Diamondbacks

B AT T I N G O R D E R Relief pitcher Bret Prinz, who had a 9-1 record and 26 saves for the Double-A El Paso Diablos in 2000, relaxes on top of the dugout before an Arizona Fall League Game. He registered four saves for the AFL’s Scottsdale Scorpions.

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

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DIAMONDBACKS J A N UA RY / F E B R UA RY 2 0 0 1

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VOLUME 4

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NUMBER 1

Three-time National League All-Star first baseman Mark Grace signed a two-year contract with the Diamondbacks on Dec. 8 after nearly 13 full seasons with the Chicago Cubs. A four-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner, he led the Major Leagues in hits and doubles during the decade of the ‘90s.

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

Departments

Features

12 Around the Horn 16 Home Plate 98 Shamrock Farms, Farm Report 122 Covering the Bases 130 On Second Thought

24 Mark Grace 50 Steve Finley Wins Fourth Gold Glove 54 Baseball Superstitions 68 Robin Yount 80 Slumps 88 SilverHawks

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January/February 2001 | D I A M O N D B A C K S M A G A Z I N E

L E A D I N G

O F F

Randy Johnson won his second straight Cy Young Award in 2000 after leading the majors in strikeouts for the third consecutive season (347), topping the National League in winning percentage (.731), and tying for the league's top spot in complete games (eight), shutouts (three) and starts (35). — Photo by Barry Gossage

SPEAKING OF CATS c r e d i t s January/February 2001

Baxter the Bobcat, first introduced to Diamondbacks fans with a minimum of fanfare last June 23, has raised the ire of Arizona State University fans because he looks an awful lot like the University of Arizona mascot. Sun Devils don’t take kindly to anything remotely resembling those Communist, Pinko louts down in Tucson.

His appearance is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because his costume merits high marks for ingenuity and overall cuteness, and a curse because he closely resembles Wilbur.

But he’s not Wilbur. Really.

Comparisons between Baxter and The Gorilla, the Phoenix Suns’ mascot, aren’t fair. It’s apples and oranges, a veteran superstar mascot vs. a raw rookie.

The Gorilla is a tough act to follow, having made his first appearance at a Suns game on March 20, 1980. His act has been honed and re-honed. In fact,

BY JOEL HORN there have been two Gorillas, the second one taking E D I TO R over in 1988.

The Gorilla works a stage, a very good stage– center court at the America West Arena, where he is in the spotlight. Baxter works a very different crowd– on the concourses and in the corners of Bank One Ballpark.

The dugout should be his stage.

If The Gorilla came to baseball, he’d have to totally change his act. He couldn’t do his acrobatics, and the slam-dunk shtick would have to go. He couldn’t be on the field between innings because the pitcher is warming up.

Like The Gorilla, Baxter is extremely active in the community. He has made more than 100 appearances since he was introduced, including school and hospital visits, and private parties. He also served as the co-grand marshal (along with The Gorilla) of the APS Festival of Lights Parade. He and his cohort, Guy Gaster, are looking to establish their own school program in the very near future. But for the time being, they’ll be focusing on the importance of setting goals.

What Baxter does best is make kids happy. He’s like the Pied Piper for young children. Just ask my 6-year-old daughter, MacKenzie, pictured here with Baxter at a fundraiser for her school. She met him for the first time at that event, and then tried to see him the next week at another one. She adores Baxter, and surprised my wife and me by uncharacteristically nestling into his furry arms the first time she saw him.

It is for that reason why we should all – including Suns Devil fans, and I’m one of them (I’m an alumnus of ASU and now teach in its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication) – embrace Baxter and give him time to grow.

If you have young children, you’ll experience what I already have. And if you don’t, you’ll still have the opportunity to witness the effect he has on them and be entertained for many years to come.

But remember, he’s not Wilbur. Really. ◆

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Mark Your Calendars With This Important Ticket Information With the start of a new season, it’s always good to know when and how to get tickets for Diamondbacks games.

Although all the on-sale dates were not available at the time this publication went to print, the following information should help you get started on your planning for the 2001 baseball season.

Full and Partial Season Tickets Once all season ticket holder upgrades are complete, people on the full-season waiting list will have their orders filled, and partial season tickets will go on sale. This process should take place mid- to late January. Partial season ticket packages will feature the same plans as last year, which include: Half-Season Plan 42 games, including Opening Day and one of the Anaheim Angels exhibition games, in the $17 seating area.

Cost of the package is $693.

Weekender Plan: 28 weekend games, including Opening

Day and one of the Anaheim Angels exhibition games, in the $6, $9 or $13 seating area. Cost of the packages are $154, $238 and $350, respectively.

Series Plan: 28 games, one from every opponent series, including Opening Day and one of the Anaheim Angels exhibition games, in the $6, $9 or $13 seating areas. Cost of the packages are $154, $238 and $350, respectively.

For season (full and partial) ticket information, please call (602) 514-8400 and select option No. 4.

Group Tickets Ticket orders for groups of 30 or more people are currently being filled for the 2001 season. One of the best ways to catch a game is with a group of friends and co-workers. Group discounts and perks are offered throughout the season, including half-price tickets for every Tuesday home game. For group information, please call (602) 514-8400 and select option No. 6.

Luxury Suites, Party Suites and the Sun Pool Party Pavilion When it comes to entertaining clients, rewarding employees or celebrating a special occasion, a suite at Bank One Ballpark is a unique and exciting way to go.

Reservations for party and luxury suites, as well as the pool, are currently being taken. Dates for the Sun Pool Party Pavilion fill up quickly, so plan ahead. Please call (602) 514-8400 and select No. 5 to make a reservation or to get information about our special offers for suites.

Single-Game Tickets Single-game ticket sales for the 2001 season will likely begin in late February. Telephone numbers and ticket outlet locations will be changing for the 2001 season, so stay tuned for more information about single-game tickets.

If you have any questions, please contact the Bank One Ballpark Ticket Office at (602) 514-8400.

Spring Training Tickets If you haven’t been to Tucson to see the Diamondbacks play at Tucson Electric Park, you are missing one fabulous opportunity. Arguably the best Spring Training facility in the country, TEP is a wonderful and affordable baseball experience. Season and group tickets can be ordered now by calling (520) 434-1381. Individual game tickets go on sale Jan. 15, and can be ordered by calling the same number. ◆

— Photo by Scott Troyanos

Missoula Osprey’s Celebration of the Negro Leagues

T

he Missoula Osprey, the Diamondbacks' Pioneer League (Rookie Advanced) affiliate, paid tribute to the Negro Leagues on Aug. 30 in Missoula, Mont. The event, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the formation of the Negro National League, featured Blues music, replica uniforms worn by the Osprey and Helena Brewers, and an appearance by 89-year-old Byron "Mex" Johnson, who played in Missoula in 1939 and 1940 with a barnstorming team called the Kansas City Monarchs (Satchel Paige also played for the Monarchs). Pictured from left are outfielder Victor Hall, third baseman Corey Myers, Johnson, outfielder Brock McCarty and catcher Bryan Loeb. ◆

— Photo by Judy Ellis

FAN MAIL FROM AFRICA Dear Diamondbacks Magazine: It is my greatest pleasure to write you these few words. How are you? I hope by the grace of God you are as fit as a fiddle. But the main purpose of the letter is to let you know I enjoy watching baseball on television.

First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Kwasi Tankpara, a 16 year old boy from Tema/Ghana West Africa.

My hobbies are playing baseball, reading, and writing. The purpose of writing this letter is to let you know how much I support the Diamondbacks.

I so enjoy watching and playing baseball. Out of all teams in the world, your team is the best. Please send me am issue of the Diamondbacks Magazine to look through. I would like to support your team all the time they play.

Thanks. Your fan, Kwasi Tankpara

New Diamondbacks Manager Bob Brenly and his family take in a Phoenix Suns game. To his right is his 14-year-old son, Michael, and to his left are his wife, Joan, and their 18-year-old daughter, Lacey.

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

I LOVE MY DIAMONDBACKS

◆

Odella's ode

The crack of the bat! The roar of the crowd!

The song of the Brave and the Free!

Our love for the game is really what counts.

Not who songs and wings it off-key.

Raw rookies can turn into champions; It takes teamwork and fortitude.

Our DIAMONDBACKS players can do it, With or without breakfast food!

Arizona’s for “zonies”, not phonies; We’ll root and we’ll cheer ‘til we’re hoarse; We’ll put stars on the diamond that dazzle And bring home the pennant, of course.

When the first batter awaits the first pitch He hopes to hit it over the wall, Old Glory will wave her approval As Colangelo hollers, “PLAY BALL!”

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we know To build a great team, it takes time.

In this state of the SUNS and the CARDINALS, DIAMONDBACKS like lightning will climb.

HOORAY FOR OUR DIAMONDBACKS NINE! — ODElla, the ODEmaker in the Valley

Cover to Cover Tony Womack’s reading program

Dear Tony, I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you for making your reading program available to students in the Alhambra Elementary School District. It has a significant impact on our children, most of whom would never have the opportunity to attend a game at Bank One Ballpark. They are truly excited to be a part of your program and participate in the field trip.

In addition to encouraging students to read at home with their parents, your program offers other benefits as well. Students are going online and looking at the Diamondbacks scoring, checking your batting average, bases stolen, and other statistics. You probably can’t see the students at the game standing and cheering when you come up to bat but I have been there with them, and they are very proud when you enter the batter’s box.

You and your Cover to Cover reading program have a much greater and long-lasting impact on our students than you can imagine. It is not merely a day at the ballpark. These students not only establish lifelong reading habits, but they have a memory they will cherish the rest of their lives.

Thank you for giving our students such a wonderful opportunity and for serving as an outstanding role model to children who respect and admire your talents.

Sincerely, Dr. Carol G. Peck Superintendent

B A L L PA R K I N F O R M AT I O N ANAHEIM ANGELS

602-438-4300

Tempe Diablo Stadium 2200 West Alameda, Tempe, AZ 85282

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS 520-434-1000 Tucson Electric Park 2500 East Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85713

CHICAGO CUBS

480-668-0500

(Mailing Address)

P.O. Box 5770, Mesa, AZ 85211-5770 (Stadium & Shipping Address)

HoHoKam Park 1235 North Center St., Mesa, AZ 85201

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

520-434-1300

COLORADO ROCKIES

520-332-4500

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

623-245-5555

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

602-225-9400

SAN DIEGO PADRES

623-486-7000

Tucson Electric Park 2500 East Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ 85713

US West Sports Complex, Hi Corbett Field 3400 East Camino Campestre, Tucson, AZ 85716

Maryvale Baseball Park 3600 North 51st Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85031

Phoenix Municipal Stadium 5999 E. Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ 85008

(Mailing Address)

8131 West Paradise Lane, Peoria, AZ 85382 (Stadium & Shipping Address)

Peoria Stadium 16101 North 83rd Street, Peoria, AZ 85382

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

480-990-7972

SEATTLE MARINERS

623-412-9000

Scottsdale Stadium 7408 East Osborn Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251

(Mailing Address)

PO Box 999, Peoria, AZ 85382 (Stadium Address)

Peoria Sports Complex

15707 N. 83rd Avenue, Peoria, AZ 85382

2001

S E AS O N S C H E D U LE HOME

APRIL

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All times are Arizona time and subject to change.

For information, please call 602-514-8400. www.azdiamondbacks.com

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BRAVES 7:05

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PADRES 2:00

JUNE

fri 1

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11

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17

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12 BRAVES 10:05

19

7

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2 EXOS 1:35

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MARLINS MARLINS MARLINS 4:05 4:05 10:05

13 PIRATES 7:05

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14 PIRATES 7:05

21 PIRATES 4:05

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PHILLIES 4:05

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5

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28 GIANTS 7:05

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fri

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10 BRAVES 4:35

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23 PIRATES 4:05

30 GIANTS 7:05

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14 21 GIANTS 7:05

28 GIANTS 1:05

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29 GIANTS 7:15

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26 GIANTS 7:05

7 A'S 7:05

13 ANGELS 7:05

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27 GIANTS 7:05

18 CUBS 7:05

A'S 7:05

14 ANGELS 7:05

21 GIANTS 1:05

28 GIANTS 7:05

31 EXPOS 7:05

SEPTEMBER

sun mon tue wed thu

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METS 1:05 BRAVES 1:05

26

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ANGELS 7:05

MARINERS MARINERS MARINERS PADRES 1:05 7:05 1:05 7:05

22

METS 10:10

GIANTS 7:15

ALL STAR GAME

16

sat 5

METS 4:10

JULY

PADRES 7:05

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PADRES 1:35

9 PADRES 2:00

10 PADRES 7:05

25

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PHILLIES 10:15

BREWERS ROCKIES 11:05 6:05

23

DGRS 30 1:10 DGRS 1:35

4 GIANTS 7:05

PHILLIES 4:05 PADRES 7:05

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REDS 6:35 REDS 4:05

24 31

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EXPOS 4:05

fri

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DODGERS DODGERS ROCKIES 7:10 7:10 6:05 ASTROS 7:05

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WHITE SOX WHITE SOX WHITE SOX 7:05 7:05 7:05

TIGERS 1:35

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DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS 7:05 7:05 7:05 7:05

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PADRES 1:35

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ROCKIES MARLINS MARLINS MARLINS 1:35 6:35 6:35 6:35

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DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS ROCKIES 6:35 6:35 6:35 6:05

ROCKIES CARDINALS CARDINALS CARDINALS 5:10 5:10 5:10 12:05

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EXPOS 4:05

DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS CARDINALS CARDINALS 7:05 1:35 1:10 7:10 7:10 CARDINALS 1:35

TM

17 24

5 GIANTS 7:05

6 GIANTS 12:35

7 PADRES 7:05

PADRES 1:05

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ROCKIES 6:35

ROCKIES BREWERS BREWERS 6:35 5:05 6:05

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ROCKIES DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS 12:05 7:05 7:05 7:05

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BREWERS BREWERS BREWERS DODGERS DODGERS 6:35 6:35 6:35 7:05 7:05

BY J O E G I L M A RT I N

T

his just in! After all the years, one more survivor of the Titanic has been found. OK, so it wasn’t THAT Titanic and Mark Grace really isn’t THAT old. But he made it clear at the press conference announcing his signing as a Diamondback that he regards himself as a survivor of A Titanic.

“I want to thank Mr. Colangelo for throwing me a life preserver,” he said. “The best analogy I can give about coming here is that, well, if anybody saw the movie, “The Titanic”, I was battling to stay afloat even as the ship was going down in Chicago. And when it went down, there I was floating in the water when here came this rescue ship.

— Photo by Stephen Green

“I’m the happiest man in the world right now. I’m with a first class owner and a first class organization, and a manager I’m comfortable with in Bob Brenly. Deciding to come here was a no-brainer for me.”

“I’m the happiest man in the world right now. I’m with a first class owner and a first class organization, and a manager I’m comfortable with in Bob Brenly. Deciding to come here was a no-brainer for me.”

Obviously, the new Diamondback first baseman is a man who has a way with words as well as with bat and glove.

Also, a man who makes quick decisions.

“When I first met with Jerry and went to a Suns’ game with him, I realized right then and there I wanted to be a Diamondback.”

And so, at 36, and after illustrious seasons as a Chicago Cub, he became one. And the Diamondbacks are just as happy as he is about it.

