ears cap scandal forced ears cap scandal forced | Forum

With a 37-48 record and 16-game National League West deficit as testament to their poor play, the Arizona Diamondbacks rank among the most disappointing stories in baseball. Richard Dent Bears Jersey . Contrast the spring training euphoria surrounding the team with the ugly results in April, May and June, and its hard to fathom how quickly and profoundly things went south.I would like to put it on injuries, general manager Dave Stewart said in a recent interview, but injuries arent why were in the position we are now. Were in this position because we havent executed and done what were capable of. Weve underachieved.Baseball observers with a more historical slant might have had a clue this was coming. Arizona is the latest example of why the winner of the winter doesnt always look so formidable once the regular season begins.The Diamondbacks are reminiscent of last years San Diego Padres, who made such a dizzying flurry of moves during the 2014-2015 offseason that outfielder Matt Kemp christened new general manager A.J. Preller a rock star. A year later, the roadies are packing up the equipment and clearing the stage. James Shields, Craig Kimbrel, Justin Upton, Ian Kennedy, Yonder Alonso and Fernando Rodney have come and gone, and the Padres are stockpiling prospects in an attempt to build something more enduring.The Diamondbacks have been a buzzkill along the lines of the 2012 Miami Marlins, who made an enormous splash when they spent $191 million on free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell and hired new manager Ozzie Guillen to great fanfare in Miami. After a sub-.500 start, the selloff began, and Marlins fans and national columnists ripped owner Jeffrey Loria for using taxpayer money to build a new ballpark only to change course after three months.The D-backs also bring to mind the Toronto Blue Jays, who flopped after the addition of R.A. Dickey, Buehrle, Reyes and Josh Johnson in 2013 and didnt break through as a postseason team until two years later.A sub-.500 record and afterthought status werent part of the plan when Arizona signed free agent Zack Greinke to a $206.5 million contract and acquired Shelby Miller in a December trade with the Atlanta Braves. Of 31 ESPN experts surveyed late in spring training, 11 picked the Diamondbacks to make the playoffs as a division winner or wild-card team.Since then, just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Miller has a 6.85 ERA in 13 starts, Greinke just landed on the disabled list with an oblique strain, and Arizonas aggregate starting pitcher ERA has spiked from 4.37 to 4.86. The Diamondbacks also have posted a stunningly bad 14-31 record at home.Arizonas sad story line isnt uncommon, given recent precedent. Why have so many teams spent big in hopes of making a quantum leap and found that the approach backfired? Texas GM Jon Daniels is familiar with the scenario from the 2014 season, when the Rangers garnered huge publicity with the acquisitions of Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo and responded with a 67-95 season, the franchises worst since 1985.Some of it is injuries, which you cant predict, Daniels said. But the challenge is that baseball isnt like basketball, where you can add one or two pieces and really change the dynamic of the organization. In baseball you need so much depth and balance and some luck, too. Its hard to do all that with a handful of moves in an offseason. It takes years to build that foundation, and then you try to make one or two moves and layer them on top of what youve built.The 2008 American League champion Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros and 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals are prime examples of teams that got progressively better through the maturation of young rosters before making strategic acquisitions to get over the top. The Chicago Cubs suffered through five straight losing seasons before Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer thought the teams young core had progressed sufficiently to warrant a $155 million plunge on free-agent starter Jon Lester in December 2014.Arizona was building the requisite strong nucleus last season with All-Stars Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock anchoring the lineup and David Peralta, Jake Lamb, Nick Ahmed, Yasmany Tomas and Brandon Drury all gaining valuable experience. The Diamondbacks made another shrewd move in January when they acquired middle infielder Jean Segura from Milwaukee. Hes batting .308 this season and merits strong consideration for an All-Star berth at second base.But bad luck blew a hole in the Diamondbacks plans late in spring training, when Pollock suffered a fractured bone in his right elbow. The Diamondbacks outfield depth had already taken a hit when they sent Ender Inciarte to Atlanta with shortstop prospect Dansby Swanson in the December trade for Miller, and things got worse when Peralta made two trips to the disabled list.Bad outfield defense has been a killer for Arizona. Last year, Diamondbacks outfielders recorded a combined defensive runs saved of plus-37. This year its minus-30, according to Baseball Info Solutions. Thats a natural outcome when the team has given so much playing time to veteran