Arizona Diamondbacks
Encyclopedia
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team
based in Phoenix
. They play in the West Division
of Major League Baseball
's National League
. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field
. Also known as the D-backs, Arizona has one World Series
title, in 2001, becoming the fastest expansion team in the majors to win a championship, doing it in only the fourth season since their expansion in 1998.
jumped from the 99th largest city in the nation to the 9th largest (it is currently the 6th largest). As such, it was frequently mentioned as a possible location for either a new or relocated MLB franchise. Baseball had a rich tradition in Arizona long before talk of bringing a big-league team even started. The state has been a frequent spring training
site since 1946. With a large number of people relocating to the state from the Midwest
and the Northeast
, as well as from California, many teams (most notably the Chicago Cubs
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
) have normally had large followings in Arizona.
The first serious attempt to land an expansion team for the Phoenix area was mounted by Elyse Doherty and Martin Stone, owner of the Phoenix Firebirds
, the city's triple-A minor league baseball team and the top affiliate of the San Francisco Giants
. In the late 1980s Stone approached St. Louis (football) Cardinals
owner Bill Bidwill
about sharing a proposed 70,000 seat domed stadium in Phoenix. It was taken for granted that a domed stadium was a must for a major-league team to be a viable venture in the Phoenix area. Phoenix is by far the hottest major city in North America; the average high temperature during baseball's regular season is 99.1 °F, and game-time temperatures well above 100 °F are very common during the summer. The game-time temperature has topped 120 °F in July and August three times since the Diamondbacks' inception.
Bidwill, with plans already in the works to leave St. Louis, opted instead to sign a long term lease with Arizona State University
to use its Sun Devil Stadium
as the home of his soon-to-be Arizona-based NFL franchise. Since baseball-only stadiums were not seen as fiscally viable during that era, this effectively ended Stone's bid.
In the fall of 1993, Jerry Colangelo
, majority owner of the Phoenix Suns
, the area's NBA
franchise, announced he was assembling an ownership group, "Arizona Baseball, Inc.," to apply for a Major League Baseball expansion team. This was after a great deal of lobbying by the Maricopa County Sports Authority, a local group formed to preserve Cactus League spring training
in Arizona and eventually secure a Major League franchise for the state.
Colangelo's group was so certain that they would be awarded a franchise that they held a name-the-team contest for it; they took out a full-page ad in the sports section of the February 13, 1995 edition of the state's leading newspaper, the Arizona Republic. First prize was a pair of lifetime season tickets awarded to the person who submitted the winning entry. The winning choice was "Diamondbacks," after the Western diamondback, a rattlesnake
native to the region known for injecting a large amount of venom
when it strikes.
Colangelo's bid received strong support from one of his friends, Chicago White Sox
and Chicago Bulls
owner Jerry Reinsdorf
, and media reports say that then-acting Commissioner of Baseball
and Milwaukee Brewers
founder Bud Selig
was also a strong supporter of Colangelo's bid. Plans were also made for a new retractable-roof ballpark, Bank One Ballpark, nicknamed the BOB, (renamed in 2005 to Chase Field
) to be built in an industrial/warehouse district on the southeast edge of downtown Phoenix, one block from the Suns' America West Arena (now US Airways Center
).
On March 9, 1995, Colangelo's group was awarded a franchise
to begin play for the 1998 season. A $130 million franchise fee was paid to Major League Baseball. The Tampa Bay Area
was also granted a franchise, the Devil Rays
(to be based in St. Petersburg
), at the same time.
Arizona had originally been intended to join Tampa Bay in the American League. However, five American League teams had threatened to block the league assignments because of concerns that they would have additional games out of their time zone, causing early starts that would decrease revenue and TV ratings. Thus, on January 16, 1997, the Diamondbacks were officially voted into the National League while their expansion counterparts in Tampa Bay were voted into the American League.
According to the original press release from Colangelo's group (which remained posted on the team website during the first few seasons) the chosen team colors were Arizona turquoise
, copper
, black and purple. "...Turquoise was chosen because the greenish-blue stone is indigenous to Arizona, copper because Arizona is one the nation's top copper-producing states and purple because it has become a favorite color for Arizona sports fans, thanks to the success of the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns."
In the earliest days, the Diamondbacks operated basically as a subsidiary of the Suns; several executives and managers with the Suns and America West Arena were brought over to the Diamondbacks in similar roles.
A series of team-sponsored fan motorcoach trips from Tucson to Bank One Ballpark were inaugurated for the opening season and are still in operation to this day (it is now known as the "Diamond Express"). The Diamondbacks are also known for the "Hometown Tour", held in January, where selected players, management and broadcasters make public appearances, hold autograph signings, etc., in various locations around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as many small and mid-sized towns in other areas of Arizona.
Despite their avowed claim to appeal to the entire state, in 2009 the Diamondbacks moved their Triple-A Pacific Coast League farm team, the Tucson Sidewinders, to Reno, where they are now known as the Aces. In 2011, they also moved their spring training base from Tucson to a new stadium near the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale.
, the American League Manager of the Year in 1994 with the New York Yankees
.
Their lower level Minor League Baseball
teams began play in 1997; the expansion draft
was held that year as well.
on March 31, 1998, at Bank One Ballpark before a standing-room only crowd of 50,179. Tickets had gone on sale on January 10 and sold out before lunch. The Rockies won, 9–2, with Andy Benes
on the mound for the Diamondbacks, and Travis Lee
being the first player to hit, score, homer and drive in a run.
In their first five seasons of existence, the Diamondbacks won three division titles (1999, 2001, 2002) a National League pennant (2001) and a World Series
championship (2001). In 1999, Arizona
won 100 games in only its second season to win the NL West title. They lost to the New York Mets
in four games in the NLDS
.
Colangelo fired Showalter after a relatively disappointing 2000 season, and replaced him with Bob Brenly
, the former Giants catcher and coach, who had up to that point been working as a color analyst on Diamondbacks television broadcasts.
In 2001, the team was led by two of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball: Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling
. Arizona had postseason victories over the St. Louis Cardinals
(3–2 in the NLDS
) and the Atlanta Braves
(4–1 in the NLCS
) to advance to the World Series
where, in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, they beat the reigning champions, the New York Yankees
, 4 to 3, to become the youngest expansion franchise to win the World Series (in just their fourth season of play). The previous mark was held by the Florida Marlins. This was the first time since that the home team won all seven games of a World Series and the first time that a National League team won a World Series in which the home team won all seven games of a World Series.
An estimated orderly crowd of over 300,000 celebrated at the Diamondbacks victory parade, held at Bank One Ballpark and the surrounding downtown Phoenix streets on November 7, 2001. This was the first major professional sports championship for the state of Arizona and the first for a team (in the four major North American professional sports leagues) owned or controlled by Colangelo, whose basketball Suns made it to the NBA Finals
in 1976
and 1993
but lost both times.
The team finished the 2002 season with a 98-64 record and won the NL West Division Title, but were swept out in the NLDS
by the St. Louis Cardinals
. Randy Johnson was awarded with his fourth consecutive Cy Young Award as well the Major League Baseball Triple Crown.
where he contributed to that team's 2004
victory. By the 2004 season the Diamondbacks had dropped to a dismal 51–111 record, the worst in Major League Baseball
and one of the 10 worst records in the modern era, despite Johnson pitching a perfect game
on May 18 of that season. Brenly was fired partway through the season and was replaced on an interim basis by third base coach Al Pedrique
.
By this time Colangelo and the other partners were embroiled in a dispute over the financial health and direction of the Diamondbacks (and notably including over $150 million in deferred compensation
to many players who were key members of the 2001 World Series winning team and others). Colangelo’s willingness to go into debt and acquire players through free agency had led to one of the quickest free falls in major sports history. He was forced to resign his managing general partner post in the late summer of 2004. In a 2004 interview with columnist Hal Bodley of USA TODAY
, Colangelo defended his actions:
Colangelo sold his interest in the General Partnership of the Diamondbacks to a group of investors who were all involved as partners in the founding of the team in 1995. The investors include equal partners Ken Kendrick
, Mike Chipman, and Jeffrey Royer. Jeff Moorad
, a former sports agent, joined the partnership, and was named the team's CEO; becoming its primary public face. Ken Kendrick became the managing general partner.
Following the 2004 season, the Diamondbacks hired Wally Backman
to be the team's manager. Backman was formerly manager of the Class A California League
Lancaster JetHawks
, one of the Diamondbacks' minor-league affiliates. In a turn of events that proved to be a minor embarrassment for the reorganized ownership group, Backman was almost immediately fired after management learned, after the fact, of legal troubles and improprieties in Backman's past. Former Seattle Mariners
manager and Diamondbacks bench coach Bob Melvin
became the new manager after only a ten-day tenure for Backman.
