2. Diamondbacks TV analyst Bob Brenly: The former major league catcher has a strong resume, and his local expertise is unassailable. Brenly managed the Diamondbacks to their World Series title, cementing his legacy. But it’s his ability to communicate baseball’s nuances in a credible, conversational way that makes him baseball’s best in show. There is the requisite self-deprecation (he wasn’t a great hitter), the humor and easygoing manner, but mostly, it’s his effortless analysis supported by a mountain of real-life experience that highlights Diamondbacks broadcasts.

8. Diamondbacks radio analyst Tom Candiotti: Strong, dependable, like his knuckleball during his playing days. Doesn’t venture outside the prototype analyst’s box too often, and that makes for a sometimes-too-straightforward presentation – but then, many radio listeners prefer that low-key chemistry provided by Candiotti and his play-by-play partner, Greg Schulte.

10. Diamondbacks TV play-by-play man Steve Berthiaume: An improvement, certainly, over Daron Sutton (too many words per broadcast) and perhaps Thom Brennaman (too much ego) but I’m sure even the Diamondbacks would acknowledge this was going to be a learn-on-the-job situation. Brenly helps the sometimes-overeager company guy dial it down at times, but viewers should continue to keep the volume-control button handy.

11. Diamondbacks radio play-by-play man Greg Schulte: An absolute pro. He has a golden voice that sometimes sounds over-golden, too perfect -- like the commercial hawker characters created by Dan Aykroyd and Phil Hartman on long-ago installments of "Saturday Night Live." The substance has a hard time catching up with the voice. Many times that comes off as unintentional - something akin to James Earl Jones extolling the virtues of a cat video. Putting it another way: It’s not really his fault that the voice promises more than the man can deliver.

Wow. Disagree with pretty much everything said in #10. Daron and Thom were way better than Steve with Daron being my fav. With that being said, they have Schulte at 11...I like him better than Steve.

Wow. Disagree with pretty much everything said in #10. Daron and Thom were way better than Steve with Daron being my fav. With that being said, they have Schulte at 11...I like him better than Steve.

Anyone know what night they are going to hang the Cactus League Championship banner?

I want to make sure I get tickets for that one!

Anyone know what night they are going to hang the Cactus League Championship banner?

I want to make sure I get tickets for that one!

One thing I've been thinking about, and I'm sure it's been mentioned, but you look directly across the street from Chase, and its a wasteland everywhere except for that one empty apartment tower. Directly to the north is a blank wall and parking garage, the west side is basically an alley with restaurant dumpsters on one side and a parking garage on the other, and don't get started on to the south and east. If there is a valid reason to depart downtown, it's for a greater control of the areas surrounding the ballpark.

The Diamondbacks sure haven't helped themselves in regards to attendance, but neither have their neighbors.

One thing I've been thinking about, and I'm sure it's been mentioned, but you look directly across the street from Chase, and its a wasteland everywhere except for that one empty apartment tower. Directly to the north is a blank wall and parking garage, the west side is basically an alley with restaurant dumpsters on one side and a parking garage on the other, and don't get started on to the south and east. If there is a valid reason to depart downtown, it's for a greater control of the areas surrounding the ballpark.

The Diamondbacks sure haven't helped themselves in regards to attendance, but neither have their neighbors.

This cuts both ways. There's not a lot of incentive for businesses dependent on foot traffic to open in the immediate vicinity of the ballpark because it's completely worthless for helping to draw customers 281 days of the year. If entrepreneurs felt like it was a smart risk to hitch their fortunes to the D-backs, they would do so. Instead, new small businesses are opening basically everywhere else downtown.

Those small businesses are opening everywhere else for a reason - they have to. I don't see them setting up shop in the garage to the north. There just aren't any options next to the ballpark. However, there are numerous examples of food/drink clusters directly next to other ballparks that are in far less-convenient locations than Chase Field's downtown site, yet still remain viable because of the foot traffic from those 2-3 million people during those 81 days.

All that aside, the only chance to keep the team downtown is to transfer ownership of Chase Field to the Club at the end of the lease. I'm fairly certain the economic impact from 25 years of the crowds downtown has exceeded the money invested in the stadium. If the public is "whole", just give them the stadium and let them do whatever they want with the facility. As much as I was initially opposed to any restructuring of the terms on principle, the reality is that a transfer of facility ownership is the only way to keep them from relocating. I'm fine with allowing the Diamondbacks to fund their own renovation and remain in that facility as long as possible, and if/when they vacate, control of the site returns to the City/County for redevelopment.

Bickley ripping on the local fans… Same stuff we've been saying for years.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/m ... /83568698/

I think that you can say Bickley is right while also saying that the team on the field needs to be better to generate that excitement too.

I used to have that position, then at some point I changed my mind: The D-backs need to give people a reason to be excited. They aren't entitled to an active and engaged fanbase.