Snake Bytes, 10/24: The Series is Set

Diamondbacks (past and present) news

[AZ Central] More names surface in Diamondbacks' hunt for pitching coach - With a bullpen coach position also to fill, interviewed six coaches from their organization this week: minor-league pitching coordinator Dan Carlson and rehab coordinator Brad Arnsberg, along with all four of their full-season affiliate pitching coaches, Mike Parrott (Triple-A), Wellington Cepeda (Double-A), Gil Heredia (High-A) and Doug Bochtler (Low-A). The external candidates include Gil Patterson, who has spent the past three seasons as the New York Yankees’ minor-league pitching coordinator, and Garvin Alston, who just completed his first season in the same role with the Oakland Athletics.

[AZ Central] Jeff Munn, Arizona Diamondbacks part ways - The pregame and postgame radio host and occasional play-by-play fill-in, and the team have agreed to part ways. Munn wants to pursue his passion of full-time play-by-play. When he met with team executives about a contract extension during the summer, they recognized that he didn’t seem fulfilled with his career direction. They told him he could stay but encouraged him to chase his dream. "I was grinding away hard at the job but wasn’t getting enough personal satisfaction," Munn said.

[CSN Chicago] Heading to the World Series, Addison Reed is thriving after return from minors - "This game is crazy. You never know what’s going to happen. I was in Triple-A only two-and-a-half to three months ago and now we’re going to the World Series... I was disappointed but there was no part of me that disagreed with their decision. I was throwing the ball terribly. It was probably the worst I’ve thrown the ball since I was in the big leagues... I could have been pissed off and been bitter at Arizona and just went down there and not had fun and done whatever. I just had fun with it. "

[realtor.com] MLB Catcher Gerald Laird Selling $1.85M Scottsdale Home - "Two months after being released by the Arizona Diamondbacks, MLB catcher Gerald Laird has put his Spanish-style home in Scottsdale, AZ, on the market to the tune of $1.85 million." Guess he won't be back! Still, life as a backup catcher in the majors has clearly proved quite profitable for Mr. Laird, going by his very nice house.

[CBSSports.com] Dan Haren announces retirement - Haren, 35, had reportedly considered retirement for a few years now. He nearly called it a career last offseason after being traded to the Marlins because he wanted to stay near his family on the West Coast. Haren instead played one more season. Haren went 153-131 with a 3.75 ERA (110 ERA+) in parts of 13 seasons with the Cardinals, Athletics, Diamondbacks, Angels, Nationals, Dodgers, Marlins and Cubs.

[PNJ] Reds release Jay Bell as bench coach, elevate Riggleman - In an email exchange with the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bell said his departure was "mutual and amicable" and indicated he would be open to a return with the organization in another capacity. "I want to manage," said Bell, responding to the Cincinnati Enquirer. "This does not rule out maintaining a relationship with the Reds."

And, elsewhere...

Fun fact, the Mets and the Royals, this year's World Series participants also meet each other to start the 2016 regular season. What are the odds? Kansas City made it in after edging Toronto 4-3 in Game Six, as Lorenzo Cain scored all the way from first on a single  Bluebird Banter points out,  the Blue Jays "were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. They get one of those hits, and we're still talking about baseball," as they had the tying run on third with nobody out in the ninth and failed to score. Royals Review says, "It was arguably the craziest, wildest, most ridiculous playoff clincher in Royals history, but they ultimately got it done."

The World Series starts Tuesday, and the Royals will attempt to become the first team to win the World Series the season after losing it, since the 1989 Athletics. If you think April performance is no bellwether, here are the standings on April 23. After 146 more regular season games and two playoff series, the World Series has the top team then in the American League playing the top team then in the National League. Maybe we should just play 16 games, like the NFL? [H/T /r/baseball]

[NJ.com] The story of Marlins Man: Baseball's biggest fan and mysterious Twitter star - He has attended over 300 Major League Baseball playoff games— including 89 in the World Series, 200 NBA playoff games and 70 in the Finals, 37 NCAA championship games, and 27 Super Bowls. The first one came 14 years ago — a World Series game in Arizona between the Diamondbacks and Yankees.

[WSJ] Meet Baseball’s Least Exciting Announcer - During the current postseason, the chorus of complaints about Matthews has intensified. Some critics point to a moment last week during Game 5 of the team’s division series against Houston, when Kendrys Morales blasted a three-run eighth-inning home run to solidify a Royals victory. "THAT ONE IS GONE!" a Fox Sports 1 announcer screamed on national television. On the Royals radio broadcast, Matthews sounded like a golf commentator. "Well hit to deep left center and gone," Matthews said.

[Deadspin] The Baseball Hall Of Fame Is A Grim, Cruel, Terrible Place - You will see a catching glove that was used to extinguish a small trash fire in a trench during the Great War. Its owner would later die of dysentery on the banks of a river in the South of France after deserting his regiment. The dysentery arrived suddenly and killed him quickly.