AZ Snakepit: FanShots

Batting Stance Guy does the Diamondbacks

Jim McLennan — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:09:39 -0000

Batting Stance Guy does the Diamondbacks

The 2008 Scouting Report, By The Fans, For The Fans

tangotiger — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:22:34 -0000

The 2008 Scouting Report, By The Fans, For The Fans

For the sixth year in a row, I am once again asking for hardcore baseball fans to participate in the annual Scouting Report project, in which you evaluate the fielding characteristics of players on your team. If you have a few minutes, please drop by and evaluate your team.

Dodgers Acquire Greg Maddux

snakecharmer — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:47:45 -0000

Dodgers Acquire Greg Maddux

Sports Center just reported the acquisition by the Dodgers of Maddux. It's not official yet.... but if this is true, we might be in a spot of trouble.

[Updated with ESPN story link]

Lolback of the week - slightly delayed! - in honor of our new slugger

Jim McLennan — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:30:22 -0000

Lolback of the week - slightly delayed! - in honor of our new slugger

Johnson thinking of 300 wins, future

Jim McLennan — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:30:09 -0000

Johnson thinking of 300 wins, future

"As we come toward the end - I can't say I'll be playing for three or four more years, so we're coming to the end - any athlete's ideal way (to retire) would be to be somewhat successful, be healthy and say, 'All right, I've had enough and I've done everything I can possibly do.' It would be a good time to go out on my terms. I'm healthy. I can still play if I want. That's the scenario that I think about."

Mad Sabermetrician Creates The Perfect Baseball Player's Statistics

DbacksSkins — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:59:57 -0000

Mad Sabermetrician Creates The Perfect Baseball Player's Statistics

Couple years old, but still good. I can certainly see some of the people at THIS site doing it...

Owners to discuss blackout solution

Jim McLennan — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:49:38 -0000

Owners to discuss blackout solution

"Baseball’s territorial blackouts, the scourge of so many frustrated television and streaming-video viewers, will be eliminated for the 2009 season if Major League Baseball’s executive council follows suggestions president Bob DuPuy plans on presenting next week. At the owners’ meetings Wednesday, DuPuy said he will propose that if a team is not broadcasting in a geographic location for at least one season, it loses the right to black out games in that area."

John Sickel's Review of Current Baby Backs

Red Reign — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:46:47 -0000

John Sickel's Review of Current Baby Backs

Owners to discuss blackout solution

kishi — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:57:08 -0000

Owners to discuss blackout solution

As someone who lived in territory that was under the Diamondbacks "region" but never had them on TV, I'm all for this.

Lolback of the week.

Jim McLennan — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:53:44 -0000

Lolback of the week.

Daniel Schlereth finally pitches

nihil67 — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:26:40 -0000

Daniel Schlereth finally pitches

On 8/3 Schlereth finally made his first appearance for the Rookie League Missoula Osprey. He walked one, struck out 2, and threw a wild pitch.

Webb: D-Backs pulled contract offer

Jim McLennan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:03:04 -0000

Webb: D-Backs pulled contract offer

'Webb said he and the team had agreed to terms on a contract extension in June, only to have the Diamondbacks pull the offer.Webb is signed through 2009 with a team option for 2010. His extension would have been guaranteed through 2013.

On his drive to the ballpark, he heard fans on talk radio calling him greedy and accusing him of not wanting to be with the Diamondbacks. He said that's not the case. "I just want to let fans know that I'm not the one who pulled it off the table," Webb said. "We just didn't see eye to eye on a couple of things, and that was it. I love Arizona, and this is my first choice."

Neither Webb nor Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes would elaborate on what happened. "If you want to ask Josh, he'll probably let you all know," Webb said. "We'll see. Hopefully we can do something." Byrnes said: "Can't go into detail. But it's like anything: There were a lot of points we agreed on, but we couldn't quite get there, so we decided not to let it drag on through the whole year."'

I would presume that the differences included things like incentives and no-trade clauses?

Nice to know Chase Field is a leader here too.

hotclaws — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:22:31 -0000

Nice to know Chase Field is a leader here too.

"Considering Phoenix was ranked the 12th fattest city by Men's Fitness, it's great that Chase Field offers D-Backs fans delicious low-fat vegetarian food. Fans can get swimsuit-ready for the stadium pool with tasty, low-fat Gardenburgers, fruit and veggie platters, vegetarian burritos, and veggie subs."