Following the Backman incident, the Diamondbacks spent heavily on free agents in order to re-build. The club signed 3B Troy Glaus
, P Russ Ortiz
, SS Royce Clayton
, and 2B Craig Counsell
, among others. They then entered into a three-way deal with the New York Yankees
and Los Angeles Dodgers
: Randy Johnson was sent to the New York Yankees
, for Javier Vázquez
, Brad Halsey
, and Dioner Navarro
who was then dealt to the Dodgers for Shawn Green
. Finally, they traded Casey Fossum
to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
for José Cruz, Jr.
The Diamondbacks were considered by some to be the favorite to win the division after spending on the aforementioned free agents; however, injuries hurt the team's chances of reaching its expected potential.
The Diamondbacks
, led by Melvin, finished the 2005 season with a record of 77 wins and 85 losses. Though a losing season, this was a 26-game improvement over 2004, and sufficient for second place in a woefully weak NL West, five games behind the San Diego Padres
.
In October 2005 the Diamondbacks hired 35-year-old Josh Byrnes
, assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox
, to replace the outgoing Joe Garagiola, Jr. as Diamondbacks General Manager
. Garagiola took a position in Major League Baseball
's main offices in New York City.
became the recipient of his second career Gold Glove Award
, as announced on November 3 becoming only the sixth infielder in major league history to win a Gold Glove award in both the American and National Leagues. On November 14, it was announced that RHP Brandon Webb
was the recipient of the Cy Young Award
for the National League. Webb, a specialist in throwing the sinkerball
, received 15 of 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America
. Webb went 16–8 with a 3.10 ERA and in the 2006 season was named to his first All-Star team.
Several significant trades were made during the off season. The Diamondbacks and Brewers made a trade on November 25, 2006. Johnny Estrada
, Greg Aquino
, and Claudio Vargas
were dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers
for Doug Davis, Dana Eveland
, and Dave Krynzel
. On Sunday January 7, it was announced that Randy Johnson would return to the Diamondbacks on a two year contract, pending a physical. He was obtained from the Yankees in exchange for Luis Vizcaino
, Ross Ohlendorf
, Alberto Gonzalez and Steven Jackson, with the Yankees paying $2 million of Johnson's $26 million salary. The Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins
made a deal March 26 to acquire RHP Yusmeiro Petit
in exchange for Jorge Julio and cash.
While some fans applauded the redesign, most of the reaction to the new color scheme, which included the changing of the historical purple and traditional Arizonan colors of copper
and turquoise
to a reddish color known as "Sedona Red" similar to that of the Phoenix Coyotes
and Arizona Cardinals
color schemes, was pointedly negative. The official unveiling of the uniforms came at a charity event on November 8 in nearby Scottsdale, where several of the players modeled the uniforms on a runway, and posed for publicity photos. The distinctive "A" design remained unchanged save for the colors. The stylized snake-like "D" logo, also used since the early days for the road uniforms, was slightly redesigned and a completely new shoulder patch introduced. The lettering on the jerseys was completely redesigned. "Sedona Red" became the dominant color scheme used throughout Chase Field and in all marketing and promotional materials for the Diamondback ballclub.
Not only did the Diamondbacks uniforms change, but many faces of the organization changed as well. Fan favorite and Diamondbacks stalwart Luis Gonzalez did not return as the left fielder for the Diamondbacks. The most popular player in franchise history, "Gonzo" signed a one-year contract worth just under $7 million on December 7 to play for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers
for the 2007 season. Craig Counsell
, Miguel Batista
and Jay Bell
, also signed with other teams, as did Thom Brennaman
, the original Diamondbacks play-by-play man.
In the 2007 regular season, the Diamondbacks enjoyed success with a young team including Brandon Webb
, Conor Jackson
, Stephen Drew
, Carlos Quentin
, Chad Tracy
, Chris Young
, Miguel Montero
, Mark Reynolds
(called up from Double-A in May) and Justin Upton
(called up from Double-A in August). Despite being outscored over the season, the Diamondbacks posted the best record in the NL with 90 wins and 72 losses. Their unorthodox style led to the team adopting an unofficial motto coined by 1st baseman Tony Clark
; "Anybody, Anytime." On September 28, the Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies
to secure a position in the 2007 playoffs. After the Padres' defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers
on September 29, the Diamondbacks secured both the NL West title and home field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.
After taking the first two games at home against the Cubs, in the National League Division Series
, they took the series to Wrigley Field
, where they completed their sweep, earning their first berth in the National League Championship Series since 2001. In the NLCS
, they faced the Colorado Rockies again. The Rockies had been on an incredible winning pace since the All Star break, and they swept the Diamondbacks in four games. Overall, the 2007 season was a great success.
2007 off season
On December 3, 2007 the Diamondbacks traded Carlos Quentin
, who had failed to perform to expectation, to the Chicago White Sox
for first base prospect Chris Carter.
On December 14, in a blockbuster trade, the Diamondbacks acquired starting RHP Dan Haren
from the Oakland Athletics
for six players: LHP Brett Anderson
, LHP Dana Eveland
and LHP Greg Smith
; the above-mentioned just-acquired infielder Chris Carter; and outfielders Aaron Cunningham
and Carlos Gonzalez
. The team also traded relief pitcher Jose Valverde
, who led the major leagues in saves in 2007 with 47, to the Houston Astros
for reliever Chad Qualls
, RHP Juan Gutiérrez
and IF/OF Chris Burke. Haren was 15–9 with a 3.07 ERA for Oakland in 2007. On August 5, 2008 Dan Haren
signed a four-year, $44.75 million deal with the Diamondbacks worth a guaranteed $41.25 million through 2012 and including a $15.5 million club option for 2013 with a $3.5 million buyout.
, the Diamondbacks found themselves with the best record in Major League Baseball, 20–8, by the start of May. At that time, they also led the NL West by 6.5 games. Despite the strong start, the team played poorly in May and June and entered the All Star break at 47–48, still leading the NL West.
Orlando Hudson
underwent season-ending surgery on his left wrist August 9 in the wake of a collision with catcher Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves
. Hudson was due to become a free agent at the end of the season and would not be re-signed. LF Eric Byrnes
was on the 60-day disabled list from late June, with a torn left hamstring, and was out for the remainder of the season.
On August 11, 2008, Dallas Buck
, RHP Micah Owings
, and C Wilkin Castillo
were traded to the Reds (in last place in the NL Central at the time) in exchange for OF Adam Dunn
. Dunn, who was tied for the major league lead with 32 home runs, was expected to provide a significant boost to an offense that has struggled to score runs for most of the season. Dunn seemed quite positive about being traded to a ball club in first place in its division in August. The move was seen by some fans as a belated attempt by the D'Backs to counter the trade by their division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers
, for Boston Red Sox
power-hitting OF Manny Ramirez
on July 31 and also to compensate for the injuries to Hudson and Byrnes, generally considered two of the more "power-hitting" Diamondbacks on a team which has relied heavily on pitching and defense in recent years. A free agent at the end of the season, on February 11, 2009, Dunn agreed to a two-year $20 million contract with the Washington Nationals
. On August 31, the Diamondbacks acquired former World Series MVP David Eckstein
to fill the hole at second base which was opened after Orlando Hudson was placed on the disabled list. Eckstein was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays
for Minor League pitcher Chad Beck.
Despite the acquisitions, the team failed to improve and finished with a record of 82–80, in second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
and hired A. J. Hinch
. The season ended with the Diamondbacks in last place and a record of 70 wins and 92 losses. The Diamondbacks' tough year was blamed on a struggling offense, and an inadequate pitching staff which had a collective ERA
of 4.18.
and manager A. J. Hinch
were fired and replaced on an interim basis by Jerry Dipoto
and Kirk Gibson
respectively. (Gibson was later named the manager on a permanent basis, but Dipoto was replaced by Kevin Towers
)
. The Diamondbacks' success has been credited to the approach of manager Kirk Gibson
as well as strong starting pitching behind Ian Kennedy
, Daniel Hudson
, Joe Saunders
, and rookie Josh Collmenter
as well as a much improved bullpen led by closer J. J. Putz.
The franchise opened Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, their new Spring Training home in Scottsdale to rave reviews. The D-backs share the complex with the Colorado Rockies.
The Diamondbacks' ballpark, Chase Field played host to the 2011 All-Star game
on July 12. This was highlighted by the first use of the designated hitter rule in a National League ballpark.
