Arizona Diamondbacks @ Bare Baseball - Baseball MLB Blog

Notes: Green interested in Japan

2006-10-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

09/29/2006

PHOENIX -- Andy Green feels like he did right by the Diamondbacks this year, and he's hoping the organization will return the favor in the offseason.
Green met with general manager Josh Byrnes on Friday to discuss his desire to have the organization sell his rights to a team in Japan.
"I respect the way Josh does business," Green said. "He was very honest with me, as I was with him, and we'll just see what happens from here."
Byrnes declined to comment about his meeting or Green's future.
Green was named the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's MVP last year after hitting .343 and leading the league in runs, hits, doubles and triples. The performance also drew interest from Japanese teams, who approached the D-Backs about acquiring his rights.
"I wasn't willing to cross that bridge at that point in time," said Green, who had his sights set on trying to stick in the big leagues after spending 46 games with Arizona in 2004 and 17 last year.
After being the final player to make the 25-man roster out of Spring Training, playing time was scarce all season for Green. A Japan League team, he said, showed interest in him again around the All-Star break.
"It was very lucrative, but the organization wasn't at the point where they thought it was wise to part ways with me, which I can understand," Green said.
When a team from Japan wants to buy a player's rights, it puts together a pool of money. Part of that money goes to the Major League organization for his rights and what's left goes to the player's salary.
Because the players in front of him stayed healthy throughout the season, Green received scant playing time this year, compiling just 86 at-bats and starting only five games.
The D-Backs are not obligated to sell Green's rights. They can keep him on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason and control him next year. If they want to remove him from the 40-man roster this winter, he would have to be placed on waivers, where he can be claimed by another club.
"I spent this entire season doing what I thought was best for this ballclub, and I put this organization at the forefront," Green said. "Now it looks like my future here is non-existent, so I know the ballclub will do what's best for me and allow me to go to Japan and to allow me to try and better my career. We'll see what the offers are as they come in this offseason. I'm extremely excited about the possibility of playing over there."
Let's talk: Byrnes and his baseball operations staff along with manager Bob Melvin will meet for two days following the season.
"We're going to go over the Major League club, our prospects, some of the 40-man decisions, kind of reviewing the systems and philosophies for scouting and player development," Byrnes said. "I think it's more a specific review leading up to our offseason strategy, which we already have some semblance of, but this will connect all the pieces.
"This is how we're going to access amateur talent, this is what we want our scouts to do, this is how we're going to develop them, these are the prospects that are ready and this is what our big-league club looks like."
The front office has been hard at work over the past few weeks with baseball operations assistant Shiraz Rehman, putting together salary information on the other 29 teams, as well as information on each team's prospects. That way the D-Backs can get a feel for whether a team has the flexibility to take on salary, needs to cut salary, what surplus or need it might have at various positions, so they can determine whether they match up tradewise.
Waiting game: Hitting coach Mike Aldrete said last week that he will not return in 2007, as he wants to spend more time with his family, but the fate of the rest of the coaching staff won't be known until next week.
"Until we actually talk about it in the couple days after the season's over, I can't really comment on it," said Melvin, who added that he was pleased with the body of work of all his coaches.
Up next: Juan Cruz will get the start Saturday at 1:10 p.m. MST instead of Edgar Gonzalez.
Cruz has not gotten much work of late, and the D-Backs have already seen enough from Gonzalez in his last three starts to know that he will go into Spring Training with a shot at winning a spot in the rotation.
Cruz will likely throw two innings, with Gonzalez following him to the mound.
The Padres will start left-hander David Wells.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Batista announces release of novel

2006-10-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

09/30/2006

PHOENIX -- While the rest of his teammates continued to celebrate their 2001 World Series victory, Miguel Batista was riding around Phoenix with a police officer doing research for a book he planned to write.
It was the first step in a process that led to Friday afternoon at Chase Field, when Batista held a news conference to announce the release of "The Avenger of Blood," a crime novel that is based in Phoenix.
"Hopefully, people will stop asking me when it's going to be done," Batista said with a smile. "It is done now."
The book's main character is Thomas Santiago, a 14-year-old boy who is accused of committing a series of shocking murders. Batista spent 5 1/2 years researching and writing the book, spending countless hours talking with lawyers, judges and undercover police officers.
Batista joined the D-Backs prior to the 2001 season and departed as a free agent following 2003. He was reacquired this past offseason in a trade with the Blue Jays. And though he's played with seven different organizations, it's clear where his heart is.
"People from every corner of this city helped me to get this book done," he said. "There couldn't be a better place. Maybe someday people will understand how much I love this city, how much I love this state."
Teammates Luis Gonzalez and Craig Counsell along with manager Bob Melvin attended the press conference to show their support for Batista.
"I think Miguel is an incredibly talented man," Counsell said. "I just have a lot of respect for someone that is that talented. He's off the beaten path compared to most baseball players, but that's why we love him. It's fun to be here on a day that he's celebrating his success."
"Do you have a lot of pictures in this book?" Gonzalez shouted from the back of the room during the press conference. "When does the book on tape come out?"
Jokes aside, the book does have some pictures, as well as detailed maps of the city. In fact, through research, Batista developed a deep knowledge of the history of Phoenix and the state of Arizona that is reflected in the book.
This is not the first literary work by Batista. He also authored "Feelings in Black and White," a compilation of his poems that sold well in his native Dominican Republic. He has already started to gather information on another book as part of a contract he signed with Trafford Publishing.
While his heart may be in Phoenix, Batista's address may change next year, as he will be a free agent at season's end. While this weekend has been mostly looked at as a way for fans to say good-bye to Gonzalez and Counsell, who both will likely not be back next year, Melvin said he would like to see Batista get the same treatment, and said so during the press conference.
"Miguel Batista has been a big part of this organization, and he's going to get his due this weekend, too, if I have anything to say about it," Melvin said. "We want to thank you, Miguel, for what you've meant to this organization, as well."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Saying farewell to a Diamondbacks icon

2006-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

09/29/2006

PHOENIX -- Forget about the 57 home runs for a minute.
Put aside the game-winning hit in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
If you want to know why Arizona loves Luis Gonzalez and how he became the face of the franchise, its icon, you have to look away from the on-field accomplishments, because they are just a small part of it.
Instead, you'll have to look at scenes like the one Thursday in the dugout during batting practice. Gonzalez was chatting with a small child and his family, who had been brought down by the club's Community Affairs Department. Gonzalez finished talking and posing for pictures and went to grab his helmet and bat to go hit.
As he picked up his batting gloves, he paused for a minute, realizing that he had more than one set. He quickly walked back over to the boy and handed him a pair, which drew an ear-to-ear grin.
As he put his helmet on and walked up the dugout steps, Gonzalez turned to an observer and said, "That right there is why I play the game."
And that right there is why he is so beloved.
It's not only that Gonzalez made himself available for charity appearances or that he signed lots of autographs, it's that he seemed to genuinely enjoy doing those things.
And it's why come Sunday's finale, there will be plenty of tears shed as D-Backs fans say good-bye. That they'll get a chance to say farewell is a credit to the Arizona front office, which informed Gonzalez of its decision not to bring him back for 2007, more than two weeks before the end of the season.
"We met with him because we wanted to be decisive and we didn't want this to drag on," GM Josh Byrnes said. "We felt he deserved that. We felt our fans deserved that."
Predictably, Gonzalez was not pleased with the decision and neither were a large group of fans. While he knew his $10 million option for 2007 would not be picked up, Gonzalez thought the club would offer to bring him back at a reduced price.
"There was one door and that door said, 'Exit,'" Gonzalez said. "So that's the way I took it. I wish the results would have been different because I would have liked to have stayed here, but that option wasn't given to me even to negotiate."
And though it may not feel like it right now, a parting of the ways is probably in everyone's best interest. The D-Backs are a team in transition, an organization loaded with prospects who have shown they are ready for the big leagues. It's time to turn the reigns over to them.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez proved with his 52 doubles this year that he's far from being ready to give up the game he loves, even if he is 39 years old. The perceived snub from the organization he's been with for eight years will just fuel his competitive fire and likely push him to be successful again next year.
"I'm kind of looking forward to the end," he said last week. "I need a change. I need to get out."
Sure, Arizona could have brought Gonzalez back at a reduced rate for 2007 and they might even have told him he'd be the starter in left, which would have put Eric Byrnes on the bench. But what would have happened had Gonzalez gotten off to a slow start? The firestorm a Gonzalez benching could cause would engulf the team and become a distraction.
And what if Gonzalez got off to a hot start? The pressure would mount to sign him to an extension and once again through no fault of Gonzalez, the whole issue would become a distraction.
Fans who say the D-Backs should bring Gonzalez back in a part-time role to work with the young players ignore the fact that he's not ready to accept a part-time role and in fact wants to play at least another few seasons and try to get to 3,000 hits.
You can scoff at that or say it's unrealistic, but know this: it's that stubbornness, that belief in himself that allowed Gonzalez to go from a self-proclaimed "skinny kid from Tampa" to a Major League All-Star. It's also just the kind of attitude that's needed if you're going to succeed at a game like baseball, which is predicated so much on failure.
And let's face it, one more year wouldn't make a difference. It wouldn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a player who has meant so much to so many. The departure of a franchise icon is rarely easy and seldom without ruffled feathers on both sides.
The D-Backs have said they want Gonzalez to rejoin their organization in some capacity when his playing career comes to an end. Gonzalez demurred when asked about that, the wound obviously still a bit too fresh. But time has a way of taking care of those things. Heck, in 2003, third baseman Matt Williams was unceremoniously released in the middle of the season and it seemed like that rift would last for a while. But less than two years later not only was he back as a broadcaster, he was also an investor in the club.
In time, Gonzalez will no doubt return to the place he will always call home, the place where he took his career to a new level and has so many friends.
So, when you're at Chase Field on Sunday and you give him that one last standing ovation, think of it as saying farewell for now rather than goodbye.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Hernandez helps D-Backs down Friars

