The Arizona Diamondbacks have a fascinating history, however short it may be.
When they played their inaugural season in 1998, owner Jerry Colangelo had a sole purpose, to win the World Series, and he wanted it soon.
Unlike their fellow expansion team, the Tampa Bay Rays, who were owned by Vince Naimoli and struggled for most of their existence, Colangelo financially supported the team from the beginning and his dedication led them to their eventual championship in the 2001 season.
However, Colangelo’s investment in the team nearly sent the franchise into bankruptcy, and in 2004, three men took over the ballclub; Ken Kendrick, Mike Chipman, and Jeff Royer. Josh Byrnes, the current GM, joined the team in 2005 and since then the team has been focused on rebuilding the franchise, from paper to field.
In 2007 and 2008 the D’Backs won 172 games, surprising all of baseball with their success. After aces Brandon Webb and Dan Haren, the team had no legitimate position player star during those years. Offensively, no single player hit over 35 home runs, and there was no one with over 178 hits in each season.
The team had stopped signing big name free agents and instead began focusing on their farm system for talent, the likes of which won 90 games in 2007. After a disappointing 2008 finish, the team and league was optimistic going into 2009. The team was young, talented, and in an impressionable division.
However, right from the beginning of the season, the D’Backs were in trouble.
They lost Webb after only one start for the season, centerfielder Chris Young struggled mightily in his senior season, Connor Jackson missed most of the year due to Valley Fever, and closer Chad Qualls went down for the stretch run with a knee injury. After Dan Haren, the pitching staff was a mess. They fell to 70 wins.
In the offseason they added pitching and a first basemen, two key positions they lacked true depth in last year, and barring of course a serious injury bug, I like the Diamondbacks for 88 plus wins this year. I can see them taking the crown in a division that is very talented, but should be a close battle between the D’Backs, Rockies, Dodgers, and Giants.
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