Grump.

Brenly should have put Andy Green in tonight. Or else send him back to Tucson where he can be useful - .330 BA, .418 OBP, 30W/31SO, 8 HR, 8 SB - Why is this kid up here among the Missing?

 

[schillingfan]

Everything I've heard was that the team first approached Curt and asked for what teams he would waive his no-trade clause; he gave them 2-3 teams but said it had to happen before the season, not during - that he would not waive it midseason - and it had to be a team willing to sign him to an extension. That was his 'demand' as I have heard it very consistently. This "Curt demanded a trade" just cropped up recently somewhere, and I've seen it a couple times in the past 2 weeks, but I doubt it's accurate.

I do think that it was mutual to some extent. Curt came to Arizona because the Phillies were going nowhere at the time and he wanted to be with a winner. I think the same was true this past off-season with Arizona. The handwriting was on the wall that the D-Backs were cutting budget and rebuilding and Curt wanted to go to a winner.

Curt said the same thing to Philly, BTW, that he had to be traded then and not next year trade deadline. I don't think he meant it, but it was a negotiating threat.

But the fact that Curt had only 2 or 3 teams on his "list" shows that he wasn't "demanding" out of Arizona. It's pretty hard to demand out of somewhere when you limit the places you can go. I think his feeling was that he would be happier on a few other teams - teams with the money to pay him and who were contenders, but that he also was happy and comfortable in Arizona and if he couldn't go to his preferred places he would be happy to stay.

But the bottom line is that the D-Backs wanted to get rid of Curt's salary more than he wanted to be traded. I think that much is obvious.

 

[IndyDevil]

If they get swept don't be surprised of Brenly comes home to a pink slip. Too bad because he is only partially at fault for the disaster that is the 2004 DBacks.

As long as Kniffin goes along with BB, I'm okay with it. Our pitching staff has seriously regressed from last season (aside from the Schilling trade), and it's time for upper management to make a change.

This season is going nowhere, so we might as well concentrate on instruction/hands-on experience rather than reaching for a non-existent playoff berth; Pedrique has worked with most of the BabyBacks, so who better to run the team the rest of the way, and hopefully into next season?!

 

[Lefty]

Got back late last night from the east coast and not one time did the Diamondbacks win. I saw they had some crushing loses and I am glad I did not witness it.

The guys on the radio in New York were mentioning the Diamondbacks will be busy in dealing players next month. They said Finley and Bautista are high on some teams list and of course there will be GM's asking about Randy.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I don't know....just don't know....just don't know.... just don't know....

Maybe I love to torture myself by watching this team....It's like self mutilation..... I just cant elaborate at the moment.....

If this isnt just cause for the ousting of Brenly....then nothing is......

 

[IndyDevil]

Bye, Bob.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I'm still beyond disgusted, so I must rant to unleash my frustrations...

1) Why did Brenly not start Tracy at 3B after Tracy had an exceptional performance yesterday? I know Green deserved an opportunity to play, but
Colbrunn could have started at 1B (for the struggling Hillenbrand), Tracy at 3B, and Green could have DH'ed....

2) Villafuerte was massacred yesterday (and he's obviously been excessively used), and Brenly still insist on bringing him in...to "boost his confidence" and look at the outcome......

That's my outburst for now since I dont want to resort to any expletives..... I must back away from the keyboard for the time-being or else..

 

[AZZenny]

Pick yer poison, pardner. Green could have started at first - his normal position. Had your same thought on Villafuerte... and I realize walking the bases loaded was somehow quasi-by-the-book, although I was banging my head against the wall so I didn't hear why you want to get past two guys hitting a couple doubles so you could pitch to a guy with a two-run HR.
Believe me, Bob, there is nothing magic about getting past the #4 hitter (in any line-up but yours).
Koppy hasn't been used a lot lately, there being so few to save, but that WOGS was just up there in NEON waiting to happen. Had it been us, Shea would have been up to bat with 2 out, BB would have left him in, and nothing would score - I believe someone has really, really pissed of the Beisbol Gods, because these losses get more and more bizarre.

I'm taking up Electric Guitar for the rest of the season.

 

[minercon]

Brenly is not ruining this team...Colangelo and Garagiola did. If they replace him, please, oh please, don't put Grace in the position.

 

[IndyDevil]

WTF is wrong with Cintron these days? Routine plays are baffling him, and it cost us a run in the 2nd inning; 2-0 Padres in the 2nd.

 

[Ryanwb]

Cintron absolutely sucks, he can't hit and can't field.....what is he good for??

 

[IndyDevil]

Two bases-loaded opportunities wasted...leadoff double in the 9th wasted...another costly Cintron error...AAAAAAUGH!!!!

Now that the 4000 K milestone has passed, will tomorrow be the day of reckoning for the D'Backs??