“In my mind,” said Managing General Partner Jerry Colangelo, “Mark is one of the best clutch hitters in baseball. And he’ll make the infield that much better because of a confidence in throwing over there that wasn’t there last year. On top of that, he’s a pro’s pro who epitomizes what a major league player should be.”

Grace certainly has the résumé to go with that description.

This is a player with a .309 career batting average over 13 seasons in the National League. A player who led the Major Leagues in hits (1,754) and doubles (364) during the ‘90s, and ranks in the top 10 among active major leaguers in six offensive categories. And also a player who has won four Gold Gloves as one of the best fielding first basemen of his time.

Grace already holds a spot in Diamondbacks history. On May 12, 1998, he became the first player to homer into the pool at Bank One Ballpark, hitting a solo shot off of Andy Benes into the water during the sixth inning of a 7-6 Cubs victory. Grace went "pool" again later that same year, hitting another solo home run into the right-centerfield attraction on July 29 off of Amaury Telemaco as part of a 7-3 Chicago win.

— Photos by Sandra Tenuto

A lot of managers would give him a heartfelt “Amen” on As an extra added bonus, he’s also one of the brightest and most articulate spokespersons for the game, and just that, but one, Tony LaRussa of the Cardinals, laments that about as good a friend as a reporter with a notebook in it’s hard to convert players to that kind of thinking in today’s game. desperate need of filling ever had.

“If you can swing from your butt every at bat all season The only caveat about him in Chicago, where he was that popular team’s most popular player next to Sammy Sosa, was and maybe hit six or seven extra home runs,” he says, “you that although he played what is considered a power position, might get an extra $100,000 apiece in salary for each of he wasn’t a power hitter. And the only caveat about him here them. And that makes it kind of hard to talk to hitters about is that he will turn 37 in June, which will make him the eldest playing the game the right way—cutting down on your member of baseball’s oldest infield, along with third baseman swing, giving yourself up, things like that.”

Matt Williams and second baseman Jay Bell, both 35, and shortstop Tony Womack, 31.

Although Grace says Chicago will always be a Throw in three-time Cy Young winner Randy part of him (and vice versa), he also says Johnson, 37, Gold Glove center fielder Steve Finley, 36, setup man Greg Swindell, 36, pitcher leaving wasn’t as hard as you might think.

Todd Stottlemyre, 35, pitcher Curt Schilling, 34, and slugging left fielder Luis Gonzalez, 33 and Although Grace says Chicago will always be a part of you've got a group of savvy veterans obviously poised for a him (and vice versa), he also says leaving wasn’t as hard as Future Is Now run for the baseball roses.

When you advise Grace that some people think this you might think.

“It really wasn’t hard at all,” he says wryly, “when you savvy group is a little TOO veteran, he laughs and says, “We think those people are WRONG. I know a guy 37 consider that the management gave me no choice. When years old who won the Cy Young last year and is the best you’re not offered a contract, you have to go elsewhere. pitcher in the National League. So I think Randy’s a pretty But yeah, when you spent 13 years in a place, it becomes a part of you. And when you thought of the Cubs, you good reason to think we’re not too old.

“As for myself, I feel as good as I did seven or eight years thought of Sammy Sosa and myself. I’ll always love ago. I always keep myself in good shape in the off season, Chicago, and it’s a great place. But obviously it was time to and I know a lot of players who are older than I am who take my career elsewhere.”

And Grace was so glad “elsewhere” turned out to be here are playing very well. So I have no reason whatever to that he took a $2 million pay cut, signing a two-year deal believe my age is a problem.

“And besides,” he grins, “ I’ve got a lot of enthusiasm for for $5.3 million, which is approximately what he was making for one year in Chicago. an old guy.”

“There were a lot of things that made this the right The power caveat stings a little more, and is perhaps one of the biggest reason the Cubs jettisoned him despite everything place,” he said. “First of all, I’ve made my home here the else he brought to their table last three years, and of course I’ve been coming out here for for so many years. Grace Spring Training for years. I really enjoy the area and am a never hit more than 17 home season-ticket holder with the Cardinals. But the big thing runs in any one season, and at this stage was an opportunity to win. That’s why this is hit only three at Wrigley where I want to end my career.”

And he couldn’t be more bullish on those chances.

Field all last year.

“With the talent they have, it’s a crime they didn’t win “I know the old school says you should get your the NL West last year,” he says, “and I don’t see any power in the infield from reason why we shouldn’t win it this year. Just from first and third,” he demurs, playing against these guys I know they’ve got a very good “but what I count is run starting rotation in Johnson, Curt Schilling, Brian production, which means Anderson, Todd Stottlemyre and Armando Reynoso, and runs scored and runs batted quality setup guys in Greg Swindell and B.K. Kim. And in. To me, that determines you know that kind of pitching’s going to keep you in every game. the value of a hitter.”

— Photo by Lee Schmid

Grace is a lifetime .309 hitter, featuring a season average of better than .300 on nine occasions. In addition, his career fielding percentage of .995 is the highest in Cub history at first base. He committed just four errors out of 1,205 total chances during the 2000 season, a .997 mark. — Photo by Stephen Green

Grace finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 1988, behind Cincinnati's Chris Sabo.

— Photo by Stephen Green

“Matt Williams’ health is a big factor, of course, but I expect him to bounce back. Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley are All-Stars, we’ve got a quality front line catcher in Damian Miller, and you add Batista/Durazo in right field and that’s a darn good lineup. We’ve got veteran guys who have been through the wars, and know how to win, how to act, and how to play the game right. And I think you’re going to see this in the standings.”

Not the least of the things Grace likes about his new baseball home is the home itself. “Every player should have the opportunity to play in a state-of-the-art place like Bank One Ballpark,” he says. “Our weight room in our 100-yearold park in Chicago was about as big as my cubicle here. And this clubhouse is 50 times bigger than the one in Chicago.

“However,” he adds, “by the same token every player should have the opportunity to play in a Wrigley Field or Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium.”

Grace is coming a season in which he hit .280, a respectable number for most players, but the second lowest average in his career. The only years his averaged dipped below .300 were 1991, when he hit a career-low .273, and 1994, when he barely dipped below it at .298.

“Actually, I felt like I hit the ball fine last season,” he says. “I broke a finger in Spring Training, and that set me back for a while.

Also, I ripped a hamstring, although I don’t know how because I don’t run fast enough to rip hamstrings. I guess I was just trying to find that extra gear that just doesn’t exist in me. Anyway, I missed a month there. But there were a lot of good things too. I still hit 41 doubles and drove in 82 runs. And I still walked 95 times and was the toughest guy in baseball to fan. Also, I only made three errors and played Gold Glove-caliber defense.

“So yeah, I only hit .280. But it was just one of those years. You know, to hit .300, you not only have to be talented, but you have to have some luck on your side, too.

And last year was one of those years when luck was not only not on my side, but on anyone with the Cubs.”

Considering the length and luster of his career you might thing Grace was one of those natural talents who seemed ticketed for major league stardom at an early age, but he says that certainly wasn’t his earliest expectation.

“No way,” he grins. “Heck, I was a 24th-round draft pick who has already played 13 more years than I was supposed to. When I was at San Diego State I saw myself getting a degree and getting into the business world and trying to become an upstanding citizen somehow. I didn’t expect to be a big league baseball player.

“In high school and college I just didn’t think I was good enough. I was probably the third or fourth best player on my high school team. In fact, I was a better basketball player than baseball player in high school. And while my numbers were decent enough in junior college and college, I was probably the third or fourth best player on those

“Every player should have the opportunity to play in a state-of-the-art place like Bank One Ballpark” teams too. The only reason scouts came around at San Diego State was because of Chris Gwynn, Tony’s brother.

They’d all come to see him and they’d say, ‘Ah well, that skinny kid at first base is not too bad. He might help us in a rookie leg somewhere, so let’s give him a shot.’”

“Even then, I still didn’t think I was going to be a big league player. But I got drafted by the Cubs, and the first year in pro ball I won a batting title in Single-A ball. And my second year I was MVP in my Double-A league. And THEN I started thinking, ‘I’m going to be a big league ball player.’”

Mark Grace enjoys spending time with his family—Tanya Avila and their two-month-old son, Jackson Gene. — Photo by Sandra Tenuto

How long does he plan to keep on being one?

“As long as I’m a good player I’ll keep playing,” he says.

“I’ve got a two-year deal, so I know I’m going to play at least two more years. I’d like to play four or five more and make a run at 3,000 hits (he needs 799 more). This game drives me. It’s my passion, and there’s nothing or nobody who can drive me away. I’ll drive myself away when it’s time to go, but I know that’s not going to be any time soon. I know I won’t hang around just to pinch hit or anything like that.

“And I enjoy playing defense too much and have too much pride in it to ever be a DH. Even when you go oh-for-four you can dive down the line and take away a two-run double, and that’s like getting two RBIs. Although he’s only lived in the Valley a relatively short time, he’s actively involved in community charity work through his Mark Grace Foundation, which raises money for the Arizona Leukemia Society.

“One of my best friends lost his father to leukemia about seven years ago,” he says. “So that’s the disease that’s closest to home for me, and about eight years ago we decided we would try to raise money through a golf tournament to put a hurtin’ on this terrible disease. And so far we’ve raised a lot of money, and been able to do some good things around the community.”

Plans after baseball?

“I’d like to stay in the game somehow, either in coaching or broadcasting. I did the Cards/Braves playoff series for ESPN Radio last year, and that was fun and easy. I got to talk about the game I know like the back of my hand—and the players I know like the back of my hand, and got paid for it. It was like stealing money.”

In addition to working out four times a week at Bank One Ballpark this winter, Grace has a two-month-old son, Jackson Gene Grace, to help keep in shape.” ◆

GOING HOME Roland Hemond packs his bags for the Windy City

A

legend is going home, and Arizona’s loss is Chicago’s gain. Arizona Diamondbacks Senior Executive Vice President Roland Hemond, a veteran of 50 years service to Major League Baseball, is going back to Chicago as executive advisor to the general manager of the Chicago White Sox, who he served as general manager from 1970 to 1985.

Just about everybody in the organization’s favorite Diamondback, and a three-time winner of the Executive of the Year award, Hemond joined the fledgling Arizona franchise in 1995, after serving for eight years as general manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

During his five years with the Diamondbacks, Hemond was responsible for assisting Vice President/General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. in assembling the baseball operations staff and in preparations for the 1997 Expansion Draft. In the past three years, Hemond has been instrumental in establishing working relationships with teams in the Mexican League, leading to the acquisition of

players such as current Diamondback Erubiel Durazo.

“Roland Hemond has been an invaluable member of our team for the past five years,” said Diamondbacks President Rich Dozer. “And while we are sad to see Roland leave, he does so knowing that he will always be a member of our family.”

“I make this move with mixed emotions,” Hemond said.

“I’m excited to be rejoining the Chicago White Sox, but I leave behind some very dear friends and colleagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks. I take great pride in what this organization has accomplished in a very short period of time, and I wish them nothing but the best in the future.”

The Diamondbacks honored Hemond for his 50 years of service to Major League Baseball on Sept. 15, 2000.

Ironically, the ceremony came prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves, the franchise Hemond started his major league career with in 1951, when it was based in Boston. ◆

Hemond (right) has opened doors throughout the world for the Diamondbacks through his friendships with important people such as Enriqué Mazon, owner of the Mexican Pacific League’s Hermosillo Naranjeros.

Tucson Cactus League Games in

M

ajor League baseball will return to Tucson Electric Park on Friday, March 2, when the Chicago White Sox meet the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first of 30 Spring-Training games at the Cactus League’s newest showplace.

The White Sox and Diamondbacks, who will be sharing the park for the fourth season, each will host 15 games, with the eight other Cactus League teams all scheduled for at least two appearances at TEP, 2500 E. Ajo Way in Tucson.

The Chicago Cubs, traditionally one of the spring’s most popular attractions, will visit Tucson Electric Park four times. National League home run champ Sammy Sosa and his teammates are scheduled to meet the Diamondbacks on March 8 and 11, and will renew their intracity rivalry with the White Sox on March 9 and 23.

For the second consecutive Spring Training, Tucson Electric Park will be the home field for a divisional champion.

The White Sox won the American League Central crown in 2000 after the Diamondbacks captured the National League West title in 1999.

The San Francisco Giants, who won the NL West last season, will make three TEP visits, meeting the White Sox on March 10 and Arizona on March 24 and 28.

Three night games (7:05 p.m.) are on the schedule, with the Colorado Rockies facing the White Sox on March 4, the Cubs playing the Diamondbacks on March 8, and the Rockies visiting the Diamondbacks on March 9. ◆

Tucson Electric Park to Showcase 30 Cactus League Games

2001 Cactus League schedule at Tucson Electric Park DATE

PLAYING FIELD

TIME

Friday, March 2

Chicago White Sox at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Saturday, March 3

Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Sunday, March 4

Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Colorado Rockies at Chicago White Sox

7:05 p.m.

Monday, March 5

Milwaukee at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Tuesday, March 6

Anaheim Angels at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Wednesday, March 7 Colorado Rockies at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Thursday, March 8

Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks

7:05 p.m.

Friday, March 9

Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks

7:05 p.m.

Saturday, March 10

San Francisco Giants at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Sunday, March 11

Chicago Cubs at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Monday, March 12

Oakland Athletics at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Tuesday, March 13

Seattle Mariners at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Wednesday, March 14 Seattle Mariners at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Thursday, March 15

Anaheim Angels at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Friday, March 16

Chicago White Sox at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Saturday, March 17

Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Sunday, March 18

Anaheim Angels at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Monday, March 19

Chicago White Sox at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Tuesday, March 20

San Diego Padres at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Wednesday, March 21 Seattle Mariners at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Thursday, March 22

Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Friday, March 23

Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Saturday, March 24

San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Sunday, March 25

San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks

1:05 p.m.

Monday, March 26

No Game

Tuesday, March 27

Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago White Sox

1:05 p.m.

Wednesday, March 28 San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks

12:05 p.m.

Thursday, March 29

12:05 p.m.

Colorado Rockies at Chicago White Sox

ANOTHER CY FOR “U” Randy Johnson Wins Second Straight Cy Young Award

Randy Johnson's status as the best pitcher in the National League, and the best left-handed pitcher in either league, was validated with his second straight Cy Young Award. And he won the 2000 Cy, the third of his career, in runaway fashion.

The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) gave the veteran left hander 22 of a possible 32 first place votes, seven seconds, and two thirds for a total of 133 points based on a 5-3-1 point system.

Atlanta's Tom Glavine finished second with 64 points, Photo by Barry Gossage just ahead of teammate Greg Maddux, with 59 points.

Johnson had the National League's best winning 1965-66. Johnson is the eighth pitcher to win at least three percentage with a .731 mark based on his 19-7 record, Cy Young Awards, also earning the honor in 1995 with while leading the majors in strikeouts with 347 in 248.2 Seattle. He joins Martinez who won his third on Monday, innings. He also tied for the top spot in the N.L. with eight Roger Clemens with five, Steve Carlton and Maddux four complete games and three shutouts, and his 2.64 ERA was each, Koufax, Tom Seaver and Jim Palmer with three.

"It's a great honor to receive this award," said Johnson, second only to Kevin Brown’s 2.58 mark.

