jayhawk17

It depends ... does your league give credit for defense? :P

Melvin & Schu

If it were only issues at the dish, I'd agree that Schu should go first and see if that fixes the problem. I don't think it's just plate discipline and situational hitting.

This year and last, the Diamondbacks have had trouble with base-running, defense, setting the line-up, using the bullpen effectively, etc. There's a feeling of frustration around the entire the team.

Since it's not for lack of talent, I gotta point to Melvin as the responsible party. Cutting ties w/ Schu might give the bats a new start, but it would not change the vibes.

These kids should be having fun. They should be using their speed and playing NL-style baseball. They need a leader to give them a spark and unlock their abilities. IMO, Melvin is not the guy for this job.

B. O. N. D.

Parker is pitching like a champ so far, should move fast. There's an outside chance of a cameo in September. I could see it happening only if Parker advances to and pitches effectively at Mobile; and his innings pitched are low enough to permit.

I expect that the last trick will be the hardest to pull off. Parker logged 117.2 IP in 2008, so caution would dictate that he be capped at 140-150 IP this season. Barring an injury ...

** KNOCKS-WOOD **

... or an extreme effort to limit his use, there's unlikely to be much in the tank after minor league season expires. And if an injury limits him, the club would have to be comfortable that he is fully recovered, pitching well and in a position to benefit from the extra work.

I think the likelier scenario would be for Parker to pitch at Visalia for a couple months, then finish the year at Mobile. Depending how he handles AA, a return engagement or a stop at AAA would open 2010. Baseball gods willing, I would hope to see him in Phoenix by the middle of next season.

Phoenix05

The Diamondbacks evidently agree w/ you. I just don't believe the rules are written very clearly. I looked a bit further into it after I wrote this article and I'm still not convinced.

Maybe I will revisit the issue briefly in a follow-up piece. Since the team let the matter die, further debate is academic. But it wouldn't be baseball unless we were debating hyptotheticals.

shibum

Steve Finley is No. 5 in your Favorites or in your Greatest list? I could see him in either of those Top 5s.

As for the list in the orignal post, it's definitely a subjective list of personal favorites. You correctly detected a bias for players who came up through the minor league chain. ODog does not fit the homegrown-criteria, but he was just too much of a personality, a leader and a two-way player to ignore.

Even before there were Diamondbacks, I've gravitated towards second basemen and relief pitchers among my favorites. Each of those positions has a bit of the underdog built into it: second baseman are often guys who couldn't cut it at shortstop and bullpen guys would be in the rotation if they had better stuff or command, a broader repertoire, greater durability. It's not any formal criteria for the list, but my affection for guys like that who make good is reflected in my Top 5.

The other two names on my list -- Upton and Webb -- are products of the farm system who are cornerstones of the franchise. That's indisputably true w/ respect to Webb, who is matched only by Johan Santana among the best pitchers in baseball since 2003. As for Upton, I see a player who can be among the all-time greats in the game if he continues to grow into his immense potential. He seems to have his head on his shoulders, w/ the right combination of humility and fire to make that a reality.

One last thing that I like a lot and that we see from Spivey and sometimes from Upton is oldskool high-socks. That look just speaks "baseball" to me. It was a treat to see Upton and Chris B. Young (a candidate to claim Hudson's No. 5 spot) wearing their socks up for Jackie Robinson Day.

Melvin

Yah, based on his quote, it sounds like Melvin asked the umps whether he could protest. I'll follow up a bit later with a brief discussion of his options under the circumstances. Given that he apparently tried to protest the call, I don't see any harm in applying to the league office for a clarification of the rule.

Unless ...

Unless you were referring to Dustin's characterization of Byrnes as pathetic. That's a bit harsh. No, Byrnes does not have a "hand cannon" like Upton. But he's a quality defender overall and less likely to make mistakes in the field.

Upton's the opposite -- more tools than refinement. Maybe Upton's arm would allow him to throw out the runner on the play that Dustin described. Maybe Upton gets too aggressive and overthrows his teammate, allowing runners to advance without preventing the run. That's a real trade-off. I just don't think any potential advantage Byrnes provides in the field is greater than the lost opportunity for development that comes along with sitting Upton.

Despite some misplays, Upton's raw ability makes up for his inexperience as an OF. It's equally true on defense as at the plate: Upton will get better if Arizona allows him to play.

Harsh?

Maybe, but I don't think so.

Look at it this way. In 2007, a 31-year old Eric Byrnes had a career year and finished with a .813 OPS. In 2008, a 20-year old Justin Upton had his first full season as a regular and finished with a .816 OPS. Byrnes' ceiling is the same as Upton's floor.

Yes, Upton strikes out too much. He's never going to get past that unless he gets repetitions against big league pitching. And let's not kid ourselves that Byrnes' pop-ups are any worse than Upton's strikeouts. Byrnes is a pop-up machine. Among major leaguers with at least 200 plate appearances, Byrnes ranked No. 2 with a 26.7% infield fly-ball rate in 2007 and No. 3 with a 22.7% rate 2008. (Source: FanGraphs.com.)

Byrnes will not get any better than he is now. Upton can be a superstar. If I'm asked to choose between those two guys, I want as many at-bats as possible going to the kid.

I say this not because I dislike Byrnes or wish him ill. But I recognize that if Byrnes is getting regular at-bats at the expense of Upton's development and using them no more effectively than Upton does, then each of those at-bats is a wasted opportunity for the franchise.

Shady Proposition

I'm psyched, but I'll be listening tomorrow to hear if there are any special plans to prepare for all the visitors who are likely to be unaccustomed to mid-July temperatures of 110 degrees and higher. At the least, I hope some kind of shade structure to cover the plaza area northwest of the stadium is in the works. Either way, I'm investing heavily in Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic.

Henry Pearson

Diamondbacks Nation offers its sincere condolences to his family and friends.