Kuzul

With the final out of a classic pitching duel between the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Colorado Rockies, where the Diamondbacks lost 1-0, the team gathered their things for a difficult road trip beginning in San Diego with a three-game series against the Padres, after which they will travel up the coast to San Francisco for a three-game series with the Giants.

That means it is time once again for another edition of the State of the Homestand Address , where I attempt to give a brief synopsis of the just concluded homestand. As always, let’s begin with a disclaimer, the viewpoints expressed here are my own personal opinions and do not reflect the views of Major League Baseball, or any sane human being.

Any coherent thoughts either real or fictional are purely coincidental and are not meant to be taken internally. Should this happen, please induce vomiting and immediately contact your doctor. Objects appearing in the blog may be closer than they appear. Your mileage may vary.

Well, that should protect us from any legal challenges that may arise.

This homestand began with a three-game series against the red-hot Cincinnati Reds. The Diamondbacks came into this series having just completed a road trip where they played well, going 3-3 against the Brewers and the Nationals.

The Reds quickly showed they were better than the Diamondbacks’ previous two opponents. The three games against Cincinnati had a familiar feel to them. The starting pitchers threw well, keeping the Snakes in the game, only to see the bullpen come in and give up run after run, sealing the defeats.

As has been the case all season, it is not one pitcher who is struggling. It seems as though every reliever entering the game had a mini-implosion that put the game out of reach. It wasn’t just the pitching, as the Diamondbacks hitters struggled to find consistency as well.

During the road trip, right fielder Justin Upton seemed to be on a roll, but after arriving home, he went into a mini-slump against the Reds. He would come out of it later in the homestand, but overall, was inconsistent.

After losing three straight to the Reds, the Diamondbacks played host to the Colorado Rockies. In the first two games, the Diamondbacks registered enough offense to win each game, notching a series win.

The final game of the Rockies’ series was one of the best pitched games of the season. Rookie Daniel Hudson threw seven innings of three-hit ball, leaving the game tied 0-0. The Diamondbacks brought in Aaron Heilman, who has been one of the more consistent pitchers in the bullpen.

Heilman gave up one run, which was enough for a Rockies win. The offense which had looked good the first two games was nonexistent in the final game, wasting a great pitching performance.

During this homestand, the Diamondbacks displayed a new sign in left field for the University of Phoenix. Additionally, the ribbon board around the second deck showed more University of Phoenix advertising, including announcing the college was the Diamondbacks’ official education partner.

There were also several signs advertising the upcoming season ticket renewal process that has its first deadline on August 30. Given the smaller home crowds for most of this homestand, you have to wonder how many renewals the Diamondbacks actually expect to have for next season.

From a concession perspective, there is not much new to report. The vendors seemed to be settled in, with little if anything changing from the last homestand. I am hearing more positive comments on Macayos, with several fans commenting the quality of food seems to be increasing there.

On the other hand, I continue to hear negative comments on Taste of the Majors. Not only have the menu selections gone down this season, but it is consistently among the slowest service and have the most customer complaints.

After a six-game road trip, the Diamondbacks return to Chase Field for nine games, including three against the Padres, three with the Houston Astros, and finally three with the Giants, including a day game on Labor Day.

Get your tickets now for the second-to-last homestand of the 2010 season. The Diamondbacks are beginning to play better, and could be the spoiler that decides the National League’s playoff teams.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Just a day after the latest Diamondbacks bullpen implosion, the team was back on the field trying to avoid being swept by the red hot Cincinnati Reds.

With the Diamondbacks facing a left-handed pitcher, everyone expected changes to Arizona’s line-up.

Left-handed hitting catcher Miguel Montero was replaced by the right-handed hitting John Hester.

Left-handed outfielder Gerardo Parra was given the night off, replaced by right handed Rusty Ryal. These changes were not earth shattering by any means and were somewhat expected.

Ryal has been one of the pleasant surprises for the season. Entering Spring Training, he was considered a long shot to make the team.

Instead, he played himself into the 25-man roster being the last player to make the team.

Through the season he has shown his versatility playing left-field as well as first base and third base.

For the most part, he has played well defensively. There have been a few miscues but those are to be expected for a young player playing positions he may not be comfortable with in a game situation.

The question becomes, how does a team react when these miscues occur?

