Your 2005 Arizona Diamondbacks

[AZZenny]

"In addition to Cruz, the offseason acquisitions - either by trade or free agency - include Green, third baseman Troy Glaus, shortstop Royce Clayton, second baseman Craig Counsell and starters Russ Ortiz, Javier Vazquez and Shawn Estes."

Wow. What a strange team:

Vazquez, Ortiz, Webb, Estes, maybe Gosling or Pena.
Koyie Hill or Chris Snyder and/or Kelly Stinnett
Chad Tracy
Craig Counsell
Royce Clayton
Troy Glaus
Shawn Green/Jose Cruz/Luis Gonzalez
Bench: Matt Kata/Quinton McCracken/Tony Clark/Luis Terrero/Alex Cintron
Pen: Koplove, Aquino, Choate; 3 or 4 of Valverde, Gonzalez, Villareal, Halsey, Bruney, Nippert

 

[BOB_Man24]

"In addition to Cruz, the offseason acquisitions - either by trade or free agency - include Green, third baseman Troy Glaus, shortstop Royce Clayton, second baseman Craig Counsell and starters Russ Ortiz, Javier Vazquez and Shawn Estes."

Wow. What a strange team:

Vazquez, Ortiz, Webb, Estes, maybe Gosling or Pena.
Koyie Hill or Chris Snyder and/or Kelly Stinnett
Chad Tracy
Craig Counsell
Royce Clayton
Troy Glaus
Shawn Green/Jose Cruz/Luis Gonzalez
Bench: Matt Kata/Quinton McCracken/Tony Clark/Luis Terrero/Alex Cintron
Pen: Koplove, Aquino, Choate; 3 or 4 of Valverde, Gonzalez, Villareal, Halsey, Bruney, Nippert

We need some work on our bullpen....

 

[green machine]

I think the Pen could be good. Remember, last year it was supposed to be a strength, and Mantei didn't help things. Then Koplove is hurt, Valverde is hurt, Villareal gets hurt...you get the idea. Yeah, they're relying on a bunch of young guys, but I don't belive for a second that they can't get it done.

 

[BOB_Man24]

Im still not sold that they are all going to be able to come back from injuries and be effective. I think we only have about 3 guys down there that will actually be able to do some good(Kop, Aquino, and Valverde), the rest are up for grabs.

 

[AZZenny]

Pen doesn't worry me - pens are notoriously hard to predict from one year to the next, and health is such a big factor I figure there's no point in worrying. The potential is there for a good Pen, at least. Position players should have tolerable defense and we should see a lot less sheer stupidity on the field. Hitting should be more respectable, though I'd love to see some projections for team OBP. Bench doesn't worry me hugely, even.

But man, that freakin' starting five - We have the top three walk-yielding NL pitchers from 2004. Webb, Estes, Ortiz. THE THREE STARTERS WHO GAVE UP THE MOST WALKS IN THE WHOLE NATIONAL LEAGUE! IN OUR STARTING ROTATION! Tell me that doesn't make you just a little uneasy.

 

[moviegeekjn]

But man, that freakin' starting five - We have the top three walk-yielding NL pitchers from 2004. Webb, Estes, Ortiz. THE THREE STARTERS WHO GAVE UP THE MOST WALKS IN THE WHOLE NATIONAL LEAGUE! IN OUR STARTING ROTATION!

I noted that when the Dbacks hotly pursued Estes (and was hoping they wouldn't land him precisely for that reason)... OY... at least one category that the 2005 Dbacks pitchers are most likely to lead the league, and THAT is NOT a pleasant thought.

The pen doesn't scare me that much either, but much will depend on how deep the starters can go. Much of the breakdown in the pen was due to frequent and LONG usage, and our pen compares favorably to teams like... the Cubs (ain't saying much there tho ;-)

 

[ajcardfan]

Man, I hope someone steps up at 1B. Chad Tracy is definitely the most glaring weakspot in my mind. At the very least, we need some sort of righty/lefty platoon there. I have no confidence in him carrying the load at the plate as 1B traditionally do. And, IIRC, he struggled with the glove last year too. Right?

 

[devilalum]

Pen doesn't worry me - pens are notoriously hard to predict from one year to the next, and health is such a big factor I figure there's no point in worrying. The potential is there for a good Pen, at least. Position players should have tolerable defense and we should see a lot less sheer stupidity on the field. Hitting should be more respectable, though I'd love to see some projections for team OBP. Bench doesn't worry me hugely, even.

But man, that freakin' starting five - We have the top three walk-yielding NL pitchers from 2004. Webb, Estes, Ortiz. THE THREE STARTERS WHO GAVE UP THE MOST WALKS IN THE WHOLE NATIONAL LEAGUE! IN OUR STARTING ROTATION! Tell me that doesn't make you just a little uneasy.

They need to work out a procedure for opening the big doors for the bottom of innings and closing them for the top.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

"In addition to Cruz, the offseason acquisitions - either by trade or free agency - include Green, third baseman Troy Glaus, shortstop Royce Clayton, second baseman Craig Counsell and starters Russ Ortiz, Javier Vazquez and Shawn Estes."

