The 2007 baseball season is over for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Not, perhaps, the way we wanted it to a week ago, but I think most of us would agree that it has surpassed expectations. 90 wins; a division title; our first playoff series win since 2001; the blossoming of young players like Chris Young, Micah Owings, Mark Reynolds; Brandon Webb giving us the longest scoreless streak in the majors for over 20 years; Jose Valverde leading the league in saves.
I'm sure we all have our own special memories of the year, from the FanFest before the season started, to the playoff run. Here are some of mine, in no particular order: please feel free to chip in with your own: Tony Clark's grand-slam, capping a six-run comeback against the Pirates. Walk-off homers by Drew and Byrnes. Webb pitching three straight completeShe p-game shutouts. Taking an 8-0 lead over San Diego, and squeaking out with an 8-7 win. Blowing the Dodgers away, 12-3 in the last home-stand. Sweeping the Cubs emphatically in the NLDS. Even the NLCS had it's moments: our ninth-inning comeback in Game Two; Augie Ojeda's miraculous sliding bobble-catch in Game Three.
This site, too, has been a source of immense pleasure and joy over the past year, watching it grow, both in visitors and content. Word from the high-ups at SB Nation is, we should be rolling out version 2.0 of the site in the off-season. All content will be preserved, but there will be a lot of cool new features, which will push us towards the 'community' aspects, on which we can build going forward. More info on that, as and when I get it.
But what I really came here to say is a big 'Thank you' to everyone who has helped make the 2007 season the best in my blogging life. While there have been times when, I'll admit, it's been more a chore than a pleasure [really, what can you say after getting whipped 13-0 by the Giants?], on the whole, I've had a real blast. And it's been the people involved, across the board, who have made it that way. So, in no particular order, I want to acknowledge their contributions:
-
The Arizona Diamondbacks players Without whom, yadda-yadda-yadda. But, really, I've grown to admire and respect these guys, almost without exception, during the year. They play the game in a way that demands respect, hard but fair (well, mostly!) and have been a genuine pleasure to support this year.
-
The Arizona Diamondbacks organization The 25 men on the roster are just the tip of an iceberg. Behing them lurk a mighty juggernaut of coaches, managers, scouts and all the way down the line to the people who sell the beers in the stands, a vital job, we'd all agree [and hi to icecoldmo!] They all play their parts.
-
Mrs. SnakePit All the hours spent on this site, should really be spent building up the pedestal on which she stands in my eyes. She not only puts up with all my crap, she is the engine room of the site, keeping me fed, watered and soothed during the season.
-
Snakecharmer and DbackSkins It's been great to have some backup on the site. Charmer's daily digest of news has become a tremendous resource for all the news that's fit to print, and I think DbackSkins has posted more comments on more Gameday threads than anyone else. And the more they do, the less you have to read my ramblings. Which seems like a win all round. :-)
-
All the other posters Far too many to mention by name, but every comment, diary, photo, doctored photo, link, praise, curse or sarcastic invocation of the flying spaghetti monster is appreciated more than you know. You've stopped me from vanishing up my own sanity.
-
The lurkers You know who you are. I know you're out there. We've averaged over 670 visitors per day in the past month, and they're not all me, 'Skins and 'Charmer. But even if you have only read our words, you still deserve our thanks. For without that, we'd be shouting in a vacuum. And, no, that doesn't make any sense to me, either.
-
Other blogs You linked to me, you asked me for pieces, you sent readers my way, and you got me into the top twenty on Google when you search for "arizona diamondbacks", despite an advertising budget of...nil. The power of the blogiverse is a strange, and terrible thing.
Yes, the series against the Rockies was hugely disappointing, and the manner in which it ended was a real shame, which will take some time to heal. But I can not bring myself to look back upon tbe 2007 season with anything but fondness. Here's to 2008 being even better, in all ways: and thanks, once again, to each and every one of you.