Diamondbacks News

D-Backs will look to improve offense in '09
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September 30
East Valley Tribune
 
"As the Diamondbacks look back, one statistic hits them hard. In one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball, the D-Backs were a middle-rung offensive team this season. Their 720 runs were 10th in the NL. That, general manager Josh Byrnes said, will not do. "We need to be better at run scoring," Byrnes said in his exit interview with the media Monday. Without that, "it put demands on our pitching." The D-Backs actually improved their offense in 2008, if not their timing. Without Eric Byrnes at full strength at any point of the season and Orlando Hudson missing the final seven weeks, they scored eight more runs than they did in winning the NL West in 2007. They were a plus-14 in ..."
Hitters to work on limiting strikeouts
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September 30
East Valley Tribune
 
"After setting a franchise record with 1,287 strikeouts, second to Florida in the major leagues this season, Diamondbacks hitters were sent home with the understanding that things must change. "We're going to do some things in spring training to address the issue," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "Guys had a propensity to strike out, and a lot of times they were lined up next to each other." Five D-Backs - Mark Reynolds (204), Chris Young (165), Justin Upton (121), Stephen Drew (109) and Chris Snyder (101) - had more than 100 strikeouts. Reynolds and Upton averaged more than one strikeout for every three at-bats. A likely teaching point will be to change the two-strike approach, with an ..."
D-Backs found ways to lose this year
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September 30
Arizona Republic
 columnist Nick Piecoro
"The easiest way to put it, when assessing the disappointment of the Diamondbacks season, is to call them underachievers - to say that the overachieving bunch that last year found ways to win somehow found ways to lose this year. It's easy to point out their late-season plunge - a 4 1/2-game lead with 28 games to play - or the victories coughed up by the bullpen or the general ineffectiveness of the offense. The generalities are true but don't tell the whole story. Not of an offense that did enough in the batter's box to lead to more runs crossing home plate. Or a bullpen that rated in the upper half of the league and converted roughly the same number of ninth-inning leads into victories ..."
D-Backs content with roster logjam going into '09
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September 29
East Valley Tribune
 
"If you think the Diamondbacks have a logjam at the corner infield/outfield spots and must make a trade to unblock in the offseason ... well, think again. The D-Backs said they will be comfortable bringing back Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes and Chad Tracy in 2009 to compete for time at left field and first base. Manager Bob Melvin also said he now sees Jackson as primarily a left fielder who might occasionally play first, a scenario that would set up a direct battle between Jackson and Byrnes for the starting job alongside Chris Young and Justin Upton that Byrnes vacated because of hamstring injuries this year. And with improved health expected to enable Tracy to play more third base along ..."
Upton building on momentum
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September 29
Arizona Republic
 
"Like the Diamondbacks, Justin Upton ran out of time. After struggling for most of the season, the 21-year-old outfielder found his rhythm in September, hitting .295 in 61 at-bats. The key from here is building momentum through the off-season and into spring training. "It's very big for him," manager Bob Melvin said, adding that he compares it to Stephen Drew's and Conor Jackson's years. "I think that's going to be important for all these (young) guys next year. Now they know what to expect a little more. How their opponents try to handle them. What their strengths and weaknesses are. You talk about experience. That's it." In his third season, Drew hit .293 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs ..."
Unit, D-Backs end season with win
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September 29
Arizona Republic
 
"A few days ago, Randy Johnson walked by Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin and said, "You can throw the pitch count on Sunday out." Right then, Melvin knew Sunday's season finale against the Colorado Rockies meant something to the veteran left-hander. Maybe Johnson, an impending free agent, just wanted to end his season on a good note. Or maybe he wanted to prove to everyone that he still is capable of excelling at baseball's highest level. "He had a different feel for him today," Melvin said after the Diamondbacks beat Colorado 2-1 at Chase Field to finish 82-80. In his 30th start, Johnson, 45, was sharp. He allowed an unearned run in the first but retired nine of the next 10. Melvin ..."
Fond farwell for Johnson?
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September 29
Rocky Mountain News
 
"If it was 45-year-old Randy Johnson's final appearance in his career, it was impressive. The Diamondbacks left-hander pitched a two-hitter, giving up two singles to Troy Tulowitzki, and struck out 10. It was the first nine-inning effort for Johnson since June 16, 2005, his second complete game this season (the other was eight innings in a loss) and the 100th of his career. The win was the 295th of his career. Johnson has indicated a strong desire to reach 300 wins, but there are concerns in Arizona about how committed Johnson would remain once he got to 300. That makes the Diamondbacks tentative about whether to bring him back and start a season uncertain about the rotation. Johnson has ..."
Rockies hope to work couple of aces at top of rotation
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September 29
Denver Post
 
"Before Sunday's final curtain, a 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a walk-off walk, manager Clint Hurdle talked about the importance of the Rockies creating a one-two punch at the top of their rotation. The frame of reference? The rival Diamondbacks. When Chris Young walked with the bases loaded, it extended a trend that in many ways doomed Colorado's season. The Rockies were 3-15 against Arizona, never fully recovering after losing their first five games. Brandon Webb, a slight favorite for the National League Cy Young Award, and Dan Haren were big reasons for the downfall. They went 6-0 against the Rockies in eight starts. The Rockies had no counterpunch, particularly because Jeff ..."
Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin appears OK after KO
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