In the eighth inning of last night’s game we received an answer to that question, and it was not pretty.

With the Reds up 4-1 the game had been turned over to the bullpen. That in and of itself warrants fear in the hearts of Diamondbacks fans.

After a scoreless seventh inning where Blaine Boyer pitched flawlessly, the Diamondbacks called upon D.J. Carrasco to pitch the eighth. Carrasco got Jonny Gomes to line out to right field and Ramon Hernandez to ground out to third base.

The next batter was Jay Bruce. Carrasco got ahead in the count 1-2 then threw a slider to Bruce. Bruce hit a line drive to left field directly at Ryal, who had to make just a couple of steps forward to catch the ball.

As Ryal stood there waiting to catch the line drive, the other players began to move towards the dugout to begin the bottom half of the eighth.

Instead of Ryal catching the ball, it hit his glove in the pocket and fell to the turf. Bruce was safe on the Ryal error.

With new life, the Cincinnati Reds took advantage. Paul Janish walked on four straight pitches.

The next batter was pinch hitter Laynce Nix, who hit a single to Ryal, scoring Bruce. Carrasco then walked Brandon Phillips and allowed Drew Stubbs to single to center field scoring Janish and Nix.

The Diamondbacks were forced to change pitchers, bringing in Jordan Norberto to replace a suddenly ineffective Carrasco. Norberto gave up a double to Joey Votto scoring Phillips and Stubbs.

Finally, Scott Rolen grounded out to third base to end the inning.

In what should have been a one-two-three inning, the Diamondbacks allowed five runs, all unearned.

A 4-1 deficit was now 9-1, digging the offense an insurmountable hole. The Diamondbacks also used up another pitcher when they had to bring in Norberto to finish the inning.

Some may argue the Diamondbacks were behind three runs going into the inning, so this error didn’t have much meaning.

That might have been true, except for the fact that the Diamondbacks mounted a comeback of sorts scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth cutting the Reds lead to 9-5.

If the Ryal error had not occurred the Diamondbacks would have gone into the ninth inning with a 5-4 lead.

Given the bullpen’s struggles there is nothing to say that would not have disappeared too but we will never know.

Instead, the Diamondbacks dropped their fourth straight game and third consecutive this home stand.

In an unrelated note, I received clarification from the Arizona Diamondbacks on the season ticket renewal process.

The renewal packages mailed to current season ticket holders stated the third payment for those fans choosing the Extended Auto Pay was due Oct. 10. This is an error.

The actual deadline for the third payment is Oct. 30. The information is correct on the team’s web site but not in the printed materials sent to fans.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The announced attendance at last night’s game was 15,509. Looking around the stadium, that number appeared to be very generous. The upper deck was a veritable ghost town with minimal fans scattered around.

The lower deck was likewise sparsely filled. The first few rows of each section were occupied, as fans attempted to better their seats. Ushers did their due diligence trying to keep fans in the sections their tickets dictated, but it was a losing battle.

In the pre-game warm-ups, the players looked up into the stands and sighed. It would be another home game with no clear home field advantage. In a stadium as carnivorous as Chase Field, with a capacity of 48,500, a crowd of just over 15,000 made the place feel empty.

The public address announcer’s voice seemed to echo as the sound waves bounced off the empty seats. As a loyal Diamondbacks season ticket holder, it is almost painful to see the small crowds that attend the games.

As a realist, I completely understand. This team has not been good for nearly three years. While 2008 was not a bad season, you could argue after May of that year that the team has been on the decline.

Going into the second game of the Cincinnati Reds series, the Diamondbacks were 25.5 games out of first place. With over a month left in the season, it’s hard to get enthusiastic. Still, anything is possible on a given night—a fact I force myself to repeat to keep me coming back day after day.

I keep holding out hope that the changes being made to the Diamondbacks will make a difference. We will start to see improvement. I’m not looking for a miracle, just for a glimmer of hope that the worst is behind us.

Lately, it seemed as though the team was more focused. The beleaguered bullpen was starting to come around and the hitters seemed to be striking out less. Although these signs seemed minor, they were at least something.

Sadly, as has been the case for over two years, those rays of hope quickly disappeared, replaced by a new level of frustration. Tonight was the perfect example.

