Curt Schilling
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2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART III
* WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN - As a franchise, the Diamondbacks' age, payroll and record rocketed sky-high on the way to their 2001 World Series victory. Those expensive, aging veterans that won Arizona's first major professional title began to fall from the stratosphere in the seasons to follow. The 2002 Diamondbacks (98-65) managed to repeat as NL West champs, but were swept 3-0 in a NLDS rematch with St. Louis. By 2003, Arizona would slip to a third-place finish at 84-78 behind a half-hearted mix of veterans and youngsters.
Fortunately, Arizona had found its cornerstone in Brandon Webb, whose sinker opponents were helpless but to pound into the infield grass. Drafted in 2000 while the "old" school roster was still ascendant, Webb would make his debut in 2003 and come to exemplify the Diamondbacks' new strategy: to win by developing its own talent. Another pair of building blocks joined the organization that year with the selections of Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin....
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Curt Schilling Should Enter HOF as a Diamondback
With the announcement of his retirement on Monday, Curt Schilling sparked a firestorm of debate over his worthiness to be enshrined in Cooperstown. Let’s assume for a moment that he’s Hall of Fame material and consider whose cap he ought to wear on his plaque. Schilling’s ML career spanned 20 seasons with five clubs, so there are multiple contenders for the honor. Here at Diamondbacks Nation, we are firmly resolved that Schilling should be the first player inducted into the pantheon as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Have Gun, Will Travel (1988 to 1991). Originally drafted by the Red Sox, Schilling was dealt to the Orioles in July 1988 and made his first ML appearance with Baltimore that September. After a handful of starts over three seasons, the hard-throwing right-hander was shipped to Houston, where he pitched exclusively from the pen. (The 1991 Astros club also featured future Diamondbacks Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley, the latter included with Schilling in the...
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2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART II
* 2001: A BASEBALL ODYSSEY - If their first three years were an exercise in the improbable, then 2001 saw the Diamondbacks achieve the unthinkable. Bolstered by the additions of Mark Grace and Reggie Sanders, Arizona played a magical season, regularly winning games late and in dramatic fashion. The Snakes' stars dominated the batting and pitching leaderboards. Gonzalez -- now "Gonzo" to his adoring fans -- hit .325 / .429 / .688 with 57 HR and 142 RBI, marks that would have earned him an MVP but for the eye-popping performances of Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. Co-aces Johnson and Schilling combined for 43 wins and 665 Ks in 506.1 IP, with the only sub-3.00 ERAs among NL starters.
The amazing season was epitomized by its final moments, which played out like a kid's backyard baseball fantasy. Against the three-time defending champion New York Yankees, Schilling (7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 9 K) pitched deep into Game 7 of the 2001 World Series and entered the 7th inning with a 1-1...
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2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART I
* BUILDING UP TO OPENING DAY - With Opening Day 2009 fast approaching, Diamondbacks Nation is very pleased to begin its first full season providing news and commentary by and for fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Today brings the first installment of our 2009 season preview.
We believe that to understand and evaluate the Diamondbacks of 2009, one must recognize where this club has been and how the current edition came to be. So before we take a look at the season to come, Diamondbacks Nation will try to put things into an historical context. Our preview of the 2009 season begins with a look way back to the early days of our favorite team.
We will then fast-forward to the club in the present day, focusing on the winter moves and the season schedule; the rotation and bullpen; the position players, bench and batting order. We'll dig deeper, with a review of the front office, field management, and minor league operations. And we will finish our run-up the 2009 campaign by...
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