Your 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks?

[BC867]

Originally posted by KingLouieLouie
Starting Line-up

1. Steve Finley-CF
2. Matt Kata-2B
3. Luis Gonzalez-LF
4. Ritchie Sexson-1B
5. Shea Hillenbrand-3B
6. Robbie Hammock-RF
7. Alex Cintron-SS
8. Rod Barajas-C

I believe that Alex Cintron is too good a hitter to drop to 7th in the batting order. I'd put him back at 2nd and leave him there. ***

Other than Baerga and Jose (mainly pinch-hitters), his .317 (in 448 AB) led the team. Even after Bob Brenly made him a #5 hitter, he had the self-discipline to stay within his game. Remember how Spivey was never the same after being moved to #3 during the previous season.

I also expect that Hairston will be our regular 2B during next season, with Kata as an infield reserve.

Out of curiousity, KLL, why would you bat Alex near the bottom?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*** I hope that Brenly pays heed to Jerry's quote about Frank Johnson and the Suns yesterday. He urged him to establish one lineup and stick with it, so each player knows his role.

The benefit to reducing our depth, with the trade for Sexson, may be that it will force Brenly to not use 130 different lineups during the season.

 

[nathan]

Re: Re: Your 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks?

Originally posted by BC867
I also expect that Hairston will be our regular 2B during next season, with Kata as an infield reserve.

I agree. I can't understand why everyone is penciling in Kata at second base. His post all-star break(192 of 288 total AB) stats were awful :
BA .214 OBP .270 SLG .339

Hairston is the better option in the SR and the LR.

That said I would like to see:
1 Finley
2 Hairston
3 Gonzo
4 Sexson
5 Cintron
6 Hillenbrand
7 Bautista/Tracy
8 Hammock/(not Rod Barajas)
9 pitcher

I think there's a chance Bautista could be decent in which case he could be moved up and Mr. .302 OBP could be dropped down.

Also since we gave so many players to the Brewers Chad Tracy will make the team. Hopefully he does well enough to steal time from Hillenbrand.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Re: Re: Your 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks?

Originally posted by BC867

Out of curiousity, KLL, why would you bat Alex near the bottom?

I apologize for the delay in responding back..... It's not necessarily any doubt in Cintron's potential, but it seemed that he tends to press when he was hitting in the upper part of the order.... If memory serves me correctly he would try to pull the ball... The line-up is potent now and Cintron would be the ideal hitter in the later innings with everyone in the middle part of the order getting on base with such frequency, he'll be able to have a lot more chances to drive runs from #7 than #2......

I can't figure out why people criticize Kata for his 2nd half struggles when everyone else also were performing substandard... The main problem was that the coaching staff (so glad Murphy was fired) weren't making the proper adjustments, especially hitting any breaking pitches.... I hope during Spring Training Rick Schu shows to Kata of when he was excelling and compare/contrast to when he began to struggle, and the make whatever adjustments is necessary....To me, it's a lot more difficult for a younger hitter to make the transition into the majors compared to a younger pitcher and with Kata already having a year of experience (and better coaching) should make him considerably better.......

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I guess I was wrong with Barajas being the Opening Day catcher and Hammock playing RF (and being used exclusively in a utility role).....

Getting Colbrunn is perfect since he gives the Dbacks more RH power off the bench (which does compliment Baerga perfectly)...

McCracken was certainly a waste of a roster spot....I am wondering if theyll start Bautista in RF or still pursue a trade for an OF.....They did quietly sign Donnie Sadler to a recent Minor League deal and invited him to Spring Training...He does have some power and excellent speed, but true his OPB and OPS were lower than average....

They must now sign either Shane Reynolds or Steve Sparks to fill out the starting rotation...Sparks would be perfect since not too many in the NL are accustomed to the Knuckle Ball.....

 

[moviegeekjn]

Originally posted by KingLouieLouie
They must now sign either Shane Reynolds or Steve Sparks to fill out the starting rotation...

