Our next installment in our Best of the Blog 2011 series takes us all the way back to February and our 30 Teams in 30 Days series. This particular post shows us just how futile the exercise of trying to predict the future is. We picked the Dbacks to finish last in the NL West (they won it). There are some other entertainingly wrong predictions analysis in there too. This may not be one of the 5 best things we’ve written over the past year but it’s certainly a good look at where we started and how far we’ve come. Enjoy:
After losing 97 games and striking out half a trillion times (I didn’t actually look that stat up) last season, the Dbacks are looking to make a major inprovement this year. Kirk Gibson is entering his first full season as manager and GM Kevin Towers is one of the best in the league and made some potential impact moves this offseason. Still, however, the team is weak and has a long way to go.
- Justin Upton
Projected Lineup:
- Chris Young (CF)
- Kelly Johnson (2B)
- Justin Upton (RF)
- Xavier Nady (LF)
- Melvin Mora (3b)
- Juan Miranda (1B)
- Seven Drew (SS)
- Miguel Montero (C)
Projected Rotation:
- Joe Saunders
- Daniel Hudson
- Armando Galarraga
- Ian Kennedy
- Zach Duke
- Barry Enright
Strengths:
- Daniel Hudson is primed for a big year.
Hudson: Daniel Hudson is absolutely filthy. Last season, between the Chicago White Sox and the Dbacks he was 8-2 with a 2.45 ERA and a WHIP of 1.00. With Arizona last year he was 7-1 with a 1.69 ERA and a .84 WHIP. Unreal. The kid is real deal and he will have big year as the star of this staff.
Reynolds: They don’t have Mark Reynolds anymore. Last year he hit .198 with 211 strikeouts his third consecutive year of over 200 Ks. That would be great for a pitcher but Reynolds is a third baseman.
Name Recognition?: The Dbacks have a lot of names that you’ve seen elsewhere and know: Armando Galarraga, of Almost Perfect Game fame, Melvin Mora, Xavier Nady, Joe Saunders, Ian Kennedy, JJ Putz, even Juan Miranda for us Yankee fans, but does that make them good? At least we’ll know exactly who it is that’s losing 90 games this year.
Weaknesses:
Their coaches could beat their team: With manager Kirk Gibson, batting coach Don Baylor, pitching coach Charles Nagy, first base coach Eric Young, third base coach Matt Williams and bench coach Alan Trammell, the Dbacks coaching staff could probably win as many games as their real club. Actually, I can’t decide if this is a strength or a weakness.
Depth: They have none.
Bullpen: Its bad.
First Base: Juan Miranda was a serviceable left handed bat off the bench for the Yankees but I’m skeptical of him as an everyday first baseman. He has 83 career at bats and 4 career home runs.
Storylines:
Hampton: 38 year old Mike Hampton is trying to make the Dbacks bullpen. No matter how this turns out, it’ll be fun to watch. For my money, I hope Hampton reinvents himself and has a quality year helping this team late in games.
Putz: JJ Putz is 3 years removed from his 40 save season with the Mariners in 2007 but the Dbacks are counting on him as their closer. Can he get it done?
Upton and Young: Justin Upton and Chris Young have been up and comers with a lot of potential for a while now. Its time they cash in. This is really a make or break year for both of them as a good year could make them stars but another disappointing one could get them both labeled as busts.
Prediction:
76-86, last place, NL West. This team is definitely better as the post-Brandon Webb era begins in the desert but they are still a ways away from being competitive, let alone contending. With Kevin Towers at the helm, however, they are definitely headed in the right direction. It will be interesting to watch Kirk Gibson develop as a manger this season.
Bold Prediction:
- Daniel Hudson will lead the team in wins, ERA, and WHIP, becoming a household name by seasons end and setting himself up to join the “elite starters” conversation with one more solid year.
- Justin Upton and Chirs Young will continue to be average. One or both will not be a Diamondback by season’s end.
And Now For Something Completely Different:
The comments on our posts are starting to pick up. That’s awesome and exactly what we’re looking for.
Today’s Friday, the day when most protests in the Arab world take place. There are hundreds of thousands of people out today in Bahrain, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, and Libya. What’s going on in Libya right now is horrible, using war planes on your own people is tantamount to genocide in my eyes. Its important to keep up with your current events.
The Bulls beat the Heat last night. It always brightens my day when the Heat lose.
Here’s the trailer for the Hangover 2, coming out in May.
This is a really cool video about the early days of the internet.
Do the Ickey Shuffle.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more than I want this.
Do you have whooping cough?
As always, questions, comments, concerns can go to offthebench@offthebenchbaseball.com. Feel free to comment, they’re always welcome.
Our next division is likely to be the AL West, stay tuned.
-Max Frankel