Leading by four runs with six outs remaining, the Diamondbacks turned the game over to the bullpen. The relievers gave up four runs in the eighth to tie the game and another four runs in the ninth to lose by a score of 11-7.

I sat there, stunned, as the Diamondbacks feebly went down in the bottom of the ninth in defeat. It is one thing to be blown out of a game. You can at least suggest they had a bad night. But watching night after night as a team finds new ways to lose makes you begin to question your sanity.

The Diamondbacks have gone through numerous changes, from three different managers to two different general managers to countless coach and player changes, yet the losing continues.

You would like to hope the team has a plan, but looking back at the past two-plus seasons, it’s hard to articulate what that plan is. Until someone can explain that and back it up with examples of success, the Diamondbacks will look back fondly when they could dray 15,000 fans to a game.

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Many casual baseball fans unsafely assume that once the July 31st Trade Deadline has passed that players cannot be traded. This is of course false. I know you are asking yourself, “Well why do they have a trade deadline then if it really isn’t a deadline for making trades?”

The July 31st Trade Deadline represents the date in which teams can openly discuss any player in their systems and trade for any player in another team’s system. After the July 31st date teams can still make trades, there are just a few more steps involved.

Beginning August 1st, a player can be traded only after he clears waivers and can only be traded for a player who has also cleared waivers or is not on a team’s 40-man roster. Most teams will put their players on waivers hoping they will clear to allow them to make a trade subsequent to the July 31st deadline.

A player placed on waivers can be claimed. If he is claimed the current team can either work out a deal where the claiming team will take ownership of the player or the current team can elect to “pull back” the player meaning he is no longer on waivers. A player can only be pulled back one time.

If a player placed on waivers is claimed by more than one team, the team with the worst record has first chance to work out a deal. If a player is not claimed by any team he is referred to as “clearing waivers” at which point the team placing him on waivers is free to trade the player to any team.

The waiver process is a cat and mouse game. Teams will attempt to sneak players through hoping no one catches them. Teams will watch closely and there will be times when a team will claim a player just to keep a competitor from being able to trade for the player should he clear waivers.

There is some danger to this as the Diamondbacks found out during the 2007 season. After the July 31st deadline teams began placing players on waivers hoping to make deals in August. Pitcher Byung Hyun Kim and infielder Jeff Cirillo were both put on waivers.

The Diamondbacks thought the Dodgers or Rockies were interested in adding these two players so they made a waiver claim hoping to block any trades. Instead the current teams for Kim and Cirillo accepted the waiver claims and sent both players to Arizona who then had to find room on their 40-man roster for each. Waiver wire manipulation can become a full time job and can be kind of like playing the lottery.

Word was leaked out yesterday that the Arizona Diamondbacks had placed first baseman Adam LaRoche and second baseman Kelly Johnson on waivers to see whether anyone would make a claim and to gauge interest by teams wanting to trade for these veterans.

Both players passed through waivers without a claim. This means the Diamondbacks are now free to field trade requests for either of these players. That does not mean either of them will be traded, just that the process has been followed and they can be traded if the right deal comes forward.

Personally I doubt either player will be moved. Both like playing in Arizona despite the struggles the team has had this season. They have each expressed a desire of signing a long-term contract with the Diamondbacks.

The team seems less inclined to move any more players. Given the bounty they receive trading Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson, Chris Snyder, and Chad Qualls there is not as much of an incentive to make additional deals unless one comes along that they cannot pass up.

So for the next two weeks we’ll watch closely to see whether Johnson or LaRoche will finish the season in Sedona Red and black.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

At the conclusion of the third day of the amateur draft in June, the clock began ticking towards August 16. The significance of that date is that it represents the deadline for clubs to sign any of their draft picks to professional contracts. After this date a team can no longer negotiate with the player.

Any team unable to sign their first-round selection will be compensateedd with a supplementary pick in next year’s draft one spot below their draft slot. In the Diamondbacks case that would mean if they cannot sign their first-round selection, Barret Loux who was drafted sixth overall, the team would receive the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft.

This has some significance especially in the case of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Shortly after the June draft the team began negotiations and had found common ground on a contract. As part of the process Loux was given a physical, but he failed the physical as a result of arm problems.

The Diamondbacks rescinded their contract offer and the two sides began to distance themselves from each other.

Loux began playing in the Cape Cod League to show his arm was healthy, but Arizona seemed less than interested in how sound Loux was physically.

The 2010 draft had been classified as a rather weak draft class. After the first couple of picks it became a crapshoot trying to decide who warranted being drafted at a particular round or slot.

On the other hand, the 2011 draft appears to be shaping up to be fairly deep with better talent available.

While other teams rushed to sign their first-round picks, Arizona seems content to let time pass absolving them from making a wrong decision. Of course Loux is not the only draft choice unsigned by the Diamondbacks.

Arizona has 20 draft choices who have yet to sign a professional contracts. The Diamondbacks expect to be busy throughout the day leading up to the deadline hoping to sign as many of these players as possible.

Three players of particular interest are right-handed pitchers Blake Perry and James Green and outfielder Tyler Linton. Of these Linton is the most fascinating. At 6-3, 210 lbs Linton is tall and lean. He has tremendous athleticism and could play either center field or first base.

Linton who is a high school graduate of Charlotte Christian in Matthews, NC is a two-sport player with a football scholarship to North Carolina. Based upon his football options Linton has more leverage than your average 14th round draft pick.

If the Diamondbacks want his services they will need to go well over slot money in order for him to renounce his football scholarship.

Arizona has been down this road and has been creative in their signings, offering specific educational compensation to make sure the player still receives a college education. Don’t be surprised if Linton gets signed just before the deadline.

With nearly half of their draft picks still un-signed, the Diamondbacks plan on being busy today. Their internal goal is to sign at least two of the top six unsigned players.

From the sounds of things they should be able to accomplish that goal; unfortunately one of those won’t be first-round pick Loux.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Before the 2010 season began, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ player development staff got together to create a plan for managing the team’s pitching staff. One of the items on their agenda was to determine the workload for their young starting pitching.

At the time, they were talking about Ian Kennedy, whom they traded for along with Edwin Jackson. Kennedy was coming off an injury and the team hoped to limit his total innings to 180. This limit allowed him to extend himself but also made sure he was not overworked to a point that could cause future injury.

The other members of the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff, Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson, and Rodrigo Lopez had all been workhorses in the past and did not need inning limits placed upon them. Brandon Webb, who came off an injury, would be monitored but no inning total would be established for him.

Now, with just under two months remaining in the 2010 season, things have definitely changed.

Webb has still not begun pitching to batters and it is looking more likely that he will not return this season. Edwin Jackson and Dan Haren have both been traded.

The starting pitching, which had looked solid, is now filled with question marks. What had been anticipated to be a mature and veteran presence is now filled with several pitchers having limited professional experience.

Lopez and Kennedy remain in the rotation and the Diamondbacks have added Joe Saunders, Barry Enright, and Daniel Hudson. Lopez and Saunders are not being subjected to inning totals, but the other three will all be closely monitored and shut down if totals are exceeded.

Going into Wednesday, August 11, Lopez leads the team with 146.2 innings. After his last outing in Milwaukee, Kennedy has 139 innings. Enright has now thrown 141.1 innings between Double-A Mobile and the Diamondbacks. Hudson has pitched 124.2 innings between Triple-A Charlotte, the Chicago White Sox, and the Diamondbacks.

Each of these three pitchers will be limited to 180 innings in total, meaning that Kennedy will throw 41 innings, Enright will throw 38.2 innings, and Hudson will throw 55.1 innings. If each pitcher goes seven innings, Kennedy will get six more starts, Enright will get five starts, and Hudson will get eight starts, including tonight.

These numbers most likely mean that none of the three young pitchers will be throwing in the final two weeks of the season. As rosters expand in September, look for the Diamondbacks to call up for pitching help to make these starts.

The most likely candidates to make these starts will be Kris Benson (assuming he comes back from injury), Bryan Augenstein, and Kevin Mulvey. Given the struggles each of these pitchers have had at the major league level, the last week of the season may see the starting pitchers last just once through the batting order and give the beleaguered bullpen the chance to either reduce their ERA or completely blow up.

Not exactly the end of the season any of us hoped for during spring training.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the final out of a very long game against the San Diego Padres where the Diamondbacks were drummed 10-1, the team gathered their things and headed to the airport to make the trip to Milwaukee for a three-game series with the Brewers after which they will travel to the nation’s capital for a three-game series with the Nationals.