The Big Unit became the 12th pitcher in major league "but I truly feel I’m not a complete player yet, nor is anybody history to eclipse the 3,000 career strikeout mark when he who’s never been to a World Series. But still, having my fanned Florida’s Mike Lowell in the fourth inning on Sept. name mentioned with pitchers like Sandy Koufax, Steve 10 in Pro Player Stadium. Johnson recorded his 300th Carlton, Tom Seaver and Jim Palmer is very gratifying."

"It's a thrill to be around this guy every day and watch strikeout of the year earlier in that contest joining Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers in history to fan at least 300 men him work," said General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. "People ask me all the time if I'm surprised by what he's in three consecutive seasons.

Johnson's season began with a 6-0 month of April, done, but on one level, you can’t be surprised by anything posting a 0.91 ERA (five earned runs in 49.1 innings with that Randy Johnson accomplishes on the mound. What 64 strikeouts), joining Vida Blue (1971) and Dave Stewart you are is appreciative when you get to watch him pitch (1988) as the only pitchers to win six games before May 1. day in and day out. So we’re thrilled. And not to put any He joins Boston's Pedro Martinez as the most recent pressure on him or anything, but I guess now we’re talking about a three-peat. back-to-back winners of the Cy "There are a lot of negative Young Award. This marks the first The complete Cy Young vote: things to this job," said time the National League has had PITCHER (Club) 1st 2nd 3rd Total incoming manager Bob the same pitcher win back-to-back RANDY JOHNSON 22 4 2 133 (Arizona Diamondbacks) Brenly, "but getting the awards since Greg Maddux won opportunity to manage Randy an unprecedented four in a row Tom Glavine 4 12 8 64 (Atlanta Braves) Johnson is not one of them, from 1992-96, the first with the Greg Maddux 3 10 14 59 believe me. Watching him Chicago Cubs and last three with (Atlanta Braves) from up in the booth over the Atlanta. The only other National Robb Nen 2 2 4 20 last couple of years has been a League pitcher to win consecutive (San Francisco Giants) real treat. And I’m sure it’s Cy Young Awards was the Darryl Kile 1 0 3 8 (St. Louis Cardinals) going to be a real joy to pencil Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax, who was his name into the bottom of an overall three-time winner, Kevin Brown 0 1 1 4 (Los Angeles Dodgers) that lineup every fifth day." ◆ including back-to-back seasons of

Johnson had an 11-1 record and 1.40 ERA through his first 14 starts and was 15-2 at the All-Star break, earning the starting nod for the National League. It was his seventh Midsummer Classic selection, sixth appearance and third starting assignment. — Photo by Lee Schmid

S O M E

V E R Y

Select

Company R B Y S T E V E FA L L

andy Johnson continues to achieve what few pitchers have done before him.

In 1999, he became just the third pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. By winning his second consecutive Cy Young Award last season, Johnson joined another exclusive group. Only seven pitchers have won the award successively since it was introduced in 1956.

Greg Maddux is the only pitcher to win more than two in a row – he captured four straight from 1992 through 1995. One of the back-to-back winners, Denny McLain, won the award in 1968 and then shared it with Mike Cuellar the following season.

Roger Clemens made the group on two occasions. He won the Cy Young with the Red Sox in 1986-87. He later captured consecutive awards with the Blue Jays in 1997-98.

We’ll break up Maddux’s four seasons into two separate time frames – his first two award-winning campaigns in 1992-93 and the following two in 1994-95. Because of this split, we end up with a total of nine back-to-back Cy Young seasons.

Johnson has been brilliant ever since he put on a Diamondbacks’ uniform. He went 17-9 with a league– leading 2.48 ERA in 1999. He followed that up by going 19-7 with a 2.64 ERA last season. He led the majors in strikeouts both years by huge margins. He fanned 364 batters in 1999 and 347 in 2000.

How do Johnson’s two seasons compare to the other back-to-back Cy Young Award winners? Chart A shows all the pitchers along with their won-lost records and earned

Johnson tied his and Nolan Ryan's major league record for double-digit strikeout games with 23, the second consecutive year Johnson has accomplished that feat.

He finished the year with 148 career games with 10 or more strikeouts, second only to Ryan's 215.

— Photo by Joel Zolondek

Johnson has been brilliant ever since he put on a Diamondbacks’ uniform.

run averages. They are ranked by ERA.

Chart B

Back-to-Back Cy Young Winners

ERA Compared to League ERA

ERA League ERA Diff. Pct. Diff.

Seasons W-L ERA

Greg Maddux, Atlanta Braves

1994-95 35-8 1.60

Greg Maddux, 1994-95

1.60

4.19

- 2.59 - 61.8%

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers

1965-66 53-17 1.89

Pedro Martinez, 1999-00 1.90

4.88

- 2.98 - 61.1%

Pedro Martinez, Red Sox

1999-00 41-10 1.90

Roger Clemens, 1997-98

2.33

4.61

- 2.28 - 49.5%

Greg Maddux, Chicago Cubs/Atl. Braves 1992-93 40-21 2.27

Sandy Koufax, 1965-66

1.89

3.57

- 1.68 - 47.1%

Jim Palmer, Baltimore Orioles

1975-76 45-24 2.30

Randy Johnson, 1999-00 2.56

4.59

- 2.03 - 44.2%

Roger Clemens, Toronto Blue Jays

1997-98 41-13 2.33

Greg Maddux, 1992-93

2.27

3.79

- 1.52 - 40.1%

Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers

1968-69 55-15 2.37

Jim Palmer, 1975-76

2.30

3.65

- 1.35 - 37.0%

Randy Johnson, Arizona Diamondbacks 1999-00 36-16 2.56

Roger Clemens, 1986-87

2.74

4.32

- 1.58 - 36.6%

Roger Clemens, Red Sox

Denny McLain, 1968-69

2.37

3.33

- 0.96 - 28.8%

1986-87 44-13 2.74

Chart A Johnson’s seasons rank eighth in ERA. His 2.56 mark is exceptional considering the current offensive climate. Most of other back-to-back Cy Young winners pitched when there was substantially less offense.

The National League ERA in Johnson’s two seasons was 4.59. Meanwhile, in Denny McLain’s award-winning seasons, the AL ERA was 3.33. You can’t accurately compare the ERA of pitchers from the 1960’s to those of today without taking into account such factors.

Chart B compares each pitcher’s ERA to the league ERA for those seasons. They’re ranked by the percentage in which their figure was below the league mark.

Johnson placed fifth in percentage below the league ERA, not far behind Sandy Koufax. He fared much better in this category than McLain, who finished last.

Johnson’s ERA was more than two runs lower than the NL figure. Only three pitchers had a greater difference.

The two-year statistics of McLain and Koufax, though extremely impressive, came at a time when pitching ruled.

Though McLain was outstanding in 1968-69, especially when he went 31-6 in 1968, his ERA was less than a run below the AL average. He had the smallest difference by a significant margin.

Strikeouts are another great way to show a pitcher’s dominance. Johnson was the only pitcher of the group to top 700 strikeouts in his two seasons. Koufax was the only other pitcher to exceed 600 strikeouts. Chart C ranks the pitchers by strikeouts per nine innings.

Any way you look at it, Johnson put together two remarkable years. His numbers stack up well with the greatest pitchers of the past several decades.

— Photo by Barry Gossage

Johnson appeared headed for his second straight ERA title, but his hopes were derailed on the final day of the season when he allowed eight earned runs in just 3 1/3 innings against the National League West champion San Francisco Giants, raising his season mark from 2.38 to 2.64. He finished second to Kevin Brown of the Los Angeles Dodgers. — Photo by David Decoteau

Chart C Strikeouts Comparison

IP SO SO/9

Pedro Martinez, 1999-00 430.1 597 12.5 Randy Johnson, 1999-00 520.1 711 12.3 Roger Clemens, 1997-98 498.2 563 10.2 Sandy Koufax, 1965-66

658.2 699 9.6

Roger Clemens, 1986-87 535.2 494 8.3

Of the 900 at-bats against Johnson last season, only 83 (9.2 percent) were by left-handed hitters. Right-handed pitchers have a big advantage in this respect. Not to take anything away from a brilliant right hander like Martinez, but he faced right-handed batters about 48 percent of the time last season.

In our final category, Chart D compares the winning percentage of each pitcher to the winning percentage of their club. This category enables us to adjust for the quality of each pitcher’s team. They’re ranked in order of the difference in which their winning percentage exceeded their team’s figure.

Greg Maddux, 1994-95

411.2 337 7.4

Greg Maddux, 1992-93

535.0 396 6.7

Denny McLain, 1968-69

661.0 461 6.3

Winning Percentage Compared to Team

Jim Palmer, 1975-76

638.0 352 5.0

W-L

Pct. Team Pct. Diff.

Roger Clemens, 1997-98

41-13

.759

.506

+ .253

Pedro Martinez, 1999-00

41-10

.804

.552

+ .252

Roger Clemens, 1986-87

44-13

.772

.536

+ .236

Greg Maddux, 1994-95

35-8

.814

.612

+ .202

Denny McLain, 1968-69

55-15

.786

.596

+ .190

Sandy Koufax, 1965-66

53-17

.757

.593

+ .164

Randy Johnson, 1999-00

36-16

.692

.571

+ .121

Jim Palmer, 1975-76

45-24

.652

.555

+ .097

Greg Maddux, 1992-93

40-21

.656

.562

+ .094

Johnson and Pedro Martinez led the rest of the group by a wide margin in strikeouts per nine innings. Martinez narrowly topped Johnson. However, Johnson pitched 90 more innings than the Red Sox ace in the past two seasons.

Therefore, Johnson’s figure carries more weight because he sustained his remarkably high ratio for significantly longer.

Not surprisingly, Johnson was one of just two lefties in the group. Koufax was the other. Lefty starters have a tougher time dominating because right-handed batters are much more abundant than left-handed batters. Therefore, they rarely have the platoon advantage.

Chart D

Johnson was honored at Bank One Ballpark on Sept. 11, the day after he registered his 3,000th career strikeout against the Florida Marlins at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Among the gifts he received were a customized guitar from Fender, a set of PING golf clubs, a marble home plate and, most importantly, a hug from his 2-year-old daughter, Willow.

— Photo by Joel Zolondek

Johnson ranked seventh. His showing in this category is somewhat misleading.

He had inconsistent run support in the past two seasons that negatively impacted his won-lost record.

He received run support of 4.78 runs per nine innings in 2000. That was below the NL average of 5.05. In 1999, he had to endure a stretch of four consecutive starts when the Diamondbacks were shut out. He could easily have had a 41-11 record in these two seasons as opposed to 36-16.

Any way you look at them, Johnson put together two remarkable years.

His numbers stack up well with the greatest pitchers of the past several decades.

The Diamondbacks are very fortunate to have one of the all-time greats at the top of their rotation. ◆

SOUTHPAWS IN THE SOONER STATE Randy Johnson wins second straight Warren Spahn Award

Major League Baseball's strikeout king for the last 12 years, the Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson, has been named the 2000 Warren Spahn Award winner for the second straight year by the Oklahoma Sports Museum (OSM). The award, a 2-foot-2 bronze statue of Spahn, was presented by Spahn at a gala banquet Jan. 19, at the Masonic Temple Center in Guthrie, Okla.

Johnson, 37, led his team this year in innings pitched (249), wins (19), earned run average (2.65) and strikeouts (347). Johnson faced 1001 batters, striking out more than a third of them.

"The OSM honors the best lefty in baseball each year to remind fans of the legendary accomplishments of Oklahoman Warren Spahn," said Richard Hendricks, OSM president. "What better place to hold this banquet than Oklahoma's first state house, the Convention Hall that is now the Masonic Temple Center."

Randy Johnson poses with his 1999 Warren Spahn Award at last year’s award gala.

Hall of Famer Warren Spahn with the 1999 Warren Spahn Award given to Randy Johnson at last year’s award gala.

The Warren Spahn Award, given by OSM for the first time in 1999, recognizes the best left-handed MLB pitcher, using the number of wins, lowest earned run average and total strikeouts as criteria. The award is given to commemorate Hall of Famer Spahn’s career because he had the most wins (363) in MLB history for a lefty and was the winningest MLB pitcher his entire career ('42-'65).

Johnson has led MLB in strikeouts during his career and had the third most wins in the '90s.

In his second season with the Diamondbacks, the 6-foot-10 ace threw eight complete games and notched three shutouts. Starting the season on fire, he went 15-2 before the All-Star break. He was the starting pitcher for the National League in his seventh All-Star appearance. Last year he became one of only three B Y D A R L D e VA U LT MLB pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. This year he was the National League Cy Young Award winner again.

The bronze award depicting Spahn in his famous high-kicking windup was sculpted by noted Oklahoma artist Shan Gray, who worked closely with Spahn. The OSM plans to soon commission a nine-foot version of the statute to honor the Hall of Famer.

Striving to inspire today's youth through Oklahoma's rich athletic heritage, the OSM is Oklahoma's official sports museum. The museum honors athletes with Oklahoma ties who play professional or Olympic sports. ◆

More

Finley made all the highlight reels with his catch on Aug. 27 at Shea Stadium in New York, taking a home run away from Robin Ventura of the Mets in the fifth inning. — Photo by Joel Zolondek

For Fins

— Photo by Joel Zolondek

OK,

so it's a cliché. But 35-year-old Steve Finley really isn't getting older; he's getting better. Or at the very least he's still every bit as good as ever.

Finley, who has thrilled Bank One Ballpark fans (not to mention grateful Diamondback pitchers) with his spectacular defensive play the last two seasons, won his second straight Gold Glove in 2000 as one of three outfielders on the National League team selected as the best fielders at their positions by major league managers and coaches.

This is the fourth Gold Glove for Finley. His other two were in 1995 and 1996 as a San Diego Padre.

"This is a very gratifying honor," he said, "and I appreciate all the managers and coaches who voted for me."

Finley committed only three errors last year while recording 342 putouts and 10 assists for a .992 fielding percentage. And on May 31 vs. St. Louis, he started the only triple play in Diamondbacks history, catching Mark McGwire's fly ball and throwing home in time to nail Placido Polanco trying to score from third base. Catcher Damian Miller then relayed the ball to shortstop Tony Finley is the only player in the Diamondbacks' brief history to earn Womack, who tagged Edgar Renteria as he tried to a Rawlings Gold Glove, and now he advance from second to third. has done so twice in Arizona. He also won the award in 1995 and '96 as a Other N.L. Gold Glovers were outfielders Andruw member of the San Diego Padres.

Jones of Atlanta and Jim Edmonds of St. Louis, Atlanta — Photo courtesy of Rawlings pitcher Greg Maddux, St. Louis catcher Mike Matheny, San Francisco first baseman J.T. Snow, Cincinnati second "This is a very gratifying honor," he said, "and baseman Pokey Reese, I appreciate all the managers and coaches who Philadelphia third baseman voted for me."

Scott Rolen and Colorado shortstop Neifi Perez. ◆

Super A

G A M E

O F

stitions

BY M I C H A E L JAC O B S

T

Wade Boggs (shown here enjoying a meal with former teammate Fred McGriff) ate chicken before every game in his 18-year playing career. The superstition started in 1982, his rookie season.

— Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Devil Rays

he Diamondbacks will win 57 of 81 home games next year if exactly 28,643 of the 36,000 fans that attend each home game wear the team’s purple caps. But, out of those 28,643, exactly one-third must turn those caps backwards.

And, out of the precise two-thirds not assuming the backwards position, one-quarter must don a soiled, worn Diamondback T-shirt that hasn’t been washed in 10 full days. All 36,000 must buy peanuts from vendors on the third base side of Bank One Ballpark, and no one is allowed to talk when Randy Johnson pitches. One uttered word might have cataclysmic repercussions. Psychologically silly? Superfluously expended mental energy? A competitive edge?

Baseball is as much a game of superstitions as it is a game of inches. Rally caps, on-deck circle routines and avoiding chalk lines are as much a part of the game as the squeeze play, hit-and-runs, snow-cone catches, the Green Monster, Wrigley Field ivy, the Bank One Ballpark swimming pool, Jack Buck, Vin Scully, Jon Miller, Crackerjacks, peanuts and hot dogs. They are all romantic quirks that add a charismatic flare—a je ne sais quoi—to the game of baseball.

“Folklore, nostalgia and stories are much more prevalent in baseball than the other games,” says Roland Hemond, former senior executive vice president of the Arizona Diamondbacks. “The pace of the game allows for much more meditation and quirks can be worked in.”

Quirks. Baseball superstitions are singular and fantastic, widespread and rampant. They range from the garden-variety, foot-tapping exploits of Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra to the sublime chicken eating habits of future Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs.

Texas Rangers closer John Wetteland wears the same sweaty hat all season. Free-agent pitcher Turk Wendell used to eat black licorice and brush his teeth between every inning.

Now he just wears a shark-tooth necklace to ward off evil spirits and jumps over the baselines as if they were black holes.

And then there’s Boggs. His superstition started back in 1982, his rookie season, when he found he a correlation between multiple hit games and his pre-game meal: chicken.

“I got to the point of paranoia when I couldn’t find any chicken to eat before a game,” Boggs says.

Paranoia? Boggs, who ranks 22nd on the all-time list with 3,010 hits, ate chicken before every game in his 18-year playing career. That’s 162 games multiplied by 18 years or 2,916 chicken dishes—roughly one chicken dish for every hit.

These are grown-up men making more than grown-up dollars. So, why do they employ superstitions?

“Diet in baseball is paramount with all of the things that are done now with nutrition,” says Chris Speier, the new third base coach for the Diamondbacks.

“But (Boggs) eating chicken before every game. I mean, come on.”

Speier, a three-time all-star All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra's frenetic gyrations in the batters box shortstop, played 19 seasons in the help keep him focused by reminding him of his sandlot days.

—Photo by Lee Schmid Major Leagues. One of his teammates was a guy named Tito Fuentes.

Garciaparra resembles a Nutcracker Sweet ballerina on “He (Fuentes) had all kinds of superstitions. He wore speed when he digs into the dirt of the batter’s box with his cleats and frantically adjusts his batting gloves. The routine two or three different types of necklaces and he would put focuses his memory on his bantam days when he didn’t them on in a certain order,” Speier says. “He had a ritual to have enough money for his own cleats and had to wear his put on his baseball socks. Those types of things brother’s, which were too big for him. It takes his mind just develop.”

A ritual? These are grown-up men making more than back to youthful sandlots—a more relaxed place than the grown-up dollars. So, why do they employ superstitions? cathedral atmosphere of a major league ballpark.

▼

▲ Former San Francisco Giants second baseman had rituals for putting on his baseball socks and several gold chains.

— Photos Courtesty San Francisco Giants

Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling leaps over base lines in games he starts.

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

“If we (the Diamondbacks) score some runs, then we might stay in the same seat up in the box,” says Sandy Johnson, the team’s assistant general manager. “But we never go as far as rabbit feet or wearing the same shirt or anything like that.”

Johnson played for 10 years in the minors before becoming a professional scout, and has been a part of the Diamondbacks organization since before the expansion draft.

“I used the same glove for my whole career,” Johnson says. “You feel naked if you’re out there without your good glove. It’s almost like having a teddy bear “In a sport like baseball without contact, a solo sport, out there.” superstitions and rituals have a way of calming people’s nerves.

Teddy bear. Johnson had teammates who would And if it calms their nerves, then it helps their performance.” order a pastrami sandwich in a particular restaurant if “If they don’t do it, then they don’t think they’ll hit,” says it brought them luck the day before. Others would drive to Hemond, a three-time major league baseball Executive of the ballpark in a routine fashion. Some would refuse to the Year. “A pitcher named Mark Fidyich used to get on his attend movies, because they thought it would ruin knees to clear off the mound before the start of the inning their eyesight.

“I played with a pitcher once who with his bare hands. And then he would talk to the ball.”

In the movie Bull Durham, the character played by Tim was going good. We had these 100 Robbins, a pitcher named Nuke Laloosh, wore a garter belt percent wool shirts,” Johnson says. with a rose facing out in his left hip, so that women’s “On a 115-degree day in Texas, this clothing would help him breathe through his eyelids like guy refused not to wear the wool the lava lizards of the Gallapagos Islands. And thus, shirt, because he was on a three game winning streak. He lost the presumably pitch better.

Do any Diamondbacks fasten female garments game and that was the end of the wool shirt.” underneath their uniform?

Sandy Johnson “One of the things that a superstition does is help people control their anxiety,” says Dr. Andy Hogg, the presidentelect of the Arizona Psychological Association. “In a sport like baseball without contact, a solo sport, superstitions and rituals have a way of calming people’s nerves. And if it calms their nerves, then it helps their performance.”

Performance. Some players in an 0-for-slump won’t shave until they get a hit. And hitting streaks are notorious for producing a special breed of baseball players who refuse to wash their shirts or underwear until the streaks are over.

The ritual in baseball is not to break the ritual. On a winning streak, a manager might fill out a lineup card in a pre-ordained manner. There is even talk about not engaging in certain extracurricular activities on the home front during a winning streak. Some of this superstitious behavior may be grounds for divorce.

“If things are going well, then you don’t change too many things,” Speier says. “You go through your little ritual and then you know that you’ve got your ducks covered.”

But when it comes down to it, who knows whether or not base coaches are really relaying instructions from the manager or if they are really re-arranging their cups for good luck?

For a sport that reveres its heroes for posting a success rate of 30 percent, superstitions may be the difference between riding the pines and circling the base paths.

“Especially as a hitter, seven out of 10 times you fail,” Johnson says. “So it’s a comfort zone. If it works for you, then great. Some guys laugh at it and some guys take it seriously.”

Boggs certainly took his chicken seriously. But would he have eclipsed 3,000 hits in his career had he not eaten all of that chicken? Although psychological in nature, there is evidence that superstitions may not be so silly.

“Players want a routine so that they can stay relaxed and focused,” says Bart Lerner, a sports counselor and professor at the Arizona School of Professional Psychologists. “It’s all about control. They feel like they are in control. As a sports psychologist, I want them to feel like they are in control of the situation.”

Control. Superstitions are harmless and easy ways to get players to reduce anxiety. They are animated rituals that some players use to garner a competitive edge over those who don’t believe in wacky behavior.

“You can’t be too lowly or too highly aroused,” Lerner says. “You have to stay on a moderate level, because extremes will decrease performance. Superstitions or rituals help baseball players avoid those extremes.”

So, the next time you are at Bank One Ballpark and see your favorite Diamondbacks jump over the “Players want a routine so that they baselines, talk to their gloves or rub can stay relaxed and focused,” says each others bellies remember this— Bart Lerner. baseball is as much a game of superstitions as it is a game of inches.

And remember to wear that purple Diamondbacks cap backwards, to buy peanuts on the third base side of the stadium and DO NOT utter one word when New York Mets pitcher Turk Wendell used to eat black Randy Johnson is on the mound. And don’t wash your shirt, licorice and brush his teeth between every inning. He now either—no matter how badly you might smell. We’re talking wears a shark-tooth necklace to ward off evil spirits and jumps over base lines.

— Photo by Lee Schmid about winning 57 of 81 home games! ◆

BRENLY STAFF BLEND OF OLD & NEW New manager Bob Brenly’s coaching staff will include holdovers Dwayne Murphy and Glenn Sherlock, and newcomers Chris Speier, Bob Melvin and Bob Welch.

Murphy and Sherlock have been with the organization since 1996 and both have been on the major-league coaching staff since the inaugural 1998 season. Sherlock again will be the team’s bullpen and catching coach, while Murphy will move from the first-base coaching box to the role of hitting coach.

“Both of them know baseball,” said Brenly, “and both know this team. Our fans should be as pleased as we are that they are coming back.”

Sherlock served as the Diamondbacks’ minor-league catching coordinator in 1996 and 1997 before becoming the team’s major-league bullpen coach. He played in the New York Yankees’ system from 1983-1989 and was a minor-league manager and coach for the Yankees before coming to Arizona.

Murphy managed the Diamondbacks’ entry in the rookie-level Arizona League in 1996 and was on the High Desert coaching staff in 1997 when the Mavericks won the California League pennant. He has been the Diamondbacks’ first-base coach since 1998. In 12 major-league seasons, he won six Rawlings Gold Gloves as an outfielder and hit a career-high 33 home runs in 1984.

Melvin, who will be the bench coach, shared catching duties with Brenly in San Francisco for three years. He comes to the Diamondbacks from the Detroit Tigers, where he was Phil Garner’s bench coach last year. He was also Garner’s bench coach at Milwaukee in 1999, and was a special assignment scout for the Brewers the two years before that.

He played his college baseball at the University of California, and was drafted by the Tigers in 1981. In addition to the Tigers and Giants, he also played for the Orioles, Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox in an 11-year playing career.

“Bob Melvin is a perfect fit for this situation,” said Brenly. “I don’t know if we’ll always go by the book, but I do know we’ll always be on the same page.”

Speier, the first minor-league manager in Diamondbacks franchise history, will direct third base traffic for the Big Club.

“As a player, a coach and a manager, Chris brings us a wealth of experience and knowledge,” says Diamondbacks Vice President and General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. “In

The new coaching staff met as a unit for the first time on Dec. 14 at Bank One Ballpark. — Photo by Sandra Tenuto

addition, he is very familiar with the players who have come through our farm system.”

In 1996, Speier managed the Lethbridge, Alberta, Black Diamonds, Arizona’s first farm team, to a divisional championship in the Pioneer League. From that roster, catcher Rod Barajas, outfielder Jason Conti and outfielder Rob Ryan played for Arizona during the 2000 season.

The next year, he was named California League Manager of the Year as the Diamondbacks’ High Desert affiliate won the pennant. He managed the Tucson Sidewinders, Arizona’s affiliate in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1998 and 1999 before leaving to become third base coach for the Brewers.

Speier played in the major leagues for 19 seasons, mostly with San Francisco, where he was Brenly’s teammate for three years. He also played for Montreal, Minnesota and the Chicago Cubs. He was named to the National League team for the All-Star Game three times as a shortstop.

Welch, the new pitching coach, had a 17-year major league career featuring 211 career victories, including 27 in his Cy Young season of 1990 with the Oakland Athletics.

“In Bob Welch we have added a man who combines the knowledge of what it takes to compete at the major league level with the ability to pass on this knowledge of pitching to others,” said Garagiola.

Welch broke into the majors in 1978 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was part of one of the classic moments in World Series history that fall, striking out New York Yankee slugger Reggie Jackson to close out a 4-3 Dodger victory in Game Two. After a 10-year career with the Dodgers, Welch was obtained by the Athletics as part of a three-team trade that included the New York Mets. Welch anchored a starting rotation that served as the foundation for the three-time American League pennant-winning A’s that also captured a World Series title in 1989. Over that three-year span, Welch sported a 61-23 won-loss record, and an ERA of 3.21.

Welch’s coaching resumé includes one year as pitching coach at Arizona State University (1996). This past year, he served as Manager of the Western League Valley Vipers (independent), guiding them to a 23-22 record. ◆

Silver

BY B U D W I L K I N S O N

This is building No. 78 at the Studebaker factory. Supplies and vehicles were shipped and received from this building.

Hawks This is a 1957 Golden Hawk. Although very similar to the Silver Hawk, it was the top-line Hawk and featured a supercharged Studebaker 289 V8 engine, as well as the hardtop body style.

S

The Studebaker National Museum exists thanks to the company’s foresight in creating a car collection and because of Studebaker lovers who loan or donate vehicles to the museum. “That’s why we get a lot of these wonderful cars. People put so much into (their care and restoration),” says Radecki, who drives a Volvo. “They don’t want to sell it and have some kid get ahold of it and hot-rod it or abuse it. They want it to come to the museum because they know we’ll take care of them.”

Plans are now underway to build a new Studebaker National Museum.

It will be twice the size of the current facility with 120,000 square feet.

“We’ll be able not only to fit in more vehicles but we’ll be able to put them in historical context. The future looks real good,” Radecki says.

“We do have a collection plan,” adds Beckman. “We’ve targeted significant vehicles from Studebaker’s history. You never know what’s going to come down the driveway at you.”

Ironically, though, one model that the museum doesn’t have is the South Bend baseball team’s namesake—the Silver Hawk. ◆ Longtime Valley journalist Bud Wilkinson is a frequent contributor to Diamondbacks Magazine. He hosts the nationally syndicated radio program “Broadway’s Biggest Hits”, which airs on Phoenix’s KMYL (AM 1190), Tucson’s KCEE (AM 940) and Yuma’s KBLU (AM 540).

The final assembly line for the new Raymond Loewy–designed 1947 Studebakers

outh Bend, Indiana—An apology to TV Land for swiping the concept of its catchy, “connect-the-dots” on-air promos, but can you trace a connection between President Abraham Lincoln and the Arizona Diamondbacks?

I thought not.

The link’s really not that difficult to spot, though, if you visit the Studebaker National Museum. That’s because inside the museum is the carriage that transported Lincoln to Ford’s Theater the night he was assassinated. It’s one of This is the wagon that John Studebaker built for his family for their trip from Ohio to Indiana. It was built in approximately 1835. It is currently on display at the Studebaker National Museum.

four presidential carriages in the museum, whose artifacts trace Studebaker’s history from being the country’s biggest wagon-maker in the 19th Century to its ultimate failure as a car company more than a hundred years later.

Studebaker built automobiles from 1902, when it pioneered an electric car, until March 1966. Some of its stylish models included the Hawk, Lark, Commander, Dictator, Champion, Avanti, Daytona and, yes, even the President.

Included in the Hawk line were the upscale Golden Hawk and the less decorated Silver Hawk. And it’s the latter nameplate that South Bend’s minor league baseball team adopted as its nickname—the South Bend SilverHawks, which are a farm club of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

So, in three easy steps—President Lincoln to Studebaker, Studebaker to South Bend SilverHawks, SilverHawks to Diamondbacks—it is possible to link “Honest Abe” to “D. Baxter Bobcat.” That the SilverHawks’ Coveleski Stadium is across a parking lot from the museum makes the connection complete.

“We were delighted when they wanted to become the Silver Hawks,” says Ron Radecki, director of the Studebaker National Museum. “They’re great neighbors.”

Radecki grew up riding in a Silver Hawk. His Uncle Stanley, who played minor league baseball in the 1940s, owned a black Silver Hawk. He would

A tour of the museum confirms the distinctiveness of pack it with family members for trips to Lake Michigan.

