Arizona_Diamondbacks

{{current sport-related|mini=1|2008 Arizona Diamondbacks season}}
{{MLB infobox |
name = Arizona Diamondbacks|
established = 1998 |
misc = |
owner = [[Jeff Moorad]], [[Ken Kendrick]] |
logo = NLW-ARI-Logo.png|
uniformlogo = NLW-ARI-Insignia.png|
WS = (1) |
WORLD CHAMPIONS = 2001 |
LEAGUE = NL |
P = (1) |
PENNANTS = 2001 |
misc1 = |
OTHER PENNANTS = |
DIV = National League West |
DV = (4) |
Division Champs = 2007 • 2002 • 2001 • 1999 |
misc5 = |
OTHER DIV CHAMPS = |
WC = (0) |
Wild Card = None |
misc6 = |
current league = National League |
y1 = 1998 |
division = [[National League West|West Division]] |
y2 = 1998 |
misc2 = team colors are sedona red, black, and sand |
nicknames = The D-backs, The Snakes|
y3 = 1998 |
pastnames = |
ballpark = [[Chase Field]] |
y4 = 1998 |
pastparks =*a.k.a Bank One Ballpark ([[1998 in baseball|1998]]-[[2005 in baseball|2005]]) |
Uniform = NLW-Uniform-ARI.PNG|
misc8 = |
retirednumbers = [[Jackie Robinson|42]]|
manager = [[Bob Melvin]] |
gm = [[Josh Byrnes]] |
Team = Diamondbacks |
Team1 = Diamondbacks|
Uniform logo = Dbacks.PNG |
}}
{{otheruses4|the baseball team|other uses|Diamondback}}
The '''Arizona Diamondbacks''' (also referred to as the '''D-backs''' or '''Snakes''') are a [[Major League Baseball]] team based in [[Phoenix, Arizona]]. They play in the [[National League West|West Division]] of the [[National League]].

== Franchise history ==
===The desire for baseball in the desert===
Between [[1940]] and [[1990]], Phoenix jumped from the 99th [[Largest cities in the US|largest city]] in the nation to the 9th largest. As such, it was frequently mentioned as a possible location for either a new or relocated MLB franchise. Baseball had a rich tradition in Arizona long before talk of bringing a big-league team even started. The state has been a frequent [[spring training]] site since [[1946]]. With the large numbers of people relocating to the state from the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] and the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]], as well as from [[California]], many teams (most notably the [[Chicago Cubs]] and the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]]) have normally had large followings in Arizona.

The first serious attempt to land an expansion team for the Phoenix area was mounted by [[Martin Stone]], owner of the [[Phoenix Firebirds]], the city's [[Minor league baseball#Today's Farm System|Triple-A minor league baseball]] team and an affiliate of the [[San Francisco Giants]]. In the late 1980s Stone approached [[Arizona Cardinals|St. Louis (football) Cardinals]] owner [[Bill Bidwill]] about sharing a proposed 70,000 seat domed stadium in Phoenix. It was taken for granted that a domed stadium was essential for a prospective baseball team to be a viable enterprise in the city. Phoenix is by far the hottest major city in North America; the average high temperature during baseball's regular season is 99.1 [[Fahrenheit|°F]], and temperatures above 120 °F in July and August are not unheard of.

Bidwill, with plans already in the works to leave St. Louis, opted instead to sign a long term lease with [[Arizona State University]] to use its [[Sun Devil Stadium]] as the home of his soon-to-be Arizona-based NFL franchise. Since baseball-only stadiums were not seen as fiscally viable during that era, this effectively ended Stone's bid.

In the fall of 1993, [[Jerry Colangelo]], majority owner of the [[Phoenix Suns]], the area's wildly popular and successful [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] franchise, announced he was assembling an ownership group, "Arizona Baseball, Inc.," to apply for a Major League Baseball expansion team. This was after a great deal of lobbying by the [[Maricopa County Sports Authority]], a local group formed to preserve [[Cactus League]] [[spring training]] in Arizona and eventually secure a Major League franchise for the state.

Colangelo's group was so certain that they would be awarded a franchise that they held a name-the-team contest for it; they took out a full-page ad in the sports section of the [[February 13]] [[1995]] edition of the state's leading newspaper, the ''[[Arizona Republic]]''. First prize was a pair of lifetime season tickets awarded to the person who submitted the winning entry. The winning choice was "Diamondbacks," after the [[Western diamondback]], a [[rattlesnake]] native to the region known for injecting a large amount of [[venom]] when it strikes.

Colangelo's bid received strong support from one of his friends, [[Chicago White Sox]] and [[Chicago Bulls]] owner [[Jerry Reinsdorf]], and media reports say that then-acting [[Commissioner of Baseball]] and [[Milwaukee Brewers]] founder [[Bud Selig]] was also a strong supporter of Colangelo's bid.<ref name="azstarnet1">[http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/33312 AZStarNet.com]</ref>Plans were also made for a new retractable-roof ballpark, Bank One Ballpark, nicknamed the BOB, (renamed in 2005 to [[Chase Field]]) to be built in an industrial/warehouse district on the southeast edge of downtown Phoenix, across the street from the Suns' America West Arena (now [[US Airways Center]]).