2006-10-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

09/30/2006

PHOENIX -- Luis Gonzalez is a 16-year veteran, but according to manager Bob Melvin, there are still some areas that he could improve on.
After Gonzalez reached second base in the eighth inning on a single and an error, Melvin pulled the left fielder for a pinch-runner so the fans could greet him with an extended standing ovation. Gonzalez, whose D-Backs career comes to an end this weekend, tipped his hat before ducking into the dugout.
"But he's got to work on his curtain call," Melvin said. "He's got to stay out there a little bit longer and let them come and get you. He started running in a little bit early. The next inning, had he not gotten a hit, I would have sent him out there and try to get an ovation, but we're going to have to work on that with him."
The moment was perfectly orchestrated, as was the Diamondbacks' 3-1 win over the Padres in front of 30,700 at Chase Field on Friday night. Livan Hernandez provided a solid outing and did not allow a run until the seventh, while the Arizona hitters provided just enough run support.
Hernandez (13-13) felt so good on the mound that he even experimented with his arm angle a little bit, throwing a few pitches from the side rather than over top.
"I tried to do something I got used to throwing before," said Hernandez, who gave up one run on four hits over seven innings. "I tried to change the arm. The sinker was working perfectly. This is what I want to do next year -- is try to throw the ball on the side like I've thrown before, but the knee [hasn't] let me this year."
The D-Backs' win coupled with the Dodgers' victory over the Giants put San Diego and Los Angeles in a tie atop the National League West standings.
Arizona got on the board early as Craig Counsell walked to begin the third, and Eric Byrnes followed with a two-run homer to left field.
In the seventh, Hernandez retired the first two batters before issuing a walk to Russell Branyan. Branyan came around to score on pinch-hitter Ryan Klesko's single to right, bringing the Padres within one run.
"He pitched great," Melvin said of his veteran righty. "Klesko hits the ball in the hole over there, and other than that, he's probably still pitching. For a guy that in the first half because of his knee wasn't out in the eighth inning very long, he's been out there plenty of times for us. You get used to this, because next year, he's going to be out there for a while."
Arizona got the run right back in the bottom of the seventh, as Conor Jackson led off the frame with a double. Stephen Drew then hit into a fielder's choice, which forced Jackson out at third. But that didn't matter in the end as Drew came around to score on Carlos Quentin's double to left-center field.
The Padres will look to clinch at least the NL Wild Card with a win on Saturday, when they send David Wells to the hill. The D-Backs will go with Juan Cruz for most likely two innings, and then Edgar Gonzalez.

Source:http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Bell seeks road less traveled

2006-10-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

09/30/2006

PHOENIX -- Bench coach Jay Bell would like to return to the Diamondbacks next year, but in a different role.
"My intentions are to come back in the same type of capacity that Walt Weiss is doing for the Colorado Rockies," Bell said Saturday. "He's an advisor/instructor/good guy to have around/mentor type of guy. During the season, he hangs out with the infielders, deals with them, talks with them about scenarios and different ways to play."
Weiss' official title is assistant to the general manager, and in addition to attending home games, he's around a month during the season visiting the organization's affiliates.
Bell, 40, played infield for 17 years in the big leagues before retiring after the 2003 season. He returned to uniform as bench coach under Bob Melvin in 2005. With three young children at home, he no longer wants to be on the road so often.
"It gives me more time to spend with [my wife] Laura and the kids," he said. "When I was growing up, I don't remember my dad missing any of my Little League games, and so for me, that's important."
Bell informed Melvin of his decision Friday and plans to speak with general manager Josh Byrnes about it soon.
While wanting to speak with Bell first before commenting, Byrnes said Saturday that he would be "very happy to have Jay remain in the organization."
Hitting coach Mike Aldrete said last week that he had decided to not return next year in order to spend more time with his family. The fates of the rest of the staff will be announced next week.
A special autograph: Luis Gonzalez has spent a lot of time over the past few days signing autographs for teammates and club employees, but one item gave him pause.
Gonzalez gently removed a bat from a white sanitary sock and looked it over with a wistful smile.
"This is the bat I won the Home Run Derby with," Gonzalez said, referring to his outdueling of Sammy Sosa prior to the 2001 All-Star Game.
Following the derby, Gonzalez presented the bat to D-Backs bullpen catcher Jeff Motuzas, who pitched to Gonzalez during the contest. Red marks, from the red All-Star Logo on the balls used, were still visible on the bat.
Thanks Miguel: While Melvin has asked Gonzalez and Craig Counsell to take out the lineup card for Sunday's finale, he paid tribute to veteran pitcher Miguel Batista on Saturday by having him do the same.
"Miguel Batista has been a big part of this organization, and he's going to get his due this weekend, too, if I have anything to say about it," Melvin said.
Paying respects: Speaking of Gonzalez and Counsell, the pair were spotted over at US Airways Arena on Friday afternoon, where they stopped by former managing general partner Jerry Colangelo's office to pay their respects.
Colangelo has said he will attend Sunday's game to honor both players, as well as outgoing team president Rich Dozer. Colangelo has not been to Chase Field since his departure in August 2004.
Grass clippings: The grass at Chase Field was noticeably greener Friday than it was when the team departed on its recent nine-game road trip.
Head groundskeeper Grant Trenbeath and his staff overseeded the field with Rye a few days before the team had left on the trip. When the sod is initially laid down in the spring, it's a combination of Kentucky Blue Grass and Rye.
"It's constantly a work in progress," said Trenbeath, who has to deal with the unique challenges that come with trying to keep the grass strong despite having the roof closed so often during the heat of the summer.
Up next: The D-Backs wrap up the 2006 season on Sunday, with National League Cy Young Award candidate Brandon Webb (16-7, 2.88 ERA) taking on Woody Williams (11-5, 3.57 ERA).

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs done in by Wells, Padres

2006-10-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

09/30/2006

PHOENIX -- For the first time in Chase Field's nine-year history, a visiting team celebrated the clinching of a playoff spot.
The Padres' 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon clinched a postseason berth for them and left Arizona needing a win in Sunday's season finale to equal its 77-85 mark from last year.
"Congrats to the Padres," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "With some of the injuries and everything they've had to put up with, it's been an impressive run for them. It looked like at one point in time early in the season they were down and out, but they recovered, and our hats off to them."
The D-Backs wanted to get a couple of innings of work for Juan Cruz, who had been pitching out of the bullpen since Aug. 8, so they gave him the start Saturday. The right-hander was impressive over two perfect innings, as he fanned three.
"Cruz was unbelievable," Melvin said. "That may have been the best stuff we've seen all year."
Edgar Gonzalez, who was originally scheduled to start the game, came on in the third and added two more hitless innings.
The no-hitter was gone when Russell Branyan singled to lead off the fifth, and the shutout followed not long thereafter when the next batter, Mike Cameron, blasted a 455-foot homer to left to give San Diego a 2-0 lead.
The Padres tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Josh Bard singled home Dave Roberts.
The D-Backs could not solve David Wells, as he kept the Arizona hitters off balance while throwing six shutout frames.
"We just didn't put too many good swings in a row on to put some pressure on them," Melvin said.
The D-Backs' lone run came in the seventh, when pinch-hitter Stephen Drew homered off reliever Cla Meredith.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Batista shuts out Dodgers on six hits

2006-07-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

07/20/2006
PHOENIX -- As he watched from his position in left field, Luis Gonzalez saw something very familiar Wednesday night.
"I had flashbacks to 2001, the Miggy of 2001," Gonzalez said after watching Miguel Batista toss a six-hitter as the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers, 8-0.
The win was Arizona's seventh in its past nine games and pushed the D-Backs into third place in the NL West, three games behind the Padres.
Getting consistent innings from Brandon Webb has been a constant this year for the D-Backs, but the rest of the rotation has not always followed suit. In order to play meaningful games in September, they need Batista to display the same consistency.
"Webby and then he's the guy we look to next," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "If we're going to compete and go all the way down to the end in this division, Miguel's going to be a key guy for us. Coming in, that was the plan, Miggy was going to be one of the go-to guys."
It's no different than 2001, when the club needed Batista to pick up some innings in a rotation that was dominated by Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Batista did just that down the stretch for the eventual World Series champions.
Even if Batista joins Webb in providing consistency, the team will still need help from its other starters -- Juan Cruz, Claudio Vargas and Enrique Gonzalez.
"We are sucking some innings for the team," Batista said of he and Webb. "We are trying to get people like Juan Cruz healthy and able to last out there. I believe [Enrique] Gonzalez is going to be a great starter. They are a little [young] and they have stuff to learn, but if we get those guys going, probably by the end of September we might be pushing other people out."
Batista (9-5) is not a strikeout pitcher -- he fanned just two Wednesday -- so to be effective he needs help from his defense and he got it, particularly from shortstop Stephen Drew.
In six games since making his Major League debut, Drew has shown himself to be a very capable defender and he had his first multi-hit game Wednesday, doubling twice and adding a triple.
"Defensively, he's made some great plays already," Melvin said. "Offensively, get the first hit out of the way and then get a couple under your belt, now you get rolling a little bit and you feel like you belong. Certainly his at-bats, other than maybe one at-bat today, he was pretty much on everything."
The D-Backs struggled early against Dodgers starter Derek Lowe, who appeared to have his sinker working as he limited Arizona to just three hits in the first three innings.
In the fourth, though, the D-Backs broke through as they scored four times on five hits -- including a two-run homer by Shawn Green -- to grab the lead.
"Lowe had a good sinker the first couple of innings and then it flattened out the third and fourth and we were able to take advantage of it," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez had a significant hit in the fourth for two reasons. The first was that his double knocked in Chad Tracy for a 1-0 lead. It also was Gonzalez's 525th career double, tying him for 31st on the all-time list with Ted Williams.
Meanwhile, Batista kept mowing down the Dodgers.
"That could be the best he's thrown this year," Melvin said.
As the innings wore on, Batista could see the finish line and was not about to look to the bullpen for help. Instead, he wanted his third complete game of the year, which would tie him with Webb for the second most in the NL.
"I believe that baseball has evolved to a point to where a lot of starters don't go out there with the mentality of throwing a complete game and that's totally bad for the game," Batista said.
Batista's desire for complete games was sowed on a plane ride he shared from the Dominican Republic to Miami with Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal. The legendary hurler did not like to come out of a game. Ever. He completed 244 games in his career, one more than his win total.
"He told me, 'Nobody relieves me. I relieve myself. After the seventh I come with a different mentality and I've got to finish my game,'" Batista recalled.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Gonzalez left out and upset

