A little love from Yahoo sports

by DiamondbacksWIn on Feb 15, 2007 2:50 PM EST Comment 12 comments

Here is a little love from Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports>

"Who are this year's Detroit Tigers?

The Arizona Diamondbacks.

They've got good pitching (Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and veterans Livan Hernandez and Doug Davis), an old guy to play the Kenny Rogers role (Randy Johnson, once he returns in April from back surgery), a future MVP candidate at shortstop (Stephen Drew), an exciting young center fielder (Chris Young) and a division that's ripe as a month-old strawberry.

Of course, all of that could be wrecked by a bullpen that rests somewhere between shaky and awful. Jose Valverde has shown he's not the answer at closer, yet he'll start spring with the role. Tony Pena has the fastball-slider combination, if not the mettle quite yet.

If the Diamondbacks find that they're too good for a mediocre bullpen, they've got the biggest cache of prospects in the National League and could easily land a Cordero or perhaps Akinori Otsuka from the Texas Rangers."

I would love to see a move for either Cordero or Otsuka.

Here is the link to the complete story:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-mlb_07_10questions021407&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

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Eh... maybe

Snyder/Montero < Pudge
Drew << Guillen (I don't see Drew hitting .320 with a .400 OBP)

Those are two pretty wide gaps. I think the only positions I'd rate the D-backs higher would be 1st, 3rd and CF. Casey has been done for a while and Granderson was mostly ineffective. Inge is about the same as Tracy at 3rd, but Chad takes the slight tip with better control of the zone. I'd so much rather have Marcus Thames in LF then Byrnes.

I think I'd also take Bonderman, Verlander, Robertson, and Rogers over Webb, Johnson, Hernandez, and Davis pretty much any day of the week. I'd probably take Zach Miner over either Gonzalez and Juan Cruz too.

Then there is that pesky bullpen thing. The Tigers' was pretty much the best in baseball. That does make a difference.

I understand what the article is trying to say... but I think there are a few severe talent gaps to say we could possibly pull off what the Tigers did last season. That is, unless, our children are able to pull it all together and perform at their projected capacities (and Valverde remembers how to pitch).

by nihil67 on Feb 15, 2007 6:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

In defense...

I don't think they were directly comparing us to Detroit, more saying that AZ has the capability to surprise, coming out of (apparently) nowhere. Certainly, winning the NL West is possible, and then we'd just need to see how far we can ride Webb and Johnson in the post-season. If the Big Unit is back to form, I'd take those two over pretty much any other 1-2 in the majors...

by Jim McLennan on Feb 15, 2007 7:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I would think

I would think that to be "this year's Tigers", we'd have to get to the World Series and post the best record. While I think the team will surprise some... I don't think you can expect that.

In fact, the way that a lot of media is jumping on our bandwagon scares me a little.

by nihil67 on Feb 17, 2007 1:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We've seen that

far too often with the AZ Cards.
We may not be the Tigers, but it isn't outside of reason to see us posting the best improvement of win percentage. On those grounds, I can understand Tiger comparison. But the World Series? Anything's possible, I suppose, but even the most optimistic D-Backs fan has to chuckle at that one.

by johngordonma on Feb 17, 2007 7:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Once you hit the playoffs...

Anything can happen. If the 82-win Cards can win the World Series, I see no reason why Arizona couldn't, if we get that far. Having a strong 1-2 punch is definitely a key component when you reach the playoffs: how good your #4 and #5 starters are (a possible weakness for the D-backs), becomes much less important.

Agree it's unlikely we'll have the best regular-season record - but then, the team with that hasn't won the World Series since 1998. Since then the average champion has only 93 wins. When we won in 2001, our 92-70 was just 6th best of the eight playoff teams, and came in 24 games behind Seattle. No, I think if we can get to the playoffs, we'll have as good a chance as anyone.

by Jim McLennan on Feb 17, 2007 12:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Great part about this time of the year

The great part about the opening of Spring Training is the speculation of what could be. As the Tigers showed last year, anyone can come up big with the right combination of players. I think we have as good a shot as anyone in the NL to put something together. I definitely feel more confindent that we will be competitive this year than I have since 2002.

by DiamondbacksWIn on Feb 17, 2007 12:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

opportunity wasted

If the 82-win Cards can win the World Series, I see no reason why Arizona couldn't...

I can see at least two reasons clear as a bell - the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. If a lot of things fall into place, the Dbacks could make it a three way dogfight, but no one's getting out of the NL West with 82 wins. Those days are over, opportunity wasted.

nihil is spot on about Detroit. We have one clear advantage over the Tigers: Webb. They have/had half a dozen advantages over us, plus some guys who played unusually well. It's a silly comparison, almost as ridiculous as what the appropriately named "yahoo" said about Ryan Howard.

I also disagree with John's suggestion that AZ having the largest Win % improvement is within the realm of reason. I certainly hope we improve on a last place finish after doling out $50M to Johnson and Davis, but to think they'll even have a small chance to improve more than the Cubs, Brewers or the remaining 27 teams is, I think, unreasonable. I'm not saying it's metaphysically impossible, but I dont think there's credible evidence to foster that hope.

-- Matt

by Diamondhacks on Feb 17, 2007 3:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sprint, rather than a marathon

[ I can see at least two reasons clear as a bell - the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. If a lot of things fall into place, the Dbacks could make it a three way dogfight, but no one's getting out of the NL West with 82 wins. Those days are over, opportunity wasted. ]

Just to clarify, my point wasn't that 82 wins will win the NL West (though the division is so tight, I don't think that very many more will be needed). It was more my belief that, once you hit the playoffs, everything goes back to zero, and the dynamics change entirely. I don't think anyone fancies facing Webb and a rejuvenated Johnson four or five times in a seven-game series.

With regard to win % improvement, the largest turnaround last season in the NL was the Dodgers +17. They and the Mets (+14) were the only teams to improve by double-figures. That level of improvement would put us in the low nineties, which is probably a little high, but I can certainly see us around +10, and in the top three. The obvious contenders are the Cubs: they had the worst record in the league, and could easily be most-improved - the same way the D'backs did in 2005, going +26 from being league-worst in 2004.

by Jim McLennan on Feb 17, 2007 4:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cubs

I only said it was "within the realm of reason" we could make that jump. On paper, the Cubs (and perhaps the Brewers) look like better shots to raise their win totals. On the other hand... we are talking about the Cubs, here. A team that threw money at one stud (Soriano) and a bunch of mediocre talent like they were allergic to it, and yet somehow in this hurricane of $20 bills, they managed to leave the only real centerpiece of their team (Zambrano) unsecured, frustrated, and threatening departure before he even showed up in training camp. Maybe all those snowbirds who show up in blue pinstripes at Chase for that one series every year might consider a switch to Sedona. The monthly antacid bill can only go down.

by johngordonma on Feb 17, 2007 7:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Aww

beat me to it.

"very cunning Mr. *VIII*" -- Jim

by Mr. Philosophical on Feb 15, 2007 7:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

More love from Dayn Perry

He asks Burning questions in the NL West:

The Snakes are the team of the future in the NL West, but the future begins now. They're not yet the great team they'll be in future seasons, but Arizona is the best team in the division right now. If these youngsters live up to the press clippings in 2007, then the D'backs will likely return to the post-season for the first time since 2002.

by Jim McLennan on Feb 17, 2007 1:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Dodgers and a big bat...

I wonder if the Dodgers are planning on angling for a big bat mid-season. A whole lot of their offensive punch is riding on the fragile shoulders of one Nomar. I would imagine the price for Penny will be that big bat.

by johngordonma on Feb 17, 2007 7:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs