AZ Snakepit

ESPN.com - E-ticket: Dice-K 2.0

unnamedDBacksfan — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:14:34 -0000

Let's be real. There are only two teams that might spend 75 million JUST to talk with Yu. I just saw this piece on ESPN and found the whole take on Japanese baseball to be fascinating. There is also a piece about the future of baseball in Japan with the big names coming over here, would it survive? I found this quote to be most telling: "In Little League, Japanese players are taught a respect for the game that isn't seen in many other countries." These kids can teach a few of our players a thing or two:::cough::Manny Rameriz:::cough:::::: Overall, interesting read. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=darvish

Foul Ballpark

Jim McLennan — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:32:34 -0000

"Do richer Major League Baseball teams play in cleaner stadiums? We surveyed health-code violations at 11 stadiums to find out." Phoenix was not listed - perhaps a good thing - but I think I might try to do a little digging in that area. If you're thinking about going to Anaheim, you might find yourself throwing UP the first pitch... http://www.portfolio.com/interactive-features/2008/05/Foul-Ballpark

Lolback of the week - a throwback to the 2001 post-season run... With apologies to soco. Though since he'll be on his honeymoon cruise very soon, if not already, I think we might get away with it. :-)

Jim McLennan — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:10:24 -0000

Lolback of the week - a throwback to the 2001 post-season run... With apologies to soco. Though since he'll be on his honeymoon cruise very soon, if not already, I think we might get away with it. :-)

The Senior Circuit is kicking the Junior League's ASS this year

DbacksSkins — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:39:31 -0000

Story by SI's Tom Verducci on why the American League has suddenly become more of a pitcher's league (screw you, DH!!) and the National League is suddenly hitting much better and vastly outscoring those pretenders in the AL. Hmmm.... could it be a sign that, after years of the NL trying to play AL ball, the trend is reversing? Smallball and pitching are in vogue, at the end of the homerun-based Steroid Era? Read the article to find out. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/tom_verducci/05/13/verducci.offensedown/index.html

Teen running out of innings, but game isn't over

unnamedDBacksfan — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:50:13 -0000

The story speaks for itself. I thought I'd share it. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08125/878966-85.stm

Does Mark Grace want to be in the Cubs broadcast booth?

Eamus J Catuli — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:24:56 -0000

After Grace sang "Root Root Root for the Cubbies" over the weekend ... one has to wonder if he he'd rather be in the Windy City than the Desert. Video http://homerderby.com/archives/2216

Thou shalt not steal

foulpole — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:25:13 -0000

Here's an article about our team's philosophy regarding stealing bases. "We want the reward to outweigh the risk," Gibson said. The risk side of the equation is cluttered with factors, including the time it takes a pitcher to deliver a pitch, the catcher's arm strength, a pitcher's move to first, the count, the situation, a runner's technique and confidence factor, and everything in between. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/2008/05/08/20080508dbxsteals0509.html

We're going streaking!: Brandon Webb cannot be stopped

luckycc — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:59:30 -0000

"Webb has been dominant so far this season, going at least six innings each time out, including a complete game, 8-3 win, yesterday over the Phillies. It was the right-hander's 13th career complete game, and he became the first pitcher since the White Sox Jon Garland in 2005 to win his first eight starts, and the first NL pitcher since Pedro Martinez did it for the Expos in 1997, according to the Elias Sports Bureau." http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/We-re-going-streaking-Brandon-Webb-cannot-be-s;_ylt=Ar246BwXtV6yrjI48QAdNegRvLYF?urn=mlb,81698

Alice Cooper loves the D-backs (and the Tigers too)

Jim McLennan — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:21:40 -0000

ESPN The Magazine interviewed rock legend Alice Cooper [whom I once sat behind at the cinema] about growing up in Detroit and his fondness for baseball. He was apparently a mean left-fielder... "So are you more of a Diamondbacks fan or a Tigers fan? I can't make that decision publicly. Since I live in Phoenix I obviously attend more D-backs games, but I still follow the Tigers. The D-backs have a fun team this year. Whenever you've got a bunch of young guys that like playing together they have the potential to do big things. How do you think the two teams match up right now? The Tigers are in last place, but mark my words, by the end of May they'll be either in first or tied for first in the Central. On paper their hitting is stacked like the Yankees, they just had a bad month. But Arizona's got the pitching and that's what it takes to win big series." http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3388323

Bob Costas special on HBO

foulpole — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:12:26 -0000

I'm not sure who all has access to HBO but there is a real cool and professionally done special on HBO right now that covers the internet (et. al.) coverage about sports. My bottom line on the program is pretty much " how much value is there in this snarkey BS that happens on blogs regularly and what value do these type of posts really contibute." There are other topics discussed. Check it out and add your thoughts.