Signing mediocre "talents" is NOT a "must sign" situation

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by moviegeekjn
Signing mediocre "talents" is NOT a "must sign" situation

It's a "must" since it's best for the Dbacks to acquire a veteran pitcher for insurance.... Someone who could "eat away" innings and prevent the younger pitchers from wearing down too easily.... Reynolds isnt all too bad and can be worthwhile if he can be signed at a bargain....Sparks knuckler would catch the opposition off-guard and he's perfect in terms of how he deals with younger teammates......

The fact that the Dbacks arent going to sign anyone to a lucractive deal means they wont necessarily get anyone who is stellar, but someone who will fill certain roles at a bargain basement price without sacrificing any of the future.....

 

[schillingfan]

Originally posted by KingLouieLouie
It's a "must" since it's best for the Dbacks to acquire a veteran pitcher for insurance.... Someone who could "eat away" innings and prevent the younger pitchers from wearing down too easily.... Reynolds isnt all too bad and can be worthwhile if he can be signed at a bargain....Sparks knuckler would catch the opposition off-guard and he's perfect in terms of how he deals with younger teammates......

I fail to see the logic here. A veteran pitcher, is not necessarily an innings eater, certainly if he has a 5.43 ERA and pitches 167 innings in 29 starts. (Reynolds). There are a lot of games where he isn't eating innings. I remember one game against the Phillies where he didn't make it out of the 2nd inning. That plays heck on your bullpen as much as a young kid.

Sparks pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for Oakland and Detroit, having 51 games and 107 innings. Before that he was a starter. I guess he qualifies as a rubber arm, but I'm not sure they need bullpen help, though a 4.88 ERA doesn't do much for me, either.

 

[Lefty]

Originally posted by schillingfan
Nope, haven't even gone to the SOSH board. I became a fan of the D-Backs (second to the Phillies) when Curt was traded there. It's pretty hard to be a fan of three teams. Two is enough. I'll watch his games, but really the RedSox just are not likeable the way the 2001 D-Backs were. That was a great team.

I actually got invited to join SoSH. Those guys are huge fans of the Red Sox. They breathe, eat and drink Red Sox baseball. I can see why Curt is so excited about pitching there. I actually have been in their chat room a couple of times when Curt was in there and it is amazing how Curt is so sincere when he answers all their questions. Curt will be GOD in New England if they win the World Series while he is there.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by schillingfan
I fail to see the logic here. A veteran pitcher, is not necessarily an innings eater, certainly if he has a 5.43 ERA and pitches 167 innings in 29 starts. (Reynolds). There are a lot of games where he isn't eating innings. I remember one game against the Phillies where he didn't make it out of the 2nd inning. That plays heck on your bullpen as much as a young kid.

Sparks pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for Oakland and Detroit, having 51 games and 107 innings. Before that he was a starter. I guess he qualifies as a rubber arm, but I'm not sure they need bullpen help, though a 4.88 ERA doesn't do much for me, either.

I havent followed Shane Reynolds closely over the past few seasons, and didn't realize he had surgery last offseason.... Judging from his Split Stats, he struggled immensely at Turner Field, but actually performed above average on the road, posting a 7-2 record and a 4.22 ERA.... I guess the humidity in Atlanta really inflated his ERA....

Steve Sparks would have started for the Tigers last season, but they were (still are) going through a youth-movement and knew that he wasnt a part of their long-term plans. He then was dealt to Oakland and no way was he going to supplant the Big 3 and Hardin from the rotation.... He's a Knuckler and even at 38 (will be 39 in July) he can pitch 5 more years (similar to the Niekros, Wilhelm or any of the legendary Knuckleball pitchers).... He could average 5-6 innings and has a pitch in which several in the NL havent really dealt with in quite some time... He also struggled a lot in the beginning of the season, because he couldn't achieve the best grip in colder weather.....