2006-07-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

07/20/2006
PHOENIX -- Luis Gonzalez never likes to see his name out of the lineup, but his omission Thursday in the final game of a four-game series with the Dodgers was particularly upsetting.
After struggling at the plate during the first half of the season, Gonzalez has experienced a resurgence this month. He had three hits Wednesday night against the Dodgers, including a double that tied him with Ted Williams for 31st on the all-time list.
In July, he's hitting .358 with nine of his 19 hits doubles.
So when Gonzalez was not in the lineup against Dodgers left-hander Mark Hendrickson, he clearly was not happy. In his place was Carlos Quentin, one of the team's top prospects, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Tucson earlier in the day.
"Of course I'm disappointed," Gonzalez said. "I'm just starting to swing the bat well in the second half. It's nothing against Quentin, I'm excited he has the chance to come up and play, but at the same time I'm starting to swing the bat well, I feel good and we're playing the Dodgers."
D-Backs manager Bob Melvin explained the decision to start Quentin, a righty, by saying he wanted to give the lefty-swinging Gonzalez a day off against Hendrickson.
"It's just going to be a one-day thing," Melvin said. "Gonzo will be back out there tomorrow. But certainly Gonzo wants to play every day and I don't blame him and he's swinging the bat well and I expect him to continue to swing the bat well."
"I don't care if they say it's a one-day thing or not," Gonzalez said. "I take a lot of pride in playing and being out there every day. I've been a warrior out here for eight years trying to be a rock for the club so it just doesn't sit well with me right now."
Gonzalez has long been the face of the franchise, but relations between him and the front office this year have at times been awkward. The 38-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the club holding a $10 million option for next year. With top prospects like Quentin and Scott Hairston showing they are ready at Triple-A, it seems unlikely the club will pick up that option.
Last month, a comment by managing general partner Ken Kendrick acknowledging that there had been "whispers" about Gonzalez and performance-enhancing drugs when he slugged 57 homers in 2001 furthered the rift between the two sides.
Quentin's promotion came less than a week after shortstop Stephen Drew was called up from Tucson. Drew took the place of veteran Craig Counsell, who suffered a broken rib, while Quentin takes the place of first baseman Tony Clark, who has a strained shoulder.
Gonzalez said that there are a "couple" of veterans in the clubhouse in addition to himself who are wondering whether the front office really wants to win in 2006. Arizona began play in third place, three games behind the Padres.
"I love my teammates," Gonzalez said. "I love my coaches. I love playing for BoMel. He's my all-time favorite manager. Other than that I just don't know what's happening upstairs, what direction we're going. We're making a push right now, we're three games out and now they want to, I don't know, bring up guys here and there. I understand with Drew it was Counsell getting hurt. I just kind of wish the organization would let myself and maybe a couple of the other guys know what their immediate plans are going to be.
"Are we trying to win it? We're too close to start doing other things."
GM Josh Byrnes does not comment on lineup decisions, but since taking over last November, Byrnes has emphasized that the club's goal is to be competitive in 2006 and beyond.
Both Quentin and Drew's Triple-A numbers were hard to ignore. Drew posted an .802 OPS (on-base plus slugging) mark, while Quentin had a .912 OPS including a .424 on-base percentage.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Quentin gets the call

2006-07-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

07/20/2006
PHOENIX -- After sending down pitcher Edgar Gonzalez following Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks called up former first-round draft pick Carlos Quentin from Triple-A Tucson on Thursday.
The 23-year-old was then promptly placed in left field and hit seventh as he made his Major League debut. D-Backs manager Bob Melvin stressed before the game against the Dodgers that Quentin was making a spot start for Luis Gonzalez and was not called up to be a regular starter.
"It's not something that I have scheduled to play X amount of games," Melvin said. "The only one that I have him schedule to start is today. One, we wanted to get him in there right away, and two, it happened to be a left-hander [Mark Hendrickson] and we'll just give Gonzo a day today."
Right field is the right-handed-hitting Quentin's natural position, although he has played all three outfield positions over the course of his Minor League career.
"One of the things we wanted him to do was play all the outfield positions," Melvin said. "So he's comfortable with any of them. He's a good athlete."
Quentin was hitting .289 for Tucson with a league-leading 30 doubles, nine home runs and 52 RBIs. After hitting only .263 on June 10, he has gone on a tear over the last 32 games, hitting .330 over that span. Quentin also set a record for being hit by a pitch 31 times so far this season, breaking his previous record of 29, which he set last year.
The move adds depth to what was a four-man bench. On any given day, the team will now have two infielders on the bench in Andy Green and Damion Easley and two outfielders, Quentin and usually Jeff DaVanon, in addition to backup catcher Chris Synder.
Quentin was selected 29th overall in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft. Current D-Backs first baseman Conor Jackson was also picked up in the first round (19th overall) that year.
"That's a good thing, you have some people you know," Quentin said. "I know Conor. All the guys here are great. It's good to have some young guys and the older guys they always keep us under their wing."
The callup was the second for the D-Backs over the last several days as shortstop Stephen Drew was brought up on Saturday to fill in for Craig Counsell, who is on the disabled list with a fractured right rib.
Quentin admitted he knew little about the opposing pitcher.
"He is a tall, left-handed pitcher," Quentin said of Hendrickson. "He's going to throw it over the plate and it's my job to hit it."
Heading south: Melvin said the club decided to send Edgar Gonzalez back to Tucson because the team has not needed a long man out of the bullpen so far this season.
Gonzalez made a pair of starts and was moved to the bullpen when Juan Cruz returned from the disabled list. The D-Backs called up Tony Pena, who was a closer in Tucson, on Tuesday, making the need for a long reliever less of a necessity.
"We really haven't been in a spot yet, knock wood, where we've needed a guy to go out there and throw 60 or 70 pitches," Melvin said. "[Greg] Aquino is able to give us two [innings], [Brandon] Medders can give us two, we feel like Pena can give us two. As it is right now, we feel like we're covered down there."
Gonzalez was initially recalled on June 22 and went 1-2 with a 6.27 ERA over three starts and four relief appearances.
Decision coming: Third-round draft pick Dallas Buck will decide soon whether to have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
The D-Backs baseball staff and team physician Michael Lee gave Buck the choice between trying rehab for three months to see if the elbow responds and if it doesn't have the surgery then, or just go ahead and have the surgery now.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Quentin makes quite a splash

2006-07-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

07/21/2006
PHOENIX -- Carlos Quentin proved he knows how to multi-task in his Major League debut on Thursday.
With a two-run lead and Chad Tracy on first, Quentin belted a 2-1 curveball from Mark Hendrickson into the left-field seats in the sixth inning, delivering his first big-league hit, home run and RBI in one fell swoop as the D-Backs downed the Dodgers, 5-2, at Chase Field in front of 25,294.
"I don't know. It's kind of indescribable," Quentin said of running the bases following the homer. "Everyone's on their feet, cheering. It's kind of like, 'Whoa, did I just do that?' And then you get home and [Tracy] has a big smile on his face and you got to give off a big smile. It was a great moment for me."
Quentin -- whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Tucson before the game and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup -- joined Travis Lee and Alex Cabrera as the only three players in franchise history to homer in their big-league debut. He is also added to another list of four other franchise players, whose first big-league hit was a homer.
"I think it was the only at-bat where I saw more than a couple pitches," said the 23-year-old. "[Hendrickson] started out with some hard stuff and they were preying on my aggressiveness early so they were throwing me some changeups."
Prior to the homer, Quentin grounded out twice and flied out in the eighth.
If at all possible, his night got even better when he was delivered the home run ball.
"The guy gave it back," Quentin said. "He didn't want anything. He wrote me a little note. I think I'll send him something, maybe a bat or something to say thank you. This is my first time here. I don't usually get balls back. I don't have people go get them for me. I was fortunate enough that the guy was kind to give it to me."
D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said that despite Quentin's home run, Luis Gonzalez will return to left field on Friday. Melvin said prior to the game that Quentin was called up to be a spot starter.
Arizona plated three runs over the first two innings and that was more than enough to power ace Brandon Webb to his 11th victory of the season.
"I had pretty good stuff," said Webb (11-3), who allowed two runs over eight innings. "My arm felt great. I was able to work in and out, had a pretty good comeback sinker for some strikeouts."
"Sometimes I struggle coming down here [to the press interview room] with what to say about him," Melvin said. "[He had a] great sinker, off-the-body sinkers with the left-handers, good control of his curveball, changeup, everything. It was kind of a typical outing for him."
The D-Backs defense turned four double plays behind Webb, which ties a club record.
"The defense played a really stellar game behind me," he said. "And again, they came out swinging the bats and that makes it a lot easier for us."
Shortstop Stephen Drew, who was called up from Tucson on Saturday, had his first big-league error, which allowed big brother J.D. Drew of the Dodgers to reach first in the eight inning. Drew didn't seem too affected by the miscue as he started a double play to end the inning on the very next ball that was hit to him.
"That's the thing about Webby, you better be on your toes," Melvin said. "Because you boot one, you better not feel sorry for yourself because the next one will be coming your way in a minute."
"His defense has been pretty unbelievable," said Webb of the young shortstop. "He's showing range that I didn't see. I didn't know that he had that. But he's making great plays."
After going 0-for-7 to start his Major League career, Drew has since gone 7-for-15, including three doubles over the last two games. He also plated his first big-league RBI on Thursday.
With the win, the D-Backs secured the series victory, having won three out of the four games. Arizona finds itself in third place in the National League West, two games behind first-place San Diego. The loss was the Dodgers' seventh in the last eight games.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Gonzalez determined to have big year