Toward the end of the trade deadline on July 31, 2011, the Diamondbacks acquired Washington Nationals
right-handed pitcher Jason Marquis to strengthen their starting rotation, in exchange for Minor League shortstop Zach Walters. The day after, in a move to boost their bullpen strength, consistency and depth, the Diamondbacks acquired reliever Brad Ziegler from the Oakland Athletics
in exchange for first baseman Brandon Allen and reliever Jordan Norberto. On August 23, the Diamondbacks traded struggling second baseman Kelly Johnson
to the Toronto Blue Jays
for second baseman Aaron Hill and shortstop John McDonald. The Diamondbacks surged after the All Star Break, posting a 45-25 record. On September 29, the Diamondbacks defeated the San Francisco Giants
3-1 to clinch the National League West
division title. They ended the season with a 94-68 record, a 29 game reversal over the prior year's performance. The Arizona Diamondbacks faced the Milwaukee Brewers
in the 2011 National League Division Series, but lost 3-2 in the decisive game 5 in 10 innings.
, who also broadcasts baseball and college football
games nationally for Fox Television. Brennaman was the TV announcer for the Chicago Cubs
and Cincinnati Reds
(along with his father Marty Brennaman
) before being hired by Diamondbacks founder Jerry Colangelo in 1996, two years before the team would begin play.
In October 2006, Brennaman left the Diamondbacks to call games with his father for the Reds beginning in 2007, signing a 4-year deal (his FOX duties remained unchanged).
The English language flagship radio station is KTAR
. Greg Schulte
is the regular radio play-by-play voice, a 25-year veteran of sports radio in the Phoenix market, also well known for his previous work on Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals
and Arizona State University
(ASU) broadcasts. In February 2007 he agreed to a contract extension through at least the 2011 season.
Jeff Munn
is a backup radio play-by-play announcer; he served as the regular public address announcer at Chase Field
in the early days of the franchise. He is well-known to many Phoenix area sports fans, having also served as the public address announcer for the Suns at America West Arena (now US Airways Center
) in the 1990s. He is also the play-by-play radio voice for ASU women's basketball.
On November 1, 2006, the team announced that the TV voice of the Milwaukee Brewers
since 2002, Daron Sutton
, would be hired as the Diamondbacks primary TV play-by-play voice. Sutton was signed to a five-year contract with a team option for three more years. Sutton is considered one of the best of the younger generation of baseball broadcasters. His signature chants include "lets get some runs" when the D'Backs trail in late innings. Sutton's father is Hall of Fame pitcher and current Atlanta Braves
broadcaster Don Sutton.
Former Diamondback and Chicago Cub Mark Grace and former Major League knuckleball
pitcher Tom Candiotti
were the Diamondbacks primary color analysts for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Former Diamondback player (and current Diamondbacks minority owner) Matt Williams also does color commentary on occasion, as does former Cardinals
and NBC
broadcast legend Joe Garagiola, Sr., a longtime Phoenix-area resident and father of Joe Garagiola, Jr.
, the first GM of the Diamondbacks (as head of the Maricopa County Sports Authority in the early 1990s, Garagiola, Jr. was one of the primary people involved in Phoenix obtaining a Major League Baseball franchise).
The Diamondbacks announced in July 2007 that for the 2008 season, all regionally broadcast Diamondback TV games will be shown exclusively on Fox Sports Arizona; and a few could possibly be shown on the national MLB on Fox telecasts. Fox Sports Arizona (or FSArizona) is currently seen in 2.8 million households in Arizona & New Mexico. The previous flagship station, since the inaugural 1998 season, was KTVK
, a popular over-the-air independent station in Phoenix.
In 2009, Mark Grace and Daron Sutton are still tagged as the main broadcasters of the Diamondbacks. However, for pre-game and post-game shows on FSArizona, former big-league closer Joe Borowski will be an analyst, according to an announcement made by FSArizona's Executive Producer Mike Roth.
Spanish broadcasts
The flagship Spanish language radio station is [AM 710]] with Miguel Quintana, Richard Saenz and Oscar Soria.
Games were televised in Spanish on KPHE-LP
—with Oscar Soria and Jerry Romo as the announcers—but this arrangement ended prior to the 2009 season due to the team switching fully to Fox Sports Arizona and the lack of carriage of KHPE-LP on the Cox cable system.
Pitching
* signifies current major league player
* Played as Diamondbacks
On June 23, 2010, the Diamondbacks announced that the team would retire its first jersey number by honoring Luis Gonzalez. Gonzalez played with the Diamondbacks for eight seasons, 1999 to 2006, attended five All-Star games representing the team and had the game winning hit to win the first World Series
in franchise history. His number, #20, was retired in a pre-game ceremony which was held at Chase Field on August 7, 2010 in front of a sellout crowd of 48,946. After the ceremony, the Diamondbacks won the game against the San Diego Padres
6–5 after a walk-off home run by Chris Young, who also led the game off with a home run in the Bottom of the First Inning.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
based in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. They play in the West Division
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field
Chase Field
Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...
. Also known as the D-backs, Arizona has one World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
title, in 2001, becoming the fastest expansion team in the majors to win a championship, doing it in only the fourth season since their expansion in 1998.
The desire for baseball in the desert
Between 1940 and 1990, PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
jumped from the 99th largest city in the nation to the 9th largest (it is currently the 6th largest). As such, it was frequently mentioned as a possible location for either a new or relocated MLB franchise. Baseball had a rich tradition in Arizona long before talk of bringing a big-league team even started. The state has been a frequent spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
site since 1946. With a large number of people relocating to the state from the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
, as well as from California, many teams (most notably the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
) have normally had large followings in Arizona.
The first serious attempt to land an expansion team for the Phoenix area was mounted by Elyse Doherty and Martin Stone, owner of the Phoenix Firebirds
Phoenix Firebirds
The Phoenix Firebirds, formerly the Phoenix Giants, were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Phoenix, Arizona, USA from 1958-1959, and 1966 until 1997....
, the city's triple-A minor league baseball team and the top affiliate of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. In the late 1980s Stone approached St. Louis (football) Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
owner Bill Bidwill
Bill Bidwill
William V. "Bill" Bidwill, Sr. is the principal owner and chairman of the board of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was part-owner from 1962 to 1972 with his brother Charles, Jr. and has been sole owner since 1972.-Education:Bidwill went to Georgetown Preparatory School,...
about sharing a proposed 70,000 seat domed stadium in Phoenix. It was taken for granted that a domed stadium was a must for a major-league team to be a viable venture in the Phoenix area. Phoenix is by far the hottest major city in North America; the average high temperature during baseball's regular season is 99.1 °F, and game-time temperatures well above 100 °F are very common during the summer. The game-time temperature has topped 120 °F in July and August three times since the Diamondbacks' inception.
Bidwill, with plans already in the works to leave St. Louis, opted instead to sign a long term lease with Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
to use its Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
as the home of his soon-to-be Arizona-based NFL franchise. Since baseball-only stadiums were not seen as fiscally viable during that era, this effectively ended Stone's bid.
In the fall of 1993, Jerry Colangelo
Jerry Colangelo
Jerry Colangelo , is an American businessman and sports executive.He formerly owned the Phoenix Suns of the NBA, the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, the Arizona Sandsharks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major...
, majority owner of the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
, the area's NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
franchise, announced he was assembling an ownership group, "Arizona Baseball, Inc.," to apply for a Major League Baseball expansion team. This was after a great deal of lobbying by the Maricopa County Sports Authority, a local group formed to preserve Cactus League spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in Arizona and eventually secure a Major League franchise for the state.
Colangelo's group was so certain that they would be awarded a franchise that they held a name-the-team contest for it; they took out a full-page ad in the sports section of the February 13, 1995 edition of the state's leading newspaper, the Arizona Republic. First prize was a pair of lifetime season tickets awarded to the person who submitted the winning entry. The winning choice was "Diamondbacks," after the Western diamondback, a rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
native to the region known for injecting a large amount of venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
when it strikes.
Colangelo's bid received strong support from one of his friends, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
owner Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry Reinsdorf
Jerry M. Reinsdorf is a CPA, lawyer and an owner of the MLB's Chicago White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. He started his professional life as a tax attorney with the Internal Revenue Service. He has been the head of the White Sox and Bulls for over 20 years.He made his initial fortune in real...
, and media reports say that then-acting Commissioner of Baseball
Commissioner of Baseball
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
and Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
founder Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
was also a strong supporter of Colangelo's bid. Plans were also made for a new retractable-roof ballpark, Bank One Ballpark, nicknamed the BOB, (renamed in 2005 to Chase Field
Chase Field
Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...
) to be built in an industrial/warehouse district on the southeast edge of downtown Phoenix, one block from the Suns' America West Arena (now US Airways Center
US Airways Center
US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...
