Minor League Review: Missoula Osprey

On September 10, 2013 By

Missoula Osprey

League: Pioneer League (Rookie)

Record: 31-42 (7th of 8 teams in the Pioneer League)

Runs Scored: 409 (7th of 8 teams)

Runs Allowed: 452 (t-4th of 8 teams)

Recap: the Osprey were plagued by poor staring pitching all season long. Of the team’s five regular starters, no one had an ERA under 4.50, showcasing the problems of the …

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Blogs and Articles Roundup: Sept 9, 2013

On September 9, 2013 By

It’s been a crushing seven days for the D-backs.  After dropping the first two of the home games against Toronto to finish off interleague play, Arizona split a four-game set in San Francisco — nearly getting victimized by a perfect game along the way.  If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the team’s pitching has fared very well; Wade Miley …

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2013 Minor League Wrap: Getting Started

On September 8, 2013 By

The 2013 minor league season is somewhat over for your Arizona Diamondbacks. I guess it’s 3/7 over, technically. If you’re not a fractions person (and frankly, who calls one’s self a “fractions person?”), that’s 42.8% complete, thanks to the South Bend Silver Hawks (A), Visalia Rawhide (A+) and Mobile BayBears (AA) who all have made the playoff and are still …

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Keys to Paul Goldschmidt’s Success: Improved Plate Discipline and Contact on Balls Inside

On September 6, 2013 By

Paul Goldschmidt was an above-average hitter last season, putting up AVG/OBP/SLG numbers of .286/.359/.490.  This season, he’s taken a big step forward in becoming a significant offensive force for the Diamondbacks, posting .292/.387/.534 marks.  He eclipsed his 2012 mark for home runs on July 1st of this year, and he leads the National League in RBI with 106.  In 2012, …

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Fun with Lineups: A Few Suggestions for Kirk Gibson

On September 5, 2013 By

If you’ve read Jeff Wiser’s piece on lineup construction, you know that the difference between one lineup and another is pretty small in terms of runs scored.  Still, the construction of a lineup is second only to bullpen alignment in terms of how something other than player performance affects games.  And everyone has something to say.  There are a …

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A Word on PEDs

On September 4, 2013 By

How about three: I don’t care.

Okay, I care a little.  I don’t want players to have to think about using steroids just to keep up.  And as for stimulants, baseball is a marathon, and seeing your team battle through a day game several hours after losing in extra innings the night before is part of what makes the sport …

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Grittiness, Revised

On September 3, 2013 By

I’m not going to pull any punches. Moving from Phoenix to Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend has dampened my spirits a little. What it’s also done has given me time to reflect. The drive across the Sonoran Desert in the moonlight provided me ample time to think about the Diamondbacks and no matter where my mind takes me, I …

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Blogs and Articles Roundup: Sept 2, 2013

On September 2, 2013 By

The last week literally had a lot of ups and downs, with the team winning two of three against the Padres and one of three against the Giants.  In the middle game against the Padres, we saw Ian Kennedy face the D-backs in his new uniform for the first time.  David Holmberg got the call to face him for his …

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Trade with Cleveland Puts Kubel Era at an End in Arizona

On August 30, 2013 By

Jason Kubel is now a Cleveland Indian (or, he will be once rosters expand on September 1).  Kubel figured to land somewhere once he was designated for assignment on Tuesday, and the trade does little to change the Diamondbacks roster this year or next.

In exchange for Kubel and cash to help offset the remainder of his salary, Arizona will …

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September Call Up Options for the Diamondbacks

On August 29, 2013 By

Major League Baseball rosters expand on September 1, enabling teams to carry up to 40 players, provided they are on the 40-man roster.  If you’re rusty on the mechanics of the 40-man and protecting players from the winter Rule V Draft, check out this mlb.com summary.  In terms of guessing at what Arizona might do this year, the main …

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New Ways of Looking at Old Things

On August 28, 2013 By

On Monday, Dave Cameron posted an article titled, “Why Do The Angels Suck?” I know what you’re thinking: this is a Diamondbacks site. Well, you are correct, but I want to look at the data that was presented regarding the Angels and apply it to our beloved Arizona Diamondbacks, if I may.

You see, Cameron used entirely context-neutral …

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Diamondbacks 2013 Draft Check-In

On August 27, 2013 By

About a month ago, Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com put together a remarkable article. I was skeptical, but Piecoro is not your average sports writer. He’s privy to the likes of advanced metrics and you can find his name popping up on FanGraphs from time to time. He’s an excellent source of Diamondbacks information and you really should read him.

This …

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Blogs and Articles Roundup: Aug 26, 2013

On August 26, 2013 By

It’s been a difficult week for Diamondbacks fans, who watched their team drop 3 of 4 to their competition for the wild card in Cincinnati and 2 of 3 to the wayward Phillies.  Count me among those feeling thoroughly exhausted at this point, after the 18-inning (7 hours 6 minutes) affair on Saturday night.  The win there was great (check …

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The Top of the Order in Arizona

On August 24, 2013 By

There are plenty of things that have gone wrong this year for Arizona, primarily not winning enough games. But beyond that, we’ve seen injuries, unexpected under-performances and much, much more. Something that’s bothered me has been the inconsistency of the leadoff spot. What kind of production have the Diamondbacks gotten out of the top of the order?

Depending on when …

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To Make Playoffs, Arizona Must Play Better — But Only Needs One of Pittsburg, St. Louis, Cincinnati to Fail

On August 23, 2013 By

The Diamondbacks’ chances of making the playoffs took a big hit when the team went 1-3 against the Reds this week.  Cincinnati is currently in line for the second wild card spot in the National League, and had Arizona swept the series, they would have been just one game back.  Instead, Arizona gears up for its game against the Phillies …

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Back from the Dead: the Arizona Bullpen

On August 22, 2013 By

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the Diamondbacks bullpen is quietly becoming respectable. Yeah, David Hernandez was a black hole but other guys have come around. On some nights, Heath Bell is absolutely unhittable. Brad Ziegler looks good as a closer and can I get a round of applause for Will Harris’ emergence? Matt Reynolds was functional before …

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