“That was a great car. We had lots of fun with that,” Studebakers over the years, although one of the fourwheeled artifacts predates the company—an 1835 Radecki recalls.

Studebaker introduced the Silver Hawk in 1957 “as a Conestoga wagon. It greets visitors along with the Lincoln companion to the Golden Hawk,” explains Andy The Studebaker National Museum exists thanks to the Beckman, curator of company's foresight in creating a car collection and because of collections for the museum.

Studebaker lovers who loan or donate vehicles to the museum.

The Silver Hawk “continued in production as the junior Hawk model (1861-65) carriage, a landau used by President Ulysses S. through 1959.

“It was their sporty model. They billed it as a family Grant (1869-1877), a brougham that hauled President sports car, a sports car with room for four or five people. Benjamin Harrison (1989-1893), and a surrey used by They liked to think the competition was the Ford President William McKinley (1897-1901).

It was in February 1852 that brothers Henry and Clement Thunderbird or (Chevrolet) Corvette, but it was really Studebaker moved to South Bend and opened a blacksmith more comparable to the Buick Riviera of later years.”

What set the Hawk line—indeed, what set all Studebakers shop. Within five years, the U.S. Army placed an order for apart—was styling. “You could count on Studebaker to 100 wagons. By 1875, the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing have something different than the competition,” says Company hit the $1 million in annual sales. However, Beckman. “Styling was probably what they were known experimentation with automobile production didn’t begin for the most. Raymond Loewy, who handled their styling until in 1897, and it wasn’t until 1920 that the first gasoline car from 1936 through 1955 as well as the Avanti project, was was produced in South Bend. That “Light Six” model is on display at the museum. a name most closely associated with Studebaker styling.”

years old. My grandfather drove us from Connecticut in his new Studebaker Lark.)

Over the years, Studebaker acquired other carmakers. In 1912, the company assumed ownership of the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders company of Detroit, maker of the EMF and Flanders models. The The last car produced in South Bend. Final Assembly Dec. 20, 1963, (Andy's favorite).

Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company was purchased 1928, while Packard “This company and South Bend played a real important role in the development of transportation in this country merged with Studebaker in 1954, which explains the presence of a 1955 Packard Patrician and 1956 Packard Predictor in and we want to perpetuate that history,” says Radecki.

Beckman adds, “People don’t realize that Studebaker the museum.

In the end, though, going up against Ford, General made horse-drawn vehicles. They don’t realize that they made trucks. They’ve never seen the pre-war classics of the Motors and Chrysler, Studebaker “just couldn’t compete in ‘30s. They don’t realize that Studebaker made such a wide the marketplace anymore. Many people say it’s a wonder they lasted as long as they did,” says Beckman. variety of products.”

Production abruptly ended in South Bend in December And they all can be seen—from a horse-drawn 1917 army ambulance and 1928 Studebaker fire truck to 1942 Army 1963, with a plant in Canada lasting until March 1966. truck and 1963 postal van. It’s the cars, though, that attract Nearly 35 years later, Studebakers can still be found on the 70,000-80,000 visitors to the museum each year. “If you’re 40 road. “I’ve heard numbers anywhere from 50,000 to 150,000. It would be an impossible thing to catalog,” says years or older, you have a Studebaker story,” Radecki says.

(He’s right, too. My first and only visit to the Lincoln Beckman, who drives a Honda Civic while restoring a 1964 Memorial in Washington, DC came in 1960 when I was six Studebaker Daytona.

Studebaker Owners Passion for Their Nostalgic Cars When Studebaker owners speak of their classic cars, it's with traces of nostalgia and romance. "Studebakers had unique styling all through the years," says Chris Collins, who, with husband Chuck, owns www.studebakerparts.com, a Phoenix-based parts company that stocks "the things that keep the cars on the road."

Collins reports that there are "hundreds and hundreds" of Studebakers still running in Arizona. She knows, too, as she manages the Grand State Chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club. Together, she and her husband own four Studebakers—a 1951 Champion Starlight, a 1963 GT Hawk, a 1963 Avanti and 1964 Champion pickup.

Chuck grew up with Studebakers. His father was a veterinarian in rural Wisconsin and would trade in his Studebaker for a new model whenever the odometer hit 100,0000 miles. "I just sort of married into it," Chris says, noting

that the company's "unique history" plays a role in her love of the vehicles.

Joe Mecey, another Studebaker owner who lives in Phoenix, agrees. "Studebaker was an outstanding manufacturing company. They went from wagons to cars.

At the time of their closure, they were the oldest company in the business," he says.

Mecey only owns two Studebaker models—a 1988 Avanti, which was manufactured by one of the five companies that have produced the model since the company's demise, and a 1964 GT Hawk that he keeps in Payson. "The quality of the automobiles is what set Studebakers apart.” he says. “Style-wise, they were ahead of the rest of the industry."

Studebakers may be their passion, but these local Studebakers buffs do like the Diamondbacks. "We keep tabs on what's happening," says Collins.

"They’ve done very well for being a new team," Mecey adds.

By Bud Wilkinson

While most Diamondback fans probably won't get to see the South Bend SilverHawks—the D-backs' minor league club that takes its nickname from a Studebaker model—play, they can get to

Bob Schouten of Glendale, AZ, is the proud owner of a 1956 Studebaker Power Hawk.

see some Studebakers up close. Every July, Chris-Town Mall at Bethany Home Road and 19th Avenue—hosts a display of the vintage cars. The dates for 2001 are July 13, 14 and 15.

D -B AC K S N EWS Scouting Changes The Diamondbacks will have five new faces in their Scouting department for the 2001 season, including a new regional supervisor.

Director of Scouting Mike Rizzo announced that Charles Scott will be west regional supervisor. Scott comes to the Diamondbacks after four seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

New scouts and their territories include the following: — Mark Baca in southern California, Hawaii and the Southwest.

— Mike Daughtry in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.

— Doug Gassaway in northern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

— Steve Kmetko in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, plus the Las Vegas and El Paso areas.

In addition, Phil Rizzo, an area scout for the organization in 2000, will assume new responsibilities as a major-league scout. ◆

Reynoso Re-Signs Veteran right-hander Armando Reynoso has re-upped with the Diamondbacks for two more years.

Reynoso compiled a 21-18 record in his first two seasons as a Diamondback, including an 11-12 ledger in 2000. The nineyear veteran initially signed as a free agent with Arizona prior to the 1999 season, going 10-6 in the division championship season. He has a lifetime mark of 67-56 in 187 games (177 starts) in a career that began with the Atlanta Braves in 1991, and included stops in Colorado and with the New York Mets prior to joining the Diamondbacks.

"In Armando we have a starting pitcher who in two seasons as a Diamondback has proven to be a dependable member of our rotation," said vice president and general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. ◆

Cresse Named Clark Award Winner For 2000 Minor league catcher Brad Cresse has been named the 2000 — Photo by Sandra Tenuto recipient of the Win Clark Award, presented annually since 1951 to the most outstanding first year baseball player from Southern California. Cresse is the second consecutive winner out of the Arizona organization following Ryan Owens in 1999. The award, presented by the Association of Professional Ballplayers, features previous winners including Mark Grace, Tony Gwynn, Jeff Cirillo, Tim Wallach and Jim Lefebvre.

Cresse, Arizona’s fifth round selection in last summer’s First Year Player Draft, signed with the Diamondbacks after playing an integral part in Louisiana State’s climb to the national championship at the College World Series in Omaha. His professional career began with High Desert (Class A), hitting .324 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI in just 48 games. He was then promoted to El Paso (Class AA) for the remainder of the year, batting .262 in 15 games for the Diablos.

Cresse will receive his honor at a dinner on January 27. ◆

Roster Moves In two unrelated roster moves, the Diamondbacks sold first baseman Alex Cabrera to the Seibu Lions of the Japanese Pacific League, and signed free agent lefthanded pitcher Jason Jacome.

Cabrera, who became the 78th player in history to hit a home run in his first major league at bat last season, appeared in 31 games and hit .263 with five home runs and 14 RBI. Jacome, who was placed on the team’s 40-man winter roster, spent the previous two seasons with the Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League. Last season, he appeared in 24 games (22 starts) with the Swallows, going 8-6 with a 3.35 ERA. A Tucson resident, Jacome graduated from Rincon High School in 1989 and attended Pima Community College, where he was a first team Junior College All-America selection in 1991. He has a lifetime mark of 10-18 in 106 games (34 starts) over parts of five seasons with the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians. ◆

D - B A C K S N EWS

Wilson led the American League in stolen bases in 1972 and won the league batting title three years later.

— Photo Courtesy Kansas City Royals

Willie Wilson Added to Silver Hawks Coaching Staff

F

ormer major league star Willie Wilson has been hired as hitting coach for the Diamondbacks Class A Midwest League affiliate, the South Bend SilverHawks.

Wilson played 19 seasons in the Major Leagues, primarily with the Kansas City Royals. He was an outstanding player in all areas of the game, leading the American League with 82 stolen bases in 1979, earning a Rawlings Gold Glove as an outfielder in 1980 and capturing the American League batting championship at .332 in 1982.

“A number of our top young prospects will play in South Bend next season,” said Diamondbacks Director of Player development Tommy Jones. “We are excited about the impact Willie will have on their careers.”

Wilson came up with Kansas City in 1976 and remained with the Royals through the 1990 season. He then played

two seasons in Oakland and two more for the Chicago Cubs before retiring after the 1994 campaign. He had a .285 career batting average and 668 stolen bases. He led the AL in triples three times, tied for the lead in two other seasons, and led the league in 1980 with 133 runs scored and 230 base hits.

Wilson has been in private business since the 1997 season, when he was a coach for the Toronto Blue Jays’ Class AAA affiliate in Syracuse. His experience there made him want to work with younger kids because “they’re untapped and not as set in their ways. At this level (Class A), you’ve got to be a father, friend and coach to the kids.”

Wilson believes winning starts in the brain. “Attitude starts it. The key to winning is not losing so many games in a row.

Winning is contagious. Everybody gets a streak, you have to believe that and keep focused. If you do what you can to help the team, your personal stats will be better too.” ◆

D-backs

AFL T

in the P H O T O S BY S A N D R A T E N U TO

Relief pitcher Bret Prinz, a Peoria, Ariz. native who attended Phoenix College in 1998, made 15 appearances (tied for second in the Arizona Fall League) and walked just six batters while striking out 16 batters in 15 1/3 innings.

BY B I L L F L O R E N C E

he Arizona Fall League’s ninth season of play concluded this past Nov. 18, and the Scottsdale Scorpions — featuring some of the top prospects in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization — finished with a league-best 25-16 record, tied for first place in the Eastern Division.

The Scorpions did not advance to the championship series because the Phoenix Desert Dogs (also 25-16) beat them five games to three in head-to-head competition during the regular season.

But the Diamondbacks players and their teammates on the Scottsdale club were not discouraged, because they know the Arizona Fall League is as much about fine-tuning their skills as it is about winning.

The AFL is Major League Baseball’s premiere developmental league, and it continues to pay off for all 30 big-league teams. The 2000 Major League Baseball season featured 1,299 players, and 447 of them, or 34 percent, had played in the AFL at some point in their careers. Look at it another way: 58 percent of players who have come through the Fall League (733 out of 1,256) have gone on to play in the big leagues.

The Diamondbacks' original six players in the 2000 AFL campaign were catcher Brad Cresse, first baseman Lyle Overbay and pitchers Mike Koplove,

Yount, whose entire 20-year major league playing career was with the Brewers, was the last former Milwaukee player introduced at the final game played at Milwaukee County Stadium in September. — Photo courtesy Milwaukee Brewers

Kid

BY H E I D I G R A N GA A R D

The

Yount, a Valley of the Sun resident and Diamondbacks' season ticket holder, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Bank One Ballpark on Opening Day in 1999.

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

W

ith 3,000 hits, 250 home runs, 200 stolen bases and MVP honors at both shortstop and center field, Robin Yount has an all-star life that flourished on the baseball diamond and was capped by a Hall of Fame induction in 1999 in Cooperstown.

Yount, who part owns Leinenkugel's Ballyard Brewery, says, “It (National Baseball Hall of Fame) was so far from anything I ever imagined happening to me.”

Behind the baseball bat doors upstairs at Leinenkugel's, through photos and memorabilia, you can catch a glimpse of his history that intrigued fans all over the country. A pennant with the No. 19 hangs proudly on the wall next

to his autographed baseball, glove and 1982 Adirondack bat.

Born Sept. 16, 1955, in Danville, Ill., the youngest of three brothers, Yount showed a passion for baseball early on.

“My two older brothers played, and I had played the game in the backyard as far as I remember,” Yount, who at 5 years old was a bat boy, says. “I couldn't wait to turn 9 and play organized ball.”

As the Milwaukee Brewer's No. 1 draft pick in 1973, Yount graduated from high school straight into the big leagues. He thought he was going to major league spring

Yount was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on July 25, 1999, becoming the first player to enter wearing a Brewers cap. Alongside fellow inductees and friends Nolan Ryan and George Brett, he was part of the largest class to enter the Hall since 1991. It was also the first time since Hall of Fame elections began in 1936 that three players on the ballot for the first time were elected into the Hall in the same season.

— Photos courtesy Milwaukee Brewers

training because he was the first pick, he didn't know he would be staying for 20 years.

Yount became the Brewers' “It just so happens that starting shortstop in 1974 at the age of 18.

I got in enough playing time to show them what I could do, so they decided to keep me,” he says. “Personally, I didn't believe I had any chance of making the team.”

“Because his older brother Larry was playing baseball, it was easier to see him go out of high school,” says Marion Yount, his mother. “I never wanted any of my boys to say I didn't let them try.”

His baseball career captured the way an athlete should perform in order to reach his or her highest potential. And his baseball ethics, hard work and dedication through the years assisted with his winning performance.

“If you don't perform well, you won't be there long,” Yount says.

“Seeing him play for the first time was remarkable,” says Larry Yount, his older brother. “Even though he was young, he never doubted himself.”

“Seeing him play for the first time was remarkable,” says Larry Yount, his older brother. “Even though he was young, he never doubted himself.”

Before he hung up his jersey in 1994, Yount played Milwaukee baseball with competitiveness and commitment for two decades.

“I am proud of the fact that I was able to play the game for 20 years and enjoy it as much in the end than I did in the beginning,” he says. “I really got satisfaction out of being able to go out there day in and day out and give it everything I possibly could have at every moment.”

“He is very competitive in the things that he chooses to be competitive in,” says Larry.

The infamous 77 percent of votes that we heard Yount and George Brett, his good friend and Hall of Famer, discuss through their Miller Lite commercial, placed Yount in the

“He worked for it and it was certainly deserving.”

Alongside his life at the ballpark, Yount admits to having a mad passion for the outdoors. These days he may be found making par on the fairway, preferably at Pebble Beach, or taking a corner at 150 mph on the racetrack.

He says, “Every now and then I will jump in a race car and do a practice day out at the racetrack on the off season when the cars aren't spoken for.

Although, if somebody came to me and wanted to pay for my racing experience, I would certainly jump at the opportunity.”

Yount, who co-owns three Toyota Atlantic race cars, started racing motorcycles as a teenager because he liked the mechanical side of them and gradually became interested in race cars.

