Snatching Defeat From The Jaws of Victory

It could have been Randy Johnson's night. He tied Roger Clemens for 2nd on the all time strikeout list (4,672). He could have had his first back to back double digit strikeout games since 2004. He left after seven innings just one strike out short of both with a 3-2 lead and win number 289 within reach, but once again the the bullpen's inability to record the required number of remaining outs without allowing a run and poor defense let him down.

Will the D-Backs ever again field a true first baseman? How is it that the corner position has become such a trash can for us defensively where good (or supposedly good) hitters go to botch ground balls?

By the way, I was looking over the All Star Ballot yesterday. This just doesn't seem right. You can vote for a DH from the American League but not from the National League. I understand that there is no DH position in the NL so obviously that's why there isn't one on the ballot. Can you write in someone as a DH for the NL? The ballot doesn't make it clear.


UPDATE: File this under "We Could Have Used Them Last Night"

The trade market might be materializing a little earlier than normal this year and the Giants are actively shopping several players, according to sources.

But not the names you'd expect.

The Giants have informed other clubs that relievers Tyler Walker, Jack Taschner and Vinnie Chulk are available in fair-value deals. The club also is soliciting offers for Erick Threets and Brad Hennessey, who is starting for Triple-A Fresno.

Closer Brian Wilson is not among the players the Giants are keen on moving.

The sudden motivation to deal relief pitching is twofold: several contenders are in bullpen crisis mode, and the Giants believe they have several younger relievers who are emerging or on the cusp of doing so.

several contenders are in bullpen crisis mode

I wonder if we're on that list?

We Suck Right Now

Period.

Far From Purrfect But Close Enough

Three pressing questions still seem to be nagging me after the weekend series against the Detroit Tigers in which the Snakes took 2 out of 3 from the Cats.

What's going on with Orlando Hudson?

The mental mistakes he's made so far this season seem to be out of character for him: Not running out bunts, being called out for stepping out of the batter's box and not realizing when the infield fly rule is in effect have been some of the mental lapses that have plagued him. So far this season he has 6 errors. That is second on the team behind Mark reynolds who has 8. He has never had more than 13 errors in a season (in 2006, his first in the NL with the Diamondbacks). Last year he had 10 for the entire year. Add to that the unsolicited tongue lashing he gave fans on TV for booing Eric Byrnes, and I have to wonder if there isn't something going on that we don't know about. Is he bothered by the hamstring injury more than he's letting on? Is the talk that he probably won't be back with the D-Backs next year getting under his skin? I wouldn't hold either one against him, but something just doesn't seem right with O-Dawg so far this year.

What's going on at second?

Or maybe I should ask, "What's going on at third?" In the first game, Stephen Drew stopped at second base on a hit through the first base hole which should have easily gotten him to third. He held out his hands and looked at third base coach Chip Hale as if asking what he was supposed to do. Mark Grace soundly criticized Drew (over and over) for not turning around to look at the ball.

During the third game, Justin Upton was on first when Conor Jackson sent a bullet down the right field line. This looked like a ball the speedy Upton could score on easily, but he stopped at 2nd base as well. The announcers then criticized the youngster for turning around to watch the flight of the ball instead of keeping his head down and rounding second. He did end up on third as Jackson cruised into second with a double.

Am I out of line for wondering what the third base coach was doing through all this? Doesn't he have some responsibility to help runners know what to do when a ball is hit behind them? Especially younger players?

Why aren't we running more?

This team has speed. Lots of speed yet we have only 20 stolen bases and are led in that category by - Mark Reynolds with 5? Chris Young has 3. The speedy Upton has none. Even Conor Jackson has 3. Speed kills. Let's use it.

The Upton Brothers on TWIB

Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton, as well as Arizona outfielder Chris Young and Mets third baseman David Wright, were just featured in a segment on "This Week In Baseball".

Baseball Batty Over Maple

On April 15th, Pirates hitting coach Don Long was struck in the face by pieces of a broken bat. He was sitting in the dugout at Dodger stadium when Nate McLouth stroked a double off Estaban Loaiza, his bat shattering in the process. The bat sliced through the muscle in his cheek, catching nerves in its wake. A piece broke off and lodged under his skin. A doctor needed to remove the stray wood before he could sew 10 stitches. The left side of his face is temporaily paralyzed. Doctors predict the nerves in Long’s face will regenerate and he’ll be able to smile again.

Earlier this week Reds shortstop Jeff Keppinger, who was hitting .324, broke his bat and fouled a ball off his kneecap fracturing his patella. He will be out 4-6 weeks.