2006-03-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

02/22/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Sporting a bulked up physique and determined attitude, Luis Gonzalez reported to Diamondbacks camp on Wednesday with the rest of the club's position players.
There has been much speculation over the past year surrounding Gonzalez, 38, and his future with the Diamondbacks. The left fielder is entering the final season of a three-year, $31.5 million contract with the club holding a $10 million option for 2007.
"I'm not going to give my job up," said Gonzalez, who will make $11.5 million this year. "They're going to have to tell me, 'We're going in a different direction.' So I'm just going out there trying to play hard every day, and I think that motivated me in the offseason."
Gonzalez had spent parts of nine seasons in the big leagues before coming to Arizona in 1999 and his career quickly took off as he collected 206 hits that year for a division-winning club.
Then after smacking 31 homers in 2000, he solidified his spot in Arizona history when he led the D-Backs to a World Series title by hitting 57 homers and driving in 142 runs in 2001. It was his base hit in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 that clinched the Series win over the Yankees.
"Luis Gonzalez is the face of the team," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "Just looking at him, the condition he's in, I think he's out to prove a little something this year. It wouldn't surprise me if he had a great year this year."
The past two seasons have held significant challenges for Gonzalez. In 2004, he played with a torn ligament in his elbow that caused him significant pain throughout the year until he finally required Tommy John surgery on Aug. 1 of that year. He came to camp in 2005 still unsure of how the elbow would hold up, which limited his offseason work.
Gonzalez hit just .259 while playing in pain in 2004 and despite an emotional year in 2005 -- when he suffered the loss of his stepfather -- he managed to hit .271 with 24 homers and 79 RBIs.
"The last couple of years I've been injured and haven't been able to drive in the 100 runs," he said. "The home runs and things like that are going to come, but to me it's just going out there and producing. When you sit in the middle of the order, you know, people count on you. For me, it was frustrating the last couple of years because you know you're not 100 percent and you're trying to make it through."
There was speculation in the second half of last year that the Diamondbacks would like to move Gonzalez to make room for some of their highly regarded prospects like Carlos Quentin.
The talk clearly took its toll on the sensitive Gonzalez.
"I don't play into the age stuff because when you have love for the game and you go out there and play hard, I feel like I'm in better shape than a lot of young guys," Gonzalez said. "I work just as hard as those guys do. That doesn't bother me. They can say whatever they want about your age and stuff like that, but if you can go out there and still produce, it doesn't matter."
Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes indicated that the organization will let the season play out before making a decision on whether to pick up Gonzalez's option.
"He's a franchise icon and [it's] a big financial decision for us and him," Byrnes said. "So I think we're most inclined to let the year educate us about what is the best decision. I think he's in great shape. I understand that he wasn't able to do the conditioning that he normally would prior to last year. He's in fantastic shape. That's all we can ask for. He's giving himself every chance to be successful in the season."
Not limited by elbow or shoulder concerns and looking to make a statement with his performance this year, Gonzalez attacked his offseason workout regimen with a vengeance, adding an hour-long boxing session twice a week. The results were evident by the size of his biceps and forearms.
Always one to push himself with goals, Gonzalez said he would like to play until he reaches 3,000 hits or plays 20-plus seasons. To reach the 3,000 plateau, Gonzalez needs 786 more hits, which would likely require at least four-plus more seasons at nearly peak production.
A more easily attainable goal is 500 doubles. Gonzalez has 495, fifth among active players. He also is in the top 15 among active players in games (2,163), runs (1,219) and hits (2,214).
"I kind of feel like I've slipped under the radar, which I've kind of liked," Gonzalez said. "It hasn't been a career where everybody knows who you were. For me, I've pretty much played a quiet career until I got to Arizona, but I like that. I just like the fact that I've kind of snuck up on all these numbers and nobody's really paid that much attention to it."
There's no sneaking up on what this year means to Gonzalez and his future with the Diamondbacks.
"I don't want this to be my last year here," he said. "The best way for me to speak is with my actions on the field. I think if I go out there and play well and produce, it puts the ball in my court and we'll see what they want to do. The bottom line is I just have to go out there and play well."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: DaVanon not yet a cannon

2006-03-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

02/24/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Throwing a ball is like riding a bicycle, and Jeff DaVanon has no concerns about letting his arm coast along in low gear in the early stages of Spring Training.
DaVanon is vying for a spot in the Diamondbacks' outfield rotation, but for the time being, he is not pushing his arm, easing it back to full strength after suffering a minor injury during the American League Championship Series last fall, when he played for the Angels. He played through the injury in October, and is confident that it won't slow him down this spring.
"It's progressing well, and I don't see it being a problem for this year," DaVanon said. "I'm on a throwing program. My amount and distance is being regulated. The only reason why they're being cautious is because these games don't count. Hopefully, knock on wood, I'll make the team and I can try and contribute during that season instead of during the spring."
General manager Josh Byrnes shares DaVanon's optimism about his prospects of contributing to the club.
"He'll be in our outfield mix and can play all three [outfield positions]," Byrnes said. "He can throw. We examined him before we signed him, so we just want to be careful. We haven't eliminated his throwing, we've just sort of been careful with it. He played catch out to 120 feet. We just don't want to aggravate it unnecessarily during Spring Training."
More important than the progression of his arm has been his own progression as a member of the D-Backs after spending his entire big league career -- parts of six seasons -- with the Angels.
"I'm still adjusting to a new team," DaVanon said. "I'd been with the same team for so long. There are different personalities, but I have nothing but good things to say about the guys here, and I've had a lot of fun."
M's on the mend: Southpaw Terry Mulholland and righty Brandon Medders are also taking it slow as they ease themselves back from muscle spasms and a tweaked scapula muscle, respectively.
Medders has yet to throw a bullpen session, but has been throwing long toss over the past two days.
"This is something when you have little aches and pains, things that are bothering you, especially for a guy like him, we want to make sure that we take care of that early in camp," manager Bob Melvin said of Medders. "It's one of the things I told the pitchers on Day 1: if you have some ailments now, let's hear about them now, because we don't want these things lingering into games when you're trying to get ready for a season. We're just trying to be proactive and get him healthy before he goes out there."
Mulholland threw a side session Friday and will likely take the mound for batting practice soon. Melvin, who managed Mulholland in Seattle, is eager to watch the left-hander strengthen the relief corps with his veteran presence.
"Terry will take a leadership role out there in the bullpen," Melvin assured. "He's a guy that if you need three innings, he'll give them to you. If you need an out, he'll give it to you. If you need a spot start, he'll give them to you. He has a resilient arm, always has. He isn't afraid to pick the team up."
Mound maestro: Orlando Hernandez was already in fine form pitching live batting practice Friday, and Melvin enjoyed the opportunity to watch his new starter tuning up his stuff.
"It's impressive to watch him add and subtract, and throw three different changeups, and [use] any number of different arm angles," Melvin noted. "It's a little more difficult with the [batting practice] screen there for him to get some of the arm angles, but his fastball can be three different fastballs, and on his breaking ball, he's got great feel and spin on the ball and great touch. He's had a lot of success because of it.
"He's almost like a point guard out there," continued Melvin. "He's very aware of who's up, what the situations are, and he has great awareness out on the mound of who can potentially hurt him, and who can't -- who he can pitch to, and who he can't. That's something that comes with the experience he has."
Melvin has been especially impressed with El Duque's work ethic, singling him out for his determination during fielding practice.
"It's like having another shortstop on the field," Melvin marveled. "He's a tremendous athlete, and he knows that fielding his position is going to go a long way for him. He's doing the intangible stuff. Very impressive."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

