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DBacks Daily 10/1/2007 - The Other 54 Games

By snakecharmer

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There are 162 games in major league baseball season and the players have a saying: "Every team's going to win 54 games, every team's going to lose 54, it's what you do with the other 54 games that counts."

If you take away 54 wins and 54 losses from our record, we're at 36-19. Not bad, not bad at all, boys!!

Well the regular season is over. It's a fitting end to our season that we won the division by one game. (Two in actuality, one in the box score.)

Yesterday's game was certainly interesting, if not for us. Scoreboard watching the Brewers, locked in a 0-0 game, who would break first?? They scored first, and we came right back to tie it. A 3-run 8th allowed by our B-bullpen, Nippert and Murphy, put the Rocks ahead for good, though our B-lineup certainly didn't give up and fought back to bring the game within one run in the 9th. But Corpas got the save, and the Rockies live to see another day. (Padres @ Rockies, 4:37pm)

Well the press seems to think yesterday's game really didn't matter. And of course it didn't, for us. The AP recap focuses on the Rockies' performance and today's game, while the Republic discusses the Cubs series just as much as it does yesterday's game. MLB.com is a little better, talking about Petit's and Jimenez's performances and the bullpen action.

MLB.com actually has a lot of articles today.

Last day celebrates versitility

"I get criticized for as many lineups as I run out there, whereas in Seattle I was criticized about running the same lineup out there too much," Melvin said on Sunday, noting his 93-win season with the Mariners in his first year as manager. "The lineup in Seattle was our lineup. It was a veteran-laden club. This is much, much different.

"It's more fun doing it this way. As many pieces as we have here, it allows you to be a little more creative, and you want to make sure that everybody gets involved here, because you do need contributions from the complete roster here, as opposed to relying on two, three or four guys in the middle of the lineup."

D-backs pitching gearing up

"We like when Livo follows Davis and Micah pitches four," Melvin said. "That's the way our rotation has played out [during the season]."

Another possible advantage of pitching Davis second is his 8-3 record at Chase Field and Hernandez's 4-2 record with a 2.97 ERA in eight career games at Wrigley Field, where the D-backs will play Games 3 and 4 if they draw the Cubs as their first-round opponents.

Webb cherishes postseason chance

"This is the first time I've been able to be in the postseason," Webb said. "I never even made it in the Minor Leagues, so this is something new and special. The team has had a much better year this year than last, so it makes it that much more fun."

D-backs take unlikely road to playoffs Too much good stuff about the progress of the team throughout the season... a good read.

Also great reads are the month-by-month recap and D-backs facts and figures.

Nick Piecoro writes about the payroll among other notes and about the NL playoff race in general.

Two previews of the Dbacks-Cubs series, one from MLB.com and the other by Dan Bickley in the Republic. Sports Illustrated has a table of the playoff schedule, and though currently sans times, this should be a useful reference. (Thanks 'Skins.)

In the meantime, go... Padres? Rockies? Aah, who to root for? Discuss!

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