).
On March 9, 1995, Colangelo's group was awarded a franchise
1998 Major League Baseball expansion
The 1998 Major League Baseball expansion resulted in the establishment of MLB's 29th and 30th teams beginning play for the 1998 season. After initiating an expansion committee in March 1994, 27 groups representing nine cities submitted bids for the proposed expansion teams...
to begin play for the 1998 season. A $130 million franchise fee was paid to Major League Baseball. The Tampa Bay Area
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
was also granted a franchise, the Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
(to be based in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
), at the same time.
Arizona had originally been intended to join Tampa Bay in the American League. However, five American League teams had threatened to block the league assignments because of concerns that they would have additional games out of their time zone, causing early starts that would decrease revenue and TV ratings. Thus, on January 16, 1997, the Diamondbacks were officially voted into the National League while their expansion counterparts in Tampa Bay were voted into the American League.
According to the original press release from Colangelo's group (which remained posted on the team website during the first few seasons) the chosen team colors were Arizona turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, black and purple. "...Turquoise was chosen because the greenish-blue stone is indigenous to Arizona, copper because Arizona is one the nation's top copper-producing states and purple because it has become a favorite color for Arizona sports fans, thanks to the success of the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns."
In the earliest days, the Diamondbacks operated basically as a subsidiary of the Suns; several executives and managers with the Suns and America West Arena were brought over to the Diamondbacks in similar roles.
A regional team
From the beginning, Colangelo wanted to market the Diamondbacks to a statewide fan base and not limit fan appeal to Phoenix and its suburbs. Although every Major League Baseball team cultivates fans from outside its immediate metropolitan area, and even though the greater Phoenix area has 2/3 of the statewide population, Colangelo still decided to call the team the "Arizona Diamondbacks" rather than the "Phoenix Diamondbacks".A series of team-sponsored fan motorcoach trips from Tucson to Bank One Ballpark were inaugurated for the opening season and are still in operation to this day (it is now known as the "Diamond Express"). The Diamondbacks are also known for the "Hometown Tour", held in January, where selected players, management and broadcasters make public appearances, hold autograph signings, etc., in various locations around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as many small and mid-sized towns in other areas of Arizona.
Despite their avowed claim to appeal to the entire state, in 2009 the Diamondbacks moved their Triple-A Pacific Coast League farm team, the Tucson Sidewinders, to Reno, where they are now known as the Aces. In 2011, they also moved their spring training base from Tucson to a new stadium near the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale.
Further preparations
Two years before their first opening day, Colangelo hired Buck ShowalterBuck Showalter
William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III is an American Major League Baseball manager for the Baltimore Orioles. He has previously served in a similar capacity with the New York Yankees , Arizona Diamondbacks , and Texas Rangers...
, the American League Manager of the Year in 1994 with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
Their lower level Minor League Baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams began play in 1997; the expansion draft
1997 MLB Expansion Draft
The 1997 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted by Major League Baseball on November 18, 1997 in the Phoenix Civic Center to stock the major league rosters of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks, new major league expansion franchises that were set to start play in the...
was held that year as well.
1998–2002: Early success and a World Series championship
The Diamondbacks' first major league game was played against the Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
on March 31, 1998, at Bank One Ballpark before a standing-room only crowd of 50,179. Tickets had gone on sale on January 10 and sold out before lunch. The Rockies won, 9–2, with Andy Benes
Andy Benes
Andrew Charles Benes is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 14-year career from 1989-2002. Benes played for four different teams: the San Diego Padres, the Seattle Mariners, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Arizona Diamondbacks...
on the mound for the Diamondbacks, and Travis Lee
Travis Lee
Travis Lee is a former Major League Baseball first baseman.Lee graduated from Capital High School in Olympia, Washington in 1993, where he also played football. Being ambidextrous Lee played as a lefty in baseball and as a QB for the Capital High football team threw with his right...
being the first player to hit, score, homer and drive in a run.
In their first five seasons of existence, the Diamondbacks won three division titles (1999, 2001, 2002) a National League pennant (2001) and a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship (2001). In 1999, Arizona
1999 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks looked to improve on their 1998 expansion season. They looked to contend in what was a strong National League West Division. They finished the season with a highly surprising record of 100-62, good enough for the NL West division title. In the NLDS, however, they fell...
won 100 games in only its second season to win the NL West title. They lost to the New York Mets
1999 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 1999 season was the 38th regular season for the Mets. They went 96-66 and finished 2nd in the NL East but won the NL Wild Card by beating the Cincinnati Reds in a one game playoff. They were managed by Bobby Valentine...
in four games in the NLDS
1999 National League Division Series
-Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Mets:-Game 1, October 5:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaA pitcher's duel between Shane Reynolds and Greg Maddux highlighted Game 1. The Astros struck first in the top of the second when Tony Eusebio singled in Carl Everett. Gerald Williams would tie the game in...
.
Colangelo fired Showalter after a relatively disappointing 2000 season, and replaced him with Bob Brenly
Bob Brenly
Robert Earl Brenly is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. He played the majority of his career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants and played half a season for the Toronto Blue Jays...
, the former Giants catcher and coach, who had up to that point been working as a color analyst on Diamondbacks television broadcasts.
In 2001, the team was led by two of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball: Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling
Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
. Arizona had postseason victories over the St. Louis Cardinals
2001 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2001 season was the team's 120th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 110th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 93-69 during the season and finished tied for first in the National League Central division with the Houston Astros...
(3–2 in the NLDS
2001 National League Division Series
-Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-Houston vs. Atlanta:The Atlanta Braves won their tenth straight division title, despite having the worst record among playoff teams. With that record, 2001 was also the Braves' worst season since 1990, when they had the worst record in baseball...
) and the Atlanta Braves
2001 Atlanta Braves season
The 2001 Atlanta Braves season saw the team finish first in the NL East Division with an 88-74 record - the worst among playoff teams in 2001, and also the worst for the Braves since 1990 , when they had the worst record in baseball.The Braves swept the favored Houston Astros in the NLDS before...
(4–1 in the NLCS
2001 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 16, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaThe 2001 NLCS began with an excellent pitching matchup of multiple-Cy Young Award winners Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux. Reggie Sanders plated a run in the first with a single to give Arizona a 1–0 lead. Meanwhile, Johnson...
) to advance to the World Series
2001 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 27, 2001 at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, ArizonaArizona showed no fear and chased Yankees starter Mike Mussina after just three innings. The Yankees gave up five unearned runs and the Diamondbacks rode Curt Schilling's seven strong innings to a 9–1 rout...
where, in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, they beat the reigning champions, the New York Yankees
2001 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2001 season was the 99th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 95-65 finishing 13.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. Roger Clemens had sixteen straight wins, tying an American...
, 4 to 3, to become the youngest expansion franchise to win the World Series (in just their fourth season of play). The previous mark was held by the Florida Marlins. This was the first time since that the home team won all seven games of a World Series and the first time that a National League team won a World Series in which the home team won all seven games of a World Series.
An estimated orderly crowd of over 300,000 celebrated at the Diamondbacks victory parade, held at Bank One Ballpark and the surrounding downtown Phoenix streets on November 7, 2001. This was the first major professional sports championship for the state of Arizona and the first for a team (in the four major North American professional sports leagues) owned or controlled by Colangelo, whose basketball Suns made it to the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
in 1976
1976 NBA Finals
The 1976 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round for the 1975-76 NBA season.-Background:The Phoenix Suns finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA...
and 1993
1993 NBA Finals
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992-93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley...
but lost both times.
The team finished the 2002 season with a 98-64 record and won the NL West Division Title, but were swept out in the NLDS
2002 National League Division Series
-Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals:-Atlanta vs. San Francisco:The Atlanta Braves had won their eleventh straight division title. The San Francisco Giants were making their third appearance in the postseason since 1997...
by the St. Louis Cardinals
2002 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 2002 season was the team's 121st season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 111th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 97-65 during the season and won the National League Central division by 13 games over the Houston Astros...
. Randy Johnson was awarded with his fourth consecutive Cy Young Award as well the Major League Baseball Triple Crown.
2003 – 2005: Tough times and the end of the Colangelo era
Arizona ended the 2003 season with an 84-78 record, in 3rd place in the NL West. Both Johnson and Schilling had suffered injuries during the season and Schilling was traded in the off season to the Boston Red SoxBoston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
where he contributed to that team's 2004
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
victory. By the 2004 season the Diamondbacks had dropped to a dismal 51–111 record, the worst in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and one of the 10 worst records in the modern era, despite Johnson pitching a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
on May 18 of that season. Brenly was fired partway through the season and was replaced on an interim basis by third base coach Al Pedrique
Al Pedrique
Alfredo José Pedrique García , best known as "Al Pedrique" , is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and right-handed batter who played for the New York Mets , Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers...
