Diamondbacks Spring Training Round-Up: Party Like It's 1399

Post-game quotes

• "I was much better in the second inning, I got a little too much of the plate in the first inning. Other than that, I felt pretty good. I was able to get in a bit of a groove in the second and throw some pitches inside. I threw the curveball, too, so it's nice to get a little more trust in that pitch. I like throwing it, so it's good to be able to have situations like this where I can."
  -- Josh Collmenter
• "You don’t see the game speeding up on him. He stays in control, just continues to make his pitches. The next inning, he went out and had a real good inning. That second inning was real good. Executed really good pitches. I liked him."
  -- Kirk Gibson on David Holmberg

Health round-up

Aaron Hill was rested again, due to a bruised right hip, but it's not considered major. Said Gibson, "There is some discoloration there. I talked to Ken [Kendrick], and at this point in the spring, we just decided to not have him play. If we were in season, he'd be playing. That's how serious it is." Also with an issue was Cody Ross, who left the game after three innings, saying he felt something in his calf. The team will be cautious there, Gibson saying, "We’re probably going to shut him down for a while. "We won’t mess around with it now. We don’t want it to go into the start of the season." That could make things tough in the outfield for a bit - we're losing people because....

Players leave for World Baseball Classic

The Diamondbacks taking part in the WBC have left to be with their teams - though in some cases that doesn't exactly mean a long-distance move. For Heath Bell, Willie Bloomquist and (now!) David Hernandez, it's just down the corridor, as Team America have their workout at Salt River Fields tomorrow afternoon. The other teams in the Phoenix pool will also get their reps in. Italy are at the A's minor-league fields in Papago Park, the Mexican roster over at Camelback Ranch, and the Canadians in Goodyear. Miguel Montero, Gerardo Parra and Martin Prado are off, to join their Venezuelan colleagues in Puerto Rico; Nelson Figueroa will also be there, with the host nation.

How much is being RotY runner-up worth? $10,500

That's based off the amount which Wade Miley will be paid this year, above the major-league minimum of $490,000. That kind makes sense, given AL Rookie of the Year winner, Mike Trout, had his contract renewed by the Angles for $20,000 in excess of the minimum, though Craig Kimbrel got $590K after his rookie of the year win. It's also interesting to compare that to what Brandon Webb was paid after his breakout rookie season in 2003; the following year, he was paid $335,000 at a time when the league minimum was $300,000. So considering he finished third in rookie voting, he made out like a bandit compared to Wade, with an extra thirty-five grand in his pocket.

No cutter for J.J. Putz

He believes that trying to add a cut fastball to his repertoire may have been responsible for his early struggles last year, so he isn't bothering with it this season. “It did (hurt me last season). For sure. Without question. My mechanics were all jacked up. My velocity was down. My sinker wasn’t working. My split wasn’t as sharp. So we’re not going there again.” Not that we've seen him this season, of course: he's scheduled to make his first appearance when the D-backs take on Team Mexico tomorrow night. That's because he doesn't feel he needs that much work, and is in line with the last couple of seasons, where his first games were March 9 and March 7.

Around baseball

• Clayton Richard and the Padres blanked the White Sox, four-hitting them on the way to a 4-0 win in Peoria. Jake Peavy was roughed up for the Sox, allowing five hits and three runs in three innings. Best offense around Arizona went to the Royals, who got 13 hits in rolling to an 8-1 victory over the Reds: Kansas City remain undefeated, improving their record to 9-0.
  
• The Nationals held a tryout for their racing mascots. Candidates "had to run a 40-yard dash and then run two Presidents Races from center field to the home dugout. After getting a few seconds to catch their breath, they also had to bust their best moves to perform a freestyle dance." Actually, that's probably a better way to decide who gets the job in the White House too.