On [[March 9]], [[1995]], Colangelo's group was awarded a franchise to begin play for the 1998 season. A $130 million franchise fee was paid to Major League Baseball. The [[Tampa Bay Area]] was also granted a franchise, the [[Tampa Bay Rays|Devil Rays]] (to be based in [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]]), at the same time.

According to the original press release from Colangelo's group (which remained posted on the team website during the first few seasons) the chosen team colors were Arizona [[turquoise]], [[copper]], [[black]] and [[purple]]. "...Turquoise was chosen because the greenish-blue stone is indigenous to Arizona, copper because Arizona is one the nation's top copper-producing states and purple because it has become a favorite color for Arizona sports fans, thanks to the success of the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns."<ref name="archive1">[http://web.archive.org/web/19980507160654/http://azdiamondbacks.com/newswire/press/03-09-95.html AZDiamondbacks.com]</ref>

In the earliest days, the Diamondbacks operated basically as a subsidiary of the Suns; several executives and managers with the Suns and America West Arena were brought over to the Diamondbacks in similar roles. <ref>[http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/1998/03/30/story3.html?t=printable]</ref>

===Preparing for launch: AL or NL?===
There was some talk (which actually persisted for a few years after the awarding of the franchise) about the Diamondbacks being placed in the [[American League]] [[American League West|West]]. Colangelo strongly opposed this, pushing baseball officials to allow the new team to play in the National League West. Colangelo cited the relative close proximity of Phoenix to the other NL West cities; the similarities between the two fast-growing cities of Phoenix and [[Denver]] (home to the [[Colorado Rockies]]); the long history of Arizona tourism to [[San Diego]]; the Firebirds' long history as the Giants' top farm team; and the fact that Dodgers, Giants and [[San Diego Padres|Padres]] games were broadcast in the Phoenix and [[Tucson]] markets for many years.<ref name="augustasports1">[http://augustasports.com/stories/022400/bas_124-7996.shtml AugustaSports.com]</ref>

===A regional team===
From the beginning, Colangelo wanted to market the Diamondbacks to a statewide fan base and not limit fan appeal to Phoenix and its suburbs. Although every Major League Baseball team cultivates fans from outside its immediate metropolitan area, and even though the greater Phoenix area has 2/3 of the entire statewide population, Colangelo still decided to call the team the "Arizona Diamondbacks" rather than the "Phoenix Diamondbacks". Many in Phoenix were not pleased by this; they felt this move lent a "small market" tincture to the team's name; with more than 4 million people, Phoenix is the 12th most populous metropolitan area in the USA. However, fans in other areas of the state generally embraced the "Arizona" title as a positive move to help make the team a regional team for the entire state, rather than just for the state's largest city.

Tucson, Arizona's second largest city, located about a 90-minute drive southeast of (and a sometimes less-than-friendly rival to) Phoenix, was selected as the home for Diamondbacks spring training as well as the team's top minor league affiliate, the [[Tucson Sidewinders]]. Radio and television broadcast deals were struck with affiliates in Tucson, [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]], [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]], and [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]; among others.

A series of team-sponsored fan motorcoach trips from Tucson to Bank One Ballpark were inaugurated for the opening season and are still in operation to this day (it is now known as the "Diamond Express"). The Diamondbacks are also known for the "Hometown Tour", held in January, where selected players, management and broadcasters make public appearances, hold autograph signings, etc., in various locations around Phoenix and Tucson, as well as many small and mid-sized towns in other areas of Arizona.

===Further preparations===
Two seasons before their first opening day, Colangelo hired [[Buck Showalter]], the American League Manager of the Year in 1994 with the [[New York Yankees]].

Their lower level minor league teams began play in 1997; the [[1997 MLB Expansion Draft|expansion draft]] was held that year as well.

===1998-2002: Early success and a World Series championship - The Rise===
The Diamondbacks' first major league game was played against the [[Colorado Rockies]] on [[March 31]], [[1998]], at Bank One Ballpark before a standing-room only crowd of 50,179. Tickets had gone on sale on [[January 10]] and sold out before lunch. The Rockies won, 9-2, with [[Andy Benes]] on the mound for the Diamondbacks, and [[Travis Lee]] being the first player to hit, score, homer and drive in a run.


In their first five seasons of existence, the Diamondbacks won three division titles (1999, [[2001]], & 2002) and one [[World Series]] (2001). In 1999, Arizona won 100 games in only its second season to win the National League West. They lost to the [[New York Mets]] in four games in the [[National League Division Series|NLDS]].

Colangelo fired Showalter after a relatively disappointing 2000 season, and replaced him with [[Bob Brenly]], the former Giants catcher and coach, who had up to that point been working as a color analyst on Diamondbacks television broadcasts.