That means it is time once again for another edition of the State of the Home Stand Address where I attempt to give a brief synopsis of the of the just concluded home stand. As always let’s begin with a disclaimer, the viewpoints expressed here are my own personal opinions and do not reflect the views of Major League Baseball, or any sane human being.

Any coherent thoughts either real or fictional are purely coincidental and are not meant to be taken internally. Should this happen please induce vomiting and immediately contact your doctor. Objects appearing in the blog may be closer than they appear. Your mileage may vary. Well that should protect us from any legal challenges that may arise.

This home stand began with a four-game series against the Washington Nationals. After a successful series against the Mets the Diamondbacks began the Nationals series with high hopes. Those hopes were quickly dashed. The four-game series with the Nationals ended with each team winning two games each.
In the first game former Diamondbacks pitcher Livan Hernandez shut down the Arizona offense in route to a 3-1 victory.

Game two saw the Chase Field debut for Joe Saunders who came over in the Dan Haren trade. Saunders threw a complete game allowing one run on five hits. The one run came in the first inning on a home run by Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.

The third game saw a reversal of fortunes with the Nationals winning 7-2. Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy continued to struggle with his command and the Diamondbacks offense that looked so good the night before struggled mightily against Washington.

The final game of the series brought Barry Enright to the mound and he continued to show why the Diamondbacks are so high on his ability. Arizona won that game 8-4. All four Nationals runs came via solo home runs.

The first place San Diego Padres came to town for a three-game series that featured a tale of two teams going in opposite directions. Rather than an expected sweep by San Diego, Arizona would take two of three from the division-leading Padres including a dramatic game on Saturday.

Center fielder Chris Young would lead off the game with a home run to right field and would win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off home run to left field. Young would be just the fourth player in baseball history to accomplish that feat.

The attendance at Chase Field during this home stand saw an extreme fluctuation. During the Washington series the Diamondbacks would set a new low with just 15,670 fans in the stadium. During the San Diego series the Diamondbacks would see attendance of 48,946 to see the team retire the number of Luis Gonzalez.

The Diamondbacks continue to work on sponsorship deals. A new sign appeared after Monday’s game on the left field wall. The University of Phoenix joins Budweiser, Geico, and Purex on the wall making it nearly filled to center field.

There is not a lot to report with regards to concessions. Not much has changed since the last home stand. Hungry Hill still does not have spicy mustard and one employee admitted this was a cost saving measure. You can get spicy mustard at the Levy concessions but their hot dogs are not very good.

I have to admit, I have a new favorite food item at Chase Field, one that I am quickly becoming addicted to, cinnamon almonds at Cactus Corn. These are the most amazing snack I have ever eaten. For years I have smelled the cinnamon all around the concourse but have resisted due to the price.

This home stand I couldn’t resist and decided to try it. A small bag is $7 while a large is $12. As we went to purchase the vendor suggested coming back in 10 minutes for a fresh batch. When we did we were handed a warm container of freshly made almonds. There were amazing!

It’s about the only thing I think about now when I go to the ball game. That is the sign of a great product. I definitely suggest trying them yourself, you won’t regret it.

After the six-game road trip the Diamondbacks return to Chase Field to face the first-place Cincinnati Reds and the always tough Colorado Rockies. It should be a great home stand. So make arrangements now to come down to the ballpark and watch the Diamondbacks continue their role as spoiler to those teams hoping to make the post season.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

“Life is not a spectator sport.” It’s interesting how much truth you can glean from a bumper sticker. Looking back over the past month of my life, I had to agree with the bumper.

As I walked last night from the Diamondbacks parking garage towards the gates of Chase Field I was having a hard time comprehending all that has happened over the past month and what was about to happen.

The game should have been like any other game. The Diamondbacks were struggling and with a win they would even the four-game series against the Washington Nationals.

There were questions regarding the offense and whether the team could become more consistent at the plate.

There were lingering questions about whether the bullpen would be able to hold any sort of lead or would the starting pitcher need to throw a complete game for the team to have any chance at a win.

Everywhere you turned there were some sort of question marks around the game tonight but for me there was just one question, “How in the world did I ever get invited to be on the Fox Sports Arizona Pre-Game show?”