Am I saying that these are the best 2 pitchers available? Absolutely not....Considering that Jerry C. and Co. are obviously in a budget-saving mode, either 2 pitchers are decent at a bargain price.....

If they do indeed decided to "stand pat", theyre going to have a rotation with Johnson (who I hope has fully recovered from his surgery and reverts back to his former form), Webb (who must duplicate '03 in order for the Dbacks to contend), Dessens (who doesnt have enough stamina to last beyond 5 innings) and rookies who will be limited to strict pitch counts..... I must change my stance from another thread because I have since given this a lot more thought.... Also, the fact that Koplove was limited last year (dont know if he can pitch on back-to-back days) doesnt make any matters better.....

I dont know much about Nance (who they got in the Sexson trade), but I wonder if him and Lyon will be counted in Hold situations......

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Well, since I last posted in this thread, the Dbacks made several transactions, and now w/Spring Training upon us, it's time to revive this....

The Dbacks starting line-up appears to be set.....

1)Steve Finley-CF

He's obviously leading-off out of necessity, but is much better
suited to hit #6..... He was too "streaky" last year....It seems his performance always dictates exactly how the Dbacks are doing...
He must maintain a higher OPS/OBP this year than he has in recent seasons..... I foresee him hitting his usual 20+ HRs and 70+ RBIs and probably even have 20 SBs....If he maintains his BA at around .290, then he's done everything you can hope out of a lead-off hitter.....Although he might have lost a step, he's still one of the best defense CFs in the game.......

2)Roberto Alomar-2B

I must admit that I was initially against the Dbacks for acquiring him since I thought that they should put more emphasis on obtaining a better RF than Bautista and that Kata and Baerga are adequate enough to platoon at that position.... Then I came to the realization that getting him at that quite a bargain could be the biggest coup of this past offseason...If he manages to play
in 145+ games, hits around .270, 12 HRs, and around 65-75 RBIs, and play 2B at a gold glove level, then that he's fulfilled everything and more than one would hope from him... Plus, his leadership skills are solid and perhaps Cintron will benefit from
his presence.....

3)Luis Gonzalez-RF

What else can be said about him? To me he is definitely
Mr. Dback...... Will that injury that's afflicting him have a dramatic affect on his performance? I certainly hope not since he's essentially the glue to the line-up....With someone like Sexson batting behind him, he'll get a better selection of pitches... I foresee him putting up his usual .290-.305 BA, 25+ HR and he'll easily have around 95-105 RBIs.... We all know about his defensive limitations, but with him always generating those offensive #s, who really cares?

4)Richie Sexson-1B

What an addition he'll turn out to be....The first 'legit RH power-threat the Dbacks have had in quite some time.... If they had him in the line-up all of last season, I bet the Dbacks would have clinched the NL West.... He's always thrived at Bank One and 50
HRs and 120 RBIs is attainable...He'll also improve those ahead and behind him in the line-up since he's such an imposing hitter.....Defensively, he's vastly under-rated and I hope the Dbacks will be able to sign him to a long-term deal before the season ends....

5)Shea Hillenbrand-3B

He too was streaky last season (especially his stats seemed to decline in the 2nd half), but with Sexson hitting ahead of him, I see his #s vastly improving (which is overwhelming considering his output last season was just what you hope from a corner IF)...
I think what affected him last season was that he returned too prematurely from the DL and then began to press...Also, whether or not he was going to start at 1B/3B really detracted away from him offensively...If he can hit around .280 with 25 HRs and 80-85 RBIs and not commit as many errors defensively, then I see him playing 3B for the Dbacks beyond '04......


6)Alex Cintron-SS

When he was initially promoted to the "big club" in '02 I saw some immediate flashes that the Dbacks have something special...
He can hit .300, 15 HRs, and 70 RBIs quite easily....Defensively, he'll only get better.....The only area he lacks in is speed....