In 2001, the team was led by two of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball: [[Randy Johnson (pitcher)|Randy Johnson]] and [[Curt Schilling]]. Arizona had postseason victories over the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] (3-2 in the [[National League Division Series|NLDS]]) and the [[Atlanta Braves]] (4-1 in the [[National League Championship Series|NLCS]]) to advance to the World Series where, in one of the most exciting series ever, they beat the reigning champions, the [[New York Yankees]], 4 to 3, to become the youngest expansion franchise to win the World Series (in just their fourth season of play). That classic World Series is chronicled in Charles Euchner's book ''The Last Nine Innings'' (Sourcebooks, 2006). The series was also seen as the beginning of the end of the Yankees' stranglehold on baseball glory, as profiled in [[Buster Olney]]'s book ''[[The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty]]''.

An estimated orderly crowd of over 300,000 celebrated at the Diamondbacks victory parade, held at Bank One Ballpark and the surrounding downtown Phoenix streets on [[November 7]], [[2001]]. This was the first major professional sports championship for the state of Arizona and the first for a team (in the four major North American professional sports leagues) owned or controlled by Colangelo, whose basketball Suns made it to the [[NBA Finals]] in [[1976 NBA Finals|1976]] and [[1993 NBA Finals|1993]] but lost both times. (Colangelo's [[Arizona Rattlers]] won the [[Arena Football League]] championship in 1994 and 1997.) Colangelo’s willingness to go into debt and acquire players through free agency would ultimately lead to one of the quickest free falls in major sports history when in just three years, the Diamondbacks would record one of the worst losing records in all of major league baseball by losing 111 games.

The team would win the NL West again in 2002, but would be swept out in the NLDS by the Cardinals. They would then return to the NLDS in 2007, defeating the Chicago Cubs in 3 straight to move on to the NLCS against the Colorado Rockies.

For a detailed look at the 2001 series please see [[2001 World Series]].

===2003-2005: Tough times and the end of the Colangelo era - The Fall===

By the 2004 season, however, the Diamondbacks had dropped to a dismal 51-111 record, the worst in [[Major League Baseball]] that year and also one of the 10 worst records in the past 100 years of MLB, despite Johnson pitching a [[perfect game]] on [[May 18]] of that season. Brenly was fired partway through the season and was replaced on an interim basis by coach [[Al Pedrique]]. Before the season co-MVP (with Johnson) of the 2001 World Series [[Curt Schilling]] had been traded to the [[Boston Red Sox]], who won the World Series in 2004.

By this time Colangelo and the other partners were embroiled in a dispute over the financial health and direction of the Diamondbacks (and notably including over $150 million dollars in [[deferred compensation]] to many players who were key members of the 2001 World Series winning team and others). He was forced to resign his managing general partner post in the late summer of 2004.

Colangelo sold his interest in the General Partnership of the Diamondbacks to a group of investors who were all involved as partners in the founding of the team in 1995. The investors include equal partners [[Ken Kendrick]], Dale Jensen, Mike Chipman, and Jeffrey Royer. [[Jeff Moorad]], a former sports agent, joined the partnership, and was named the team's CEO; becoming its primary public face. Ken Kendrick became the managing general partner.

Colangelo was sharply criticized for plunging the team into over $150 million in debt to secure the services of expensive veterans in order to field a competitive team quickly. In a 2004 interview with columnist [[Hal Bodley]] of [[USA TODAY]], Colangelo defended his actions:

{{cquote|I understand where some people felt I wasn't doing it appropriately. The only analogy I can use is that [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay]] (the other '98 expansion team) went one direction and where did they end up? (Six last-place finishes and low attendance)...We went another direction to establish a fan base because our investment was much larger than Tampa Bay's. And we put so much money into our own stadium ($130 million). After the first year and the decrease in season tickets, I was convinced we had to build a fan base...We bought three division titles, a World Series and established a fan base...

:...I believe what we did will last a long, long time...Right or wrong, a number of teams today are in the $50 million payroll range and competitive — Oakland, Minnesota, Texas are examples. Our goal was to get returns from our farm system. We built into our cash-flow that we would be paying out the deferments and that our payroll could drop to $50 million for a few years...A few things hurt us...The economy was bad, and I was hoping for more national money (from baseball's central fund) coming in.<ref name="usetoday1">[http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/columnist/bodley/2004-08-09-bodley_x.htm USAToday.com]</ref>}}

Also a factor in Colangelo's leaving his post was his advancing age: Colangelo was 64 years of age in 2004, and had he not sold his sports franchises, upon his death, his family would have been faced with having to pay high estate taxes based on the value of the Diamondbacks as well as the Suns (which he sold to [[Robert Sarver]] in the spring of 2004).<ref name="bizjournals1">[http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2004/03/08/daily15.html Phoenix.Bizjournals.com]</ref>

Following the 2004 season, the Diamondbacks hired [[Wally Backman]] to be the team's manager. Backman was formerly manager of the Class A [[California League]] [[Lancaster JetHawks]], one of the Diamondbacks' [[minor-league baseball|minor-league]] affiliates. Backman was fired after management learned of legal troubles and improprieties in Backman's past, and former [[Seattle Mariners]] manager and Diamondbacks bench coach [[Bob Melvin]] became the new manager after a ten-day tenure for Backman.

