What is wrong with this club!?!

[TucsonDevil]

OK, I know that the organization is fairly new and we have been spoiled with the early success, yada yada... But let's wake up - there is a reason that hardly anyone comes to this forum - this club is slowly sinking to the depths of Arizona Sports Hell, along side the Rattlers and Mercury. Just three years ago we were pursuing our Back-to-Back championship.

What happened?

OK, I guess that is a loaded question that has been addressed numerous times...

But to the modern day - On paper we have a lineup that looks fantastic - especially in a pathetic division. WHY is it we can only muster out 3 hits against a good (but not great) AJ Burnett of the Florida Marlins. And how is it, that we can face 3rd, 4th, and 5th guys in a rotation and make them look like Cy Young??!!!

I am getting tired of watching Melvin stare onto the field with no answers. I am getting tired of our guys playing with zero passion and enthusiasm (Does Troy Glaus know what day it is, or is someone swinging a locket in front of his eyes in the dugout and putting him "way under"). Does the batting coach come to work? Is he a Mute?

The most frustrating thing is - we don't even have to play .800 baseball to win the division, we could play .550 from here on out and possible squeak out a Division Title - our 4th!!!!

Unfortunately, I see us losing two of three to the Marlins, 3 to the Braves, 3 to the Cardinals, and dropping a game to the Reds - coming back having only secured 4 wins - Just in time to dissappear at home against the Mets. What happened to the excitement in April/May... what happened to Brandon Webb?

Pull it together guys, or find yourselves on the 4th page on the Sports section along side the Mercury during Football Season, when the local 5A High School reports will carry more importance than your pathetic team. Melvin, light a fire under the guys ... well, on second thought, light a fire under yourself... literally. There is a reason that no one frequents this message board - there is not much to say, just a lot of shaking of the head.

 

[AZ Sports Native]

Here, here... very well put TD... this team has been lacking in emotion, passion and intensity all season. When I see Melvin in the dugout, I wonder half the time if the guy is able to sleep with his eyes open or something, with all the enthusiasm he shows. To bad Backman isn't here, he'd at least b-slap some of these guys into at least playing with some heart.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I always find it amusing when people talk about how this team underachives and how there's so much talent on paper. This team ain't that good and all the big-name talent we see is overpaid and in decline. This team would have been a world-beater in 2002 though.

 

[AZZenny]

On paper we have a lineup that looks fantastic

Only if you don't read the fine print on that paper lineup, however. If you do, you would expect to see Gonzo's speed, defense, power, and avg slipping a bit as he ages. His arm is healed, but not really adequate for the OF.

You'd see Green's numbers likewise starting to slip. Fine to say 'He was injured and we think he's healthy now' but he also lost or played subpar for parts of two seasons, during which he aged two years.

Glaus, contrary to everyone's irritation, isn't terribly far off his career averages and he's been injured most of the season. He has always had 150 Ks, so if you read what the lineup on paper said, he is what he always was, plus dinged up.

Clayton has been defensively fading for several years, and his on-base-percentage has been crappy for a long time, speed has been dropping for years - he too, is what he should be.

We have three marginal catchers - put them all together you might get one decent one.

Tracy is about where he should be in his career, and no complaints there at all; Counsell is doing well, better than expected in fact; Clark likewise, but if he plays most of the time his numbers will begin to normalize too.

Ortiz sucks and most of us expected that coming in. Webb has never shown the killer mentality to be an Ace, but he's doing about like a #2-3 guy should. Javy is so unpredictable and that's what he did last year, so tough to say we weren't warned. We may have hoped for the Javy of old, but there was no reason to assume we'd get that one. Vargas is a stud and a real surprise, much better than expected, likewise Halsey, for a real green pitcher he is doing better than expected.

Bullpen - between injuries, overuse, and plain lousy pitching - it's a little weaker than some of us hoped, but many pre-season writers said it would be our weakest area.

So really, this was a .500 team AT BEST on paper! To have expected more was buying into the company fantasy. It is a mediocre team, but also one with no energy, no spark - hustle appears in little flashes, mainly from Counsell and Tracy - but they play like the team did at the end of 2000 and 2004 when they were not invested in the outcome. They play like guys who have - for the most part - no interest or pride in being Diamondbacks. (Someone said they are playing like the Mets did that season they were all stoned...)