7)Danny Bautista-RF

He gets the "nod" in RF out of default...I remember him when he was an up-and-coming "5-tool" OF in the Detroit Tigers farm-system, but he never lived up to that potential.... He did have that one impressive stretch in the '01 WS, but they shouldnt have signed him to that long-term deal (instead should have signed
Reggie Sanders, but that encounter he had with Brenly didnt help matters any)... If he can remain healthy, then he's actually achieved something....... I predict that he'll be on the DL some time in May.......

8)Robby Hammock-C

He virtually came out of nowhere and vaulted ahead of Barajas and Moeller on the depth-charts...He would bat anywhere between 5-7 in most line-ups, but with the Dbacks have such a deep line-up, he won't bat any higher..... If he hits around .265 with 15 HRs and 60 RBIs, that's more than you typically get out of the 8th spot and adequate numbers for a catcher.....

The Bench

Carlos Baerga-2B/1B/OF
Matt Kata-2B/3B/OF
Brent Mayne-C
Greg Colbrunn-1B
Donnie Sadler/Luis Terrero/Chad Tracy????

That's a solid bench that gives Brenly options, however, the final spot is contingent on one need they must address.....



THE NEED FOR SPEED

That's what they've lacked in quite some time and with Brenly's penchant for playing "small ball", they must have one speedster in the line-up or on the bench who could reap havoc in later innings when the game's on the line..... Sadler can play OF/2B and can be a prolific base-stealer and Terrero would give opposing pitchers fits every time he would come in and pinch-run...

I still hope they manage to acquire another OF before the start of the season and that Gonzalez is healthy enough to endure the rigours of a grueling season......

I'll preview pitchers tomorrow...........

 

[AZSportsGirl17]

Originally posted by KingLouieLouie
With all these trade rumors circulating, the roster is obviously in flux.... It may be too early to speculate on what the make-up of the '04 roster may be, but if all of this comes to fuition, this is how I see it......

Starting Line-up

1. Steve Finley-CF
2. Matt Kata-2B
3. Luis Gonzalez-LF
4. Ritchie Sexson-1B
5. Shea Hillenbrand-3B
6. Robbie Hammock-RF
7. Alex Cintron-SS
8. Rod Barajas-C

They will definitely pursue a FA RF and Hammock will be '04 version of Counsell (who might receive the same fate that Matt Williams and Jay Bell did last year).....

The bench will be interesting..... I see Spivey, Bautista, and Moeller being traded.... They should re-sign Baerga ASAP..... I hope McCracken is finally gone.....

Chad Tracey would more than likely will make the roster out of Spring Training.... The Dbacks would probably carry 13-pitchers and 12-position players to start the season.....

Pitching wise:

Rotation:
Johnson
Webb
Dessens
Capuano
Good/Patterson

Middle-relief:
Villarreal
Koplove
Randolph (LH specialist)
Édgar González
Orosco?????
Another FA reliever?

Closer: Valverde

Wonder if Gosling will finally prove that he his a ML caliber starter? That would certainly dictate a lot...

Mantei should be traded and Miguel Batista still could be re-signed for marginal money....

I wouldnt be shocked if both Lyons/Fossum are dealt with Spivey and Bautista to get Sexson......

Obviously this is all speculation and quite hypothetical.... This is just how I foresee the roster shaping up.....

DONT even talk about robby hammock like that especially around me!!! Ok they say robby will be back within 4 weeks to play. Ok that doesnt mean "omg he can never play again his knee is so bad omg" and thats how everyone is making it seem but its not like that ok if anyone saw anything about it on tv the other day they said robby should be back within 4 weeks and DONT try to tell me im wrong because i am right! and you all know it! and btw smartstuff, barajas is long gone! hes no longer a dback he was released and not signed with the dbacks this season meaning, he's still a free angent meaning we dont need him with estallea and mayne! why is everyone making this huge deal about it? hammock is fine!!! ok maybe he wont be at full strength for part of the season...thats ok...its not like his carreer is totally over because its not even close to being over...its just beginning...!!!

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Re: Re: Your 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks?