D-Backs' Gonzalez opts out of Classic

2006-03-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

02/24/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Better late than never? Don't try selling that to Luis Gonzalez. When manager Buck Martinez visited him in the Diamondbacks camp Friday offering him a chance at playing for Team USA in next month's World Baseball Classic, Gonzo wished Martinez luck and stressed that he had moved on to focus his attention on preparing for the regular season.
Gonzalez had caused a bit of a stir with critical comments about the selection process on Wednesday, and when outfielder Vernon Wells came down with an injury, Martinez was quick to approach the veteran outfielder about filling the spot.
"With Vernon Wells' uncertainty, Carl Crawford's uncertainty, [Gonzo] becomes a very important guy to us," Martinez said Friday. "That's what I wanted to echo and get across to him today."
But Gonzalez, who had been eager to play when he was first invited to be on the 60-man provisional roster, was still smarting from his sense of a snub at being later left off the 30-man roster. As hard as it was to turn down an opportunity to represent his country and play games at home in Arizona, it paled in comparison to that initial snub.
"The hard part was when they called me telling me I wasn't on the initial roster," Gonzo said Friday. "That's hard for me, because I'm a guy who plays with a lot of pride and emotion.
"I've been playing for 16 years, and not to be on the initial ballclub ... I would have loved to represent my country, but my focus now is for my teammates and the ballclub and to play for the Diamondbacks."
Major League players have cited health, trades and position changes as reasons they can't miss the critical preparation with their teams in Spring Training, and while clubs generally favor the idea of the world tournament, there has been understandable hesitation to send key players out of spring camps for as much as three weeks in March.
No such rumbling came from the D-Backs, however.
"I'm in favor of this thing. I think the World Baseball Classic is a great thing," manager Bob Melvin said Friday. "But I also have to have consideration of my players, and this is a guy that is healthy this year. We had a little bit of a plan, and now it was backed off, so you can blame this one on me."
The D-Backs supported Gonzalez's participation, putting together a plan to get him up to speed and in good health at an accelerated pace that would put him in game condition a month ahead of schedule, as he recuperates from an injury-plagued '05 season.
"If originally he was told he could play, we were going to do some things in Spring Training to get him ready for it," Melvin explained. "We were going to bring some Minor League pitchers over, we were going to do some simulated at-bats to where he was getting some live pitching earlier and we were going to try to get him ready at-bat-wise for this thing. When they told him that he wasn't on the team, we backed him off. We have him back on a schedule to get ready for Opening Day.
"This one's kind of on me," Melvin reiterated in an effort to defend Gonzo from any second-guessing. "I feel like we're putting him at risk if we were to let him go play right now."
But the veteran had no hesitation in rejecting Martinez's offer on the spot, stressing there was no need to talk it over with anybody else.
"Once I was told I wasn't on the original roster as far as making the team, there was no other option for me except for playing for the Diamondbacks," Gonzalez said. "There were no bitter feelings. I just wished [Martinez] and his ballclub the best of luck. I hope no fans or anybody's bitter at me for not [playing in the Classic]."
Gonzalez looked like a perfect fit for the Classic's goals of promoting the globalization of the game and rallying a sense of national pride in an elite team playing for country and honor, especially given the fact that the first round of games would be played in Scottsdale and Phoenix, in front of hometown fans who have come to associate Gonzalez as the emblem of D-Back values and character.
"Believe me, there is nobody more excited to have an opportunity to play for the United States of America team at my own home ballpark, wearing a USA uniform at your own home field," said the outfielder. "I don't know too many ballplayers that wouldn't be disappointed if they got told, 'Hey, you're not on the first original thing.' That's basically what happened to me, and I turned my focus to get ready for the season."
Martinez had clearly taken Gonzalez's earlier criticism seriously, and he made a point to address concerns expressed by both Gonzalez and Craig Counsell, another D-Back on the 60-man roster who was not initially invited onto the 30-man roster.
"I sensed it was a kind of a bitter moment for them both," Martinez said. "I've known them both for a long time, and we really thought they would bring a lot to our team. Then we got down into the numbers of the things and it just didn't work out."
It was that process of whittling down the numbers -- a public process that took place on paper, without the opportunity for players to showcase their skills in a tryout -- that drew Gonzo's criticism.
"We've all learned a lot this first time, and we know that there have been a lot of things that we would like to do differently and like to do better," Martinez admitted. "We'll address that as we go along, and we'll pass this along to MLB and to the Players Association."
Martinez echoed Gonzalez's sense that there were no lingering bitter feelings.
"Luis Gonzalez has the respect of everybody in baseball, and his opinion is very valued," Martinez said. "He's always been a character guy that we respect a lot. We felt that he brings everything we want on this team."
Unfortunately, Team USA took too long to make the case that Gonzo epitomized the type of player they wanted in their dugout, and the D-Backs' gain is the Classic's loss.
"Most people in the baseball world know my personality and know that I'm not the most talented guy on the field, but I'm going to play with heart and passion when I go out there and play," Gonzalez said. "These guys that are around me every day know that I was disappointed when I wasn't chosen the first time. I don't know many players that have played for a long time that if they didn't get chosen wouldn't have been disappointed, because here's an opportunity to represent your country.
"I know that this is the second chance for me, but after I didn't get the first chance, I didn't really want to take that second chance. My focus was getting ready here."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Byrnes brings energy to desert

2006-03-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

02/25/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- You only get one chance to make a first impression -- unless you're Eric Byrnes, who made the D-Backs his fourth team in six months when he signed with the club in December.
After sweeping through Colorado and Baltimore late in 2005 following 5 1/2 seasons with the A's, Byrnes wasted no time establishing his identity with the D-Backs.
"He made an impression when he came through the door the first time," said manager Bob Melvin, describing Byrnes as a man with "whirlwinds swirling around him" wherever he goes. "He's just an energy guy, and I think that's something we were lacking a little bit last year."
Though his strengths as a player were his most appealing qualities -- the D-Backs hope to see him get back to his '04 form, when he hit .283 for the A's as the everyday left fielder -- his qualities in the clubhouse are nearly as important to Melvin and general manager Josh Byrnes.
"We're going to need a little bit of a presence against left-handed pitching," the GM said. "He's very good against left-handed pitching. He has a lot of energy, he can impact the game on the bases, he can play center. We think a lot of his strengths were areas that were deficiencies for us. We think he fits perfectly."
Melvin predicts both Byrnes and Orlando Hudson -- a career Blue Jay until his December trade to the D-Backs -- will provide an energy boost capable of sparking the team to a higher level of play.
"It's infectious. It's contagious. You can see that he loves to play," said Melvin of Byrnes' dynamic approach to the game. "Between he and Hudson, you'll see a little more enthusiasm around here, and a little more chatter and so forth."
Good chemistry is often dismissed as an inevitable byproduct of winning, but Byrnes' experience tells him otherwise.
"The time I spent with Oakland, we probably won more games than we should have, just because it was a close-knit group," Byrnes explained. "It seems like a bunch of neat guys in [the D-Backs clubhouse]. I think that's vital."
Sunday catch: Saturday was a "no-throw" day for D-Backs pitchers, as the team went through an abbreviated workout before heading north to Phoenix for a Fan Fest. The break gives Brandon Medders another day before testing his arm again with a "catch" Sunday.
Medders has had some muscle discomfort below his scapula and has yet to throw a bullpen session this spring.
"If [Sunday] doesn't go very well, then our concerns would be a little more extensive," said Melvin. "We'd probably look to have Dr. Lee take a look at him if [Sunday] doesn't go very well.
"If he feels good [Sunday], we'll probably give him a day off and then potentially have him throw BP live to hitters the next day," Melvin added. "[Sunday] will have a lot to do with it."
Desert showdown: Melvin anticipates a couple of interesting competitions for roster spots and roles with the club as the spring progresses and is happy to have a pair of strong contenders for the fifth spot in the rotation, behind Brandon Webb, Russ Ortiz, Miguel Batista and Orlando Hernandez.
"There were times [last season] when for a month and a half or so [Brad Halsey] was probably our best pitcher, and the same thing with Claudio [Vargas], Melvin said. "If we have two guys like that fighting for a fifth spot, we feel like we're deep in our rotation."
Melvin also foresees a three-way battle for a utility role among a pair of promising younger players and a 14-year veteran.
"Alex Cintron, Andy Green, and Damion Easley, we're probably looking at two of those guys staying," Melvin said.
Cintron has proved valuable both as a regular starter of the "Baby 'Backs" era and as a productive bench player and utility infielder last season, while Green and the former All-Star Easley both offer the potential to play outfield as well as infield positions.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Undaunted, Young prepares to impress

2006-03-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

02/25/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- One workout away.
Chris Young was one workout away from finishing an intensive program designed to have him in top condition for his first Spring Training with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
One more workout and he was ready to head to Tucson to try to win the starting center-field job in the big leagues. Sure, it was a long shot with the club bringing in a pair of veterans in Eric Byrnes and Jeff DaVanon to hold down the position until the 22-year-old Young was ready. But he was going to give it his best shot.
That goal will have to wait a bit, though, as Young broke a bone in his right hand in his next-to-last workout in Florida. While doing what's known as a box jump, Young hit his hand on the box on the way up, causing the break.
"It was crazy because I only had one more workout left and then I was on my way here to get ready for Spring Training early," he said. "I'd been out there for a month and a half already, working out every day.
"It was just a freak accident."
He had surgery on the hand to help promote the healing process and could be back on the field as early as March 15. That would put him on track for the start of the Minor League season, with his destination Triple-A Tucson.
Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin and general manager Josh Byrnes were among the Arizona staff that called Young after the injury to try to keep his spirits up.
"[Melvin] really made me feel a lot better about the situation," Young said. "He called me on the phone and he told me it wasn't going to set me back too much, which was good to hear from him. He and Josh Byrnes really made me feel better."
Young was acquired by the Diamondbacks along with Orlando Hernandez and Luis Vizcaino in the trade that sent Javier Vazquez to the White Sox. Though his name was not familiar to most fans when the trade went through, those that follow the game's top prospects knew Young was the key part of the deal, as he brings a rare combination of power and speed to the table.
Last year with Double-A Birmingham as a 21-year-old, he hit .277 with 41 doubles, 26 homers and 32 stolen bases in 38 attempts. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider he was making the jump from low Class A ball and playing in a league that is more friendly to pitchers than it is hitters.
More impressive was the fact that his plate discipline improved not just from 2004 to 2005, but also as the 2005 season progressed.
"I was just more patient," he said. "I felt more comfortable, less anxious."
"He's one of the best prospects in baseball," Byrnes said. "He's got tools, he's got performance. He's a guy that can impact the game on the bases, hit a home run or save a game defensively. That's a hard package to find, so we obviously gave up a lot, but we feel like he was a very important part of that trade."
Baseball America, which ranked Young as Chicago's sixth-best prospect before his outstanding 2005 season wrote, "Designated as the best athlete and quickest baserunner in the organization, Young is blessed with tremendous speed and is blossoming into a power hitter as well."
Despite the fact that the injury keeps him out off the field, Young has put the past week to good use, getting to know Arizona veterans, like Tony Clark, who have been in camp for early workouts.
"All the guys have been really nice," he said. "Everyone's come up to me and introduced themselves and I've tried to do the same thing just trying to get to know all the guys as fast as I can. I like to make friends wherever I go."
Young made plenty of friends in White Sox camp last year, though this year his locker is in a different neighborhood. In 2005, when his number was in the 70s, his locker was near the other young Chicago players. This year, he's sporting No. 24 and has a locker next to Johnny Estrada and near Luis Gonzalez.
"It didn't matter what number I had there, I was just happy to be in big-league camp," he said. "And I'm just happy to still be over here. It's a big honor to be in big-league camp, so I'm just trying to make the most of it. It's really something being here with Gonzalez and Estrada, so that's pretty cool.
"I'm only out for four weeks. It's not really a huge setback."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Minor League report: Moving on Up