Wow. What a strange team:

Vazquez, Ortiz, Webb, Estes, maybe Gosling or Pena.
Koyie Hill or Chris Snyder and/or Kelly Stinnett
Chad Tracy
Craig Counsell
Royce Clayton
Troy Glaus
Shawn Green/Jose Cruz/Luis Gonzalez
Bench: Matt Kata/Quinton McCracken/Tony Clark/Luis Terrero/Alex Cintron
Pen: Koplove, Aquino, Choate; 3 or 4 of Valverde, Gonzalez, Villareal, Halsey, Bruney, Nippert

Does Hairston have any minor league options left? Oh, and replace Nippert with Lyon.

 

[schillingfan]

I hate the 5 starters other than Webb and Vazquez and I think Vazquez is hurt.

I like Glaus and Gonzo. I like Chad Tracy a lot, but not at 3B. Even though I like Glaus, I'd rather see Tracy and 3rd and sign a Carlos Delgado.

I don't like Royce Clayton and I'm lukewarm on Shawn Green.I dislike Cruz a lot.

 

[AZZenny]

Wow, Connie - hard-to-follow post - still drinking away your Superbowl grief? heh heh (Or maybe it's me - still toasting the Pats.)


Anybody have ESPN Insider? Article up today on Javy Vazquez looking for a new start in the desert which one otherwise can't access.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

ESPN says Javy's has no detectable injury and that his delivery problems last year were only in his head. Says he's ready to go and the D-Backs are going to assess their options on him around the deadline or after the season, not between now and spring training.

 

[schillingfan]

ESPN says Javy's has no detectable injury and that his delivery problems last year were only in his head. Says he's ready to go and the D-Backs are going to assess their options on him around the deadline or after the season, not between now and spring training.

ESPN "says" a lot of things.

I don't know that Javy is hurt. But there are some obvious red flags. First is severe drop off in performance 2nd half of the season. Javy is a superb pitcher, I've always liked him and had him on my fantasy team the past 3 years. He's been around long enough that he shouldn't have that kind of head problem. Second, a real loss of strike zone control - that's often a sign of injury. Third, he had a lot of innings -220 plus every year - for a young pitcher. He worked for 3 notorious arm abusers in Alou, Torborg and Robinson.

Zenny - not drowning superbowl sorrows. It was a great fun game and I had a blast watching the game at a bar in Philly. Eagles fans are so passionate, we were hugging and high fiving each other every time something good happened. Italians hugging blacks. Love of Eagles overcomes everything else.

I guess I was saying that I wouldn't have done what the D-Backs did this off-season, though they did improve the team (hard not to).

The high walk pitchers is scary. The BOB is an offensive park and it's not the homers that kill you, it's the guys you put on base before the dinger.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

We really need a top 3 starter. Really, really really need one....What happened to the talk about acquiring one?

 

[AZZenny]

I think they think they did..

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

ESPN "says" a lot of things.

The article said that both the Yankees last year and the D-Backs prior to the trade did every test known to see if Javy had any sort of injury and none was found. If Javy is injured, then nobody knows what the injury is because medical staffs for two organizations couldn't find a thing leading them to believe it was in his head. His status as a veteran does not necessarily mean he's immune from the yips. Chuck Knoblauch was well into their thirties when he forgot how to throw to first base.

And Chris, if we could get a healthy Vazquez with his delivery problems figured out, then you got your frontline starter. However, that remains a big question mark as of right now.

 

[IndyDevil]

We really need a top 3 starter. Really, really really need one....What happened to the talk about acquiring one?

Bad news - - the front office thinks they did just that!!!

Who knows...maybe Vasquez is motivated enough to become that front-line starter we desparately need!! I'm still trying to figure out what the FO had in mind getting high-BB pitchers for Coors Field South!!

 

[AZZenny]

Curiouser and curiouser.

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks hired former New York Mets scout Bill Singer, who was fired 15 months ago for racially insensitive conduct.

Singer reportedly made fun of the Chinese language after asking Los Angeles assistant general manager Kim Ng questions about her background during a general managers meeting in Phoenix in November 2003. (As a colleague of mine once said, "The impulse control of a goat.")

Diamondbacks scouting director Mike Rizzo said Tuesday he had no qualms about Singer, who was hired last week along with former Houston scout Bill Weaver.

"We took all that into account, but I've known Bill for a long time,'' Rizzo said. "He's a man of character. He recognized that he made a mistake and tried to make amends, and we're prepared to move on. He's a good scout, a good baseball man, and we're glad to have him.''

Singer, a two-time 20-game winner during his career, joined the Mets as a special assistant to general manager Jim Duquette on Nov. 6, 2003 -- only 12 days before he was fired. (Think Wally is frothing about now? LOL)He spent the 2003 season in the same position with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He will be one of Arizona's six major league scouts.

"He'll continue to live in Florida and be reporting to me from there,'' said Rizzo, who has known Singer since they were area scouts in the South in the 1980s.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

We really need a top 3 starter. Really, really really need one....What happened to the talk about acquiring one?

Edit, other than Vasquez and Ortiz (rotfl)