Originally posted by AZSportsGirl17
DONT even talk about robby hammock like that especially around me!!! Ok they say robby will be back within 4 weeks to play. Ok that doesnt mean "omg he can never play again his knee is so bad omg" and thats how everyone is making it seem but its not like that ok if anyone saw anything about it on tv the other day they said robby should be back within 4 weeks and DONT try to tell me im wrong because i am right! and you all know it! and btw smartstuff, barajas is long gone! hes no longer a dback he was released and not signed with the dbacks this season meaning, he's still a free angent meaning we dont need him with estallea and mayne! why is everyone making this huge deal about it? hammock is fine!!! ok maybe he wont be at full strength for part of the season...thats ok...its not like his carreer is totally over because its not even close to being over...its just beginning...!!!

Oh...the post you quoted was from back in November and the reason why I thought Hammock would play RF was that they lacked (and still do) an adequate RF and that I believed they would keep Barajas and he'd split time w/Hammock at catcher...... The post before yours is the most recent on this thread that Ive done.........

 

[AZSportsGirl17]

ooh ok lol im sry i didnt kno that. sry if i sounded like a total jerk back there robby is just my fav player and i hate it when ppl talk negative about him

 

[mark1]

Brenly has Cintron projected to hit 5th and Hillenbrand to hit 6th. Brenly loves the left, right, left thing.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by AZSportsGirl17
ooh ok lol im sry i didnt kno that. sry if i sounded like a total jerk back there robby is just my fav player and i hate it when ppl talk negative about him

That's okay.....I got what I deserved by reviving a thread back from the "depths of the abyss"....

I actually posted that Hammock should start in RF because he would get more of an opportunity to play regularly (thinking at the time that they'd retain and start Barajas in favor of him)....

I was one of those who was favorably touting Hammock last season (even included him on all my Fantasy League teams), and could never figure out why Brenly would go through certain stretches w/out playing him...... I didnt even know he had surgery until after your post, so whatever I said then wasnt against him or doubting his abilities whatsoever......

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by mark1
Brenly has Cintron projected to hit 5th and Hillenbrand to hit 6th. Brenly loves the left, right, left thing.

I can't figure out Brenly's logic on that.....Hillenbrand is more of a "power threat" and by having him hit behind Sexson would actually make it less apt for the pitchers to try to pitch around Sexson to get to Hillenbrand.....

 

[AZZenny]

Looks logical to me -

As a Diamondback, Hillenbrand hit .267, OBP of .302, SLG of .482, and OPS of .784. 17 HR

Cintron hit .317, OBP of .359, SLG of .489, and OPS of .848. 13 HR

Hard to make the case that Ham-Handed Hilly is that much more of a power threat, unless you just dig the long ball.

Anyhow, I'm irrationally hoping Chad Tracy is somehow in there instead of Hillenbrand.

 

[Lefty]

No way Shea is replaced by Tracy. Tracy is practicing in the outfield. They are trying to convert him, hoping he makes the squad as a backup outfielder.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Originally posted by AZSportsGirl17
ooh ok lol im sry i didnt kno that. sry if i sounded like a total jerk back there robby is just my fav player and i hate it when ppl talk negative about him

Why? Because people say he has a noodle arm, and couldn't throw out Matt Williams with two broken legs at second?

 

[devilalum]

Originally posted by KingLouieLouie
7)Danny Bautista-RF

He gets the "nod" in RF out of default...I remember him when he was an up-and-coming "5-tool" OF in the Detroit Tigers farm-system, but he never lived up to that potential.... He did have that one impressive stretch in the '01 WS, but they shouldnt have signed him to that long-term deal (instead should have signed
Reggie Sanders, but that encounter he had with Brenly didnt help matters any)... If he can remain healthy, then he's actually achieved something....... I predict that he'll be on the DL some time in May.......

Isn't that the way it always goes?

For every guy that's supposed to be a "5 tool player" there are at least 100 that end up being nothing but a tool.

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by KingLouieLouie
I'll preview pitchers tomorrow...........