.
By this time Colangelo and the other partners were embroiled in a dispute over the financial health and direction of the Diamondbacks (and notably including over $150 million in deferred compensation
Deferred compensation
Deferred compensation is an arrangement in which a portion of an employee's income is paid out at a date after which that income is actually earned. Examples of deferred compensation include pensions, retirement plans, and stock options...
to many players who were key members of the 2001 World Series winning team and others). Colangelo’s willingness to go into debt and acquire players through free agency had led to one of the quickest free falls in major sports history. He was forced to resign his managing general partner post in the late summer of 2004. In a 2004 interview with columnist Hal Bodley of USA TODAY
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, Colangelo defended his actions:
Colangelo sold his interest in the General Partnership of the Diamondbacks to a group of investors who were all involved as partners in the founding of the team in 1995. The investors include equal partners Ken Kendrick
Ken Kendrick
Earl G. "Ken" Kendrick Jr. is a baseball executive with the National League Arizona Diamondbacks. He became part-owner with the team's inception in 1995 and Managing General Partner in 2004, replacing Jerry Colangelo after a lengthy disagreement over Colangelo's role with the franchise he founded;...
, Mike Chipman, and Jeffrey Royer. Jeff Moorad
Jeff Moorad
Jeff Moorad is a former sports agent and is currently lead owner of the San Diego Padres and part-owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.He is an Assyrian American...
, a former sports agent, joined the partnership, and was named the team's CEO; becoming its primary public face. Ken Kendrick became the managing general partner.
Following the 2004 season, the Diamondbacks hired Wally Backman
Wally Backman
Walter Wayne Backman is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from - and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team...
to be the team's manager. Backman was formerly manager of the Class A California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
Lancaster JetHawks
Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks are a minor league baseball team of the California League located in Lancaster, California. The team is named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and plays its home games at Clear Channel Stadium...
, one of the Diamondbacks' minor-league affiliates. In a turn of events that proved to be a minor embarrassment for the reorganized ownership group, Backman was almost immediately fired after management learned, after the fact, of legal troubles and improprieties in Backman's past. Former Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
manager and Diamondbacks bench coach Bob Melvin
Bob Melvin
Robert Paul Melvin is the manager of the Oakland Athletics, and a former Major League Baseball catcher.During a 10-year playing career, he played from 1985–94 for seven different teams...
became the new manager after only a ten-day tenure for Backman.
Troy Glaus
Troy Edward Glaus is a Major League Baseball first baseman and third baseman who is currently a free agent. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels , Arizona Diamondbacks , Toronto Blue Jays , St. Louis Cardinals , and the Atlanta Braves . Glaus lettered in baseball while attending UCLA...
, P Russ Ortiz
Russ Ortiz
Russell Reid Ortiz is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Ortiz played for the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, SS Royce Clayton
Royce Clayton
Royce Spencer Clayton is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and occasional actor.-Baseball career:Clayton was born in Burbank, California. He was drafted out of St...
, and 2B Craig Counsell
Craig Counsell
Craig John Counsell is a Major League Baseball infielder.Counsell grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and attended Whitefish Bay High School, where he played baseball. His father worked for the Milwaukee Brewers...
, among others. They then entered into a three-way deal with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
: Randy Johnson was sent to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, for Javier Vázquez
Javier Vázquez
Javier Carlos Vázquez is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Previously, he pitched for the Florida Marlins , Atlanta Braves , Chicago White Sox , Arizona Diamondbacks , New York Yankees and Montreal Expos . Vázquez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico...
, Brad Halsey
Brad Halsey
Bradford Alexander Halsey is currently a pitcher in the New York Yankees organization.-Amateur career:Halsey attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was the No...
, and Dioner Navarro
Dioner Navarro
Dioner Favian Navarro Vivas is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher, who is a free agent.-New York Yankees:In 2000, Navarro was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent...
who was then dealt to the Dodgers for Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
. Finally, they traded Casey Fossum
Casey Fossum
Casey Paul Fossum is an American baseball pitcher in the New York Mets organization. He played for the Boston Red Sox , Arizona Diamondbacks , Tampa Bay Devil Rays , Detroit Tigers , and New York Mets of Major League Baseball, and the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball...
to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
for José Cruz, Jr.
José Cruz, Jr.
José Luis Cruz, Jr. is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. Over his nine year playing career, Cruz played for eight different teams. Standing 6'0" tall and weighing 210 pounds, Cruz was a right-handed switch hitter...
The Diamondbacks were considered by some to be the favorite to win the division after spending on the aforementioned free agents; however, injuries hurt the team's chances of reaching its expected potential.
The Diamondbacks
2005 Arizona Diamondbacks season
The 2005 Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team looked to improve on their 51-111 record from 2004. They looked to contend in what was once again a weak National League West Division...
, led by Melvin, finished the 2005 season with a record of 77 wins and 85 losses. Though a losing season, this was a 26-game improvement over 2004, and sufficient for second place in a woefully weak NL West, five games behind the San Diego Padres
2005 San Diego Padres season
-Opening Day starters:Played at Coors Field on April 4, 2005. The Colorado Rockies defeated the Padres 12-10.-Notable transactions:*June 7, 2005: Josh Geer was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 3rd round of the 2005 amateur draft. Player signed July 1, 2005.-Roster:-Starters by position:Note:...
.
In October 2005 the Diamondbacks hired 35-year-old Josh Byrnes
Josh Byrnes
Josh Byrnes is the general manager of the San Diego Padres. Previously, he served as General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball from November 2005 to July 2010.-Biography:...
, assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, to replace the outgoing Joe Garagiola, Jr. as Diamondbacks General Manager
General manager (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
. Garagiola took a position in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's main offices in New York City.
2006: Rebuilt and reloaded
In a weak NL West division, the Diamondbacks failed to improve on their 2005 performance, finishing fourth with a slightly worse record than the year before. The season did include two excellent individual performances, however. 2B Orlando HudsonOrlando Hudson
Orlando Thill Hudson is an American professional baseball second baseman with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.-Early life and high school career:...
became the recipient of his second career Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
, as announced on November 3 becoming only the sixth infielder in major league history to win a Gold Glove award in both the American and National Leagues. On November 14, it was announced that RHP Brandon Webb
Brandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
was the recipient of the Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
for the National League. Webb, a specialist in throwing the sinkerball
Sinker (baseball)
In baseball, a sinker , is a type of fastball pitch which has significant downward and horizontal movement. The sinker is known for inducing a lot of ground balls...
, received 15 of 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
. Webb went 16–8 with a 3.10 ERA and in the 2006 season was named to his first All-Star team.
Several significant trades were made during the off season. The Diamondbacks and Brewers made a trade on November 25, 2006. Johnny Estrada
Johnny Estrada
Johnny Pulado Estrada III is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals.Estrada was selected in the 17th round of the 1997 Major...
, Greg Aquino
Greg Aquino
Gregori Emilio Aquino Valera is a Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently in the Chicago White Sox organization.Aquino was originally signed as a 16-year-old infielder in , by the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, and Claudio Vargas
Claudio Vargas
Claudio Vargas Almonte is a former Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodgers...
were dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Doug Davis, Dana Eveland
Dana Eveland
Dana James Eveland is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Eveland throws a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball. He is 6' 1" and weighs 230 pounds....
, and Dave Krynzel
Dave Krynzel
David Benjamin Krynzel , is a Major League Baseball outfielder. He made his major league debut on September 1, ....
. On Sunday January 7, it was announced that Randy Johnson would return to the Diamondbacks on a two year contract, pending a physical. He was obtained from the Yankees in exchange for Luis Vizcaino
Luis Vizcaíno
Luis Vizcaíno Arias is a Dominican Republic professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played for the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians in his career.-Career:Vizcaíno...
, Ross Ohlendorf
Ross Ohlendorf
Curtis Ross Ohlendorf is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is known for his hard-biting sinker. He can hit 97 mph with a two-seam sinking fastball, and he's working to improve his developing changeup, slider, and breaking ball.-High School and College...
, Alberto Gonzalez and Steven Jackson, with the Yankees paying $2 million of Johnson's $26 million salary. The Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
made a deal March 26 to acquire RHP Yusmeiro Petit
Yusmeiro Petit
Yusmeiro Alberto Petit is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball relief pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. Petit throws right-handed. He was signed by New York Mets as non-drafted free agent on November 15,...
in exchange for Jorge Julio and cash.
