JR240 Fifth Blog

For my next assignment for my Sports Reporting class, I was asked to follow a Major League Baseball team of my choosing for a week and prepare a Gammons-esque "Notes" column on the team.  The team I chose was the Arizona Diamondbacks, because I didn't want to pick a team that a lot of people follow (no offense to D'Backs fans).

Sunday Notes- 3/17

Venezuelan D’Backs back in camp after WBC Letdown

Photo Rights to arizonasports.com

Starting Catcher Miguel Montero, starting Third Baseman Martin Prado, and fourth Outfielder Gerrardo Parra were back in camp on Tuesday, but they weren’t necessarily thrilled to be back so soon.  The three Venezuelan players had been in Puerto Rico representing their country in the World Baseball Classic.

Venezuela was one of the favorites to win this year’s WBC but was eliminated in the first round of group play.  They lost their first two games to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico respectively, then beat Spain in their final game, finishing 1-2.

A Plethora of Options for 5^th Rotation Spot

Photo Rights to KFFL

The race for the fifth and final spot in the starting rotation looks like it could come down to the very end of spring training.  21-year old lefty Tyler Skaggs (left) is the top prospect in the organization and looks like a future top-end starter, but is likely to begin the season in the minors to continue to develop.  The top two candidates for the spot are Tyler Corbin and Randall Delgado. 

Corbin, 23, is the slight favorite and has pitched the best of the three candidates so far this spring.  The southpaw has a lethal 2-seam fastball that has dominated left-handed hitters this spring, and D-Backs manager Kirk Gibson has noticed, saying “"He's got to keep pushing to get better and better and better." 

Delgado, 23, has shown flashes of brilliance and has shown why he was a key part of the Justin Upton trade with the braves this offseason.  After pitching four shutout innings Wednesday against the Brewers, Gibson called the performance “as good as we've seen this spring out of our staff.  He looked really good, had good velocity, all his pitches were working. He got into some trouble early and got out of it. That's the kind of guy that we were hoping we'd get."

Photo Rights to ESPN

Booty to the Minors

Former baseball player turned football player turned reality show winner Josh Booty was optioned to minor league spring training by the D’Backs Wednesday night as part of roster cuts.  The 37-year-old Booty was a non-roster spring training invitee to camp after winning MLB Network’s “The Next Knuckler” reality show last month.

Photo Rights to muckrack.com

D’Backs manager Kirk Gibson said Booty has worked hard and lost 15 pounds to get into shape, but still isn’t ready for big league competition.  Booty was drafted with the 5^th overall pick by the Marlins in 1994 and spent five seasons in their organization.  He then decided to focus on football, where he played Quarterback at Louisiana State University for two seasons before having a brief NFL career.  Booty is technically still Marlins property, but they are fine with him being optioned to the minors to get more opportunities to pitch.

"I think if he can continue to improve, he'll have an opportunity to stay here and play in extended spring training," Gibson said. "If he doesn't, and the organization doesn't have a spot for him, I'd encourage him to go to independent ball and do it."

Photo Rights to NY Daily News

Three D’Backs Return from Team USA

Utility Infielder Willie Bloomquist (right) and Relief Pitchers David Hernandez and Heath Bell returned to spring training this weekend after playing for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

The United States went 2-1 in the first round of group play but was eliminated when they lost 2 of their 3 second round group games.

Sunday Injury Report

• Starting Pitcher Daniel Hudson threw long toss and then a 20-pitch session from flat ground on Tuesday as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery.  He is expected back midseason.
• Starting Pitcher Wade Miley was scratched from his start Tuesday with left bicep discomfort, but threw a bullpen session Friday and appears to be fine.
• Starting Pitcher Ian Kennedy was taken out of Saturday’s game after being struck in the left leg by a line drive in the fourth inning.  Kennedy has a minor contusion but it shouldn’t hinder his pitching at all.
• Outfielder Cody Ross is no longer scheduled for weight training on Monday or Tuesday, and his status for opening day could be in doubt as he recovers from a lower left leg strain.