Well, I did not preview the pitchers the following day, but will now....

STARTING ROTATION

1) Randy Johnson

The "Big Unit"....please refer to one of the comments on what I made about Steve Finley....I know I sound like the "Master of the Obvious" on this, but how Johnson performs will dictate the succes/failure of the Dbacks '04 season...Will he revert back to his pre '03 form? If he even does at least by 60%, then the Dbacks should lock-up clinching the NL West....He must average around 7 innings a game to save the bull-pen at least every 5th day since they might be over-burdened.... I expect him to compile around 16-18 victories and around 190+ Ks, with an ERA around 3.45..... If the Dbacks are out of contention by Aug, he might be traded...However, that may change with what was announced on how the Dbacks will create more revenue....


2) Brandon Webb

He easily should have been the NL ROY, but unfortunately he didnt amount as many victories he could have with the Dbacks lack of run support.... Will he suffer from the "Sophomore Jinx"?
I believe not...He has such composure/poise for someone his age and should dominate in a Dbacks uniform for years to come... He should average around 7 2/3 innings per outing this year, with his low K/BB ratio....I expect 14 victories from him and a low ERA of around 2.46.....

3) Elmer Dessens

I was disappointed that he was what the Dbacks in effect got in exchange for Durazo.... I think high expectations and lots of pressure affected Dessens over-all peformance last season...He had 2 decent years with the Reds in which he had an impressive ERA...He would dominate the earlier innings, but suddenly wear down as the game progressed....Was he out-of-shape last season? It seemed so....I saw pictures of him pitching in the Mexican League this season and he appeared to be better conditioned, which could better his stamina...He must last beyond the 5th inning this season and have several quality starts to also preserve the bullpen...He'll have around 12 victories, but cant project any other stats at this time...


4) Shane Reynolds

Who is the real "Shane Reynolds"? The one who won 19 games a few seasons ago for the Astros, or the one who got massacred a lot when he pitched at home last season at Turner Field for the Braves....A decent bargain veteran who can be an "innings eater' that if he can contribute at least 165 innings of respectable pitching, that would be sufficient from him....

5) Steve Sparks

I wanted the Dbacks to acquire Sparks since the '02 pennant-stretch since his Knuckler would have contrasted well with
Johnson's and Schilling's style...Would have caught the opposition off-guard.... He was successful for the Tigers in '01, but he didn't figure into their long-term plans, so he was regulated to "mop up" duty and then dealt to the As.... He's also a solid locker-room/dugout presence, especially with the types of pranks he pulls.... He shouldnt start the beginning of the season (wont anyways since theyre going to begin with a 4-man rotation) because his Knuckle-ball is ineffective in cooler weather (shouldnt matter of course in AZ and the dome).. But he usually came on strong during the summer months.... He has a "rubber-arm' and would be used as a spot-starter with some "mop-up" or long-relief outings along the way....

MIDDLE RELIEF

Oscar Villarreal

He was amazing last season...What else can be said? He had
86 outings as a rookie, which he might replicate that again....He had a phenomal K/BB ratio (80/46) in 98 innings and a pretty solid 2.57 ERA... He's a keeper and won't be shocked if he finds himself in the starting rotation by '05.....

Mike Koplove

Brenly must be cautious with Koplove this season...It seems he tends to go to Koplove too excessively at times, which ruined Koplove's '03 season....He should only pitch at least 2xs per wk and never an outing that last beyond 1-inning.....

Jose Valverde

"Papa Grande"....Should be closer and wont be until the Dbacks find any willing takers for Mantei....This guy is imposing and reminds me a lot of a younger Lee Smith with his mound presence...He does get too wild at times, but should improve remarkably with more experience...He's lethal....What else could be said?