2007: A new look and a return to the playoffs
The Diamondbacks announced in early September 2006 that their uniforms, which remained largely unchanged since the team's first season, would be completely redesigned for the 2007 season. Details were supposed to be kept from the public until after the 2006 postseason as per MLB rules, but the Diamondback page from the 2007 MLB Official Style Guide was somehow leaked around September 25, and local media broadcast printed the new design for all to see. Of great surprise to many fans was a brand new color scheme; apparently the original colors used by the franchise since Major League Baseball awarded it to Jerry Colangelo's ownership group in 1995 were to be discontinued.While some fans applauded the redesign, most of the reaction to the new color scheme, which included the changing of the historical purple and traditional Arizonan colors of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
to a reddish color known as "Sedona Red" similar to that of the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
and Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
color schemes, was pointedly negative. The official unveiling of the uniforms came at a charity event on November 8 in nearby Scottsdale, where several of the players modeled the uniforms on a runway, and posed for publicity photos. The distinctive "A" design remained unchanged save for the colors. The stylized snake-like "D" logo, also used since the early days for the road uniforms, was slightly redesigned and a completely new shoulder patch introduced. The lettering on the jerseys was completely redesigned. "Sedona Red" became the dominant color scheme used throughout Chase Field and in all marketing and promotional materials for the Diamondback ballclub.
Not only did the Diamondbacks uniforms change, but many faces of the organization changed as well. Fan favorite and Diamondbacks stalwart Luis Gonzalez did not return as the left fielder for the Diamondbacks. The most popular player in franchise history, "Gonzo" signed a one-year contract worth just under $7 million on December 7 to play for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for the 2007 season. Craig Counsell
Craig Counsell
Craig John Counsell is a Major League Baseball infielder.Counsell grew up in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, and attended Whitefish Bay High School, where he played baseball. His father worked for the Milwaukee Brewers...
, Miguel Batista
Miguel Batista
Miguel Descartes Batista Jerez is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals, St...
and Jay Bell
Jay Bell
Jay Stuart Bell is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and second baseman who played for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , Kansas City Royals , Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets .He played his high school baseball at J.M...
, also signed with other teams, as did Thom Brennaman
Thom Brennaman
Thomas Wade "Thom" Brennaman is an American sportscaster, and the son of current Cincinnati Reds radio sportscaster Marty Brennaman.-Broadcasting career:...
, the original Diamondbacks play-by-play man.
In the 2007 regular season, the Diamondbacks enjoyed success with a young team including Brandon Webb
Brandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
, Conor Jackson
Conor Jackson
Conor Sims Jackson is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed. He is 6'2" and roughly 225 pounds. His father is actor John M...
, Stephen Drew
Stephen Drew
Stephen Oris Drew is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is the younger brother of Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew and former major leaguer Tim Drew....
, Carlos Quentin
Carlos Quentin
Carlos Josè Quentin is an American outfielder who plays for the Chicago White Sox. In 2008 and in 2011, Quentin was selected as an All-Star.-Early career:...
, Chad Tracy
Chad Tracy
Chad Austin Tracy is a Major League Baseball third baseman, who is currently with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.-College & draft:...
, Chris Young
Chris Young (baseball outfielder)
Christopher Brandon Young is a center fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In , he became the first rookie in Major League history to hit 30 home runs and steal 25 bases.-Early life:...
, Miguel Montero
Miguel Montero
Miguel Angel Montero is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Arizona Diamondbacks:...
, Mark Reynolds
Mark Reynolds (baseball)
Mark Andrew Reynolds is a third baseman/first baseman in Major League Baseball who plays for the Baltimore Orioles. He is known both for his power-hitting abilities and for his record-breaking strike out totals...
(called up from Double-A in May) and Justin Upton
Justin Upton
Justin Irvin Upton is a National Major League Baseball right fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
(called up from Double-A in August). Despite being outscored over the season, the Diamondbacks posted the best record in the NL with 90 wins and 72 losses. Their unorthodox style led to the team adopting an unofficial motto coined by 1st baseman Tony Clark
Tony Clark
Anthony Christopher Clark, known as Tony , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current MLB Network studio analyst....
; "Anybody, Anytime." On September 28, the Diamondbacks defeated the Colorado Rockies
2007 Colorado Rockies season
The Colorado Rockies' 2007 season started off with the team trying to improve on their 2006 record . They finished with a franchise record of 90 wins in 163 games and earned a playoff berth as the National League Wild Card team. The Rockies swept their first seven playoff games en route to winning...
to secure a position in the 2007 playoffs. After the Padres' defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers
2007 Milwaukee Brewers season
The 2007 Milwaukee Brewers season marked the 25th anniversary of the Milwaukee Brewers winning the American League Championship and the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Braves winning the World Series. During the offseason, the Brewers re-signed free agents Bill Hall and Chris Capuano...
on September 29, the Diamondbacks secured both the NL West title and home field advantage throughout the NL playoffs.
After taking the first two games at home against the Cubs, in the National League Division Series
2007 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies:-Game 1, October 3:Chase Field in Phoenix, ArizonaEighteen-game winners Carlos Zambrano and Brandon Webb matched each other pitch for pitch in the opening game of the series. Stephen Drew's fourth-inning home run stood as the game's only run until Ryan...
, they took the series to Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, where they completed their sweep, earning their first berth in the National League Championship Series since 2001. In the NLCS
2007 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Thursday, October 11, 2007 at Chase Field in Phoenix, ArizonaThe Rockies took a 1–0 series lead behind a strong innings from starter Jeff Francis. Arizona scored first on a first-inning RBI double by Eric Byrnes, but lost the lead two innings later when Colorado right fielder Brad Hawpe...
, they faced the Colorado Rockies again. The Rockies had been on an incredible winning pace since the All Star break, and they swept the Diamondbacks in four games. Overall, the 2007 season was a great success.
2007 off season
On December 3, 2007 the Diamondbacks traded Carlos Quentin
Carlos Quentin
Carlos Josè Quentin is an American outfielder who plays for the Chicago White Sox. In 2008 and in 2011, Quentin was selected as an All-Star.-Early career:...
, who had failed to perform to expectation, to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for first base prospect Chris Carter.
On December 14, in a blockbuster trade, the Diamondbacks acquired starting RHP Dan Haren
Dan Haren
Daniel John Haren is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.- High-school and college career :...
from the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for six players: LHP Brett Anderson
Brett Anderson (baseball)
Brett Franklin Anderson is a left-handed pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.-Early life:He attended Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he was an all-state selection in 2006, his senior year....
, LHP Dana Eveland
Dana Eveland
Dana James Eveland is a left-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Eveland throws a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball. He is 6' 1" and weighs 230 pounds....
and LHP Greg Smith
Greg Smith (pitcher)
Gregory Thomas Smith is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Baseball career:Smith attended Louisiana State University, where he played for the LSU Tigers baseball team...
; the above-mentioned just-acquired infielder Chris Carter; and outfielders Aaron Cunningham
Aaron Cunningham
Aaron Roe Ward Cunningham is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the San Diego Padres.-Baseball career:Cunningham was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the sixth round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft...
and Carlos Gonzalez
Carlos González (baseball)
Carlos Eduardo González is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.-Minor leagues:...
. The team also traded relief pitcher Jose Valverde
José Valverde
José Rafael Valverde is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. His nickname is Papa Grande...
, who led the major leagues in saves in 2007 with 47, to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for reliever Chad Qualls
Chad Qualls
Chadford Michael Qualls is a relief pitcher.-Astros:Qualls was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros. He began his career as a starting pitcher with the Michigan Battle Cats in...
, RHP Juan Gutiérrez
Juan Gutiérrez (baseball)
Juan Carlos Gutiérrez nicknamed the goot is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Baseball career:...
and IF/OF Chris Burke. Haren was 15–9 with a 3.07 ERA for Oakland in 2007. On August 5, 2008 Dan Haren
Dan Haren
Daniel John Haren is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.- High-school and college career :...
signed a four-year, $44.75 million deal with the Diamondbacks worth a guaranteed $41.25 million through 2012 and including a $15.5 million club option for 2013 with a $3.5 million buyout.
2008
After winning the opening game of the season on March 31 on the road against the Cincinnati Reds2008 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 2008 season was their 127th in total and their sixth in their present home park, Great American Ball Park. The Reds play in the National League's central division; their divisional foes are the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, and Pittsburgh...
, the Diamondbacks found themselves with the best record in Major League Baseball, 20–8, by the start of May. At that time, they also led the NL West by 6.5 games. Despite the strong start, the team played poorly in May and June and entered the All Star break at 47–48, still leading the NL West.