2006-03-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

02/26/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Diamondbacks have gotten a good turnout for their minicamp for Minor Leaguers, which began on Feb. 23 and will run through March 5.
Twenty-nine players were invited, but another 26 or so have shown up on their own.
The main purpose of the camp is to get starting pitchers some extra work early on so that they are able to pitch deeper into games when the Minor League season starts.
"The majority of our pitchers are starters that are here," said A.J. Hinch, who oversees the D-Backs' Minor League system. "Minor League camp is so short, we want to make sure we stretch them out before the season starts."
On the move: Justin Upton has made quite an impression in his first week of camp.
"He doesn't act or look anything like an 18-year-old kid," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "He's got a lot of savvy. You can tell he's been around his family and a brother who's beeen in the big leagues. He's got great actions for an 18-year-old kid. The wooden bat looks natural in his hands." Upton has hit some impressive homers in batting practice, but more impressive than that to some in camp is that he resists the urge to swing for the fences every pitch and is more focused on driving the ball.
On the pine: Center fielder Chris Young (broken hand) could be back on the field as soon as March 15, which would put him on track to start the Minor League season on time.
Names in the game: Former third baseman Matt Williams will spend some time this spring working with Chad Tracy on his footwork at third base. Tracy fields the ball well, but struggled the last time he played the position with his footwork when he threw across the diamond.
They're No. 1: Conor Jackson, the club's first-round pick in the 2003 draft, will start off the 2006 season at first base for the D-Backs, with Tony Clark coming off the bench.
"We feel like it's Conor's time," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said.
Class of '05: Matt Torra, who was was drafted No. 31 by the D-Backs last year, is continuing to recover from surgery last September to repair a torn labrum.
"We really don't have a timetable on him because it's not something you want to rush," Hinch said. "As soon as his throwing program progresses, we'll continue to re-evaluate. Especially with a good talent, you want to protect that arm. We're pushing him, but you can only heal so fast."
Don't forget: Pitcher Casey Daigle has opened some eyes this spring. The right-hander made the transition from starter to reliever last year and saved 19 games at Double-A.
Daigle made the big-league club as a starter out of Spring Training in 2004, but struggled and was sent to Triple-A, where his struggles continued. He has long tried to come up with a consistent third pitch, but the move to the closer's role has allowed him to just throw his fastball and slider.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Game afoot for Tracy

2006-03-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

02/26/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- You won't see Chad Tracy on the television show "Dancing with the Stars" anytime soon, but the Diamondbacks third baseman spent a lot of time this winter practicing his footwork.
After a 2005 season that saw him bounce between first base and right field, Tracy is returning to third base, his position in the Minor Leagues and the one he played when he first came to the big leagues in 2004. He committed 25 errors there that year, most of which came on throws across the diamond.
"I did a lot of agility drills pretty much every day," Tracy said.
The jump-rope work and agility ladders that he did were to improve his footwork not so much in fielding the ball -- that was never the issue -- but rather for his throws.
"I'm taking a smaller stride when I throw," he said. "Before, when I would stride too long, my arm would get out behind me."
Another thing he'll try and do differently this year is to only focus on the first baseman's chest after he fields a ball.
"I would check the runner out," he said. "There's no point to even looking at the runner. You have that clock ticking in your brain to know how much time you have. I've had a year to reflect on third base now and what my mistakes were, and now you look back on it and you say, 'How do I make that mistake over and over and over again?' But I feel good now. It's going to be good."
Tracy collected 27 homers while hitting .285 last year, as he played two positions that were new to him, at least at the big league level.
"It'd be scary to see the kind of numbers he could put up when he's in a position that he's comfortable with and is in there for the whole season," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said.
Speaking of Tracy: The Diamondbacks have had discussions with Tracy's agent, Alan Nero, about a multiyear contract, and one way or another, the talks should wrap up by Thursday when Cactus League games begin.
"I think, at some point, it's time to turn our attention back to the game, so [negotiations] can't go on forever," Byrnes said. "You never know. Deals don't work for a lot of reasons, so until you have a deal, you don't assume you will."
There is no real urgency on either side to get a deal done, as Tracy is not even eligible for arbitration until after next year.
Good news: Reliever Brandon Medders' session of catch went well on Sunday, and it appears he will not need to see team physician Michael Lee about his tweaked scapula.
Meanwhile, fellow pitcher Terry Mulholland (back) will throw a batting practice session for the first time on Monday.
Tedious: Melvin will try and break up the routine of camp on Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday will be the final time that pitchers face hitters in live batting practice, and the team will spend two days doing fundamentals and other types of drills.
"After you go through this format a couple of days, guys are ready to get out there and start playing games," Melvin said. "This is no fun for the hitters right now. Right about now, they're looking forward to playing games."
Eye catching: Two pitchers have stood out to Byrnes as he's watched the first week-plus of workouts.
"Russ Ortiz and El Duque (Orlando Hernandez)," he said. "Obviously, I'm probably watching them as closely as everyone because they're important to our success. They've both come in here and looked good."
Still waiting: The team is still waiting for the arrival of pitcher Tony Pena, who has had visa problems and is the only player not in camp.
Pena was not a candidate to make the big-league roster and could still be ready to start the Minor League season on time.
"He could be behind, but there'll probably be time to catch up," Byrnes said.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Valverde gets even nastier

2006-03-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

02/27/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Closer Jose Valverde has added a sinking fastball to his pitching repertoire this spring, and used it while throwing batting practice on Monday.
"It was nasty," said infielder Alex Cintron after facing Valverde.
"I changed the grip on my sinker," he said. "It moves more down now than it did last year."
Valverde's cut fastball moves in on lefties, and if he's able to throw both the cutter and sinker from the same release point, hitters will have a tough time knowing which way his pitches are going to move.
"It just gives him another weapon," said first baseman Tony Clark, who also faced Valverde on Monday. "If they look the same coming out of his hand, hitters are going to be in trouble."
Ouch: Reliever Brandon Medders suffered a setback on Monday when he again experienced discomfort below his scapula while playing catch.
The problem has bothered the right-hander since the start of camp, and he will go to Phoenix on Tuesday to be examined by team physician Michael Lee.
"I just can't throw comfortably," he said. "It's grabbing me pretty good right now. I don't think it's anything but muscle. There's really nothing in that area but muscle. It's not my shoulder or my elbow, or something like that.
"I have to really get back there and cock my arm back and get ready to throw, for it even to grab like that. I can do anything else. I can go do a full upper body lift, stretch, whatever. But as soon as I reach back to throw, it grabs."
Numbers game: The D-Backs have three backup infielders in Alex Cintron, Damion Easley and Andy Green, with only two of them likely able to stay.
"We probably have one too many right now," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "Alex is the incumbent, and he's the guy we look to first. Easley's a veteran guy that's come in here, and we expect him to be here, so Greeny's fighting hard."
There has been trade speculation involving Cintron, but so far, he's still with the club. Green, who was the Pacific Coast League's Most Valuable Player last year, is still a strong candidate to make the club.
"I've talked to him about it, and tried to keep him from thinking too much about the situation, and just going out there and doing his job and trying to impress," Melvin said. "Things will work out for him, I think, one way or the other. Sometimes you get too focused on the numbers, on 'Where do I fit in,' and that can set you back a little bit. So he's just got to go out there every day and do the best he can, and let the chips fall."
This and that: Lefty Terry Mulholland threw batting practice on Monday, and reported no problems with his back. Mulholland suffered back spasms last week, which kept him off the mound for a bit. ... It's looking more and more like the team will not reach an agreement on a multiyear deal with third baseman Chad Tracy, and instead will sign him to a one-year deal and put off talk about a multiyear deal until the offseason. Tracy is not eligible for salary arbitration until after this season.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Mailbag: D-Backs' potential for 2006

2006-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

02/27/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Cactus League games are right around the corner and that's when the battle for the fifth spot in the rotation, as well as the final few spots in the bullpen, will begin. It should be an interesting spring, as manager Bob Melvin plans to experiment with numerous lineup combinations.
Now on to your questions.
Does the Diamondbacks organization expect to win this year? Or is this team just set up to conserve money for when there is a good market for free agents? -- Scott Kraemer, Tucson
Scott, I think when the new baseball operations department took over during the offseason, it took a look at the roster and determined what a lot of folks who looked at it did: That it wasn't good enough to compete in the National League West if there were a team that won more than 81 or so games. Also, this was not a team that was one free agent away from being a team that could win 90-plus games on a consistent basis. Add to that the trade demand by Javier Vazquez, and it was pretty obvious that some retooling needed to be done.
Some will say this team isn't improved over last year's version, and only time will tell on that. But I think what the D-Backs have tried to do is make the team as competitive as possible for this year, while at the same time setting up to have some financial flexibility going forward. Don't discount the fact that they got Chris Young back in that Vazquez deal, because he's an immense talent. And it will be interesting to see the kind of numbers Miguel Batista puts up in comparison with what Vazquez has been doing.
That's a long answer to your question, but the bottom line is that it's possible this team could be better than last year's, but it definitely looks poised for a run of consistent success given the promising young players and financial flexibility.
What's the word on Casey Daigle this season? I understand he had a good season in Double-A as a closer, but with Jose Valverde locking up that position, does Casey have a spot in the bullpen? -- Tim W., Phoenix
Daigle has impressed the staff so far this spring. He re-invented himself as a closer last year at Double-A Tennessee, and the role seems to suit him. For one, it allows him to focus on just throwing two pitches -- his fastball and slider -- without having to worry about developing a consistent third pitch.
It's an uphill battle for him to make the team out of Spring Training because he's no longer on the 40-man roster, and clearing spots on the roster could be problematic. That's not to say that he won't, just that it's somewhat of a long shot. If he were to go to Triple-A Tucson and continue pitching as he has, he could certainly be in the big leagues this year.
Why is Brandon Lyon not being talked about as the closer for this year? He looked to be one of the breakout performers of the Majors last year before his injury. I just think he should be getting a little more consideration than he seems to be getting. -- Danny E., Hampton, Va.
Danny, while Lyon was on the disabled list last year, Jose Valverde stepped up and grabbed the closer's role. Lyon wasn't the same pitcher when he returned that he was at the beginning of the season. He's thrown the ball well this spring, and if that continues, he will be an important part of the bullpen. As we saw with him last year, the closer's role can change in a heartbeat, so you never know what will happen if he regains the form he showed last April.
From what I have seen, Chris Young has been slated to be the last outfielder on the big-league depth chart. But, with his hand injury, it is apparent that he will start in the Minors. Does that mean that Carlos Quentin will start on the big-league roster and get that shot we are all so excited to see him get? -- Nick Verderame, Phoenix
Young had an outside shot at making the team as the starting center fielder before injuring his hand. More than likely, he will start the year at Triple-A Tucson. The team hopes to have Young back on the field by March 15 or so, and that should give him plenty of time to be ready for the beginning of the Triple-A season.
With Luis Gonzalez in left and Shawn Green in right, there really isn't a spot for Quentin right now, despite how well he's played in the Minors. They will not keep Quentin as a reserve, so he will start the 2006 season at Triple-A Tucson, where he will play every day.
Do you really think the Diamondbacks' starting pitching is good enough to get the team to the playoffs? -- Jack W., Maricopa, Ariz.
For me, the rotation is the real question mark on the team. It has some potential, but there are some serious questions. Can Russ Ortiz bounce back? Can Orlando Hernandez stay healthy and be effective? Can Miguel Batista be a consistent winner? If Brad Halsey wins the fifth spot, will he continue the progression he began last year? If the majority of the answers to these questions are yes, then the rotation will be good enough. If not, then they could be in trouble.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Counsell has MRI on shoulder