Following the Backman incident, the Diamondbacks spent heavily on free agents in order to re-build into a contender. The club signed 3B [[Troy Glaus]], P [[Russ Ortiz]], SS [[Royce Clayton]], and 2B [[Craig Counsell]], among others. They then traded [[Randy Johnson (pitcher)|Randy Johnson]] to the [[New York Yankees]], for [[Javier Vazquez]], [[Dioner Navarro]], and [[Brad Halsey]]. They then turned around and dealt newly acquired catcher [[Dioner Navarro]] to the Dodgers for [[Shawn Green]], and sent [[Shea Hillenbrand]] to the [[Toronto Blue Jays]]. Finally, they traded [[Casey Fossum]] to the [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay Devil Rays]] for [[José Cruz, Jr.]]

The Diamondbacks, led by Melvin, finished the 2005 season with a record of 77 wins and 85 losses. However, this was a 26-game improvement over 2004, and actually good enough for second place in the woefully weak NL West, five games behind the [[San Diego Padres]].

The Diamondbacks were considered by some to be the favorite to win the division after spending big money on the aforementioned free agents; however, injuries hurt the team's chances of reaching its expected potential.

Starting pitcher [[Russ Ortiz|Ortiz]] was out for some time which really hurt the pitching staff. [[Troy Glaus|Glaus]] played with a hurt knee all season. Of all the free agents that signed before the season, no one had a better season than first baseman [[Tony Clark]]. Clark started the season as a bench player and ended the season starting and being an important part of the team. Clark was rewarded with a new contract at the end of the season.

In October [[2005]] the Diamondbacks hired 35-year-old [[Josh Byrnes]] to replace the out-going Joe Garagiola, Jr. as [[General Manager]]. Garagiola took a position in [[Major League Baseball]]'s main offices in New York City.

===The 2006 season: Rebuilt and reloaded - Rising from the Ashes===
{{further|[[2006 Arizona Diamondbacks season]]}}

In a weak NL West division, the Diamondbacks failed to improve on their 2005 performance, finishing fourth with a slightly worse record than the year before. The season did include two excellent individual performances, however. 2B [[Orlando Hudson]] became the recipient of his second career [[Gold Glove Award]], as announced on [[November 3]]. Hudson became only the sixth infielder in major league history to win a Gold Glove award in both the American and National Leagues. He first received the award after the 2005 season as a member of the [[Toronto Blue Jays]], and was traded to the Diamondbacks later that offseason. On [[November 14]], it was announced that RHP [[Brandon Webb]] was the recipient of the [[Cy Young Award]] for the National League. Webb, a specialist in throwing the [[sinker (baseball)|sinkerball]], received 15 of 32 first-place votes in balloting by the [[Baseball Writers Association of America]]. Webb went 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA and in the 2006 season was named to his first All-Star team. San Diego Padres relief pitcher [[Trevor Hoffman]] was second place in the voting with 12 first-place votes and 77 points.

In preparation for the next season, the Diamondbacks made several significant trades during the offseason. The Diamondbacks and Brewers made a trade on [[November 25]], 2006. [[Johnny Estrada]], [[Greg Aquino]], and [[Claudio Vargas]] were dealt to the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] for [[Doug Davis]], [[Dana Eveland]], and [[Dave Krynzel]].<ref name=mlb1">[http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061125&content_id=1745898&vkey=news_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari MLB.com]</ref> On Sunday [[January 7]], it was announced that Randy Johnson would return to the Diamondbacks on a two year contract, pending a physical. He was obtained from the Yankees in exchange for [[Luis Vizcaino]], [[Ross Ohlendorf]], [[Alberto Gonzalez (baseball player)|Alberto Gonzalez]] and Steven Jackson. The Yankees will pay $2 million of Johnson's $26 million salary. The Diamondbacks and [[Florida Marlins]] made a deal [[March 26]] to acquire RHP [[Yusmeiro Petit]] in exchange for Jorge Julio and cash.

===2007 season: A new look and a return to the playoffs - Refurbished===

{{further|[[2007 Arizona Diamondbacks season]]}}

'''Uniform and color change: Sedona Red'''

The Diamondbacks announced in early September 2006 that their uniforms, which remained largely unchanged since the team's first season, would be completely redesigned for the 2007 season.<ref name="mlb2">[http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060901&content_id=1640230&vkey=news_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari MLB.com]</ref> Details were supposed to be kept from the public until after the 2006 postseason as per MLB rules, but the Diamondback page from the 2007 MLB Official Style Guide was somehow leaked around [[September 25]], and local media broadcast printed the new design for all to see.