What do you think? I know baseball is associated with greasy goodness.Does the veggie option destroy tradition?

@-bat music: Arizona Diamondbacks

Jim McLennan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:01:16 -0000

@-bat music: Arizona Diamondbacks

"MLB.com/Entertainment has been getting to the bottom of the Major League tradition of walk-up music all season long by going from clubhouse to clubhouse and soliciting cutting-edge commentary from the players, the organizational brass, and some of the best music critics in the business... Here are the Snakes' songs..."

As if you didn't need anymore reason to hate ESPN

soco — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:59 -0000

As if you didn't need anymore reason to hate ESPN

Apparently the geniuses of the ad agency that represents ESPN have scattered the LA area with one-sheets pictured in the link above. ESPN is a joke.

Dan Haren signed to extension

kishi — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:26:33 -0000

Dan Haren signed to extension

The Diamondbacks and right-hander Dan Haren have agreed to a $44.75 million contract extension that runs through 2012 and includes a club option for 2013, a deal that will be announced today at a 3 p.m. news conference at Chase Field. The contract, which nullifies Haren’s previous deal, is worth $41.25 million over the next four seasons and includes a $15.5 million option for 2013 with a $3.5 million buyout.Haren will be paid $7.5 million in 2009, $8.25 million in ’10, $12.75 million in ’11 and $12.75 million in ’12.

I'm thrilled to see him get signed up long-term. Now let's get Webb an extension too, and we're a long-term threat to this division.

Torre says Juan Pierre will go to center

dahlian — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 09:32:35 -0000

Torre says Juan Pierre will go to center

For those wondering how the ManRam trade will influence our chances of winning the pennant, this about says it all. This had the potential to big help for the Dodgers' offense as they could relegate both of their outfield sink holes to the bench. Now instead of going with Manny (140 OPS+ this season, 154 career), Kemp (110, 110), and Ethier (100, 106), they will instead toss Pierre's 69 OPS+ (75 last year) into the mix at a position that they had already deemed him to be a defensive liability.

In short, they had a chance to a replace a player in Juan Pierre that's created 35 runs this season (not counting base running, which is admittedly a plus) with a player in Ramirez that had created 76 runs with the bat. Instead, they've chosen to replace, Ethier, the hitter that has created 55 runs this season.

Players may come and go, but the biggest obstacle towards the Dodgers winning this division remains themselves.

Manny Ramirez traded to Dodgers

luckycc — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:43:28 -0000

Manny Ramirez traded to Dodgers

The Boston Red Sox on Thursday afternoon traded Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ending the slugger's eight-year run in Boston with a last-minute, three-way deal to beat baseball's non-waivers trade deadline.

Romero lives up to his name, removing the head and destroying the brain of the Padres comeback...

Jim McLennan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:29:04 -0000

Romero lives up to his name, removing the head and destroying the brain of the Padres comeback...

Scott Bordow hates the Redheads

Jim McLennan — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 17:46:53 -0000

Scott Bordow hates the Redheads

Okay, that's an inflammatory headline. :-) What he hates more is the coverage they get:

"It was early in the Cubs-Diamondbacks game. The third inning, I believe. Anyway, Sutton and Grace were on one of their jags when they’re focused more on fans and signs than they are on the game. Normally, the diversion lasts for a couple of minutes or so. But not this time.

They prattled on ceaselessly, it seemed, about the fans in the Redheads section — a promotional stunt started by Sutton and Grace earlier this season. Every other camera shot was of a fan holding up a sign or showing off his red wig. Pre-and post-game host Todd Walsh got into the act, interviewing fans in the section The game became so secondary that when Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Burke came to bat it took Sutton three pitches before he identified who was at the plate.

Look, I don’t mind Sutton and Grace having a little fun in the broadcast booth. They’re not calling a Supreme Court hearing. Too often, however, the duo seems more interested in being zany than informative. And their constant references to fan participation and enthusiasm is a transparent attempt to sell tickets. Look at the fun you’re missing out on! How can you even think about staying home and watching the game? No one is going to see your sign if you do that.

To be fair, Sutton and Grace aren’t doing anything the Diamondbacks don’t want them to. The organization is in constant sell mode; the broadcasters are simply doing their part. But when the shilling becomes as much of the telecast as the game itself, it’s gone too far."