Orlando Hudson
Orlando Hudson
Orlando Thill Hudson is an American professional baseball second baseman with the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.-Early life and high school career:...
underwent season-ending surgery on his left wrist August 9 in the wake of a collision with catcher Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Hudson was due to become a free agent at the end of the season and would not be re-signed. LF Eric Byrnes
Eric Byrnes
Eric James Byrnes , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He has played for the Oakland Athletics, the Colorado Rockies, the Baltimore Orioles, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Seattle Mariners...
was on the 60-day disabled list from late June, with a torn left hamstring, and was out for the remainder of the season.
On August 11, 2008, Dallas Buck
Dallas Buck
Dallas Buck is a Minor League Baseball player and former All-American baseball pitcher who played for the Oregon State Beavers of Oregon State University in college...
, RHP Micah Owings
Micah Owings
Micah Burton Owings is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher currently pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, and C Wilkin Castillo
Wilkin Castillo
Wilkin Castillo is a Major League Baseball utility player.-Professional career:Castillo was originally signed as an undrafted free agent in by the Arizona Diamondbacks....
were traded to the Reds (in last place in the NL Central at the time) in exchange for OF Adam Dunn
Adam Dunn
Adam Troy Dunn , nicknamed "Big Donkey", is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Chicago White Sox. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed....
. Dunn, who was tied for the major league lead with 32 home runs, was expected to provide a significant boost to an offense that has struggled to score runs for most of the season. Dunn seemed quite positive about being traded to a ball club in first place in its division in August. The move was seen by some fans as a belated attempt by the D'Backs to counter the trade by their division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, for Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
power-hitting OF Manny Ramirez
Manny Ramírez
Manuel "Manny" Arístides Ramírez Onelcida is a retired Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He was recognized for great batting skill and power, a nine-time Silver Slugger and one of 25 players to hit 500 career home runs. Ramirez's 21 grand slams are third all-time, and his 28...
on July 31 and also to compensate for the injuries to Hudson and Byrnes, generally considered two of the more "power-hitting" Diamondbacks on a team which has relied heavily on pitching and defense in recent years. A free agent at the end of the season, on February 11, 2009, Dunn agreed to a two-year $20 million contract with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. On August 31, the Diamondbacks acquired former World Series MVP David Eckstein
David Eckstein
David Mark Eckstein is a former American professional baseball player who was an infielder in Major League Baseball for ten seasons. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Anaheim Angels, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona...
to fill the hole at second base which was opened after Orlando Hudson was placed on the disabled list. Eckstein was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for Minor League pitcher Chad Beck.
Despite the acquisitions, the team failed to improve and finished with a record of 82–80, in second place behind the Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season features the Dodgers celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Southern California under new manager Joe Torre as they won the National League West for the first time since 2004, and returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2007. They swept the...
.
2009
On May 8, after going 12–17 in 29 games, the Diamondbacks released manager Bob MelvinBob Melvin
Robert Paul Melvin is the manager of the Oakland Athletics, and a former Major League Baseball catcher.During a 10-year playing career, he played from 1985–94 for seven different teams...
and hired A. J. Hinch
A. J. Hinch
Andrew Jay Hinch is the current vice president of professional scouting for the San Diego Padres. He is a former Major League Baseball catcher and a former manager. Hinch played for the Oakland Athletics , Kansas City Royals , Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies , and managed the Arizona...
. The season ended with the Diamondbacks in last place and a record of 70 wins and 92 losses. The Diamondbacks' tough year was blamed on a struggling offense, and an inadequate pitching staff which had a collective ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 4.18.
2010
The Diamondbacks ended the 2010 season with a 65–97 record. This poor performance was blamed on an extremely weak bullpen, which finished with a collective 5.47 ERA, and a lack of offense which was punctuated by the team setting the single season strikeout record. and ending the season with 1,529. On July 1, general manager Josh ByrnesJosh Byrnes
Josh Byrnes is the general manager of the San Diego Padres. Previously, he served as General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball from November 2005 to July 2010.-Biography:...
and manager A. J. Hinch
A. J. Hinch
Andrew Jay Hinch is the current vice president of professional scouting for the San Diego Padres. He is a former Major League Baseball catcher and a former manager. Hinch played for the Oakland Athletics , Kansas City Royals , Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies , and managed the Arizona...
were fired and replaced on an interim basis by Jerry Dipoto
Jerry Dipoto
Gerard Peter Dipoto , is a former professional baseball player and an executive who currently serves as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He served as interim GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010.-Early life:Dipoto played high school baseball at Toms River High School North...
and Kirk Gibson
Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
respectively. (Gibson was later named the manager on a permanent basis, but Dipoto was replaced by Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
)
2011 Season: Worst to First
In a season projected by many to be a last place finish, the Arizona Diamondbacks bucked expectations maintaining playoff contention at the All Star break with a 49-43 record, only 3 games behind the 1st place San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. The Diamondbacks' success has been credited to the approach of manager Kirk Gibson
Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
as well as strong starting pitching behind Ian Kennedy
Ian Kennedy
Ian Patrick Kennedy is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.He is 6' 0" tall and weighs 190 pounds...
, Daniel Hudson
Daniel Hudson
Daniel Claiborne Hudson is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hudson stands 6 feet, 4 inches and weighs 220 pounds.-College career:...
, Joe Saunders
Joe Saunders
Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...
, and rookie Josh Collmenter
Josh Collmenter
Joshua Michael Collmenter is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-High School:...
as well as a much improved bullpen led by closer J. J. Putz.
The franchise opened Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, their new Spring Training home in Scottsdale to rave reviews. The D-backs share the complex with the Colorado Rockies.
The Diamondbacks' ballpark, Chase Field played host to the 2011 All-Star game
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
on July 12. This was highlighted by the first use of the designated hitter rule in a National League ballpark.
Toward the end of the trade deadline on July 31, 2011, the Diamondbacks acquired Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
right-handed pitcher Jason Marquis to strengthen their starting rotation, in exchange for Minor League shortstop Zach Walters. The day after, in a move to boost their bullpen strength, consistency and depth, the Diamondbacks acquired reliever Brad Ziegler from the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in exchange for first baseman Brandon Allen and reliever Jordan Norberto. On August 23, the Diamondbacks traded struggling second baseman Kelly Johnson
Kelly Johnson (baseball)
Kelly Andrew Johnson is a Major League Baseball second baseman.-Atlanta Braves:Johnson was drafted in the first round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves...
to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for second baseman Aaron Hill and shortstop John McDonald. The Diamondbacks surged after the All Star Break, posting a 45-25 record. On September 29, the Diamondbacks defeated the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
3-1 to clinch the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
division title. They ended the season with a 94-68 record, a 29 game reversal over the prior year's performance. The Arizona Diamondbacks faced the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in the 2011 National League Division Series, but lost 3-2 in the decisive game 5 in 10 innings.
Logos
(including image of baseball-cap logos of the 30 MLB franchises)Diamondbacks broadcasters
The primary television play-by-play voice for the team's first nine seasons of play was Thom BrennamanThom Brennaman
Thomas Wade "Thom" Brennaman is an American sportscaster, and the son of current Cincinnati Reds radio sportscaster Marty Brennaman.-Broadcasting career:...
, who also broadcasts baseball and college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
games nationally for Fox Television. Brennaman was the TV announcer for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
and Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(along with his father Marty Brennaman
Marty Brennaman
Franchester Martin "Marty" Brennaman , is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the radio voice of Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds on the Cincinnati Reds Radio Network.-Early life:...
) before being hired by Diamondbacks founder Jerry Colangelo in 1996, two years before the team would begin play.
In October 2006, Brennaman left the Diamondbacks to call games with his father for the Reds beginning in 2007, signing a 4-year deal (his FOX duties remained unchanged).
The English language flagship radio station is KTAR
KTAR (AM)
KTAR is the callsign for a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. It airs programming from ESPN Radio, in addition to KTAR-acquired broadcast rights for local teams...
. Greg Schulte
Greg Schulte
Greg Schulte is an American sportscaster, and is best known as the radio voice of the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball team. Schulte joined the Diamondbacks for their inaugural season 1998 and in February 2007 signed a contract extension that will keep him in the Diamondback booth through...
is the regular radio play-by-play voice, a 25-year veteran of sports radio in the Phoenix market, also well known for his previous work on Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
(ASU) broadcasts. In February 2007 he agreed to a contract extension through at least the 2011 season.
Jeff Munn
Jeff Munn
Jeff Munn is an American public address announcer for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball and the former public address announcer for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association....
is a backup radio play-by-play announcer; he served as the regular public address announcer at Chase Field
Chase Field
Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...
in the early days of the franchise. He is well-known to many Phoenix area sports fans, having also served as the public address announcer for the Suns at America West Arena (now US Airways Center
US Airways Center
US Airways Center is a sports and entertainment arena located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It opened in 1992, and is the home of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association, the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association, and the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena...