While some fans applauded the redesign, most of the reaction to the new color scheme, which included dropping the historical purple and traditional Arizonan colors of [[copper]] and [[turquoise]] for a reddish color known as "Sedona Red", has been pointedly negative.<ref name="azcentral1">[http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0902dbacks-uniform0902-CP.html AZCentral.com]</ref><ref name="about1">[http://phoenix.about.com/gi/pages/poll.htm?linkback=http://phoenix.about.com/b/a/257347.htm&poll_id=7147081268 About.com]</ref><ref name="azcentral2">[http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/0926sports-toprail0926.html AZCentral.com]</ref> The official unveiling of the uniforms came at a charity event on [[November 8]]th in nearby Scottsdale, where several of the players modeled the uniforms on a runway, and posed for publicity photos.

The distinctive "A" design remained unchanged save for the colors. The stylized snake-like "D" logo, also used since the early days for the road uniforms, was slightly redesigned and a completely new shoulder patch introduced. The lettering on the jerseys was completely redesigned.

'''Changing faces'''

Not only did the Diamondbacks uniforms change, but many faces of the organization changed as well. In addition to the trades detailed above:
* Fan favorite and Diamondbacks stalwart [[Luis Gonzalez (baseball outfielder)|Luis Gonzalez]] did not return as the left fielder for the Diamondbacks. The most popular player in franchise history, "Gonzo" signed a one-year contract worth just under $7 million on [[December 7]] to play for the rival [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] for the 2007 season.
* [[Craig Counsell]], another popular player, signed a two-year contract with his hometown [[Milwaukee Brewers]] and did not return to the Diamondbacks in 2007.
* Pitcher [[Miguel Batista]] did not return in an Arizona uniform (he signed a three-year contract with the Mariners in December 2006).
* [[Jay Bell]], a longtime Diamondback as both a player and coach, relinquished his duties as bench coach to spend more time with family; he will remain in the organization as an adviser to Bob Melvin.
* The original Diamondbacks [[play-by-play]] man [[Thom Brennaman]] moved on to the [[Cincinnati Reds]] organization to work with his father [[Marty Brennaman]] in the booth.

In the 2007 regular season, the Diamondbacks enjoyed a relatively high degree of success with a young team including [[Brandon Webb]], [[Conor Jackson]], [[Stephen Drew]], [[Carlos Quentin]], [[Chad Tracy]], [[Chris Young (baseball outfielder)|Chris Young]], [[Miguel Montero]], [[Mark Reynolds (baseball)]] (called up from Double-A in May) and [[Justin Upton]] (called up from Double-A in August). The Diamondbacks in the regular season posted the best record in the NL with 90 wins and 72 losses.

'''2007 postseason'''

On [[September 28]], the Diamondbacks beat the [[Colorado Rockies]] to secure a position in the 2007 playoffs. After the Padres' defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers on [[September 29]], the Diamondbacks secured both the NL West title and home field throughout the NL playoffs.

After taking the first two games at home against the Cubs, in the [[2007 National League Division Series|National League Division Series]], they took the series to [[Wrigley Field]], where they completed their sweep, earning their first berth in the National League Championship Series since 2001.

In the NLCS (where, ironically, they faced the Rockies), however, the D-backs' bats - and any sort of luck they had - fell silent. Though the D-backs' pitchers kept it close, they just didn't seem to get any kind of situational hitting. Plays in key situations- Upton's slide in Game 1, Stephen Drew's baserunning mistake and Valverde's 3 walks in a row, including a bases-loaded walk in the 10th in Game 2, [[Yorvit Torrealba]]'s homer in Game 3, Conor Jackson booting the ball in Game 4, and even into the 8th and 9th innings of the final game, with the D-backs trailing by two, Tony Clark struck out leaving Upton at third base in the 8th, and in the 9th, Chris Young's leadoff double was wasted...The D-backs ran out of momentum against a Colorado team who just couldn't lose and were swept by the Rockies.

The 2007 season overall was a great success, with many of the young players showing their potential and proving that the team would be a force in the National League for years to come.

'''2007 offseason: Reloading for 2008 with Dan Haren'''

On December 3, 2007 the Diamondbacks traded [[Carlos Quentin]] to the [[Chicago White Sox]] for first base prospect Chris Carter.

On December 14, in a blockbuster trade, the Diamondbacks acquired starting RHP [[Dan Haren]] from the [[Oakland Athletics]] for six players: LHP [[Brett Anderson]], LHP [[Dana Eveland]] and LHP [[Greg Smith]]; the above-mentioned just-acquired infielder Chris Carter; and outfielders [[Aaron Cunningham]] and [[Carlos Gonzalez]]. The team also traded relief pitcher [[Jose Valverde]], who led the major leagues in saves in 2007 with 47, to the [[Houston Astros]] for reliever [[Chad Qualls]], RHP [[Juan Gutiérrez (baseball)|Juan Gutiérrez]] and IF/OF [[Chris Burke (baseball)|Chris Burke]]. (Valverde was expected to immediately become the Astros' closer.)

