Arizona Diamondbacks 20th Anniversary Team: Second Baseman

The Diamondbacks have had some quality second baseman in their franchise run with 3 players taking up most of the time over franchise history. One of them was a folk hero in Arizona due to his versatility, another was a slick fielding wizard with a solid bat, and the third was a slugging second baseman. Thanks to a poster, I forgot a big name in Diamondbacks history that played this position as well so I reset the poll to include him.

Craig Counsell: Counsell was picked off the scrap heap in 2000 and became an integral piece to the Diamondbacks 2001 and 2002 postseason runs. He was 2001 NLCS MVP and hit one of the bigger home runs in the 2001 World Series in the first inning of the first game. Counsell played primarily 2B but could fill in at other infield positions with little issues defensively. His bat wasn’t anything to write home about, but the ability to be able to do a lot of things and know when to do them should not be underrated either.

Orlando Hudson: The Diamondbacks picked up Hudson during the prime of his career in a 2005 trade and he turned in 3 strong seasons with the Diamondbacks. Perhaps one of the smoothest defensive infielders and one of the leaders of the team in his stint with the Diamondbacks, Hudson’s impact was felt beyond traditional numbers. I still believe that his injury in 2008 was a big cause for why that team fell flat in the second half of the season. Hudson wasn’t just a strong defensive player, he also brought good value with the bat as a switch hitter.

Aaron Hill: The Dbacks picked up Hill late in the 2011 season and through 2012 was a huge boost to the lineup. Hill provided excellent value at the plate for the Diamondbacks and was good enough a defender to stay in the lineup. He also owns perhaps the most impressive feat in Diamondbacks history, when he hit for the cycle twice in June 2012. The first came at Chase Field on June 18th and the second just 11 days later at Miller Park.

Jay Bell: Bell was originally signed by the Diamondbacks for their inaugural season, the first starting shortstop in team history before moving over to 2B in 1999. Bell had some iconic moments in Arizona, including hitting a million dollar Grand Slam in 1999 and scoring the winning run of the 2001 World Series after reaching on a fielder’s choice. Bell became a bench player after the team picked up Counsell, although he did fill in for an injured Matt Williams in 2001.