2006-03-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

02/28/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Diamondbacks shortstop Craig Counsell underwent an MRI on his sore right shoulder Tuesday and is expected to sit out the next few days of camp.
"I don't know anything yet," Counsell said late Tuesday afternoon.
"My feeling is it's just some tendinitis," manager Bob Melvin said. "But they're going to give an MRI just to see what's in there and give him some piece of mind. Hopefully that goes well and he'll be a few days behind."
Melvin said that Counsell tweaked the shoulder doing some one-armed swinging prior to camp and that his biggest problem came when trying to get the shoulder loose for throwing.
"We want to make sure we take care of that," Melvin said.
Wheelin' and dealin': The D-Backs sent reliever Jason Bulger to the Angels in exchange for second baseman Alberto Callaspo.
Callaspo, 22, was recently ranked by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect in the talent-laden Angels system. Originally a shortstop, he was moved to second because of the presence of Erick Aybar and was expendable because the Angels are loaded with middle infield prospects such as Howie Kendrick and Brandon Wood.
"A guy we liked," Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said. "A middle-of-the-field player who can potentially play both sides of the base and give you offense and defense in the middle of the field, which is something we're always trying to find."
A switch-hitter, Callaspo split time between two levels of the Angels system last year, hitting .297 in 89 games in Double-A and compiling a .316 mark in Triple-A. Though he doesn't walk much, he also doesn't strike out often. For the past two seasons he's been the toughest player in the Minor Leagues to strike out, fanning just once per 20.4 plate appearances last year.
Callaspo will likely start the year with Triple-A Tucson.
"We're starting to have a crowded middle infield with guys like [Alex] Cintron, Counsell and [Orlando] Hudson, [Damion] Easley, [Andy] Green and then [Stephen] Drew and Callaspo," Byrnes said. "That group will encompass Triple-A and the big leagues, so we'll see how it all shakes out."
Melvin sat with Bulger on a golf cart during the workout after the right-hander was given the news. The 27-year-old was Arizona's first pick (22nd overall) in the first round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft. Melvin could relate to Bulger's situation, as he was a first-round pick of the Tigers in 1981 and was dealt in 1986 after having appeared in 41 games for Detroit the year before. Bulger was 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in nine relief appearances for Arizona last year and was 3-6 with a 3.54 ERA in 56 relief outings for Triple-A Tucson.
"I just tried to share my experiences with him," Melvin said. "One thing I wanted to impress upon him is it's not that we didn't want you. There was another team that wanted you very badly. That's the way he has to look at it. He was crushed and I don't blame him. He's a great kid, very respectful kid; everybody here liked him, the coaching staff liked him. It's tough for us, too, but we're bringing in a guy that we wanted and they're getting a guy that they wanted."
Medders update: Reliever Brandon Medders, who has been bothered by pain in his lower right scapula was examined by team physician Michael Lee and had an MRI taken Tuesday that showed no structural damage.
"He said it was probably just a strained muscle group back there," Medders said. "He gave me a [cortisone] shot, told me to rest for a couple of days, and in another week or so, I should be ready to go."
Medders suffered the injury the day before the first pitchers and catchers workout while getting in some extra work at the team's Minor League complex. It has prevented him from throwing off the mound, and it remains to be seen if the setback will affect whether or not he's able to start the season on time.
"Hopefully, it's going to feel good after a couple of days," Medders said. "I'm disappointed that I'm going to miss some more practice, but hopefully, I'm ready for the season."
Arriving: The Diamondbacks expect pitcher Tony Pena to be in camp Friday. The right-hander is the only player who has not yet reported to camp, thanks to visa problems in his native Dominican Republic.
Departing: Starter Miguel Batista will pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The right-hander will start the Cactus League opener Thursday before departing for Florida to prepare for the Classic.
Batista said he was told he will pitch in the Dominican team's opening game against Venezuela. He will follow the Angels' Bartolo Colon in that game.
Other D-Backs participating in the Classic include catcher Juan Brito (Dominican Republic), Cintron (Puerto Rico) and pitcher Edgar Gonzalez (Mexico).
Pitching schedule: Right-hander Russ Ortiz will follow Batista in Thursday's opener. Randy Choate, Doug Slaten, Brian Bruney and Casey Daigle are also scheduled to pitch.
Brandon Webb will start Friday and be followed by Brad Halsey, Jason Grimsley, Felix Heredia, Jose Valverde, Mike Koplove and Greg Aquino.
Orlando Hernandez will start Saturday's early game with Claudio Vargas facing Team Mexico that evening.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Webb brings confidence to role of ace

2006-03-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

02/28/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Luis Gonzalez could tell the change in Brandon Webb as soon as he pulled into the players' parking lot for the first time this spring.
"He's parking his car in the front of the lot, and he never used to do that," Gonzalez said. "He feels like a mature veteran now."
Webb is also parked at the top of the Arizona rotation after a $19.5 million extension last month. When the Diamondbacks take the field against the Rockies on Opening Day, it'll be Webb who gets the ball.
"When he takes the hill on the first night, he's supposed to set the tone," veteran starter Miguel Batista said.
Webb is not your father's ace, the stereotypical hard thrower who overpowers hitters, but the list of those in baseball today is very short. Rather, he relies instead on a heavy, sinking fastball to get ground-ball out after ground-ball out.
But Webb does have something that a pitcher needs if he's to be an ace, and that is confidence in himself and the belief from the rest of the team that when he takes the mound they're going to win.
An abundance of confidence wasn't something with which Webb came to the big leagues in 2003, but he certainly has it now.
In 2003, he was on a staff that included Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. He kept his mouth shut and his ears open, soaked up the knowledge and pitched well enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors from Baseball America.
"When I saw him his first year I thought this kid had a chance to be a Hall of Famer," Batista said. "Why did I say that? Because he has two things that don't go away with age: movement and [smart] pitching. You can be 150 years old and if your ball moves and if you have your brain, you can pitch."
Webb indeed has movement on his pitches, usually downward, which allows him to get plenty of ground balls. But in order for those grounders to become outs, he needs good defense behind him, and he didn't have that in 2004.
As a result he tried to be too fine with his pitches and wound up leading the league in walks. It was a miserable year all the way around, as the Diamondbacks lost 111 games and Webb led the league in losses with 16, despite a 3.59 ERA.
In 2005, the Diamondbacks shored up their infield defense, signing Royce Clayton and Craig Counsell, and Webb flourished. He cut his walks total in half and wound up 14-12 with a 3.54 ERA.
"I had confidence in my infielders," Webb said. "Having Counsell back and having Royce behind me just allowed me to be really aggressive in the strike zone and let them play. That really worked out well because I was confident and throwing strikes and was making them hit my pitch early, which helped keep me in games later."
Ah, there's the word confidence again. As the season progressed last year and Webb had more and more success, his belief in himself went to another level. His pitches wound up exactly where he wanted them to go, and he at times marveled at the results.
"It makes it real fun to go out there and be able to pinpoint where the pitch goes and have the hitters hit what you want and have them chase balls out of the strike zone a lot," he said. "I know I did that last year. I'd get ahead and then I'd just work down and I'd be like, 'Are you kidding me? I don't know why you all are swinging at this.'"
For the first time in his career, Webb felt like every time he took the mound there was no question he was going to walk away with a win. It's the same attitude he plans to carry into this season.
"I had heard growing up that if you had confidence out there, people are going to see it, the other team is going to see it and it's going to help you," he said. "It was the first time I really understood."
There's a fine line between confidence and cockiness, and Webb has not stepped over it. He's still humble and respectful, but he's not afraid to share with some of the team's younger pitchers what he learned from veterans over the years.
His teammates have taken notice and now share his confidence when he takes the mound.
"He's always done well to earn that respect from his teammates," Gonzalez said. "We always give him a hard time and stuff, but I have the ultimate respect for this guy, the way he approaches the game and goes out there and prepares himself to be ready to pitch.
"And I think now that he's been thrust into that No. 1 he's going to step up to that challenge."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Counsell out at least 10 days

