Arizona Diamondbacks 2002 Season Preview

by Paul Wysard

Owing and aging are two conditions unpleasant to bear. When the two seep into a baseball franchise, they can be enervating at best and damaging at worst.

After the celebration of their World Series victory, and after the well-deserved kudos for mound heroes Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, on-field news and commentary gave way to frequent discussion of Arizona's financial situation. Principal owner Jerry Colangelo was rebuffed when he asked partners to put up more dough. New or replacement participants were sought and there was some talk about borrowing from other owners. It seemed as if the club was more in tune with all of the troubled folks in those AmeriDebt ads.

Think what you want about Colangelo, but we must recognize that he bucked a tide of red ink with with a bunch of veteran players and accomplished his oft-stated goal: to bring a professional championship to Phoenix.

The encore will be another matter. In our previews of the Diamondbacks the past two seasons, the emphasis was on those older players and whether or not they could avoid running out of gas. Well...almost all of them are returning, comprising what surely must be the oldest defending champions ever (see below) That defense becomes even dicier when a lack of money could preclude trading for higher-priced, quality performers who may be needed in August or later.

With enough run support, Johnson and Schilling ought to be as formidable as ever. They will be joined by Rick Helling, 12-11 in Texas, who gives up a ton of runs, but who can win with a strong offense behind him. Brian Anderson and Miguel Batista looked pretty good in the post-season and could be helpful.

First baseman Mark Grace can still hit and field, but can he play over 150 games? Craig Counsell and Damian Miller are scrappy pros at second and behind the plate, respectively, but can players of that caliber put two successive title years together? Last Spring, I said Tony Womack was "not a championship shortstop." Ouch! Who hit the sizzling double that kept the deciding rally going? Anyway, he'll be back. The club was counting on a pocketful of quarters from third baseman Matt Williams -- 125 games, .275, 25 hr, 75 rbi -- but he has broken a bone (again) on the very day this was being written, so he is another question mark. Luis Gonzalez, to this reviewer the Most Surprising Player of the 2000s, has 50-hr, 140 rbi power in left field, and Steve Finley can still move around and had a strong second half in center. Danny Bautista had a fine post-season and looks to take over in right.

The only semblance of youth on this team is in the bullpen, where Korean Byung-Hyun Kim (23) hopes to keep the closer's job away from recuperating fireballer Matt Mantei (28).

San Francisco will put pressure on the Diamondbacks, but until someone stops Gonzalez, and beats Johnson and Schilling more than once a month or so, Arizona is in the driver's seat in the NL West.

Projected Lineup
Womack, SS	Johnson (L), SP
Counsell, 2B	Schilling (R), SP
Gonzalez, LF	Helling (R), SP
Williams/ J Bell, 3B	Batista (R), SP
Finley, CF	Anderson (L), SP
Grace, 1B
Bautista/Durazo, RF	Kim (R), CL
Miller, C	Mantei (R), RP
Klassen, ut	Stottlemyre (R), P
Colbrunn, PH/1B	Reynoso (R), P
Delluci, OF	Morgan (R), RP

Arizona! Put on your Rainbow Shades ....Or do something to blunt the impressions of Medicare candidacies.
Readers, check out these ages:
Mark Grace --37
Matt Williams--36
Steve Finley--37
Jay Bell--36
Randy Johnson--38
Curt Schilling--35
Luis Gonazalez--34
Tony Womack--32
Damian Miller--32
Greg Colbrunn--32
Todd Stottlemyre--37
Armando Reynoso--35
Mike Morgan--42
Erubiel Durazo--28 -- or more? (what with all these birth certificate changes from South of the Border)