CLOSER

Matt Mantei

When he finally overcame those injuries that plagued him throughout the '02 and the earlier part of the '03, he reverted back to his "Ice Man" ways with some of the most brilliant appearances.... He's very reliable (when healthy) in a closer-role, but his contract being so lucrative and Valverde on the horizon as the closer of the future, Mantei's definitely expendable...Don't know who would be willing to acquire him, but if he proves himself healthy, then the Dbacks and Twins might finally pull-off the long-rumored Mantei for Jacque Jones deal....

ARMS RACE?

Who will fill the other spots in the bull-pen? Either Parque or Randolph will be the left-handed specialist....Fossum or Lyon (acquired in the Schilling trade), and Nance (came in the Sexson deal) may make the roster..... Should be interesting to see how that materializes.... Also, Good, Patterson, or Gosling have a shot...

A lot of this could change since the Dbacks are no longing in the reducing down pay-roll mode and it's evident by the fact that they're going to be scouting Pedro Astacio w/in the next wk or so and he would be a welcomed addition to the rotation and again spare the bull-pen some innings....

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by AZZenny
Looks logical to me -

As a Diamondback, Hillenbrand hit .267, OBP of .302, SLG of .482, and OPS of .784. 17 HR

Cintron hit .317, OBP of .359, SLG of .489, and OPS of .848. 13 HR

Hard to make the case that Ham-Handed Hilly is that much more of a power threat, unless you just dig the long ball.

Anyhow, I'm irrationally hoping Chad Tracy is somehow in there instead of Hillenbrand.

Don't chicks dig the long-ball?

Seriously though..... I somewhat so subscribe to "Sabrematics" but do factor in the psychological elements into it...

I think what affected Hillenbrand was the fact the he was constantly switched back-in-forth from 3rd-to-1st base, that he was still making the transition from the AL to NL, and that he came back too soon from the DL and began to press....

Not to detract away from Cintron at all though, since it appears he's bulked up some and might generate some power #s that is expected from the 5th spot and prevent pitchers from pitching around Sexson......

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by Zona90
No way Shea is replaced by Tracy. Tracy is practicing in the outfield. They are trying to convert him, hoping he makes the squad as a backup outfielder.

Tracy has paid his due to finally make the roster, however, the problem is though.... Well..I honestly dont know and perhaps some can clarify this for me...Does he possess any speed? If not, then they will use that final roster spot for some speed-merchant to come in as pinch-runners later in the games....

 

[KingLouieLouie]

Originally posted by devilalum
Isn't that the way it always goes?

For every guy that's supposed to be a "5 tool player" there are at least 100 that end up being nothing but a tool.

That's the least "cliche" in all of baseball....That "5-tool" player...
They seldom live up to that potential or just decent in 5-areas, but dont impress in any specific category....

 

[KingLouieLouie]

I found this interesting...


http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/04cactus/0310dbacksnbook0310.html

One candidate is out of the competition for the fifth spot in the Diamondbacks rotation. Left-hander Stephen Randolph was told Tuesday that he will work exclusively out of the bullpen for the remainder of spring training.

I didn't know Randolph was among the contenders for the 5th spot in the rotation....If that's the case, I wonder who they originally thought would be the "left-handed specialist" coming out of the bullpen.....Do they have enough confidence in Non-roster invitee Jim Parque? Or did Edgar Gonzalez's recent
"horrid" outing actually dicate Brenly to send Randolph back to the pen......

Also, another interesting point from the same article...

Center fielder Luis Terrero made a perfect throw to catcher Craig Ansman late in the game to nail a runner trying to score from third. "He does something every day to impress you," Brenly said. "Even if it's just running down a fly ball in the gap or backing up a play in the outfield. He looks like a ballplayer out there."

I know that it's still early in Spring Training and it's best for a manager to offer praise rather than criticize a prospect, but I think Terrero will win the final bench spot on the Dbacks roster....

Chad Tracy is still among the favorites, but reiterating what I said before, the "need for speed" is crucial and that's a major advantage that Terrero has over Tracy and also that he's a natural OF is another major plus.....

This is all barring any more transactions that might transpire between now and Opening Day....