2009 DIAMONDBACKS SEASON PREVIEW - PART IV

* LOOKING FORWARD - Having once been a team of veterans drawn from other clubs, Arizona enters 2009 with a roster whose players are predominantly young and of local origin. For most of these players, the coming season will be their third together as a group. The experience of developing as a team is rare in modern baseball, where free agency and trades shuffle almost every organization's roster annually.

Indeed, the Diamondbacks have not been immune to turnover on their pitching staff or in the field. Several key players are gone from the 2008 edition. Unable to work out a new pact with the club, Randy Johnson has taken his quest for 300 wins to San Francisco. Orlando Hudson has joined another division rival, signing on to play second base with the Dodgers. A third NL West team, the Padres, have made David Eckstein their starting second baseman. The Nationals reached a two-year agreement with Adam Dunn, who will play first base in Washington. Ex-closer Brandon Lyon joined the...

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Tags: Brad Penny, Brandon Lyon, Brandon Webb, Chad Qualls, Chad Tracy, Chris B. Young, Chris Snyder, Colorado Rockies, Conor Jackson, Dan Haren, David Eckstein, Derek Lowe, Detroit Tigers, Doug Davis, Eric Byrnes, Felipe Lopez, Jon Garland, Jon Rauch, Juan Cruz, Justin Upton, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, Mark Reynolds, Max Scherzer, Orlando Hudson, Randy Johnson, Ryan Roberts, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Scott Schoeneweis, Stephen Drew, Tom Gordon, Tony Pena

Series Preview: Diamondbacks @ Astros

* PREVIEW: ARI @ HOU -- This evening, Arizona opens a three-game road series against the Astros, who roll into the weekend having won seven games in a row.  Wins are wins, but the streak is less impressive considering it came in consecutive series sweeps against the Reds (53-68) and Giants (50-70).  Our boys should put up more of a fight than those Sisters of the Poor, especially with Brandon Webb and Randy Johnson expected to take the mound in the series.  In their meeting at Chase Field from April 28-30, the Diamondbacks took two of three from Houston.

* MATH CLASS -- The Astros have the same record as Arizona at 62-59, but they have been outscored 555-576 on the season.  based on the Pythagorean expectation formula developed by Bill James to translate run differential into wins and losses, the 'Stros should be 58-63 on the year.  With 549 runs scored to 526 runs allowed, the Diamondbacks project to a record of 63-58.  Fans will remember that Arizona won the NL West last year...

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Tags: Bill James, Brandon Webb, Cincinnati Reds, Craig Biggio, Ed Wade, Eric Byrnes, Houston Astros, Jeff Bagwell, Miguel Tejada, Mitchell Report, Randy Johnson, San Francisco Giants