2006-03-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

03/01/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Shortstop Craig Counsell will miss at least the next 10 days due to a small labrum tear in his throwing shoulder.
An MRI taken on Tuesday showed the veteran suffered from a SLAP tear. SLAP is an acronym for superior labrum anterior to posterior. According to the club, there are plenty of players in the big leagues who play with small tears in their labrum.
"I've got to rest it for a little bit so my Spring Training is going to be shorter for sure," Counsell said. "But I think we got it figured out far enough in advance that I can get the shoulder strong and be all right still by the time Opening Day comes around."
Counsell will rest the shoulder for the next couple of days and then receive a shot of cortisone and begin a program to strengthen the muscles around the labrum.
"Strengthening is going to be a big part of it and then we'll start throwing again, and if it feels good we'll jump right back in there," Counsell said.
Counsell will have to stay on a program to maintain the strength in the muscles around the labrum throughout the season.
"As long as maintenance-wise he keeps the muscles around that strong, he's going to be able to play," Melvin said. "And he is a very diligent worker and we have no concerns about him keeping himself ready to play."
The pain first surfaced for Counsell three weeks ago when he was taking some one-armed swings in the batting cage.
"I just thought I had a sore shoulder, really," he said. "That's the event that I point to where I think it happened. I haven't really rested it all so hopefully with some rest a little bit I can get some of the problem out of there."
Melvin said Counsell should be ready for the start of the regular season as long as he's able to get 40 at-bats during the spring.
Debut: Stephen Drew will get the starting nod at shortstop in place of Counsell in Thursday's spring opener against the White Sox.
It will be Drew's first game action against Major Leaguers. The team's No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft spent time at Class A and Double-A last year and also saw time in the Arizona Fall League.
"I'm going to go in there and play hard and it'll be a great time for me just to get my feet wet and see what it's about," said Drew. "I'm looking forward to it and we'll see what happens and go from there."
With Counsell as the starter, Drew was expected to begin the year in Triple-A, but many feel he won't need much seasoning there before he's ready for the big leagues.
More PT: With Counsell out at least for the first 10 games of the spring and Alex Cintron having left the team to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, the D-Backs will use a number of different players at shortstop.
In addition to Drew, Jerry Gil, Damion Easley and Andy Green will see time at short as well as last year's overall No. 1 pick, Justin Upton.
Sign here: The Diamondbacks will announce the signings of their non-arbitration eligible players on Thursday. Expected to be in that group is third baseman Chad Tracy. Talks on a multi-year deal for Tracy reached an impasse recently.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Lineup options wide open for Melvin

2006-03-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

03/01/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Thursday is the beginning of the Cactus League season for the Diamondbacks and it's also the start of what promises to be a month of lineup experimentation for Bob Melvin.
The Diamondbacks skipper has plenty of combinations to work with thanks to a roster deep with versatile players.
"The possibilities are endless," he said.
Provided he's healthy, Craig Counsell figures to be the primary leadoff guy with center fielder Eric Byrnes getting his share of at-bats there, especially against left-handed pitching.
"Couns is probably the guy here," Melvin said. "But we'll look at Byrnes here, too, certainly against left-handers."
The second spot in the order is the one with the most possibilities. If Counsell hits leadoff, Byrnes is a leading candidate to hit second along with second baseman Orlando Hudson.
Melvin, though, is also considering hitting catcher Johnny Estrada here. Estrada is not fleet of foot, but does have other attributes that are attractive in a No. 2 hitter.
"He hits the ball to all fields," Melvin said. "And the numbers show that if you stack your best hitters, that's how you score the most runs in bunches. He's certainly not a prototypical [No.] 2 hitter."
When Alex Cintron or Andy Green is in the lineup they could also see time there as could Jeff DaVanon when he plays center in place of Byrnes.
The Nos. 3 and 4 spots look more set with third baseman Chad Tracy and left fielder Luis Gonzalez.
Ideally, a right-handed hitter would follow back-to-back lefties like Tracy and Gonzalez, but at least initially Melvin is looking at lefty swinging Shawn Green in this spot over righty Conor Jackson.
With Jackson starting his first full Major League season, Melvin doesn't want to put any additional pressure on him.
"If Conor gets off to a nice start and I wanted to split up the lefties up I could potentially do Conor five and Greenie six," Melvin said. "Also if it becomes a problem and I think we need to split the lefties up."
Assuming he doesn't hit seventh, Melvin is leaning toward Estrada in the No. 7 hole with the eighth spot being either Byrnes or Hudson, whichever doesn't hit second.
In a National League lineup, the eighth spot is a tough one because the hitter has to know when to be aggressive and when to be patient. Pitchers will often pitch around the eight hitter to get to the pitcher and at other times will go after the eighth-place hitter.
"That can be one of the most difficult spots in the lineup to hit," Melvin said.
Not only are there lots of choices when it comes to the order, there's as many if not more when it comes to who will be in the lineup on a day-to-day basis.
While Byrnes figures to get the majority of the playing time in center, DaVanon will also see plenty of action. A switch-hitter, DaVanon had better numbers against lefties last year, but that was in just 28 at-bats.
"Just watching him hit right now, to me he's a much better left-hander hitter," Melvin said.
Melvin will also have to find a way to get Tony Clark plenty of at-bats, as well as reserves like Cintron, Andy Green and Damion Easley, two of whom are expected to make the team. With Cintron and Green able to play second, short and third and Easley able to play all four infield positions, that opens up plenty of possibilities. In addition, Easley and Green can both play the outfield.
So based on whether the opponent is starting a lefty or righty will go a long way to determining what lineup Melvin uses. There won't be strict platoons, but Byrnes' days off will likely come against left-handers as will Estrada's, with backup catcher Chris Snyder better vs. southpaws.
"We can matchup a little bit more this year than we did last year," Melvin said.
With the loss of Troy Glaus' 37 homers, will the Diamondbacks lineup be better than last year when they finished 10th in the NL in runs scored?
"I think our at-bats will be tougher and deeper," Melvin said. "I think we'll make pitchers work a little bit more, put the ball in play more to put more pressure on the defense and have less strikeouts. And potentially we can move runners a little better.
"Given the depth one through eight, I think we'll have a strong feeling that we'll have a chance to score in every inning this year."

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Tracy leads D-Backs past White Sox

2006-03-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

03/02/2006
Diamondbacks at the plate: Chad Tracy picked up right where he left off last year, going 2-for-2 with a walk with both of his singles coming on line drives up the middle. Tony Clark showed good patience at the plate in the third as he coaxed a bases-loaded walk out of Freddy Garcia. Last year's No. 1 overall pick Justin Upton smacked a two-run triple to right in the seventh.
White Sox at the plate: The White Sox were able to manufacture a run in the first when Ryan Sweeney led off the game with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch. Third baseman Josh Fields smacked a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right in the fourth.
Diamondbacks on the mound: Starter Miguel Batista pitched well as he allowed just one run -- on a wild pitch -- in his two innings. Russ Ortiz also was effective as he allowed just one hit over two innings.
White Sox on the mound: After holding the D-Backs scoreless in the first two innings, White Sox starter Garcia got a little wild in the third, allowing three walks, and Arizona scored two runs in the frame.
Cactus League records: D-Backs 1-0; White Sox 0-3.
Up next: These same two teams hook up again on Friday at Tucson Electric Park. It will be a battle of Opening Day starters with left-hander Mark Buehrle going for the White Sox against Arizona righty Brandon Webb.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/

Notes: Upton impresses in first game

2006-03-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

03/02/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Justin Upton only made it look easy.
The 18-year-old, who was the first overall pick in last year's First-Year Player Draft, lined a two-run triple to right field in the seventh inning of the D-Backs' 9-2 Cactus League victory Thursday over the White Sox.
"It wasn't easy, actually," Upton said.
Upton entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning and struck out on three pitches. He took two fastballs for strikes before swinging and missing at a breaking ball.
"I'm not going to lie to you, I was a little nervous, a lot nervous," he said. "But after that, I just told myself I was going to swing the bat."
He did just that in his second at-bat, as he drove a 1-1 fastball the opposite way to right.
"It's a monkey off your back," Upton said of getting that first hit. "That's what I wanted to do today, was get one hit and get myself into a little groove and hopefully [I] won't be as nervous the next time."
"Pretty impressive for an 18-year-old," D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said. "Punches out the first time and then goes up there the next time and just stays out there with him. Left-hander was pitching him away. When you're that young, you get a little bit jumpy and try to show what you've got, trying to pull balls and do too much, but he stayed out there with him and boy, it got out there in a hurry. Pretty impressive at-bat."
Speaking of impressive: Right-hander Russ Ortiz had a good start to the spring when he came on in relief Thursday and allowed just one hit over two innings.
The hit was a home run to the opposite field by Josh Fields, who got the head of the bat on a fastball that was down and in.
"It was a good pitch," catcher Johnny Estrada said. "As soon as he swung, I yelled to Russ, 'Good pitch. Thatta way.' Then I saw it go out of the park. I was surprised."
Ortiz is looking to rebound from a tough 2005 season that saw him go 5-11 with a 6.89 ERA.
"I feel good about how everything is going and how things have been going up to this point," he said.
Bye-bye Batista: Miguel Batista started and threw two innings in what will be his last spring appearance for a while.
Batista departed late Thursday afternoon for Florida, where he will pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
"I'm very excited about the challenge," Batista said of the Classic. "It's like having a series of All-Star Games."
Sign here: The Diamondbacks announced the signing of 19 non-arbitration-eligible players, with the most notable being third baseman Chad Tracy.
The two sides had talked about a multiyear deal, but could not come to an agreement, and general manager Josh Byrnes said the discussions will likely be tabled until after the season.
In addition, the Diamondbacks renewed the contracts of right-handed pitchers Brandon Medders and Jose Valverde.
Waiting game: Melvin is entering the final season of the two-year contract he signed prior to the 2005 season. The club holds two option years, and judging by Byrnes' comments Thursday, a decision as to whether or not to pick up at least one of the options won't be made anytime soon.
"It's difficult to talk about," Byrnes said. "All I can say is that I've been tremendously impressed with his work and we'll go into the season and get to know each other better and make the right decision. I can't say enough good things about the job he's done helping to strategize for the offseason and getting us ready to play our Spring Training schedule."
When asked if he'd addressed the subject with Melvin, Byrnes said, "A little bit. We've talked sort of in general terms. We have a pretty good understanding of how we'll arrive at this decision."
Getting more looks: With Craig Counsell on the shelf for at least 10 days due to a slight tear in his labrum and Alex Cintron participating in the World Baseball Classic, Damion Easley will get more reps at shortstop.
"He's played short every day, he's played second every day," Melvin said of Easley. "That's one of those attractive factors about him is that he's played both of those positions on an everyday basis. As many left-handed bats that we have, he's kind of a lefty killer and a guy that will be in there quite a bit against left-handed starters."
Up next: The same two teams hook up again Friday at Tucson Electric Park. It will be a battle of Opening Day starters with left-hander Mark Buehrle going for the White Sox against Arizona right-hander Brandon Webb.

Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/