Snake Bytes 4/4: Johnny be (bad)

Sunday was an incredible start for a team that desperately needs moments like this throughout the season. The atmosphere was second to none as open air day games at Chase Field are not to be taken for granted. Johnny Cueto and Patrick Corbin take the mound tonight for the traditional 6:40 PM start. I am still slightly sour that Cueto turned down our offer last off season, but time marches onward. For his career at Chase Field, Cueto is 6-1 with a 3.66 ERA, 3.13 K/BB ratio, and has surrendered 8 home runs.

Team News

[dbacks.com] Q&A: Hazen talks path to Arizona - Mike Hazen sits down for a much welcomed candid conversation with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reflecting on his path to becoming the General Manager of the Diamondbacks. Hazen quickly corrects the columnist when it is mentioned that his playing career ended due to a shoulder injury.

One thing for clarification; my shoulder injury didn't end my career. My lack of ability ended my career. As history has gone on and time has healed some wounds, somehow my playing prowess is perceived to be far better than it was at the time. The fact was, I just wasn't very good.

Mike continues on to discuss the benefits of diversity inside MLB front offices which is particularly intriguing. There are a handful of individuals on this site, I feel, who are uniquely qualified for a position in an MLB front office. I highly suggest reading or listening to the entire interview.

[dbacks.com] Giants, D-backs getting heavy division dose early - 24 of the Diamondbacks first 27 games will be played against NL West opponents. The importance of playing well in a division heavy early season schedule cannot be overstated. Arizona can put considerable distance in either direction for the NL West Title depending on how well they play this month. In addition, Paul Goldschmidt is 1 stolen base away from career number 100. Class of 2017 HOF’er Jeff Bagwell had 202 stolen bases over his 15 year career by comparison.

[Arizona Sports] Chris Owings recalls differences between 2016 and 2017 Opening Days - Opening Day 2016 was remarkably different than the contest we witnessed on Sunday, and the clubhouse agrees. It took a single moment for AJ Pollock to demonstrate the type of player we missed last season.

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks 2017 salaries: How much each player makes - It sure would be nice to earn roughly $1,000,000 each time I showed up to the office. If the payroll figure was kept the same, how would you redistribute the salaries among players currently on the 25 man roster? Giving Paul Goldschmidt $95,000,000 in a single season is not a valid response.

[FanGraphs] Zack Greinke Isn’t Out of the Woods - This is becoming an interesting topic of debate this season, albeit one that struggles to maintain professionalism at times. It was something I was asked about on the Coach Les Show last Friday. The fact of the matter is that his drop in velocity is tangible and can be objectively measured. Zack Greinke must “evolve” to become the ace we paid for. Pay close attention to the closing argument.

If Greinke stays around the edges and loves his time working with Jeff Mathis, he could survive on weak contact. Marco Estrada just lost 1.2 mph, and last year he lowered his FIP- by 12 points. Masahiro Tanaka just lost 1.2 mph, and last year he lowered his FIP- by 15 points. Greinke still knows how to be a good pitcher, and it’s not like his stuff has completely abandoned him.

Other News

[ESPN] What's real? What's a mirage? A guide to Opening Day results - Here in the sweltering concrete jungle we call Phoenix, Arizona we know a thing or two about mirages. Approximately 120 °F worth of knowledge. Fans are surely overreacting after Opening Day. I am still overreacting after Opening Day. Is there truly a playoff oasis awaiting Arizona at the end of the season? One vision is nearly certain, the San Diego Padres are truly awful for the time being.

[CBS Sports] MLB Opening Day 2017: Scores, results, everything you need to know from Monday's games - I am admittedly envious of the fans that were able to enjoy Opening Day on a Monday. Something about taking time out of the office to start the week while being paid to drink adult beverages at Chase Field seems appealing to me. 2017 MLB Top Prospect Andrew Benintendi blasted a 3 run shot over the right field wall at Fenway. The promising outfielder has quite a way to go to match AJ Pollock’s 8 run dinger on Opening Day. I cannot be the only person that noticed that initial scoring error.

[Rolling Stone] 2017 MLB Preview: Baseball's Youth Movement Takes Center Stage - Try not to hyperventilate when you see the first name mentioned in the piece. As a young fan roughly the same age as most players discussed in the #YouthMovement, I am slightly biased in saying that this wave of young talent is fundamentally changing what makes this game exciting. While I do disagree with a significant portion of the pace of play rule changes, I welcome the raw emotion that my generation displays on the field during high impact moments of a game. If you do not like when a young player admires a home run as a pitcher, lock him up at the ankles with a back foot slider and earn yourself a dance on the mound. It is no different than when a 6’ 10” left handed HOF’er shouted profanities at seemingly nothing when walking from the mound to the dugout after a strikeout. Embrace the present because we treasure the past.

[CBS Sports] Best promotions in MLB: Ranking every team's 2017 giveaways from 1 to 30 - My prized possession is a golden Goldschmidt bobblehead I had autographed earlier this spring. We really luck out with the promotional giveaways here. The Kansas City Royals George Brett giveaway is my personal favorite on the list. Speaking of treasuring the past, the “Pine Tar Incident” to me stands out as one of the most memorable moments in baseball history. George is much more reserved in person. The Seattle Mariners Ken Griffey Jr. replica statue is sure to be hit in the Emerald City. “The Kid” was one of my favorite players growing up thanks to my father who was a Reds fan at the time. Griffey was #YouthMovement before it was trending.