) in the 1990s. He is also the play-by-play radio voice for ASU women's basketball.
On November 1, 2006, the team announced that the TV voice of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
since 2002, Daron Sutton
Daron Sutton
Daron Sutton is the television play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona State Sun Devils men's basketball. Sutton is also the son of former pitching great and Hall of Famer Don Sutton...
, would be hired as the Diamondbacks primary TV play-by-play voice. Sutton was signed to a five-year contract with a team option for three more years. Sutton is considered one of the best of the younger generation of baseball broadcasters. His signature chants include "lets get some runs" when the D'Backs trail in late innings. Sutton's father is Hall of Fame pitcher and current Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
broadcaster Don Sutton.
Former Diamondback and Chicago Cub Mark Grace and former Major League knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
pitcher Tom Candiotti
Tom Candiotti
Thomas Caesar Candiotti is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was known for his knuckleball. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers...
were the Diamondbacks primary color analysts for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Former Diamondback player (and current Diamondbacks minority owner) Matt Williams also does color commentary on occasion, as does former Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
broadcast legend Joe Garagiola, Sr., a longtime Phoenix-area resident and father of Joe Garagiola, Jr.
Joe Garagiola, Jr.
Joe Garagiola, Jr. is the senior vice president of standards and on-field operations for Major League Baseball. He was previously senior vice president of baseball operations, and before that the General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks....
, the first GM of the Diamondbacks (as head of the Maricopa County Sports Authority in the early 1990s, Garagiola, Jr. was one of the primary people involved in Phoenix obtaining a Major League Baseball franchise).
The Diamondbacks announced in July 2007 that for the 2008 season, all regionally broadcast Diamondback TV games will be shown exclusively on Fox Sports Arizona; and a few could possibly be shown on the national MLB on Fox telecasts. Fox Sports Arizona (or FSArizona) is currently seen in 2.8 million households in Arizona & New Mexico. The previous flagship station, since the inaugural 1998 season, was KTVK
KTVK
KTVK is a full-service, independent television station in Phoenix, Arizona. It broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 24 from a transmitter located on South Mountain in Phoenix, and can be seen across northern Arizona on a network of nearly two dozen translator stations...
, a popular over-the-air independent station in Phoenix.
In 2009, Mark Grace and Daron Sutton are still tagged as the main broadcasters of the Diamondbacks. However, for pre-game and post-game shows on FSArizona, former big-league closer Joe Borowski will be an analyst, according to an announcement made by FSArizona's Executive Producer Mike Roth.
Spanish broadcasts
The flagship Spanish language radio station is [AM 710]] with Miguel Quintana, Richard Saenz and Oscar Soria.
Games were televised in Spanish on KPHE-LP
KPHE-LP
KPHE-LD is a low-power television station in Phoenix, Arizona, broadcasting locally in digital on UHF channel 16 from its transmitter on South Mountain...
—with Oscar Soria and Jerry Romo as the announcers—but this arrangement ended prior to the 2009 season due to the team switching fully to Fox Sports Arizona and the lack of carriage of KHPE-LP on the Cox cable system.
All-time leaders
Hitting- Games Played —Luis Gonzalez (1999–2006)- 1,194
- At Bats —Luis Gonzalez – 4,488
- Hits —Luis Gonzalez – 1,337
- Batting Average —Luis Gonzalez – .298
- Runs —Luis Gonzalez – 780
- Doubles —Luis Gonzalez – 310
- Triples —Stephen DrewStephen DrewStephen Oris Drew is a shortstop in Major League Baseball who plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is the younger brother of Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew and former major leaguer Tim Drew....
* – 47 - Home Runs —Luis Gonzalez 224
- Runs Batted In —Luis Gonzalez – 774
- On Base Percentage —Luis Gonzalez – .391
- Walks —Luis Gonzalez – 650
- Strike Outs — Mark ReynoldsMark Reynolds (baseball)Mark Andrew Reynolds is a third baseman/first baseman in Major League Baseball who plays for the Baltimore Orioles. He is known both for his power-hitting abilities and for his record-breaking strike out totals...
* – 767 - Slugging Percentage —Luis Gonzalez – .529
- Stolen Bases —Tony WomackTony WomackAnthony Darrell Womack is a former second baseman and shortstop in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks, then with several other teams during his last four years...
– 110
Pitching
- ERA —Randy JohnsonRandy JohnsonRandall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
(1999–2004, 2007–2008) – 2.83 - Wins —Randy Johnson – 118
- Losses —Randy Johnson/Brandon WebbBrandon WebbBrandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
* (2003–2010) – 62 - Games —Jose ValverdeJosé ValverdeJosé Rafael Valverde is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. His nickname is Papa Grande...
* (2003–2007) – 253 - Saves —Jose Valverde – 98
- Innings —Randy Johnson – 1630.1
- Starts —Randy Johnson – 232
- Strikeouts —Randy Johnson – 2,077
- Complete Games —Randy Johnson – 38
- Shutouts —Randy Johnson – 14 (Perfect GamePerfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
May 18, 2004) - WHIP -Curt SchillingCurt SchillingCurtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
– 1.04- all stats as of 04/17/2011 from the Arizona Diamondbacks website.
Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Names in bold received the award based on their work as Diamondbacks broadcasters.- Joe GaragiolaJoe GaragiolaJoseph Henry "Joe" Garagiola, Sr. is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball who later became an announcer and television host, popular for his colorful personality. He was well known for being one of the regular panelists of The Today Show on NBC for many years.-Early life:Garagiola...
Retired numbers
Jackie Robinson Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947... retired throughout all Major League Baseball |
Luis Gonzalez OF, 1999-2006 retired 2010 |
|---|
On June 23, 2010, the Diamondbacks announced that the team would retire its first jersey number by honoring Luis Gonzalez. Gonzalez played with the Diamondbacks for eight seasons, 1999 to 2006, attended five All-Star games representing the team and had the game winning hit to win the first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in franchise history. His number, #20, was retired in a pre-game ceremony which was held at Chase Field on August 7, 2010 in front of a sellout crowd of 48,946. After the ceremony, the Diamondbacks won the game against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
6–5 after a walk-off home run by Chris Young, who also led the game off with a home run in the Bottom of the First Inning.
Championships
Minor league affiliations
| Level | Team | League | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Reno Aces Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a minor league baseball franchise based in Reno, Nevada, in the United States. The team is a member of the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.... |
Pacific Coast League Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The... |
Reno, NV Reno, Nevada Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area... |
| AA | Mobile BayBears Mobile BayBears The Mobile BayBears are a minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks major league club. The BayBears play in Hank Aaron Stadium, named after baseball's former all-time home... |
Southern League Southern League (baseball) The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams... |
Mobile, AL Mobile, Alabama Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest... |
| Advanced A | Visalia Rawhide | California League California League The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth... |
Visalia, CA Visalia, California Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles... |
| A | South Bend Silver Hawks South Bend Silver Hawks The South Bend Silver Hawks are a U.S. Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks, that plays in the Midwest League.... |
Midwest League Midwest League The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort... |
South Bend, IN South Bend, Indiana The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663... |
| Short Season A | Yakima Bears Yakima Bears The Yakima Bears are a minor league baseball team in Yakima, Washington. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2001, formerly with the Los Angeles Dodgers from the team's creation in 1990 when the Salem... |
Northwest League Northwest League The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954... |
Yakima, WA Yakima, Washington Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of... |
| Rookie | Missoula Osprey Missoula Osprey The Missoula Osprey is a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Missoula, Montana. The team plays its home games at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field. The club is a member of the Pioneer League, a short-season league which is designated Rookie Advanced.The Osprey... |
Pioneer League | Missoula, MT Missoula, Montana Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area... |
| DSL Diamondbacks | Dominican Summer League Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated minor league baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2011 72-game season begins May 28 and ends August 20... |
Boca Chica Boca Chica Boca Chica is a municipality of the Santo Domingo province in the Dominican Republic. Within the municipality there is one municipal district : La Caleta.... , Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |
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| Arizona League Diamondbacks | Arizona League Arizona League The Arizona League is a minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. It is a rookie-level professional baseball league run by Major League Baseball since 1989. Games are played at the spring training complexes of the team's parent organizations from mid-June until the... |
Scottsdale,AZ Scottsdale, Arizona Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385... |
See also
- List of Arizona Diamondbacks team records
- List of Arizona Diamondbacks broadcasters
- List of managers and ownership of the Arizona Diamondbacks