Eric Byrnes, once angry after a bad at-bat, slammed his maple bat into the ground and saw its shrapnel hit catcher Miguel Olivo in the head.

And it's not just the players and coaches on the field that are in danger of the sharp projectiles that have been flying out of the hands of major league hitters at an alarming rate. According to Duane Espy, who was hitting coach for San Diego from 2000-2002:

"When I coached in San Diego, I saw a maple bat explode with a big chunk of it flying over a dugout and sticking in a fan's arm," Espy said. "When ash bats break, they might break in half, but they don't explode into shards. Maple bats become javelins. They always end up with a severe point. It's very rare for an ash bat to break like that."

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has decided to nip the breaking bat problem "in the the bud" and wants to talk to the players' union and the Rules Committee about the number of broken maple bats and why they are breaking. Maybe he should just read this article by Brain Vander Beek of the Modesto Bee.

According to Vander Beek, the increasing number can be explained by the fact that the popularity of maple bats among major league players has grown over the past 6 years. Last year, the use of maple bats surpassed ash for the first time. This year 60 percent of all MLB players are swinging maple.

Why are the maple bats so popular?

• In 2001, Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs using a maple bat. Bonds' record breaking season brought attention to the fact that he was using unique maple baseball bats made by Sam Bat of Ottawa, ON.
• Maple bats are cheaper than ash making it an economic factor at the minor league level. Maple bats go for about $40 each while ash bats cost about $60.
• Maple bats are more durable and last longer. They provide a harder hitting surface than ash and don't visibly wear down.

The durability of the maple bats apparently answers the question of why the bats are so much more dangerous than broken ash.

Ash bats crack. Maple bats explode. Maple bats crack on the inside where the wear is hidden until the bat gives up its structural integrity on impact, often in a violent manner.

In 2006, MLB brought up the issue of maple bats during the collective-bargaining negotiations, but the players' union rejected an outright ban or imposing any restrictions that would lessen the likelihood of breakage. They have so far rejected the idea of putting nets in front of seats closest to the field.

An outright ban of the maple bats now seems unlikely. Chuck Schupp, the director of professional sales at Hillerich & Bradsby, the parent company for Louisville Slugger, said they would need at least 18 months to fill the orders of ash bats for all their clients.

The thickening of the bat handle seems the likeliest compromise. A scientific study showed that as the size of the handle increases, the potential for broken bats decreases. However, players might object to thicker handles because they add weight, and every 10th of an ounce counts.

The question for Baseball is this: Will they do something before it's too late or will there be another Mike Coolbaugh incident first?

(Additional story by Jeff Passan.)

No Place Like Home

The boys in Sedona Red and I agree. Home is where the heart is as they break out the broom and sweep off the porch. I really think Brandon Webb could possibly throw a no-hitter this year, but the chances of a perfect game are slim given the defense fielded behind him.

There's an interesting point to be made by Jerry Brown over at the east Valley Tribune:

I'm enjoying watching the D-Backs play, but there is one thing that should keep Arizona's spikes on the ground: After Thursday's win, they were 11 games over .500 for the season, and Brandon Webb was 9-0. So when he doesn't pitch, they're the Dodgers.

Interleague play starts this weekend. Have I mentioned how much I hate Interleague play? Apparently, I am in the minority when it comes to this. Here's what some of Arizona's personnel think about it.

Hey, I'd probably love it if we got to play the Yankees and Red Sox all the time. I do have a friend in Boston that is stoked about the D-Backs playing in Fenway later this year. Imagine that! But this weekend the Tigers are coming to town. I have absolutely no interest in the Tigers even when they are winning. Detroit's offense is explosive on paper but they have yet to translate that to the field of play where it counts. It should be another good chance to see how the D-Backs measure up against teams outside the NL West though because you really, really need to be able to beat teams in other divisions to win a championship.

And if you want to know how bad things are in Denver (snicker), check out Ken Rosenthal's column. He thinks that the Rockies have very little chance of signing Matt Holliday to an extension and that he could be prime trade bait. Holliday is signed through 2009 and will make $13 million next year. He is reportedly seeking a long term deal of more than 4 years.

Who might be in the market for Holliday? Rosenthal thinks that Cleveland, St Louis, the Yankees (duh), Oakland, Detroit, Toronto, Seattle and the Mets could be suitors.

Rosenthal also thinks that Garrett Atkins and closer Brian Fuentes could be on the block.

Like I said earlier - I'd rather be me than you.