I personally believe Melvin is incompetent and has to be replaced, no matter that his players like him - they won't play hard enough to keep his job for him, I guess. He sets a flat 'professional' tone, and it's boring and tedious. He brought the also incompetent hitting coach from Seattle with him, who clearly needs to go.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Glaus, contrary to everyone's irritation, isn't terribly far off his career averages and he's been injured most of the season. He has always had 150 Ks, so if you read what the lineup on paper said, he is what he always was, plus dinged up.

True, but shouldn't we expect a slugger like Glaus to improve his numbers moving from Angel Stadium to a hitter's fantasy like BOB? Continuing his career averages isn't enough for me considering where he plays half his games.

 

[AZZenny]

Maybe so - but I really think injuries in mid-prime career might 'age' guys a little faster. So few of the 30-ish guys who have a 1-2 year injury/surgery/rehab ever really regain their prior form - it's like they skip what might have been their expected 'prime' and go straight to a downhill side of the career. I also think the left knee affects Glaus' swing a bit, as well as his speed and defense. He fusses with it and favors it slightly even in the batter's box.

He'll probably end up with around 30-32 HR, and that's not too far from what we should realistically expect. He won't have a fraction of his past doubles, though, because he can't run them out fast enough.

 

[TucsonDevil]

I like the feedback, and the criticism. Let me clarify my "on Paper" statement.

We have guys on this roster that should be capable of winning this division this year. We knew that Bonds was going to miss at least half of the season, the Dodgers gave up too much to be serious threat, and the Padres were like us - a couple of stars and some potential. I believed that on paper, we could win this division this year!

Losing two of three to the Rockies has to be the low point of the season thus far... but there are so many to chose from. Coming off this current road trip limping home with a 3-12 mark will be the next low point...

BTW, if we suck so bad - and we do - why not start plugging in the younger guys now in the lineup in a consitant fashion? When can we begin the chant at the park - No More Melvin!

Also, I wish that Gonzo would start juicing again...

 

[Arizona's Finest]

I agree with you Tucson....w/ all thats happened in this division we should have taken over this dang thing....I will warn against casting the dbacks off just yet however. Melvin is not the best at managing these guys (i hope hes gone) but we look like the future st louis cardinals if these guys end up as they are projected...lets take a look two-three years down the road..

CF- Upton (everyone says this guy is a once a decade player...we will find out)
RF-Tracy (he looks like Mark Grace to me....the prodigal number two hitter)
2nd-Drew (do i even need to say anything, if this guy makes Sept call ups he will be starting next year...thats amazing)
1st- Jackson-(the more i watch this guy the more i love him, even when he is hitting into DP's i love his size and swing and plate presence...kids going to be a stud
3rd-Glaus-(you guys can hate on glaus all u want but a) hes injured b) hes a legitimate power guy in the four or five hole c) hes excellent defensivly d) and dude is vastly underrated as a clutch player....WS MVP and even last year he was the only Angel that hit in the playoffs)
LF-Quentin-(hes tailed off a little bit but i still expect him to be a 300 avg 30 homer 100 RBI guy)
SS-Santos (im not sure what to think of this kid but he was very highly regarded prior to this season...maybe he gets it back, maybe not..this could be drews spot too)
C-Montero,Snyder,Hill-(one of these guys has to develop and so far it looks like Montero is going to be a hitting machine)

Pitchers

admittdly we need help here

Webb (perfect 2 or 3)
Halsey (perfect 3)

Ortiz is not going anywhere but we can throw him at the back of the rotation

Any free agent acqusitions should be potential aces. Swing for the fences on this (Prior or Harden when they come up for contract?)

Trade Vasquez, maybe Green, and some other prospects for YOUNG PITCHING. Hopefully investing like 97 picks on pitchers this year will end up panning out. I like our young arms in the pen and i think they just need time to develop. We need to scrap Melvin, keep a couple influential vets around (Clark, Gonzo) and we could be a force two years down the road. No one wants to hear this but this team just does not have "it"....They have had their chances and cant do it....

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Bottom line, this just isn't a good team. The only reason we have any chance is because we are in one of the worst divisions in the history of baseball.