Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Events Cause Mariners To Lose To Rangers

Wait....WHAT?!?!?!




What did Gracie and Sutton just say?   We're in first place, that can't be true.  Well folks as of May 31, 2011 the Arizona Diamondbacks are in first place of the NL West. The losing ways of the Diamondbacks are now a thing of the past.  They have buried 2010 and changed their ways.  I remember last year saying "Oh they still have time to lose" and now this year "Oh they'll come back its only the 6th inning."  The Diamondbacks have changed their ways.  The most noticeable change is the bullpen which last year had a horrific 5.74 ERA which this year is now 3.27.  The major addition to the bullpen has been J.J. Putz our 16 save closer (and the first real one we've had since Jose Valverde).  We have also added key players to the bullpen that has changed its ways.  Last year the Diamondbacks had about 3 decent, not good, decent starters, and this year we have a great 1-2 punch followed by a good 3,4, and 5 pitchers.  Our batting has also improved.  We have lost the strikeout kings of Mark Reynolds and Adam Dunn.  We are still striking out just not nearly as much as last year.  Our timely clutch playing of late has been remarkable to watch.  Just last night against the Florida Marlins we were down 2-0 going into the bottom of the third and ended the third leading 4-2 and we won the game 15-4, which is something the Diamondbacks of 2010 would never have been able to accomplish.  The fans of Arizona owe all of this awesomeness to two men, Kevin Towers and Kirk Gibson.  Towers has taken a historically bad team of last year and made a historical turnaround with them.  Gibby has instilled in them the want, the desire, the passion for winning.  They have taken a team that very few people out of Arizona could name 3 players on it and put them in 1st place above the reigning World Series Champion San Fransisco Giants. Who knows how this season will turn out, but for the fans of Arizona we should be proud in our 1st place Arizona Diamondbacks.

Poll
How will the Diamondbacks season end?
Not in playoffs
25 votes
Playoffs but lose in 1st round
11 votes
Playoffs but lose in 2nd round
6 votes
Lose in World Series
1 votes
World Series Champions
19 votes

62 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 13 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Quick comment
Our batting has also improved.

2010 Diamondbacks: .250/.325/.416 = .741 OPS
2011 Diamondbacks: .252/.322/.419 = .741 OPS

Admittedly, offense is down in the league this year, but I think it’s really all about the pitching – both the bullpen and the starters. Our ERA this year is 3.90; through 54 games last season, it was 5.64. That’s the huge difference in the team.

But, regardless of the whys and wherefores, I agree absolutely – it’s a hell of a lot more fun to watch them, than any time since April 2008. And I particularly go with this:

Who knows how this season will turn out, but for the fans of Arizona we should be proud in our 1st place Arizona Diamondbacks.

+ several million.

Daron "...the D. Baxter fan-club"
Mark: "A non-profit organization."

by Jim McLennan on May 31, 2011 4:52 PM EDT reply actions  

Is this a good time

to rehash the “Gibby Factor” discussion?

by venomfan on May 31, 2011 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions  

I think we were already having it somewhere else

Maybe it should be a ‘pitching coach Charles Nagy Factor’ discussion?

Daron "...the D. Baxter fan-club"
Mark: "A non-profit organization."

by Jim McLennan on May 31, 2011 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

This.

I wrote a column about this a while back, but a couple weeks ago their OPS was more than 20 points lower this season than last season. Even after their recent surge, those numbers are now identical as you pointed out. It’s not the offense doing the work; it’s a proficient bullpen and more solid starting pitching.

by Azreous on May 31, 2011 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions  

Wait...

Osama bin Laden died?

Wagner Mateo will be the future of baseball!!!

by Bryan J. Boltik on May 31, 2011 6:22 PM EDT reply actions  

We

were actually in first place on May 30th.

It isn't Hell if everyone knows my name.

by soco on Jun 1, 2011 1:29 AM EDT reply actions  

And

The end of May 29th.

"Never ignore a coincidence. Unless you're busy, in which case always ignore a coincidence."

by kishi on Jun 1, 2011 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions  

Also

It isn't Hell if everyone knows my name.

by soco on Jun 1, 2011 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions  

Also I while we don't have Adam Dunn anymore

I think you meant Adam LaRoche. Who went onto replace Adam Dunn IN Washington.

by rfffr on Jun 2, 2011 1:15 AM EDT reply actions  

I kinda

thought he included Dunn for comparison with the last time we were competitive, but that doesn’t really flow with the rest of the piece. (Comparing 2011 to 2010)

HEY, FRENCHY! STAR TREK OR STAR WARS?

by DbacksSkins on Jun 7, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the AZ SnakePit, the SB Nation blog about the Arizona Diamondbacks. "When you think about the past all the time, when you get to the present day you are thinking about the past so it becomes your future again." -- Kirk Gibson.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

Jon-stewart-painting_small
"Leading the League in Love"

Recent FanPosts

Me___drums_small
OT: The (Literally) Thankless Job of a Hitting Coach
Hl_small
Recommendations
Small
In which I dispense some amateurish medical advice to Trevor Bauer
Basshat3_small
SNAKEPITFEST TUCSON EDITION....?
Small
My thoughts on Justin Upton
Small
Thoughts on the D-Backs Season So Far
200234_1969418916472_1272934884_2352102_4759893_n_small
D'Hall E-mailed me back!
Small
Hey Gibson ... heard of bunts?
227177_10150583458835315_663770314_18513970_7717573_n_small
Diamondbacks 1, Mets 3: R.A Dickey's Knuckle Sandwich KO

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Yahoo_full_count

Manager

Lucha_small Jim McLennan

Bench coaches

Madmen_icon_small snakecharmer

My-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-brony-not-the-element-of-efficiency_small kishi

Scarlett_small soco

Me___drums_small Dan Strittmatter

Players

Wailord_by_xous54_small Wailord

Wolfwood_small BattleMoses

Avogadro_small Zavada's Moustache

Basshat3_small Clefo