Spring Training Gameday Thread, #0: 2/21 vs. Arizona State

Diamondbacks line-up

1. Ildemaro Vargas 2B
2. Rey Fuentes CF
3. Jeremy Hazelbaker RF
4. Christian Walker 1B
5. Cesar Puello DH
6. Ramon Flores LF
7. Kristopher Negron SS
8. Jack Reinheimer 3B
9. Josh Thole C
   + Taylor Clarke P

Any similarity to Arizona’s actual Opening Day line-up is purely coincidental... Indeed, I’ll put the over/under on the number of players above who will make the Opening Day roster at 1.0 [Hazelbaker and Walker the most likely candidates] The most interesting thing might be seeing how Clarke does on the mound. He was ranked our second-best pitching prospect by John Sickels, who called him “very solid all-around with low-90s fastball, good slider, improving changeup, usually throws strikes; stuff isn’t quite as good as [Jon] Duplantier’s but Clarke matches him for pitchability and polish, possible number four starter, maybe more.” With a cited ETA of 2018, might be a name to know...

Still, it’s baseball, with actual Diamondbacks being involved, and we’ll take it over YouTube and/or the video-games which have sustained us through the dark, cold winter [well, relatively dark and cold anyway - this is Arizona after all!]. I’m sure the ASU guys will be giving it their all, seeking to make a good impression against the pros. Let’s just hope that Sparky doesn’t mistake D. Baxter for any other bobcat mascot, otherwise it could get a bit unpleasant at Salt River Fields! No TV or radio for this one, so it’ll pretty much be Gameday and/or social media for updates, unless someone knows differently...