“With race cars, it is not the speed thrill, it is the challenge of making the car go around the corner as fast as

“It is a hard thing to describe,” he says. “Having people mention you in the same circumstances as Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle, as Hall of Famers, it is a strange feeling.”

Yount joined Henry Aaron, Don Sutton and Rollie Fingers as Brewers to achieve Major League Baseball's highest honor. At age 43, he was the youngest inductee since Johnny Bench went into the Hall at age 42 in 1989.

— Photo courtesy Milwaukee Brewers

Hall of Fame last summer. Although their conversation was chatty and spontaneous at moments, remembering Cooperstown leaves Yount somewhat speechless.

“It is a hard thing to describe,” he says. “Having people mention you in the same circumstances as Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle, as Hall of Famers, it is a strange feeling.”

An honorable smile appears on his face as he reminisces on his induction week spent with Hall of Fame members like Ted Williams, Don Sutton, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. He also begins to resemble a Little Leaguer who has just hit a home run when he speaks of the evening dinner held exclusively for the members.

“I got to sit across from Ted Williams at dinner and talk baseball with a living legend,” he says. “All over this room are the greatest guys who ever played the game, and I am eating dinner with them. It was a pretty amazing evening.”

“I knew it (Hall of Fame induction) was coming,” says Larry.

it can,” he says. “I am aware of the danger, but that is the intriguing part of it. It is fun to test the limits.”

“He has always loved baseball, he has dabbled with surfing and he has always raced motorcycles,” says Marion.

“He has done things that I wish I could have done. I love that he is connected with race cars. It is exciting.”

Among his hobbies, which are 99.9 percent sports related, golfing may be his most common pastime, but least enjoyable because unlike driving, hunting or fishing, golf can be frustrating to him.

“Golf seems like it should be relaxing,” he says. “I play golf for the challenge, I don't enjoy it.”

Always seeking a challenge seems to be the best way to describe his character, and he has met the finest challenges on and off of the field.

“Hitting a home run off Nolan Ryan was certainly a much greater challenge in a different way than raising a family,” he says. “In the real world, raising a family has been a great challenge. In the athletic world, the toughest challenge is probably to win a World Series.”

So will we have the opportunity to see our local legend in the dugout again? In spite of the fact that his Louisville Slugger has been replaced by a Big Bertha momentarily, the game of baseball hasn't been ruled out of his life completely.

“I really enjoy seeing other athletes do whatever it takes “I may still put on a baseball uniform, but not as a player,” to try and be the best they can be,” he says. “It fires me he says.

“I wouldn't get back into baseball just to get in. I am a up to know somebody has done everything they could do competitive person, and if I got back into it, it would to reach their full potential because I know how hard it is certainly be to have a chance to compete with the best. There is only a handful of teams that are very competitive anymore, and it has to do with the “I really enjoy seeing other athletes do whatever amounts of money these franchises have to spend it takes to try and be the best they can be.” on players. If baseball could work out its problems, I would seriously consider getting back in.”

In the meantime, Yount, a Diamondbacks season ticket and what a commitment it is. To reach full potential is to holder, is likely to be seen at Bank One Ballpark watching give everything you've got at all times. I love seeing athletes do that.” ◆ the game that shaped his life.

Yount became the third-youngest player in major league history to record 3,000 hits when he singled off Cleveland's Jose Mesa on Sept. 9, 1992. He remains the all-time leader in nearly every offensive category in Brewers' franchise history.

— Photo courtesy Milwaukee Brewers

BOOTH CHANGES Jim Traber named broadcast analyst

With Bob Brenly having moved down to the dugout, the Diamondbacks will have a new analyst in the booth in 2001. He's Jim Traber, a former first baseman/ outfielder with the Baltimore Orioles and current radio talk show host in Oklahoma City. He'll be joining old hands Thom Brennaman, Greg Schulte, Rod Allen and Joe Garagiola, Sr. "I'm really looking forward to working with Thom and the rest of the Diamondbacks broadcast crew," Traber said. "Brennaman is one of the finest play-by-play guys in the game, and the Diamondbacks are a first-class organization. I've waited for an opportunity like this all my life. This is like a dream come true."

I've waited for an opportunity like this all my life. This is like a dream come true."

"Jim will be a strong addition to an already stellar broadcasting crew. He offers a good knowledge of the game with a light-hearted, edgy analytical approach," said Diamondbacks Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Scott Brubaker. "We’re also excited about the other changes in our broadcast, and the opportunities they create for fans to experience a variety of unique personalities and perspectives."

Traber played first base for the Baltimore Orioles in 1984, ‘86 and ‘88-’89.

In THOSE other changes, Allen will have an expanded role in sharing television analyst duties during games on Channel 3-KTVK and FOX Sports Net, and Jeff Munn becomes the backup radio play-by-play announcer.

Munn, who is no stranger to the radio booth and is currently the team’s public address announcer, will call games when Brennaman is fulfilling his FOX Network commitment and Schulte moves over from radio to handle the television play-by-play.

"Rod has come a long way in his brief broadcasting career," Brubaker said. "He's earned the opportunity to take on a bigger role in our broadcasts."

In addition, Diamondbacks Broadcast Manager Leo Gilmartin will assume responsibilities as radio producer and engineer for all 162 games on News Radio 620 KTAR, the team's flagship station.

Traber, who previously worked in the Valley as a sports radio talk show host and as a guest during the Diamondbacks pre-game show on FOX Sports Net, and his wife, Julie, have five children: Traber (13), Chelsea (11), Beau (10), Katelyn (9) and Courtney (8). ◆

Life

out of

Balance

BY JOH N M I LLER

B

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

Most ballplayers, especially younger ones, learn little from their successes. In fact they usually take it all for granted, like their talent. Make no mistake, a soaring spirit is a good thing. But even that wonderful energy, like summer lightening, needs to be grounded into the earth, and the earth’s values. Without that grounding, the young ballplayer’s ego swells. His path is one of perpetual ascent. But sooner or later, wax wings melt, and before he knows how, or why, he crashes into the cold Pacific Ocean. The old Greeks called this descent “Katabasis!” Baseball people call it a slump.

Healthy pride in athletes creates the natural pursuit of excellence. Success takes care of itself. But slumps occur when healthy pride turns into conceit. The success ego, fed by too much admiration and acclaim secretly begins to exploit the hot streak, by wanting even more of everything. “Avoid greed in all forms,” the Rabbi warned. He must have worked with young hitters.

What does “even more” look like in the life of a hitter, already in a hot streak? It is a paradox. The desire to excel, to develop skill, to try to become as good a batter as possible, is a healthy form of desire. But one day it happens, perhaps in his first at bat, he belts a ball 380 feet, high over the left-field fence for a home run. Then at his next at bat, as he’s waiting on deck, his ego says: “Let’s hit this next one even further.” now something new has appeared! A straining that wasn’t there before. The desire for more! The natural desire to reveal a skill, even with great style (which is a lovely thing to see) becomes a kind of showing off. The contest becomes a prop for an egotistic performance. The greater sense of the game is lost.

eing Irish, according to President Kennedy, means you unable to swing at all, as the umpire shouts, “Strike Three, understand that sooner or later, the world will break your You’re Out!” Something is definitely wrong. Can this be the beginning of a Slump? heart.

A slump! Can anything be worse? Hitless for your last The Irishman who first said that must have been a baseball player. Because no matter how well you are hitting 20 at bats. Hitless for the past week. People avoid you. this week, no matter how abundance seems to be flowing Your teammates stop talking to you. Even hot dog vendors downhill to you now, no matter how well things have won’t make eye contact. Your coach now looks at you with worked out for you lately, the warmth of the sun, the day judgement in his eyes. He wonders if you are just a flash in will come when the hanging curve ball you drilled for a the pan, that you lack the right stuff. You feel alienated, base hit yesterday is today’s weak pop up to the catcher. Then tomorrow A slump! Can anything be worse? Hitless for your last you swing and miss altogether. Or worse, you’re frozen at the plate, 20 at bats. Hitless for the past week. People avoid you.

Your teammates stop talking to you. Even hot dog vendors won’t make eye contact.

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

isolated and unlucky. The old baseball men say, behind your back, that you are “snake- bit.”

You’ve gone bad. You are in a slump. Life out of balance! Now what?

First, it helps to understand what a slump is.

How it occurs, maybe even why it occurs, and most importantly to the one who is suffering through one, how to get out of a slump. It is an irony that slumps usually strike the hitter who’s in a hot streak—the man to whom all good things happen. Even his grounders seem to have eyes as they find their way past diving infielders. Or slip through an empty space created by an out-ofpositioned shortstop. Everything his bat touches, is golden. His mood is elevated. He soars over all difficulties. He’s hitting .300 and baseball is fun— life is beautiful.

Everything in his life feels harmonious. He is patient—courteous to those who seek him out for interviews and even gives autographs with a welcoming attitude. He is expansive. His path is sure. His footing is firm. He belongs. He exudes a natural equanimity—the balance of a true humility. The horizon of himself widens to include more. He is silently thankful or grateful.

He is a good man, not just a good first baseman.

He’s become a better person.

But then comes the problem! But how can there be a problem, you say, when things are going so well? The problem is success and its temptations.

leagues.

The Diamondbacks' original six players in the 2000 AFL campaign were catcher Brad Cresse, first baseman Lyle Overbay and pitchers Mike Koplove, Jason Martines, Bret Prinz and Chris Cervantes. When Cervantes went down with a knee injury on October 17, Catcher Brad Cresse, the Diamondbacks’ fifth-round choice in the 2000 first-year player draft, led LSU to the national championship last year. He won the College World Arizona replaced him with Series for the Tigers with a base hit against Stratford. pitcher Chris Capuano. For he Arizona Fall League’s ninth season of play concluded these seven players, getting invited to the Fall League this past Nov. 18, and the Scottsdale Scorpions — featuring means the Diamondbacks feel good about their chances of some of the top prospects in the Arizona Diamondbacks making the Major Leagues in the near future. organization — finished with a league-best 25-16 record, tied for first place in the Eastern Division.

The Scorpions did not advance to the championship series because the Phoenix Desert Dogs (also 25-16) beat them five games to three in head-to-head competition during the regular season. But the Diamondbacks players and their teammates on the Scottsdale club were not discouraged, because they know the Arizona Fall League is as much about fine-tuning their skills as it is about winning.

The AFL is Major League Baseball’s premiere developmental league, and it continues to pay off for all 30 big-league teams. The 2000 Major League Baseball season featured 1,299 players, and 447 of them, or 34 percent, had played in the AFL at some point in their careers. Look at it another way: 58 percent of players who have come through the Fall League (733 Pitcher Jason Martines spent the entire 2000 season at Double-A El Paso, out of 1,256) have gone on to play in the big going 9-1 with a 2.81 ERA.

D-BACKS IN THE AFL

The Diamondbacks selected Brad Cresse with their fifth-round draft pick last June, making the 22-year-old catcher one of just two 2000 picks in the AFL. Before going pro, Cresse led LSU to the College World Series title with a game-winning base hit against Stanford.

After signing with the Diamondbacks Cresse went to High Desert, where he knocked around Class-A pitching at a .324 clip. He also hit seven doubles and 17 home runs while driving in 56 runs during his 48 games with the Mavericks. These numbers prompted Baseball America to name Cresse the fifth-best prospect in the entire California League. The Diamondbacks promoted him to Double-A El Paso late in the season, where he hit .262 with one homer and 10 RBI in 15 games.

Cresse finished the year in the Fall League, where he struggled against top Double-A and Triple-A pitchers. Splitting time with two other catchers on the In 1999, his rookie season in professional baseball, first baseman Lyle Overbay Scottsdale squad, Cresse hit .169 became the first short-season player to drive in 100 runs and was named the with two home runs and eight pioneer League’s Most Valuable Player. He was the D-Backs’ 18th-round pick in June of that year.

RBI over 22 games. He may not result of Prinz’s success at El Paso. As the Diablos’ closer, be ready for the big leagues just Prinz appeared in 53 games and earned 26 saves — yet, but few baseball insiders doubt his time will come.

Another promising player representing the second most in the Texas League. He posted a 9-1 record Diamondbacks in the AFL was right-hander Bret Prinz, and 3.56 ERA in 61 innings of work, walking 16 while who last September was named Arizona’s organizational striking out 69. He started the season at Class-A South player of the year for 2000. That lofty award was the Bend, where he was 1-0 with one save in 7 1/3 scoreless

with three other pitchers in the Scottsdale bullpen. He saved four games and helped the Scorpions lead the league with 16 saves overall. He made 15 appearances — tied for second most — and walked just six batters while striking out 16 in 15 1/3 innings. Prinz finished with a 2-1 record and 5.28 ERA. The league’s managers and coaches liked what they saw from Prinz and nominated Pitcher Mike Koplove’s 16 games (15 relief appearances and one start) him for one of the two right-handed reliever tied him for the Arizona Fall League lead. Opposing batters hit just .195 against him. spots on the AFL’s 2000 All-Prospect Team.

(Those slots ultimately went to Toronto prospect Bob File innings.

Prinz, who went to high school in Peoria, Ariz., and and Anaheim prospect Elvin Nina.)

First baseman Lyle Overbay also picked up some votes attended Phoenix College in 1998, shared closing duties

D-BACKS IN THE AFL

doubled six times, scored nine runs and drove in 11. His 12 walks were second on the club.

Pitcher Mike Koplove arguably had the best season among the seven Diamondbacks prospects. Arizona’s 29th round pick in 1998, the Philadelphia native went 1-2 with a 3.54 ERA for advanced Rookie-level Lethbridge in his first year of pro baseball. After posting a 2.04 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 84 innings at South Bend in 1999, Koplove reported to High Desert to begin the 2000 season. There, he went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA and eight saves in 20 games with the Class-A Mavericks.

So the organization moved him up to El Paso, and Koplove responded with a 4-3 record, 3.88 ERA and six saves in 35 appearances with the Diablos.

Koplove capped off the year with a strong performance in the Fall League. Besides going 1-1 with a 2.86 ERA, his 16 games (15 relief appearances and one start) were tied for the most in the league. In 22 innings of work, Koplove allowed 15 hits while striking out 19. Opposing batters hit just .195 against the 160-pound right-hander. Koplove even made a name for himself with fans who followed his weekly AFL diary entries on the league’s official website at MLB.com.

Hurlers Jason Martines, Chris Capuano and Chris Cervantes didn’t fare quite as well. Martines, selected by Arizona in the 24th round of the 1997 draft, was the only Diamondback player who spent the entire 2000 season at Double-A El Paso. There, Pitcher Chris Capuano took Chris Cervantes’ place on the he was 9-1 with a 2.81 ERA, but with the Scorpions Scottsdale roster on Oct. 17. The youngster was 10-4 with a of the Fall League, Martines was 1-0 with a 5.74 2.21 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings for Class A South Bend in 2000.

ERA. In 13 games, he pitched 15 2/3 innings and RBI during his Class-A stop, then improved on those gave up 23 hits.

