Dbacks: A Season In Review
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by Smittylite
I have purposefully avoiding writing about the Diamondbacks season ending a few days ago so I could step back and take a rational look at the entire season, not just a knee-jerk reaction to one series. Yeah, the way the season ended hurt. The Dbacks played bad and batted worse. The Rockies were a runaway freight train, and unfortunately the Dbacks couldn't stop them. Here's hoping the Rockies continue the run and bring the trophy to an NL West team.
After all of that, I am now able to make an honest and thoughtful look at the 2007 Diamondback season. In a phrase, i'll sum it up best by saying this:
It Rocked.
It rocked! Can anyone honestly tell me this season wasn't awesome to watch? This was a team that was too young, too inexperienced, and lacking enough talent to win anything in the NL. This was a division that two years ago was being called the NL Worst. The Dbacks were supposed to do nothing this season, finish in the bottom of the NL, and get some experience for our young guys so they might make an impact 2 or 3 seasons from now.
Apparently, the Dbacks didn't get the memo. From their opening day win in Colorado, to Brandon Webb's 42 consecutive scoreless innings; from the teams 22 wins in 26 games streak to their race for the West crown; and from the emergence of young guys such as Chris Young, Mark Reynolds, and Justin Upton to their NLDS sweep of the Cubs, the 2007 Diamondbacks season has rocked.
This team had a penchant for winning tight games (32-20 in 1-run games) and getting blown out the next night (they allowed double-digit runs in losses 13 times, including 14-0, 14-5, 11-0, 10-1 to name a few). They got great starts from rookie Micah Owings, on the mound and from the plate, and got shelled with BK Kim not lasting more than 17 pitches in one outing. If nothing else, you can say this season was an up and down ride.
But, oh what a fun one.
Make no mistake about it, this Dbacks team is good. They are raw, and they are inexperienced, but they are good. Stephen Drew is in his second year. Miguel Montero and Carlos Quentin were in their 2nd year. Owings was a rookie. CY was a rookie. Mark Reynolds started the year in AA. Upton started the year in A. And this team was talented enough to get to the NLCS.
They have a word for a team like this. It's called upside. And this team has a TON of it. The Dbacks, through scouting, the draft, and player development, have built themselves a contender for many years to come. This is just the beginning...
Now for the bad. For all the pluses about this team, there are some things they need to work on and address. The first is starting pitching. Livan Hernandez will be gone next year, and they need to find someone to replace him, as well as get another starter. They have situations in the outfield and at first base that are brewing and will need to be handled. The outfield is set, with Eric Byrnes in left, CY in center and Upton in right. Where does that leave Carlos Quentin, who came up the farm system as the solution in right but struggled mightily at the plate? And what about Carlos Gonzalez, the stud outfielder currently with their AAA club in Tucson? Where does that leave him?
At first base you have another situation entirely. Who's going to play there? CoJack improved at the plate through the year, but as he showed in the NLCS is a liability on defense. You could move Chad Tracy there, as his position (third base) was overtaken by Reynolds, who came up as a 2nd baseman. But Tracy isn't all that good on defense at first base either, and he wasn't that good at the plate either.
And then you have the Orlando Hudson situation. His contract is up at the end of next year, but he wants a new deal in place by the start of 2008, and he wants to get paid. After watching his buddy on the team, Byrnes, get a three-year, $30mil extension, Hudson will be looking for the same type of money. The Dbacks have repeatedly stated they don't want to pay that kind of money to Hudson, but with their unexpected success in the postseason, the Dbacks are reportedly upping their payroll next season as a result. Whether that money goes to re-signing Hudson or going after a starting pitcher remains to be seen.
Whatever happens, the 2007 Dbacks season was a fun one. It gave us thrills, it give us spills, and it gave us heart attacks.
But it certainly rocked...
