SnakeBytes: 100% Win edition

Recap

• [ArizonaSports] McCarthy sets tone in Cactus League opener - "It was more than normal, but we've been building to it the last few weeks and so it wasn't as shocking as it sounded originally... I mean that's always the plan is as quick as I can get them the better. I don't have the stuff to get deep into counts with guys. I don't have the plus stuff to get you to swing and miss. I need you to swing at something moving early, get yourself out and get the next guy in the box and get moving."
• [FOX Sports] D-backs, Dodgers open Cactus League sans signs of tension - "It was good to get a feel for where you're at right now," McCarthy said. "That's always the first thing you're most nervous about -- 'Have I done enough? Am I where I want to be?' And I get those competitive juices going again and get the nerves out of the way." "I felt like a little kid, to be honest with you," Prado said. "Just going out there and seeing the crowd, how exciting it is, all the work you put in in the mornings. I know we've got a long way to Opening Day, but everything starts today."
• [dbacks.com] McCarthy breezes through spring debut - Chone Figgins hit a sinking liner to left to lead off Wednesday's Cactus League opener and Trumbo made a nice diving catch. "You've got to be ready. I knew that's one of the things Figgy does. He shoots the other way a lot, and I was in decent position to come in and make the play. I think there's a lot of skepticism, so the more I can produce and contribute, the more confidence people have in me out there. I got out there with confidence, and I expect to make the plays."

Other team news

• [The Age] SCG is transformed to host MLB matches between LA and Arizona - The biggest challenge has been sourcing the clay that makes up the pitcher's mound and infield. Six months of experimentation went into trying to mix the right blend of clay and synthetic material to comply with MLB standards. "The geology of the Australian soil and Australian rock is different to that in the northern hemisphere … hence why we had to bring it in from the States and follow special quarantine guidelines." The article also has a pic showing how the fields fit together.
  
• [AZCentral] Outfielder Mark Trumbo fits in with the Arizona Diamondbacks - "You have to transition into it a little bit and get to know guys but we’ve been going at it long enough now that I’m pretty comfortable and I’m making new friends," said Trumbo. "The dialogue we’ve had so far, especially between hitters, is phenomenal. I’m always a fan of listening first and speaking later."I think if I came in too hot, A, it would be out of character for me and, B, it would probably raise some eyebrows."
• [ArizonaSports] Owings comfortable with shortstop battle - "The experience of getting called up last year just helped out tremendously. Cliff and those guys are very experienced as well and they are teaching me some stuff out there. It's just little stuff that he's picked up throughout the years that I'm trying to use. Even with sliding over to second base a little bit, he's knowledgeable on that end too when he was with the A's playing third base, shortstop and second base. He knows what he's doing. He's swapped around just like I have and I'm just trying to lean on him and get that experience level."
• [dbacks.com] Arroyo hopes to continue to be Mr. Durable for D-backs n- "That's where most of my ego lies. We all want to win ballgames, you want to strike guys out, you want to have a good ERA. But the bottom line for me has been -- can you take the ball every fifth day?.. My consistency on the mound is a reflection of my consistency in my workload leading up to being on the mound."
• [azfamily.com] Ross almost ready for comeback 6 months after brutal hip injury - "I actually asked the doctor, ‘Did I do what Bo Jackson did? Did I do the same thing?' He told me, ‘Actually yours was a little worse.'" Surgeons at the hospital popped Ross' hip back into the socket shortly after he was carted off the field. That is what differentiates his injury from Jackson's. Physicians at Banner CORE Center for Orthopedics say Jackson lost blood flow to the area because they did not reset his hip right away; it would never be the same.
• [AZ Central] Diamondbacks’ Wilson says new plate rule ‘good idea’ - Wilson is glad that Major League Baseball has taken some action to remove such impacts from the game, although he worries about the judgment calls required of players and umpires. "You don’t want guys getting hurt on unnecessary plays," Wilson said. "I like it. I think it’s a good idea. At the same time, if it’s a tie ballgame in the ninth inning, you’re going to do what you can to save that run because that’s your food. You don’t want someone taking your food off your plate."

General stuff

• [Baseball Prospectus] Prospects 2014 Organizational Rankings - We're #15... For now... "Farm System Trajectory for 2015: Up. The Dbacks will likely graduate Bradley and Owings, but Shipley and Martinez are ready to step into the spotlight to take their place, and if the lower-level talent really blossoms, this farm could end up looking even better than it does now."
• [ESPN LA] Mike Trout of Los Angeles Angels signs 1-year contract - One million dollars for Trout in 2014. Makes Goldie's contract seem positively extravagant by comparison!
• [Boston Uni] Sabermetrics 101: Introduction to Baseball Analytics - "This course will cover the theory and the fundamentals of the emerging science of Sabermetrics. We will discuss the game of baseball, not through consensus or a fan’s conventional wisdom, but by searching for objective knowledge in hitting, pitching, and fielding performance." Free to audit the course, which gives you access to all the online materials.
• [NJ.com] 'Sharknado 2' with Tara Reid does shoot at Citi Field - What's the difference between Sharknado and the New York Mets? Fill in your own punchline there...