Cervantes, the Diamondbacks’ 15th round pick in 1998, numbers with the Diablos by hitting .352 with eight home started the 2000 season at South Bend (5-4, 3.03 ERA in 59 runs and 49 RBI. Overbay saw tougher pitching in the AFL, and his 1/3 innings) before jumping to El Paso (7-5, 4.36 ERA in 95 performance reflected the change. But he still hit a innings). The southpaw was a starter with those two clubs, respectable .263 in a team-high 114 at-bats spanning 32 but with Scottsdale he pitched only in relief. Cervantes’ two games. Although none of Overbay’s hits left the yard, he walks and nine strikeouts made for a great ratio, but he by the managers and coaches for the All-Prospect Team.

Overbay, Arizona’s 18th-round pick in June of 1999, became the first short-season player to drive in 100 runs that season and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Pioneer League. He followed his stellar ‘99 season with an excellent 2000 campaign split between South Bend and El Paso. He hit .332 with six home runs and 47

MORE PLAYERS, New Look for Fall League Cards

Collectors and casual fans alike were delighted when the Arizona Fall League released its new set of premium baseball cards two weeks earlier than last year — and with more players featured than ever before.

Recognized throughout professional baseball as the premiere development league for Major League prospects, the AFL has produced limited-edition baseball cards in six of the past seven years. The 2000 edition comprises 30 sleekly designed and professionally photographed cards showcasing 29 top prospects (plus a checklist card) from the recently concluded Fall League season.

That’s two more players than last year, when the set featured 27 prospects. “We listened to the opinions of baseball card collectors and the league’s fans,” said Larry Mackin, AFL director of marketing.

“There was a consensus in the feedback we received that last year’s flashback card and the managers card were not as important as the major league prospects.

So we eliminated those two cards this year, giving us the opportunity to include two more players.”

Fourteen first-round draft picks are represented, plus several highly rated players on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list. The front of each card indicates the player’s Arizona Fall League team as well as his major league organization. Complete career statistics are listed on the back. Additionally, the set continues the Fall League tradition of using two different images on the front and back of each card. “That’s a touch that makes the cards more special,” said

BY B I L L F LO R E N C E Mackin. “Using two photos per card allows us to share more of the outstanding images taken by our photographer, Denton Hanna.”

Deciding which players to feature in the set was a challenge for the AFL’s media relations staff. All 180 players in the league are top prospects, and history shows that about 58 percent of them will make it to The Show.

Brad Cresse, a catcher with the Scottsdale Scorpions, represented the Diamondbacks in the set. Cresse was a 2000 draft selection by the Diamondbacks, making his AFL card one of the first in existence.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Cresse is shown in Fall League action wearing the Diamondbacks’ major league uniform.

He opened his first professional season of baseball this past

summer at High Desert, where he batted .324 in 48 games for the Mavericks. He belted 17 home runs and drove in 56 runs in that span. Cresse was later promoted to El Paso, where he batted .262 in 15 games.

The set also includes such top prospects as Gold Medalwinning Olympians Sean Burroughs of the Padres and Brad Wilkerson of the Expos, plus Brian Cole of the Mets, Chin-Feng Chen of the Dodgers, and 2000 first-round draft pick Joe Borchard of the White Sox. The cards features protective UV coating on both sides, a new quality introduced this year to help collectors preserve their sets.

Only 5,000 sets were produced. They cost $12 each and are available directly from the Arizona Fall League.

A few 1999 sets are still available and were reduced to $10 when the new cards were released. Sets from 1994, 1995 and 1998 are sold out, and there was no set made in 1996. A 20-card set produced in 1997 is now extremely rare, but the league is offering the few remaining sets at $8 each. ◆

To order card sets, please call the Arizona Fall League at (480) 496-6700 or (800) 895-3255.

DIAMONDBACKS SIGN REGGIE SANDERS

— Photo by Sandra Tenuto

The Diamondbacks signed free agent outfielder Reggie Sanders to a one-year contract on Jan. 5.

Sanders, 33, spent the 2000 campaign with the Atlanta Braves, rebounding from two stints on the disabled list to hit .309 following the All-Star break, including .345 in the month of September, helping the Braves to the National League Eastern Division Championship. For the season, Sanders hit .232, with 11 home runs and 37 runs batted in.

He also recorded 20 stolen bases, one of four Braves with 20 or more steals.

“The acquisition of Reggie Sanders makes us a stronger club in a number of categories,” Vice President/General Manager Joe Garagiola Jr. said. “His power and speed make him a tremendous offensive threat, and he gives us more options in the outfield defensively.”

Over nearly nine seasons in the majors, spent primarily with Cincinnati, Sanders has a career batting average of .269, with 162 home runs, 540 runs batted in and 214 stolen bases.

Over a seven-year period (1993-1999), only San Francisco’s Barry Bonds and Baltimore’s Brady Anderson averaged as many or more home runs and as many or more stolen bases per season as Sanders (19.7 home runs, 25.3 stolen bases).

Sanders earned All-Star status in 1995, and finished sixth in league MVP voting, hitting .306 with 28 home runs, 99 runs batted in and 36 stolen bases as the Reds advanced to the National League Championship Series.

Following 11 seasons in the Cincinnati organization, Sanders was acquired via trade by the San Diego Padres.

He spent one season with San Diego before being traded to the Braves in a deal in which Sanders, Quilvio Veras and Wally Joyner were dealt to Atlanta in exchange for Ryan Klesko, Bret Boone and Jason Shiell. ◆

Reggie Sanders’ Career Record Year Club

Avg. G

AB

R

H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB

1988 Billings

.234 17 64 11 15 1 1 0 3 6 4 10

1989 Greensboro .289 81

315 53 91 18

5

9

53

29 63

21

1990

466

4

17

63

59

40

8

8

49

41 67

Cedar Rapids

.285

127

1991 Chattanooga .315 86

89

133

21

302 50 95 15

97

15

CINCINNATI .200 9 40 6 8 0 0 1 3 0 9 1 1992 CINCINNATI .270 116 385 62 104 26

6

12

36

48 98

16

1993 CINCINNATI .274 138 496 90 136 16

4

20

83

51 118

27

1994 CINCINNATI .263 107 400 66 105 20

8

17

62

41 114

21

1995 CINCINNATI .306 133 484 91 148 36

6

28

99

69 122

36

1996 CINCINNATI .251 81

1

14

33

44 86

24

287 49 72 17

Indianapolis .417 4 12 3 5 2 0 0 1 1 4 0 1997

CINCINNATI

.253

86

312

52

79

19

2

19

56

42

93

13

+Chattanooga .545 3 11 3 6 1 1 1 3 1 2 0 +Indianapolis .211 5 19 1 4 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 1998 CINCINNATI .268 135 481 83 129 18

6

14

59

51 137

20

1999

7

26

72

65

36

SAN DIEGO

.285

133

478

92

136

24

108

2000 ATLANTA .232 103 340 43 79 23 1 11 37 32 78 20 Major League Totals +Minor league injury rehab.

.269

1041

3703

634

996

199

41

162

540

443

963

214

A New Look for the

Jet Hawks Jet Hawks to Fly Under New Colors and Logo in 2001

T

he Lancaster JetHawks, the California League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, unveiled a new logo, colors, and uniforms for the 2001 season. The original logo and uniform that were unveiled in October 1995 will give way to the new versions. The basic colors will remain the same, however purple and black will take over as the main colors in the new logo and uniforms.

The unveiling brought to an end the re-design and updating process that has been in progress for nearly a year.

“We have had a great five seasons in Lancaster, but we felt our logo had become a little tired,” said JetHawks Vice President Matt Ellis. “Having always been mindful of the history of the Antelope Valley, we wanted to develop a logo that had a better fit with our theme. The retro look of our new primary logo honors the time and place of the beginning of aerospace in the Valley.

We also wanted to bring black in as a primary color to

broaden our appeal.”

The logo will feature a futuristic shape and look that brings out more of the aerospace history in the Antelope Valley area. The lettering has also changed slightly. The JetHawk flying across the logo will remain from the original. A dark background with stars has been added to represent a night space-scape.

The jersey for the new home uniform will be a sleeveless design, and will change to a solid eggshell white color with purple and black trim. Players and coaching staff will wear black undershirts during games. The updated version of the JetHawks name will be featured across the chest. The home hat will also change.

The body of the hat will now be black and will have a purple bill and button. The design of the JetHawks logo on the front of the hat will remain the same, but will change slightly in color.

JetHawks Vice President Matt Ellis addresses the crowd gathered at the Hanger to catch a first glimpse at the new logo and uniforms.

—Photo by Judy Ellis

The new road caps will be solid black with a profile view of the team’s mascot, KaBoom.

— Photo by Judy Ellis The new road uniforms will change from a purple jersey to a black jersey with gold trim. The Lancaster name will still be displayed across the front of the jersey in gold. The JetHawks will continue to wear a gray pant for road

“Our new uniform design gives us a fresh new look consistent with the retro look and aerospace theme of the JetHawks.” games. The road hat will be solid black in color. In a departure from the previous years, the new road hat will have a profile view of the JetHawks mascot KaBoom on the front wearing an aerospace / test pilot style helmet.

“Our new uniform design gives us a fresh new look

consistent with the retro look and aerospace theme of the JetHawks,” explained Ellis. “Our road jerseys are partically sharp. The black jerseys give our team a real intimidating and positive look.”

The designer of the new logo and uniforms is Dan Simon, of Simon Design in Tarzana, Calif. Simon also designed the original logo and uniforms for the JetHawks.

Among Simon's credits are the recent logo and uniform charge for the Anaheim Angels and he was also the designer of the history filled photo montage outfield walls at both Dodger Stadium and Edison Field.

The JetHawks will open the 2001 season at the Hangar on April 5 as they host the San Jose Giants in a four game series.

To find out more about the JetHawks or the 2001 season, please call the JetHawks at (661) 726-5400. ◆

2001

LANCASTER JETHAWKS SEASON SCHEDULE HOME

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For information, please call 661-726-5400. www.jethawks.com

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17 24

5 GIANTS 7:05

6 GIANTS 12:35

7 PADRES 7:05

PADRES 1:05

11

12

13

ROCKIES 6:35

ROCKIES 6:35

ROCKIES BREWERS BREWERS 6:35 5:05 6:05

18

19

20

ROCKIES 6:05

ROCKIES DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS 12:05 7:05 7:05 7:05

25

26

27

14

8

21 28

15 22 29

BREWERS BREWERS BREWERS DODGERS DODGERS 6:35 6:35 6:35 7:05 7:05

2001

EL PASO DIABLOS SEASON SCHEDULE HOME

AWAY

APRIL

sun mon tue wed thu 1

2

3

4

5

DODGERS DODGERS 1:10 7:10

8

9

SAN

15 SAN 6:30PM

22 RR 4:00PM

29

10

SAN

11

SAN

16

17

SAN 6:30PM

SAN 11AM

23

24

MARLINS 6:35

SAN

SAN 6:30PM

25

ARK

sat

SAN

14

RR

RR

20

26

ARK

RR 6:30PM

27

ARK

21 28

fri 1

sat

4

10 WIC 6:30PM

17 TIGERS 1:35

24

5 WIC

11 WIC 7:00PM

18

6 TUL

12 WIC 7:00PM

19

7 TUL

13 TUL 7:00PM

20

Texas League Texas League DODGERS All Star Game All Star Game 7:10

25

RR 6:30PM

26

WIC

27

WIC

8 TUL

14

15

TUL 7:00PM

21

TUL 7:00PM

22

RR 7:00PM

28

WIC

RR 7:00PM

29

WIC

AUGUST 1

2

EXPOS 7:05

6

7

MID

12 SAN 6:30PM

19 SHR

26 SHR 6:30PM

8

SAN 7:00PM

13 ARK

20 SHR

27 SHR 7:00PM

20

21

SA

14 ARK

21 PIRATES 4:05

28 SHR 7:00PM

9

SAN 7:00PM

15 ARK

22 ARK 7:00PM

29 SHR 7:00PM

16 ARK

23 ARK 7:00PM

30 MID 7:00PM

30 TUL

fri

sat

16

MID

22 SA

29 SA 6:30PM

ARK 6:30PM

11

SHR 11AM

17

MID

24

GIANTS 7:05

30

MID 6:30PM

TUL

3 TUL

9 RR

15 MID 6:30PM

22 WIC 6:30PM

10 RR

16 TUL 7:00PM

23

RR

17 TUL 7:00PM

24

WIC 7:00PM

RR

18

19

MID

25 MID 6:30PM

29

30

RR

RR

SAN 7:00PM

17 SHR

24 ARK 7:00PM

SA

26 MID 6:30PM

SA 6:30PM

5

RR 6:30PM

11

RR 7:00PM

12

18

19

TUL 7:00PM

25

TUL 7:00PM

26

MID

fri 6

AA ALL MID STAR GAME 7:00PM

MID

12

31

SA 6:30PM

4

RR 6:30PM

ARK 6:30PM

RR

MID

23

sat 5

sat 7

RR 7:00PM

13 MID 7:00PM

20 WIC 7:00PM

27

MID

RR

14 MID 7:00PM

21 WIC 7:00PM

28

MID

RR

31 RR

SEPTEMBER

sun mon tue wed thu

fri

4 MID

10

SAN 7:00PM

RR 7:00PM

TUL

3 MID

23

SA 6:30PM

2

8

TUL 7:00PM

15

ARK 6:30PM

10

SHR 6:30PM

fri 4

JULY

WIC 7:00PM

16

28

EXPOS 4:05

9

SHR 6:30PM

SA

3

sun mon tue wed thu

WIC

9 TUL

sun mon tue wed thu

5

RR

1

2 WIC

WIC

14

RR

MID 6:30PM

JUNE

8

SHR 6:30PM

13

27

SHR

sun mon tue wed thu

3

7

ARK 4:00PM

ARK

30

SHR

6

RR 6:30PM

ARK

2 SHR

SAN

13

RR 6:30PM

sun mon tue wed thu 1

RR

19

MAY

7

12

RR

18

fri 6

All times are Arizona time and subject to change.

For information, please call 915-755-2000. www.diablos.com

sat 1

MID

11 SAN 6:30PM

18 SHR

25 ARK 7:00PM

31

MID 7:00PM

2 9 PADRES 2:00

16 23

TEXAS LEAGUE DIRECTORY

4 GIANTS 7:05

10 PADRES 7:05

17

BREWERS ROCKIES 11:05 6:05 DGRS 30 1:10 DGRS 1:35

MID 7:00PM

3

MID 6:30PM

24

5

6

GIANTS 7:05

GIANTS 12:35

7 PADRES 7:05

PADRES 1:05

11

12

13

ROCKIES 6:35

ROCKIES 6:35

ROCKIES BREWERS BREWERS 6:35 5:05 6:05

18

19

20

ROCKIES 6:05

ROCKIES DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS 12:05 7:05 7:05 7:05

25

26

27

14

8

21 28

15 22 29

BREWERS BREWERS BREWERS DODGERS DODGERS 6:35 6:35 6:35 7:05 7:05

WESTERN DIVISION EL PASO DIABLOS ROUND ROCK EXPRESS SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

ELP RR SAN MID

EASTERN DIVISION SHREVEPORT CAPTAINS WICHITA WRANGLERS TULSA DRILLERS ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

SHR WIC TUL ARK

2001

TUCSON

SIDEWINDERS SEASON SCHEDULE HOME

APRIL

sun mon tue wed thu 1

2

3

4

5

AWAY

fri 6

sat

Start times adjusted to Mountain Standard Time.