Doug Davis pronounced cancer-free!

snakecharmer — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:30:53 -0000

As announced during the game today, the results of Doug's recent CT scan are excellent - the cancer has not and will not spread! The above link goes to MLB.com; this one to Yahoo. Hooray! http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080508&content_id=2663795&vkey=news_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari

Lolback of the week

Jim McLennan — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:09:37 -0000

Lolback of the week

SI: Snakes Alive

dahlian — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:55:15 -0000

Where the Diamondbacks do show their age, though, is in the clubhouse before games. Upton and Young bump along to YouTube hip-hop videos they watch on a Mac laptop; ace Brandon Webb and reliever Brandon Medders strum acoustic guitar duets as their teammates engage in a game they've christened Frisbee baseball, in which one player flings an Aerobie at another, who tries to hit it with a bat. Players rush in from batting practice to resume heated games of Connect Four. Byrnes vies with Jackson and Reynolds in a daily Jeopardy! contest in the adjacent TV room. The players are so irreverent that last season they huddled around a TV cackling at Jackass: The Movie minutes before the majority of them were to play for the first time at Yankee Stadium. Starting pitcher Micah Owings was spotted flying a kite in the Dodgers Stadium outfield hours before a game two weeks ago. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/05/06/snakes.alive0512/index.html?eref=T1

Owings can hit any day of the week

Jim McLennan — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:47:09 -0000

From ESPN, a long piece on our slugger who can pitch. :-) 'It is breathtaking when he cuts it loose. At 6-5, 220 pounds, with a gorgeous swing, he generates amazing power, especially for a pitcher. Diamondbacks first baseman Conor Jackson recently said that Owings "has more pop than anyone on the team."' http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=3384127

Davis vastly exceeding recovery time

unnamedDBacksfan — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:52:09 -0000

From the DBacks main site. Sounds like things are going a lot better than anyone could have hoped for, especially on the health front. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080505&content_id=2646871&vkey=news_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari

Buckner no-hits Albuquerque for seven

Jim McLennan — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:47:58 -0000

Billy Buckner took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and completed eight shutout frames as the Sidewinders beat the Albuquerque Isotopes 11-2 on Sunday afternoon for their third straight win and seventh victory in their last nine games. Buckner allowed just one baserunner and faced the minimum through seven before Jason Wood led off the bottom of the eighth with a clean line drive single to right. Dallas McPherson followed with a single but Buckner induced a double play grounder from Paul Hoover and a routine ground ball from Dante Brinkley to end the inning. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080505&content_id=393996&vkey=news_t549&fext=.jsp&sid=t549

May schedule One of these things is not like the others... D'you think it's a special screening: Raiders of the Lost Park? :-)

Jim McLennan — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:23:13 -0000

May schedule One of these things is not like the others... D'you think it's a special screening: Raiders of the Lost Park? :-)

For Diamondbacks, Winning Is Child’s Play

Jim McLennan — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:28:28 -0000

Good piece in the NY Times. They're starting to notice us, folks... "Click. Click. Click. With three more moves, Lyon finished off his teammate, reliever Juan Cruz, in Connect Four. Like baseball, it is a child’s game — recommended for ages 7 and up. No wonder the Diamondbacks have taken to it like grade schoolers to recess... The Diamondbacks, who open a three-game series against the Mets on Friday at Chase Field, are a beguiling mix of innocence and experience; conviviality and competitiveness; pitching, hitting and defense. They have a 20-year-old in the outfield, a starting rotation that averages six-plus innings and 6 feet 5 inches, 110 extra-base hits and the best record in baseball, 20-8." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/02/sports/baseball/02dbacks.html?_r=2&ref=baseball&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Donovan: Webb, not Peavy or Santana, is frontrunner for the NL CY - SI.com

DbacksSkins — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:27:21 -0000

See title. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/john_donovan/04/28/donovan.windup428/index.html

CoJack's interview on ESPN from Wednesday, talks about our starting pitching vs. our lineup. Also discussed are 'staches, NOT hitting for the cycle, Micah, his dad, and other topics.

DbacksSkins — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:48:50 -0000

CoJack's interview on ESPN from Wednesday, talks about our starting pitching vs. our lineup. Also discussed are 'staches, NOT hitting for the cycle, Micah, his dad, and other topics.