I’d love to say I had an easy answer to that last question, but quite frankly, I still don’t believe it myself. It’s crazy how things work sometimes, and this was downright insane.

It all started in early July when the Arizona Diamondbacks introduced the Legends Races at Chase Field.

The legends are caricature mascot likenesses of four former Diamondbacks who race from the visiting team’s bullpen past the dugout finishing at the Diamondbacks dugout.

The Legends consist of Luis Gonzalez, Mark Grace, Randy Johnson, and Matt Williams. Each game, the crowd cheers on their favorite Legend rooting for victory.

So far there have been 21 races and the winners have been evenly split. Well, all except for Mark Grace, who has remained winless so far.

It seemed like every night, Grace would lose by some fantastic and new way building on past failures.

Each night when I came to the ballpark, those fans sitting around me would ask how Grace had lost the previous night. I would recount the tales of failure.

My kids suggested that I build a website to chronicle Grace’s exploits and give people a place to catch up on what was happening in the Legends races.

They suggested Let Grace Win so everyone knew we were pulling for Grace to finally win a race.

I agreed and threw a website together over a weekend. I’ve continued to document each race while incorporating what I hope is a little humor into the tale. I didn’t really expect this to be too big; I honestly thought maybe my family and a few friends would ever see it or read it.

That may be where I made the mistake. Shortly after the site went live, I began getting emails and comments from complete strangers who stumbled upon the site and enjoyed what they read.

Perhaps the two messages that shocked me the most came from the Diamondbacks themselves and also from Fox Sports. Both of these organizations came across the web site and had passed it along.

Before I knew it, this little website started getting picked up and linked to by fans. The culmination was an email I received from Fox Sports Arizona asking if I would be willing to appear on the Diamondbacks pre-game show.

This is one of those things where you always wanted to add it to your Bucket List but you knew that if you did, no one would ever believe you and it would be impossible to ever do.

I mean, I’m just a guy from Section 132, what could I ever do to be on the Diamondbacks telecast? Well, I guess I found an answer to that question.

As I entered the stadium, I made my way to the Miller Lite Diamond Club where Fox Sports Arizona broadcasts the pre-game show. There on the set were television personalities Brad Steinke and Joe Borowski.

It’s a little surreal standing there watching people that you only know through seeing them on your television. Everyone was extremely friendly and very personable making me feel at home and relaxed.

I was told I would be on Segment 3 which I have no idea what that meant (I think that means after the third commercial). After Segment 2 was completed Borowski left his seat so that I could sit down.

I was tempted to tell him he once cost me $75 in Fantasy Baseball and as a result I had cursed his dog but I decided to just let bygones be bygones.

Besides, I don’t even know if he has a dog and I would feel really bad if he broke down and cried because something happened to it after I cursed it.

They gave me a head set with microphone and we did a sound check. I was somewhat amazed that I could count to ten given how nervous I had become.

I still remember the words of advice that my son and daughter gave me before I left, “Dad, whatever you do, don’t embarrass us. We have friends here.” Wow, no pressure there.

I was startled back into reality by a voice in my ear. I think I was a little freaked since I had no idea who the voice was or why he was whispering sweet nothings into my ear. Before I could question it, the commercial break was over and there I was live on television.

Brad asked me questions about the website and why I created it. After talking for a bit, they brought in Mark Grace, who described how he felt about continually losing and how much he appreciated the website and the support.

My 15 minutes of fame ended up being probably a couple of minutes long on live television. From the number of text messages and emails I received, at least nine people saw me, so I’m feeling pretty good about that.

The website seems to be busy, according to the web statistics I’ve now had 52,265 visitors in just under a month.

From the comments, everyone is cheering for Mark Grace and hoping his Legend is finally able to win.

As for me, I’ll keep going to the games and actively rooting for Grace. After all, you never quite know what is going to happen when you cheer for the home team.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As the calendar turns from July to August two things are certain—the Diamondbacks will not make the playoffs for the third consecutive year and it is time to begin thinking about season ticket renewal.

With two months still remaining in the 2010 season it just seems a bit early to begin thinking about next year. But given the struggles the Diamondbacks have had on the field this year, fans have been looking towards 2011 for several weeks if not months.

The team has not yet announced ticket prices for the 2011 season but word is starting to filter out through the Season Ticket Account Representatives that there will be some changes next season.

