Snake Bytes 04/02: Happy New Year!

We made it! Still waiting for the moment Opening Day is declared a national holiday. I will be at Ground Zero today section 104 heeding Jim’s advice by hydrating with multiple adult beverages with my family.

Team News

[Arizona Sports] D-backs announce Opening Day sellout at Chase Field - The only time I can remember not attending Opening Day was 2002 at the age of ten. At the time, I was moving back to Arizona from New Jersey after only a single year in the Garden State. Please be advised that tickets for Opening Day are still available through the secondary market. The lowest current price on StubHub is $27.00. As always, ticket scalpers will be on site if you feel like rolling the dice and seeing what type of deal will be available shortly before the first pitch at 1:10 PM. The first 40,000 fans through the gate will receive a D-backs Giveback Shirt in addition to the 2017 season schedule magnet.

[AZ Central] Where Diamondbacks stand entering season - Our beloved team is ranked as low as twenty-seventh by Yahoo Sports while coming in at twentieth in polls by the Bleacher Report and FanRag Sports. The good news is that there is nowhere to go but up, and all of us will be pleased if the team manages to prove critics incorrect.

[Arizona Sports] ESPN makes bold prediction that D-backs’ Taijuan Walker will break out - Taijuan Walker is also my choice for Breakout Performance of the Season for the team. Mike Hazen should be counting on it as he traded 2016 Team MVP, Jean Segura, for the 6’ 4” right hander. The father to be will make his first start Wednesday, April 5th against the Giants.

[Bleacher Report] Ranking the Top 50 MLB Players - Paul Goldschmidt is the only Arizona player ranked coming in at number nineteen. Color me biased, but the reason behind the ranking seems a bit flawed. Members here are well aware he had a down year by #America’sFirstBaseman standards. Is it appropriate to fault the guy for not being able to match best his gaudy accumulation stats each and every season? Last season was far from horrendous by Paul. Turn your attention to which facet of his game he improves this season. 2016 was about improved base stealing for Goldy. My conspiracy theory is that he purposely withholds talent during times of increased attention in his quest to remain humble.

[Inside the ‘Zona] So How Are the D-backs Stacking Up? - Projections alert! Jeff Wiser breaks down the team’s ZiPS and Steamer WAR predictions by position, and it does not look pretty. Arizona comes in dead last at three positions and no higher than ninth at eight positions. Looking through the article one can see multiple areas where the team has potential to outperform expectations. We can only hope that Brandon Drury demonstrates serviceable defense at second base while continuing to improve at the plate. If Jake Lamb can show more consistency throughout the season, 2.0 WAR might turn out to be his floor rather than his ceiling. A platoon of Chris Owings and Nick Ahmed at shortstop as well as the possible late inning heroics from Daniel Descalso may provide better than bottom of the league performance at the position. You get the picture. The team has a lot of ifs, but with some ford.williams.10 optimism the team may prove the predictions incorrect. The game is played in between the lines for a reason.

Other News

[USA Today] Opening Day inspiration: Five players beating the odds - Former independent league pitcher Robby Scott of the Boston Red Sox breaks camp with the major league team after making his debut at the end of last season. Cincinnati Reds’ Amir Garrett finds his way to the show after giving up a hoops career as a four star recruit on the court. Garrett has a fan in me because of his relationship with his eight year old rescue pit bull, Dozer, who even has his own Instagram page. I will be sure to give him a follow and share stories of my two rescue bully breeds.

[Fansided] Where MLB’s Top Prospects Will Open the 2017 Season - Keep a close eye on lists such as this one. If the Diamondbacks face a tear down mid season, some of these players might be finishing their seasons in AAA Reno.

[CBS Sports] President Trump declined an invitation from Nationals to throw out first pitch - I can feel Jim’s eyes burning into me as he holds his breath. Rumor has it the actual reason Trump declined is because he is working tirelessly to make Opening Day a national holiday!

That is it we have officially made it! Happy Opening Day 2017 Snake Pit!