discards (Michael Bourn and Rickie Weeks Jr.), a converted catcher (Pete OBrien), a converted infielder (Chris Owings), a player whose best position is probably designated hitter (Tomas) and a prospect (Socrates Brito) who had to be rushed to the majors.Its only natural to review the roster from the top down, which is fine, but you also have to view it from the bottom up, said an NL executive. If youre weak in certain positions or innings or spots in your lineup, you cannot hide it over 162 games. It kills you. The top-heavy roster doesnt succeed.The Diamondbacks also opted for an offense-first catcher when they acquired Welington Castillo in a trade with Seattle last summer. While Castillos .278/.323/.461 slash line has been more than adequate, several talent evaluators wondered if hes an optimal fit for an Arizona team that planned to stress pitching this season.You hate to use the term misfits toys, said an NL talent evaluator. They have good players that other teams would like and want in most scenarios. But as a group, it wasnt a great roster construction, from my perspective.As Stewart points out, this isnt a one-shot deal for Arizona. The Diamondbacks have an average roster age of 27.83 -- fourth youngest among the 30 MLB teams behind the Philadelphia Phillies, Rays and Braves. Greinke, Goldschmidt, Pollock and the teams nucleus will be around to take another crack at it for the next several years.The most pressing short-term question for Arizonas front office is whether to trade relievers Daniel Hudson and Brad Ziegler at the Aug. 1 deadline before theyre eligible for free agency.Were not trying to tear this ballclub apart, Stewart said. We have to seriously evaluate internally if we have those guys back or move them. If we move them, it would be for prospects. That depletes our existing club, and we would have to replace them in the upcoming year.In the interim, manager Chip Hale will do his best to maintain a semblance of continuity. Weeks came off the bereavement list this week and Hudson went on it. Greinke is on the DL, and Zack Godley?will arrive from Triple-A Reno to take his place in the rotation. The quest to contend has given way to finding out how the pieces fit in 2017 and beyond.Every case is different, and in our situation, were still one of the youngest teams in baseball, Hale said. With less experienced players, its harder to deal with expectations. Just putting pieces on the field isnt a team. You have to see how the team comes together. And thats been the tough thing for us -- we havent had a chance to put the whole group together.If it comes as any solace, the Diamondbacks will report to spring training next February with significantly lower expectations. Like some of their fellow winners of the winter, maybe theyll look back on a summer of losing as a formative experience. Walter Payton Bears Jersey . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. William Perry Youth Jersey .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. http:///...sayers-bears-jersey/ . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley feels Adam Reynolds is the man to end Parramattas halfback curse.Daley, who coached Reynolds at Origin level this year, believes the South Sydney No.7 would be the perfect foil next season for the just re-signed Corey Norman.However, he prefaced his selection on whether the Eels, who watched marquee man Kieran Foran dramatically walk away this year, considered themselves one piece away from contending for a premiership.The Eels 11 wins this year would have had them in contention for the top eight if not for a 12-point deduction for salary-cap cheating.It depends if they think they need two-three years to win a competition or whether they think one player can get them over the line straight away, Daley said on Wednesday evening on Fox Sports NRL 360 program.The guy that Id be looking at right there and then would be Adam Reynolds.For me, hes 25; hes won a premiership; he controls a game, great kicking game.Reynolds heads a long list of playmakers off contract at the end of next season, including Mitchell Moses, Luke Brooks, Jack Bird, Ashley Taylor, Ben Hunt, Anthony Milford and Mitchell Pearce.Mercurial stars Johnathan Thurrston and Shaun Johnson will also be free but are considered untouchable. Mike Singletary Bears Jersey. They may have to wait 12 months, Daley said.But the big question will be, obviously theyre spending a lot of money keeping Corey Norman there. So the next halfback to come in would have to complement his style of football.Convincing Reynolds to leave Redfern could be a stumbling block, however, given the Rabbitohs have already let Luke Keary go this year and have rookie Cody Walker pencilled in to start at pivot.Greg Inglis could also be an option to move to the halves.Hell probably stay there at Souths, but hed be the one that Id look at and go, you know what, I reckon hed form a good combination with Corey Norman, Daley said.The Eels have money to burn after this years cap scandal forced Nathan Peats, Junior Paulo and Ryan Morgan to depart the club mid-season.Foran walked away to address personal issues, Anthony Watmough also retired on medical grounds, while former star Jarryd Hayne spurned a big-money deal to come back to the NRL with Gold Coast. ' ' '