After a couple of years of holding ticket prices in check, the Diamondbacks are primed to increase prices on most seats. The increase is nominal with most seasons reportedly going up between $0.50 and $2.00 per game.

When Derrick Hall became president of the Arizona Diamondbacks at the conclusion of the 2006 season one of his first acts was to slash ticket prices for most of the seats in the stadium. As a result the Diamondbacks became the lowest-priced average ticket in all of Major League Baseball. Even with the suggested increases for the 2011 season the ticket prices still fall below the 2006 equivalent for the same seat.

Given the team’s lackluster performance for the past two years many are questioning the idea of increasing prices. It is never a good time for raising prices but looking at the attendance figures dwindle with each home stand it seemed inevitable that prices must go up if the team had any hope of breaking even.

I’m honestly ok with the increase in price. It is a result of fewer people going to the ballpark which means those of us still attending will be asked to step up to help the team try and break even. Even at $1 more per game per seat (the increase for the section my seats are within) Diamondbacks tickets are still one of the best values in all of sports.

Like in years past the Arizona Diamondbacks are offering several payment options to help the fans spread out the costs over an extended period of time. This year the team has four payment options, which is a reduction from what they offered last year.

Option 1: Pay in Full . This is the simplest; pay in full by August 30, 2010. One billing, one payment and an entire off-season to relax without worrying about anything other than free agency until Opening Day 2011. The pay in full option can be via cash, check, or credit card.

Option 2: Extended Auto Pay . The first payment of 25 percent of the total price is due on August 30, 2010. There will be five additional payments of 15 percent each due on September 30, October 10, January 10, February 10, and March 10.

This option is designed to give the fans the greatest flexibility for paying for Season Tickets. Most of the fans I spoke with are considering this as their preferred method. The team recognizes most people have expenditures during the holiday season and therefore does not require payments for the months of November and December.

The only problem I see with this option is the timing of payments two and three. They occur just 10 days apart which may be a struggle for those fans such as myself who are paid twice a month. The timing of these may require both payments to come out of the same paycheck. I’m not sure why the October payment is for the 10th rather than the 30th as the first two payments.

The Extended Auto Pay option can only be made via credit card and no additional invoices beyond the first one will be sent. Fans must have a credit card with an expiration date of 2011 to participate in this plan.

Option 3: Standard Auto Pay . Season tickets costs are divided into four equal payments of 25 percent each. The first payment is due August 30 with subsequent payments due September 30, January 10, and February 10.

Like the Extended Auto Pay option, the Standard Auto Pay can be made via credit card only and the card must have an expiration date greater than March 2011 to be used. This option like the other two the fan will receive an initial invoice but no subsequent invoices will be sent.

Option 4: Invoice Me . This option is similar to the Standard Auto Pay where payments are divided into four equal installments of 25 percent each. The first payment is due August 30 with subsequent payments due September 30, January 10, and February 10.

The difference between Standard Auto Pay and Invoice Me is that with the latter the Diamondbacks will send invoices to the fan who will then make arrangements for payment by the deadline. The Invoice Me option will allow fans an opportunity to pay via cash, check, or credit card.

As a thank-you to fans renewing their 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks Season Tickets the team is offering a free gift. For the first time in team history they are allowing the fans to choose the gift that means the most to them. The choices for thank-you gift are:

Batting Practice on the Field
You and a guest are invited to view Batting Practice on the Field. Your experience will include an on-field view of D-backs batting practice as well as a keepsake photo. Dates will be selected prior to the start of the 2011 season. Space is limited to the first 750 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

10th Anniversary World Series Autograph Session
You and a guest are invited to participate in an exclusive 10th Anniversary World Series Autograph Session, including a commemorative photo. Dates and players will be selected prior to the start of the 2011 season. Space is limited to first 300 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

Ultimate Baseball Experience
You and a guest are invited to an Ultimate Baseball Experience at the new D-backs Spring Training home, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Enjoy a day of playing catch, taking some swings and practicing your fielding skills. Dates will be selected prior to the start of the 2011 season. Space is limited to the first 1,000 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

Four (4) Clubhouse Box Tickets
Receive Four (4) Clubhouse Box Tickets to any 2011 regular season home game*. Your party will enjoy special amenities including in-seat wait service, private lounge access and an ultimate, up close and personal view of the game. Dates will be made available prior to the 2011 season. This option is available to Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option. *Opening Day excluded.

