I don't think I've been so embarrassed to be a Diamondbacks' fan in a while. Maybe that game against the Angels, where we committed multiple errors in the same game? Or Luis Terrero's infamous hidden-ball out? This morning, I just wanted to crawl into a hole and pretend last night never happened. Sadly, it did, as the following reports confirm. After the jump, there's some news and notes, including the first whispers of a fire-sale from the team...
Recaps
- [dbacks.com] Balk in ninth extends woes for D-backs - "Losing this way is pretty excruciating," D-backs manager A.J. Hinch said. "I'm frustrated for our club. We've met, we've gone over it, there's no more talking to do. We need that break to get us through."
- [AZCentral] Diamondbacks fall to Dodgers on balk - "It is as though every loss is more devastating than the last. This one was their second in a row of the walk-off variety, and this time they had a two-run lead with four outs remaining. And one of those outs was rolling manageably toward second baseman Kelly Johnson in the eighth inning."
- [Yahoo!] Dodgers beat Dbacks 5-4 on balk by Vasquez - "I saw what he did," Arizona manager A.J. Hinch said. "He flinched, both of his legs buckled, and he balked. It was pretty plain and simple to see, so I didn’t talk to anybody."
Team News and Notes
- Twitter / Jon Heyman - "I'm told #dbacks are considering "anything'' now (including even trading Haren). but deal for Dan remains a major long shot"
- [FoxSporsArizona] D-Backs May Report Card: A month of misery - "June, 2010, looks to be the most challenging month in franchise history. At this point none of the eight teams on the schedule – the Dodgers, Colorado, Atlanta, St. Louis, Boston, Detroit, the Yankees, Tampa Bay – has a losing record. "
- [dbacks.com] Montero collects two hits in extended spring - Montero will DH again Tuesday and then get behind the plate Wednesday. The D-backs are going to take it slow with Montero's rehab, something that will be difficult for him, as he is itching to get back. "I have no doubt that he will want to catch in the big leagues on Friday after catching just one day," Hinch said. "But that's unrealistic."
- [AZCentral] Diamondbacks interested in Dontrelle Willis - "The Diamondbacks are considering Willis as a starting pitcher, which could explain why manager A.J. Hinch again was reluctant on Monday to address the question of whether right-hander Billy Buckner would remain in the rotation. Buckner has allowed seven earned runs in each of his past two starts. With Thursday's off day, the Diamondbacks won't need a fifth starter until June 8."
- [FoxSportsArizon] Pitching woes need a solution ... soon - "Whatever the cause of the problems, they need to be resolved quickly. Arizona sports fans are not the most patient breed, and if the team doesn't show themselves capable of winning in June, it's entirely possible the Arizona Diamondbacks will become almost irrelevant by the All-Star break." Who is this guy...? :-)
- [dbacks.com] Slumping Jackson gets another day off - Hinch is hopeful the couple of days will get Jackson pointed in the right direction. "When a hitter is going well, you want to leave him in the lineup," Hinch said. "Sometimes when a hitter is going not as well, getting him away from at-bats can kind of restart a guy."
- [KTAR.com] Gambo: 5 issues at stake for the D-backs - "It is safe to say with just about a third of the season gone that this is not going to be the D-backs' year. They are not a playoff team and therefore need to start making decisions for the future of the organization. And there is no better time to start then now, so I give you the top five issues at stake for the Diamondbacks."
Baseball News and Notes
- [Yahoo!] Hairston's slam leads Padres over Mets - "Hairston hit a grand slam in the second inning and Chase Headley(notes) had a homer among his four hits as the San Diego Padres set the scoring record for Petco Park in an 18-6 laugher against the New York Mets on Monday night."
- [MLB.com] Lincecum bested by Rockies ace - "Besides the Memorial Day observances that the Giants held Monday at AT&T Park, one could imagine another ceremony taking place: The passing of the Cy Young torch from Tim Lincecum to Ubaldo Jimenez."
- [ESPN] Washington Nationals prospect Stephen Strasburg to make debut against Pirates on June 8 - "Stephen Strasburg is ready -- and so is the Washington Nationals' ticket office. The Nationals said after Monday's 14-4 win over Houston that their prized pitching prospect will make his major league debut against Pittsburgh on June 8 at Nationals Park."
- [NYTimes.com] College Experiment Puts Baseball on the Clock - "Many of the sport’s adherents agree some giddyap is needed in their game. Among them are SEC officials and coaches, who chose their tournament as a test tube and implemented these rules: Unless there were base runners, the pitcher was limited to 20 seconds between receiving the ball and winding up. An infraction would add a ball to the batter’s count. The batter was assessed a strike if he was not ready in the box with five seconds on the clock. After a third out, the teams were allotted 108 seconds to take their positions and be set for the first pitch of the next inning. A defensive violation meant an extra ball with the batter’s count; an offensive breach resulted in a strike."
- [WSJ.COM] At 5′1″, Eri Yoshida Vaults Latest Hurdle: Giant Uniforms - "The first woman to play professional baseball in Japan and the U.S. faced a problem few ball players have ever encountered: Her uniforms were too big. Way too big. "They looked like dresses on her," said Mary Marshall, a member of the team’s office and wife of Mike Marshall, the general manager of the Outlaws. so Ms. Marshall took Ms. Yoshida to a local tailor, who brought up all the tops and shortened the sleeves. "It was so cute," Ms. Marshall said."
- [NYTimes.com] A Supreme Court Lineup Packed With Baseball Fans - The current justices are maintaining a long tradition of intense devotion to the national pastime at the Supreme Court.
- [CHICAGO SUN-TIMES] Rays' Maddon proud to commit to Hawks gear - "Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon is no stranger to playing dress-up, adopting a team custom of having a theme for road trips. With the club heading to Toronto after this series, hockey was the obvious choice. With Maddon publicly insisting his love for the Blackhawks' logo, word spread quickly to Chicago and the Hawks have outfitted the Rays in gear."