Haren was expected to immediately join the Diamondbacks starting rotation which will include Webb and hopefully [[Randy Johnson]] if he rehabilitates successfully from his season-ending back injuries (Johnson was acquired from the Yankees in January 2007 and had a strong start to the 2007 season before back problems forced him out in August).

Haren was 15-9 with a 3.07 ERA for Oakland in 2007. This move was expected to make the D-backs the favorites to win the NL West in 2008 provided the offensive production is good.

==Pitching Position Players==
In their short history, the Diamondbacks have been known to invite position players to pitch an inning in games that have already been blown-out. The first of which occurred on [[August 30]] of their 2001 Division-winning season, where Manager Bob Brenley decided to pitch veteran outfielder [[Steve Finley]] for an inning of relief. Although Finley pitched a shut-out, no-hit inning, he walked a batter and also hit a batter. Brenley did this twice, as well as current manager Bob Melvin.
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
!Player
!Year
!IP
!H
!ER
!HR
!BB
!HBP
!SO
!ERA
|-
|[[Steve Finley]]
|2001
|1.0
|0
|0
|0
|1
|1
|0
|0.00
|-
|[[Mark Grace]]
|2002
|1.0
|1
|1
|1
|0
|0
|0
|9.00
|-
|[[Jeff Cirillo]]
|2007
|1.0
|0
|0
|0
|2
|0
|1
|0.00
|-
|[[Augie Ojeda]]
|2007
|1.0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0
|0.00
|}
</center>


==Diamondbacks broadcasters==
The primary television play-by-play voice for the team's first nine seasons of play was [[Thom Brennaman]], who also broadcasts baseball and [[college football]] games nationally for [[MLB on FOX|FOX Television]]. Brennaman was the TV announcer for the [[Chicago Cubs]] and [[Cincinnati Reds]] (along with his father [[Marty Brennaman]]) before being hired by Diamondbacks founder Jerry Colangelo in 1996, two years before the team would begin play.

In October 2006, Brennaman left the Diamondbacks to call games with his father for the Reds beginning in 2007, signing a 4-year deal (his FOX duties will remain unchanged).

'''The Daron Sutton era'''

On [[November 1]], [[2006]], the team announced that the TV voice of the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] since 2002, [[Daron Sutton]], would be hired as the Diamondbacks primary TV play-by-play voice. Sutton was signed to a five-year contract with a team option for three more years. Sutton is considered one of the best of the younger generation of baseball broadcasters. Sutton's father is [[Major League Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] pitcher and current [[Washington Nationals]] broadcaster [[Don Sutton]].<ref name="mlb3">[http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20061101&content_id=1729190&vkey=pr_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari MLB.com]</ref>

'''Diamondbacks radio voices and color commentators'''

[[Greg Schulte]] is the regular radio play-by-play voice, a 25-year veteran of sports radio in the Phoenix market, also well known for his previous work on Phoenix Suns, [[Arizona Cardinals]] and [[Arizona State University]] (ASU) broadcasts. In February 2007 he agreed to a contract extension through at least the 2011 season.

[[Jeff Munn]] is a backup radio play-by-play announcer; he served as the regular public address announcer at [[Chase Field]] in the early days of the franchise. He is well-known to many Phoenix area sports fans, having also served as the public address announcer for the Suns at America West Arena (now [[US Airways Center]]) in the 1990s. He is also the play-by-play radio voice for ASU women's basketball.

Former Diamondback and Chicago Cub [[Mark Grace]] and former Major League [[knuckleball]] pitcher [[Tom Candiotti]] are the Diamondbacks primary color analysts for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Former Diamondback player (and current Diamondbacks minority owner) [[Matt Williams (baseball)|Matt Williams]] also does color commentary on occasion, as does former [[St. Louis Cardinals|Cardinals]] and [[NBC]] broadcast legend [[Joe Garagiola|Joe Gargiola, Sr]]., a longtime Phoenix-area resident and father of Joe Garagiola, Jr., the first GM of the Diamondbacks (as head of the Maricopa County Sports Authority in the early 1990's, Garagiola, Jr. was one of the primary people involved in Phoenix obtaining a Major League Baseball franchise).

The team's games are currently broadcast on [[KTAR-AM|KTAR]] radio in Phoenix; roughly half the games are televised on [[KTVK]] 3TV and half on [[Fox Sports Net|Fox Sports Arizona]]. The team is also seen and heard in other Southwestern markets such as [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]], [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]], and [[Las Vegas, Nevada]].

For the 2007 season, the Diamondbacks will supply a high definition video feed to KTVK-DT for home games only.

The Diamondbacks announced in July 2007 [http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070713&content_id=2084028&vkey=pr_ari&fext=.jsp&c_id=ari] that for the 2008 season, all regionally broadcast Diamondback TV games will be shown exclusively on Fox Sports Net Arizona; games will no longer be seen on 3TV, but a few could possibly be shown on the national [[MLB on FOX]] telecasts. FSN Arizona is currently seen in 2.8 million households in Arizona & New Mexico.