For information, please call 520-434-1021. www.tucsonsidewinders.com

MAY

sun mon tue wed thu 1

7

8

10

11

12

TACOMA 7:00PM

TACOMA 7:00PM

TACOMA 7:00PM

15

17

18

19

IOWA 11:05AM

22

9 16 IOWA 10:05AM

OMAHA 6:05PM

23

24

OMAHA 11:05AM

25

OMAHA 6:05PM

26

13 IOWA 5:05PM

20 OMAHA 6:05PM

27

14 IOWA 5:05PM

21 EDMONTON 7:30PM

28

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

13 FRESNO 7:00PM

20

14 FRESNO 7:00PM

21

15 FRESNO 7:00PM

22

16 REDS 4:05

23

17

18

7:00PM

24

7:00PM

25

29

27 FRESNO 6:05PM

JUNE

sun mon tue wed thu

fri 1

IOWA 7:00PM

10

4 IOWA 7:30PM

11

5 OMAHA 7:30PM

12

6

7

OMAHA 7:30PM

13

OMAHA 7:30PM

14

sat 2

IOWA 7:00PM

3

8

IOWA 7:30PM

9

OMAHA OKLAHOMA 7:00PM 5:05PM

15

16

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA WHITE SOX MEMPHIS MEMPHIS MEMPHIS

12:05PM

17

5:05PM

18

7:00PM

5:05PM

19

7:05

20

6:05PM

21

6:05PM

22

5:05PM

23

7:05PM

28

7:05PM

29

7:05PM

30

7:05PM

FRESNO 7:05PM

fri

sat

31

FRESNO SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO 1:05PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 12:05PM

JULY

2

3

4

5

6

7

NASHVILLE NASHVILLE NASHVILLE SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO

7:00PM

8

7:30PM

9

7:30PM

10

6:35PM

11

SACRAMENTO ALL STAR

ALL STAR ALL STAR BREAK BREAK

15

17

6:35PM

FRESNO 6:15PM

22

BREAK

16

18

7:05PM

12 FRESNO 7:15PM

19

7:05PM

13 FRESNO 7:15PM

20

7:30PM

24

7:30PM

25

7:30PM

26

7:00PM

29

30

31

LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS

28

29

30

SALT LAKE SALT LAKE MEMPHIS MEMPHIS MEMPHIS MEMPHIS NASHVILLE 1:00PM 6:00PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:00PM 7:30PM

AUGUST

sun mon tue wed thu 1 EXPOS 7:05

5

6

7

8

2

7:00PM

12 FRESNO 7:00PM

19

13

6:05PM

14

5:15PM

TACOMA 1:35PM

15

20

21

6:45PM

27

6:45PM

28

22 PIRATES 4:05

29

7:30PM

9 11:35AM

16

7:30PM

7:30PM

6:05PM

6:05PM

6:05PM

7:00PM

10 FRESNO 7:00PM

sun mon tue wed thu

fri

17

FRESNO 7:30PM

18

2

3

4

NASHVILLE NASHVILLE GIANTS 4:00PM 5:00PM 7:05

9 PADRES 2:00

10 PADRES 7:05

24

25

16

TACOMA 7:05PM

TACOMA 7:05PM

BREWERS ROCKIES 11:05 6:05

30

31

7:30PM

7:30PM

sat NASHVILLE 4:00PM

TACOMA 7:05PM

TACOMA 5:00PM

LAS VEGAS

1

7:30PM

11

7:30PM

28

7:30PM

SEPTEMBER

23

SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO

7:30PM

7:30PM

6:05PM

4

FRESNO LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS PORTLAND 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:00PM 7:15PM

PORTLAND PORTLAND PORTLAND

26

6:05PM

sat

7:30PM

SALT LAKE SALT LAKE SALT LAKE

SALT LAKE CO SPRINGS CO SPRINGS CO SPRINGS CO SPRINGS

6:05PM

fri

3

7:00PM

21

27

7:30PM

24

27

FRESNO 7:15PM

23

NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS

26

14

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

7:00PM

7:05PM

NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS NEW ORLEANS

MEMPHIS CO SPRINGS CO SPRINGS CO SPRINGS CO SPRINGS SALT LAKE SALT LAKE 1:05PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 7:30PM 6:00PM 6:00PM

25

7:30PM

26

7:05PM

sun mon tue wed thu 1

19

SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO SACRAMENTO

SACRAMENTO LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS FRESNO

30

12

CALGARY CALGARY LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS LAS VEGAS FRESNO 12:35PM 6:05PM 7:05PM 7:05PM 7:05PM 7:05PM 7:30PM

EDMONTON EDMONTON EDMONTON MARLINS CALGARY CALGARY CALGARY 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 6:35 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:30PM CALGARY EDMONTON 7:00PM 6:05PM

sat

EDMONTON EDMONTON EDMONTON CALGARY CALGARY 6:05PM 6:05PM 6:05PM 6:05PM 12:35PM

DODGERS DODGERS PORTLAND PORTLAND PORTLAND 1:10 7:10 7:00PM 7:00PM 7:30PM PORTLAND TACOMA 2:00PM 7:00PM

2

fri

23

DGRS 30 1:10 DGRS 1:35

17 24

5 GIANTS 7:05

6 GIANTS 12:35

7 PADRES 7:05

PADRES 1:05

11

12

13

ROCKIES 6:35

ROCKIES 6:35

ROCKIES BREWERS BREWERS 6:35 5:05 6:05

18

19

20

ROCKIES 6:05

ROCKIES DODGERS DODGERS DODGERS 12:05 7:05 7:05 7:05

25

26

27

14

8

21 28

15 22 29

BREWERS BREWERS BREWERS DODGERS DODGERS 6:35 6:35 6:35 7:05 7:05

Realtoys from Realtors

E

rubiel Durazo strolled down the catwalk sporting the latest fall fashions at the “Discover the Magic” Realtoys from Realtors 13th annual fashion show on Nov. 2 at the Camelback Inn. Proceeds from the event, sponsored by the Phoenix Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors and the Diamondbacks, benefited the Realtoys from Realtors Toy Drive and the Diamondbacks’ annual Holiday Angel Party benefiting 600 children from local shelters.

Luis Gonzalez originally had agreed to serve as the celebrity model, but later was unable to do so and enlisted Durazo to take his place. In turn for Durazo’s involvement, the Phoenix Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors donated $5,000 to the Holiday Angel Party. Included in that amount was a $1,000 contribution from Kim Martin, who paid that amount to have lunch with Durazo. ◆

Kim Martin, a member of the Phoenix Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, donated $1,000 for the privilege of having lunch with Durazo.

HOLIDAY ANGEL PARTY

◆

by Leslie Inzunza, Valle del Sol, Inc.

In addition to Johnson (who donated 600 pairs of Nike Marvin Beegle’s mother can’t get him to part with his sneakers), others who attended the third annual Holiday Angel Party included Luis Gonzalez (who supplied 120 sneakers. Even at bedtime.

You see, since the sports items), Greg Swindell Diamondbacks’ Holiday Angel and Jason Conti, Managing Party, he hasn’t been the same. General Partner Jerry Not only does he not want to Colangelo, Senior Vice remove the Nike sneakers that President of Sales and were donated to him and 599 Marketing Scott Brubaker, other children at the Party on Vice President of Sales Blake Dec. 9, he is talking non-stop Edwards, Vice President of about the Diamondbacks and Community Affairs Mark Johnson, who autographed his Fernandez and a number of other front-office employees, sneakers that day.

Randy Johnson donated Santa wasn’t the only who dipped into their own Marvin’s mother, Lisa 600 pairs of Nikes to kids one giving presents at at the party. the Holiday Angel Party.

Morris, says that her 9-year-old pockets to buy presents for son’s speaking is remarkable each of the kids.

The children were treated to pizza from Little Caesar’s, because he hasn’t spoken more than a few words—ever.

Marvin, a third grader at Hamilton Elementary School, complimentary health care and personal hygiene items from St. Joseph’s Hospital, a special was diagnosed with minor mental Winnie the Pooh holiday performance retardation when he was younger. He at the Valley Youth Theatre, interactive attends special, self-contained classes games at the Cox Clubhouse at Bank at the school and makes regular visits One Ballpark, a visit from Santa Claus, to a speech therapist. The day of pizza, and Karaoke with the players, frontautographs and sneakers made a office staff and special guests. ◆ tremendous impression on him.

According to his mother, Marvin speaks only a few words and never before has been able to speak in complete sentences. Yet since his visit with the Diamondbacks, he has shared his knowledge of Diamondbacks stats and trivia with her. He knows everything there is to know about the team, and began to speak up to his teachers and classmates that day and on following days.

Nine-year-old Marvin Beegle, who hadn’t Lisa says Marvin’s speech still is spoken more than a few difficult to understand, but clearly he words in his life prior to meeting Randy Johnson is improving. She credits the kindness at the Diamondbacks’ and generosity that was shared with Holiday Angel Party, now can’t stop talking her son by the Diamondbacks that day about Johnson and and thanks all who made it possible. the D-Backs.

Bank One Ballpark Engineers Adopt a Family At the suggestion of Director of Engineering Barry Sinno, the engineers at Bank One Ballpark decided in November to adopt a family through the Salvation Army’s program.

Ana, a single mother, and her sons Miguel, 10, and Luis, 6, became that family.

Gary Givens, a Bank One Ballpark painter, brought in an extra turkey he had from Thanksgiving and stored it in the freezer in the Engineers Lounge until delivery day.

The Salvation Army provides a list of the minimum requirement for each family, which includes a food box with a specific list of dry goods, a gift certificate that goes toward the purchase of perishable items such as meat, milk and cheese, and at least two toys for each child in the family.

On Thursday, Dec. 14, Neil LeSage and Roger Rahn went shopping with the money that all of the engineers contributed. Each boy’s wish list included Hot Wheels and the Tornado Track that goes along with the toy cars. Santa also found roller blades, helmets, knee and wrist pads,

tennis shoes and several items of clothing decorated with Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns logos. Ana received clothing and a new pair of shoes.

The next day, Givens had an idea to bring an even bigger smile to the two boys’ faces. First, he contacted Maggie Horwitz in the Diamondbacks’ Community Affairs department, who was able to locate an additional pair of tennis shoes for each boy. Then Givens talked to Baxter the Continued on page 126 >

Bank One Ballpark Engineers Adopt a Family

Spring Training

for Preschool

Athletes

Diamondbacks players will take part in a fun-filled morning with special needs preschoolers and their families on Feb. 7 at the South Mountain Community Center.

The event will feature interactive games hosted by the players, lunch and an awards presentation for the preschool athletes. ◆

< Continued from page 126 Bobcat and arranged a fiveminute visit to occur immediately after the delivery of the gifts. The boys had no idea of the surprise visit, and when there was a knock on the door Ana opened it and was immediately brought to tears of joy. In a phone call the next Luis and Miguel were day, she said that it was the thrilled to meet Baxter the Bobcat. best Christmas she’s ever had.

One more surprise for the boys made the afternoon perfect. Alvan Adams came along for the delivery, and when Miguel and Luis were told that he used to play for the Suns, their faces lit up.

They thought he was “so cool.”

The engineers continue to work for this family. The full-size bed frame for the boys’ bed recently broke, and hopefully one will be delivered to them soon, along with pictures of them with Baxter and the generous engineers at Bank One Ballpark. ◆

ON SECOND THOUGHT

Remember when all those other owners accused rookie Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo of gutting the financial underpinnings of Major League Baseball (hereinafter referred to as MLB) by overpaying players?

Well they were they were wrong. Hoo boy, were they wrong!

It turns out that far from being a naive nouveau riche owner on a reckless spending spree, Jerry actually was a shrewd, penny-pinching bargain hunter who got his money's worth and then some.

At least that’s one of the conclusions to be drawn from the news the Colorado Rockies, one of Colangelo's biggest (and snidest) critics, committed $128.3 million dollars to Mike Hampton, a good pitcher, but hardly Hall of Fame material.

Think about that for a minute. And then think about this: That's $11 million dollars less than Colangelo spent for Randy Johnson, Todd Stottlemyre, Greg Swindell, Greg Colbrunn AND Steve Finley combined!

The Rockies also peeled off $51.5 million for pitcher Denny Neagle, an even less likely Hall of Famer than Hampton. This means they've got nearly $180 million invested in two pitchers in a park where pitchers traditionally go to die. Or at least get buried.

That makes first baseman Mark Grace, who the Diamondbacks got for the baseball equivalent of chump change (a mere $6 million-plus), and who probably is a better fit in Bank One Ballpark than either Hampton or Neagle will be in Coors Field, an even bigger bargain.

There is, of course, one other conclusion to be drawn from the news the Rockies committed $128.3 million dollars to Hampton, to say nothing of the $250 million the Rangers committed to Alex Rodriguez.

MLB is nuts!!!

Never mind that these dollars make no fiscal sense.

That's old news. MLB salaries stopped making sense sometime during the Carter Administration.

The real problem with this latest round of insane excess is that the message it sends is bad and the timing couldn't possibly be worse.

Commissioner Bud Selig might just as well have fired off a letter to Players Association Chief Don Fehr more or less as follows: "Dear Don. Hope you don't take it seriously when our owners keep saying that when the current collective bargaining agreement expires next year we're going to have to take some serious steps to bring salaries under control or the game as we know it faces financial ruin.

That's just spin stuff. Actually, our owners have plenty of money, and although they cry when they spend it, they're

actually crying all the way to the bank to borrow still more to spend. With your great sense of humor I know you get as big a laugh out of their poor mouthing as I do. Yours For Even Bigger Salaries, Bud. P.S. — Let's do B Y J O E G I LM A RT I N lunch."

Either that or tack signs on the backs of the owners at the negotiating sessions reading, "Kick Me".

But of course Bud is not about to do either of the above.

In fact, in the wake of the Rodriguez deal (which I actually found less troubling than the Rockies' pitching parlay), he seemed to suggest this latest spending spree might actually be something of a blessing in disguise when he said, "The inequity in the system is now so apparent that the system has to be changed, and it will be changed."

If he's right, then I'm wrong, and the timing of the latest splurge and the message it sends couldn't possibly be better. If this indeed is the straw that finally breaks the back of the money monster that threatens to devour the game, it will be the best money the owners have ever spent.

But even if he's wrong, I find comfort in my belief baseball is basically monster proof. That whoever first said it is such a great game the owners can't kill it, the players can't kill it, and the media can't kill it (although all have given it a shot), got it right.

This is a sport that's been buffeted by a lot of storms down through the decades, and been pronounced dead or at least dying more than once. But it has emerged from every previous crisis bigger and better than before.

And thus, while the 2001 season figures to be the last one played under the present financial structure, and the changes ahead could be extremely painful, I believe there's a bright future on the other side of those changes The comforting thought on the local scene, of course, is that, even though the Diamondbacks have already been forced to do some painful financial restructuring of their own, Colangelo has managed to pull it off without in any way diminishing the product. Indeed, with the addition of Grace and Reggie Sanders, it was actually upgraded during the off season—which is hardly surprising in view of Jerry's long history of putting product above profit.

Like most teams not based in New York, the Diamondbacks found they had to overspend in order to have a shot at winning it all. But unlike some of those teams, they at least have overspent wisely.

Translation: For the third time in their four-year history the Diamondbacks will be legitimate contenders in 2001. ◆