Private Pre-Game Autograph Session featuring D-backs Players
You and a guest are invited to take part in a Private Pre-Game Autograph Session featuring D-backs Players. Dates and players will be selected prior to the 2011 season. Space is limited to the first 450 Season Ticket Holders who renew their season tickets by August 30, 2010 and choose this option.

All five of these gifts offer a unique experience and should be very popular. As for me, I plan on choosing the World Series Autograph Session. Next year marks the tenth anniversary of the World Series win and would be perfect to remind us of the better days in franchise history.

My only concern with the autograph sessions is that no where does it say whether you will be able to get all the players autographs or if you can only get a subset similar to the autograph parties and fanfests in the past. I will be disappointed if you have to choose just one or two players rather than be able to get an autograph from all of the players/coaches attending.

I’m also putting a lot of faith that the Diamondbacks will be able to bring together a group that represents either the World Series team (or the current team if you choose that gift) to the autograph sessions. Fans will be extremely disappointed if the autograph participants are a relief pitcher who didn’t play or a back-up bench player.

As you can see, while the Arizona Diamondbacks may be asking for a slight increase in each per game ticket, they are offering you a unique opportunity to be closer to the team both past and present. Now if they could just promise a similar increase in competitiveness 2011 would be something we could all look forward to.

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When the Arizona Diamondbacks returned to town to begin a four game series against the Washington Nationals, I was pretty excited. Not only had it been a week since the last Diamondbacks game I had attended, but it was the beginning of a full week of games at Chase Field.

In all my excitement I went down to the ballpark early to catch batting practice and to try and put some names with all of the new faces that were now on the roster as a result of the deals made at the trade deadline.

When I arrived, the Diamondbacks were just finishing batting practice. I surveyed the playing field trying to identify the new players. At shortstop was No. 1 Bobby Crosby, who was taking ground balls from Matt Williams, trying to get comfortable with the speed of Chase Field.

In the outfield was Dan Hudson, wearing No. 41, shagging fly balls with others on the pitching staff. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like Brandon Webb was likewise in the outfield talking to members of the coaching staff and trainers.

I was starting to feel comfortable with the new team roster, confident I could identify them by throwing style or batting stance. The practice ended and the Diamondbacks ran off the field towards the home clubhouse replaced by the visiting Washington Nationals.

I turned to leave when a familiar face caught my eye. Running laps in the outfield was none other than No. 43 Miguel Batista who once wore the purple and teal of the Arizona Diamondbacks before leaving a the end of the 2006 season.

As I turned, there was No. 45 of the Nationals playing catch with a teammate. I did a double take to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. It was none other than former Diamondback left-handed reliever Doug Slaten. I can still remember my kids holding up signs when he came in the game that read, “I’m a Slaten Worshipper.”

Just then big No. 44 entered the batting cage and began launching balls into the right-field bleachers. Any fan who followed the team in 2008 would remember the swing of Adam Dunn, who was traded to the Diamondbacks from Cincinnati in exchange for power hitting pitcher Micah Owings.

There are perhaps no two organizations that are as closely aligned as the Nationals and the Diamondbacks. Washington’s new General Manager Mike Rizzo was a long time Diamondback employee who helped build the Arizona farm system into one of the strongest in the major leagues before leaving to head east to the nation’s capital.

Several Diamondbacks scouts and player personnel followed Rizzo and they are now building a first-class organization that continues to improve each year.

While most people focus on the rising stars such as pitcher Stephen Strasburg, it is the role players and journeymen that Rizzo is putting together that will sustain growth for the Nationals. I stand by my assessment I made when Rizzo left Arizona, the Washington Nationals will be a team to watch.

Positive steps have already been taken with the team being much more competitive this season than last. They may not be among the National League East leaders right now, but it won’t be too much longer when the Nationals will be a force to be reckoned within their division.

On the flip side, the last two seasons for the Arizona Diamondbacks have had a haunting comparison to the early Washington Nationals seasons with the team quickly eliminated from contention and getting dangerously close to having the first overall pick in next year’s draft, a reward for being the worst team in baseball.

This is definitely not the kind of storyline any Diamondbacks fan was hoping for.

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