[[Miguel Quintana]] and [[Oscar Soria]] are the Spanish-language broadcasters. Spanish-language games can be heard in Phoenix on [[KSUN|KSUN-AM 1400.]]

The last few games of the 2006 season were heard on both KTAR-AM and the new [[KTAR-FM]], but for 2007 games will be heard on AM radio only, on "Sports 620."

===Diamondbacks Broadcasters Year-by-Year (English)===
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
!Year
!TV Play-by-Play
!TV Analyst
!Radio PbP
!Radio Analyst
|-
|1998
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Bob Brenly]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Rod Allen]]
|-
|1999
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Bob Brenly]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Rod Allen]]
|-
|2000
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Bob Brenly]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Rod Allen]]
|-
|2001
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Jim Traber]] and [[Joe Garagiola]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Rod Allen]]
|-
|2002
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Jim Traber]] and [[Joe Garagiola]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Rod Allen]]
|-
|2003
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Steve Lyons (baseball)|Steve Lyons]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Victor Rojas]]
|-
|2004
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Mark Grace]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Ken Phelps]]
|-
|2005
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Mark Grace]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Ken Phelps]]
|-
|2006
|[[Thom Brennaman]]
|[[Mark Grace]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Tom Candiotti]]
|-
|2007
|[[Daron Sutton]]
|[[Mark Grace]]
|[[Greg Schulte]]
|[[Tom Candiotti]]
|}
</center>

==Season records==

{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Year
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Record
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Win %
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Place
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Playoffs
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Manager
|-
|[[1998 in baseball|1998]]
|65-97
|.398
|5th in NL West
|
|[[Buck Showalter]]
|-
|[[1999 in baseball|1999]]
|100-62
|.617
|1st in NL West
|Lost [[1999 National League Division Series|NLDS]] to [[New York Mets]], 1-3
|Buck Showalter
|-
|[[2000 in baseball|2000]]
|85-77
|.525
|3rd in NL West
|
|Buck Showalter
|-
|[[2001 in baseball|2001]]
|92-70
|.568
|1st in NL West
|Won [[2001 National League Division Series|NLDS]] vs [[St. Louis Cardinals]], 3-2 Won [[2001 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] vs [[Atlanta Braves]], 4-1 '''Won [[2001 World Series|World Series]] vs [[New York Yankees]], 4-3.'''
|[[Bob Brenly]]
|-
|[[2002 in baseball|2002]]
|98-64
|.605
|1st in NL West
|Lost [[National League Division Series|NLDS]] to [[St. Louis Cardinals]], 0-3
|Bob Brenly
|-
|[[2003 in baseball|2003]]
|84-78
|.519
|3rd in NL West
|
|Bob Brenly
|-
|[[2004 in baseball|2004]]
|51-111
|.315
|5th in NL West
|
|Bob Brenly (fired [[July 2nd]], [[2004]]) [[Al Pedrique]] promoted[http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1833440 *]
|-
|[[2005 in baseball|2005]]
|77-85
|.475
|2nd in NL West
|
|[[Bob Melvin]]
|-
|[[2006 in baseball|2006]]
|76-86
|.469
|T-4th in NL West
|
|Bob Melvin
|-
|[[2007 in baseball|2007]]
|90-72
|.556
|1st in NL West
|Won [[2007 National League Division Series|NLDS]] vs [[Chicago Cubs]] 3-0 Lost [[2007 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] vs [[Colorado Rockies]] 0-4
|Bob Melvin
|-
|}
''* As of 1:42, 24 December 2007 (PDT)''

* '''Regular Season: 818-802 (.505) '''
* '''Postseason Games: 15-16 (.484)'''
* '''Postseason Series: 4-3, (.571)'''
* '''Regular and Post Season Totals: 833-818 (.505)'''
* '''1 [[World Series]] Championship'''

==Quick facts==
:'''Founded:''' 1995
:'''Began play:''' in 1998 ([[National League]] expansion)
:'''Uniform colors:''' Sedona Red, Sonoran Sand, Black.
:'''Logo designs:''' HOME: a black "D" in the shape of a snake. ALTERNATE: an "A" with one leg of the "A" alternating red and black triangles to suggest a [[Western Diamondback Rattlesnake]].
:'''Team motto:''' The Future Is Now (marketing); Anybody, Anytime (Player adopted, late 2007 marketing)
:'''Team mascot:''' [[D. Baxter the Bobcat]]
:'''Playoff appearances''' (4): [[1999]], [[2001]], [[2002]], [[2007]]
:'''General Manager:''' [[Josh Byrnes]]
:'''Victory Song''': Arizona by [[The Scorpions]]
:'''Theme Song''': D'backs Swing by [[Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers]]
:'''Local Television:''' [[FSN|FSN Arizona]], [[KTVK]] (3TV)
:'''Spring Training Facility:''' [[Tucson Electric Park]], [[Tucson, AZ]]
:'''Ballpark: '''[[Chase Field]], also called the "Snake Pit"
:'''Rivals:''' [[Colorado Rockies]]

