Why this team is great....

by dstorm on Apr 20, 2008 11:52 AM EDT

So much to say about the last two games - but 2 players epitomize to me what this team is all about.

#1) Friday night - CoJack should have legitimately "hit for the cycle" - I was REALLY suprised he didn't stop at 2nd base. Who would have blamed him? If the centerfielder doesn't bobble the ball a bit they can get him at 3rd. We had a huge lead. I'd love to see the stats on how rare and exclusive "hitting for the cycle" really is. Yet he heads straight for 3rd (after thinking about it) - why? to set up his teammate Reynolds, to get an RBI. My respect for CoJack just went WAY up after that exchange.

#2) Saturday - Eric Byrnes - as much as I can't stand looking at that hideous moustache, he comes to the plate in the bottom of the 7th - most likely his last at bat - with a hiting streak on the line....has a very patient at bat.... and is WILLING to take the walk. He then gets rewarded with an add'l AB in the 8th and promptly pounds the ball to center field to keep the streak alive.

In a team game where individual STATS are very important -- and in many cases relished (giving up hitting for the cycle, are you kidding me?) -- this team is playing beautiful, unselfish, inspired baseball.

Tweet Comment 3 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

This team seems to take pride

in each other’s achievements. Not their own.

Baseball season, when everything becomes right in the world.

by seton hall snake pit on Apr 20, 2008 12:41 PM EDT reply actions

I think it has alot to do with the way we have built our team

Many guys have spent time in our minor league system. They have come up together. They didn’t come to our team as stars but are turning into stars together. Also, the young guys are seeing veterans such as EB and O-Dawg that are showing them what unselfish looks like. This is the kind of team you can be proud of!

by DiamondbacksWIn on Apr 20, 2008 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Hitting for the cycle

There have been a total of 276 occasions when a player has hit for the cycle. Only two were by Diamondbacks players: July 5, 2000, by Luis Gonzalez and September 18, 2002, when Greg Colbrunn did it. To put that 276 into context, here are a few other feats and the number of times they’ve been achieved:

No-hitter: 255
Three HR in a game: 480
5 hits in a game: 292 since 1999
14 K’s in a game: 276 since 1971

So it’s pretty rare. Of course, it’s a fairly meaningless and artificial feat; I think it’s definitely cool that CoJack in a blowout win, would rather give Reynolds an RBI chance, rather than notch his own bedpost.

by Jim McLennan on Apr 20, 2008 1:05 PM EDT reply actions