==All Time Leaders==
;Hitting
:Games Played--[[Luis Gonzalez]] (1999-2006) 1,194
:Hits--Luis Gonzalez 1,337
:At Bats--Luis Gonzalez 4,488
:Runs--Luis Gonzalez 780
:Doubles--Luis Gonzalez 310
:Triples--[[Tony Womack]] (1999-2003) 37
:Home Runs-- Luis Gonzalez 224
:Runs Batted In--Luis Gonzalez 774
:Walks--Luis Gonzalez 650
:Stolen Bases--Tony Womack 182
:Batting Average--Luis Gonzalez .298

;Pitching
:ERA--[[Randy Johnson]] (1999-2004, 2007-) 2.69
:Wins--Randy Johnson 107
:Games--[[Jose Valverde]] (2003-) 253
:Saves--Jose Valverde 98
:Innings--Randy Johnson 1446.2
:Strikeouts--Randy Johnson 1,904
:Complete Games--Randy Johnson 37
:Shutouts--Randy Johnson 14 ([[Perfect Game]] May 18, 2004)
*all stats as of 10/1/07

==Baseball Hall of Famers==
*''none''

==Retired numbers==
* '''42''' [[Jackie Robinson]], retired throughout all Major League Baseball

No other numbers have yet been retired by the Diamondbacks franchise. There have been rumors of retiring Luis Gonzalez's number.

==Current roster==
{{:Template:Arizona Diamondbacks roster}}

==Championships==
{{start box}}
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[World Series|World Series Champions]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[New York Yankees]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | [[2001 World Series|2001]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by : '''[[Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim|Anaheim Angels]]'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[National League|National League Champions]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[New York Mets]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | [[2001 National League Championship Series|2001]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by : '''[[San Francisco Giants]]'''
|-
| colspan = 3 align = center | '''[[National League West|National League Western Division Champions]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[San Diego Padres]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | [[2007 National League Division Series|2007]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by : '''Incumbent'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[San Francisco Giants]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | [[2001 National League Division Series|2001]] & [[2002 National League Division Series|2002]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by : '''[[San Francisco Giants]]'''
|-
| width = 30% align = center | Preceded by: '''[[San Diego Padres]]'''
| width = 40% align = center | [[1999 National League Division Series|1999]]
| width = 30% align = center | Succeeded by: '''[[San Francisco Giants]]'''
|-
{{end box}}

==Minor league affiliations==
* '''AAA:''' [[Tucson Sidewinders]], [[Pacific Coast League]]
* '''AA:''' [[Mobile BayBears]], [[Southern League (baseball)|Southern League]]
* '''Advanced A:''' [[Visalia Oaks]], [[California League]]
* '''A:''' [[South Bend Silver Hawks]], [[Midwest League]]
* '''Short A:''' [[Yakima Bears]], [[Northwest League]]
* '''Rookie:''' [[Missoula Osprey]], [[Pioneer League]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==See also==
*[[Arizona Diamondbacks award winners and league leaders|Diamondbacks award winners and league leaders]]
*[[Arizona Diamondbacks team records|Diamondbacks statistical records and milestone achievements]]
*[[List of Arizona Diamondbacks broadcasters]]
*[[Managers and ownership of the Arizona Diamondbacks]]
*[[2007 Arizona Diamondbacks season]]

== External links ==
*[http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/ari/homepage/ari_homepage.jsp Arizona Diamondbacks official web site]
*[http://azsnakepit.com Arizona Diamondbacks game reports, analysis and commentary]
*[http://futurebacks.com FutureBacks.com - Covering every level of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization]
*[http://diamondbacksbullpen.org DiamondbacksBullpen.org - Ongoing discussions of the Diamondbacks]
*[http://dbackschat.com Arizona Diamondbacks Chat]

{{MLB Team Arizona Diamondbacks}}
{{MLB}}
{{Arizona Diamondbacks|width=100}}
{{2001 Arizona Diamondbacks}}
{{Phoenix Sports}}

[[Category:Arizona Diamondbacks|*]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball teams]]
[[Category:Sports clubs established in 1998]]
[[Category:Sports in Arizona|D]]
[[Category:Cactus League]]
[[Category:Sports in Phoenix]]
[[Category:Arizona baseball teams]]
[[Category:Arizona Baseball]]

[[cs:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[da:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[de:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[fr:Diamondbacks de l'Arizona]]
[[ko:애리조나 다이아몬드백스]]
[[it:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[nl:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[ja:アリゾナ・ダイヤモンドバックス]]
[[pl:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[pt:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[ru:Аризона Даймондбэкс]]
[[sv:Arizona Diamondbacks]]
[[uk:Аризона Даймондбекс]]
[[zh:亞利桑那響尾蛇]]