Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 2404
Location: Gold Canyon
Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:31 pm Post subject: Gilbert addresses the masses again
Why did that bad FO make Thom leave? Why did that bad FO make Gonzo leave? Will the new uni colors be cool? But wait, there's more...
Steve Gilbert / MLB.com today wrote:
Why did Thom Brennaman decide to go to the Reds? He was the voice of the Diamondbacks, and he had been here forever, hadn't he? Was this about money or was he fed up with the organization?
-- Tim D., Phoenix, Ariz.
Simply put, the opportunity to work alongside his dad in the Cincinnati radio booth was something Thom didn't feel like he could turn down. I talked with Thom several times while he was trying to make up his mind, and let me tell you, it was a gut-wrenching one for him.
A Cincinnati-native, Thom had been in Arizona for more than 10 years and felt a strong sense of loyalty to the D-backs organization. But in the end, he felt like the move to Cincinnati would be best for his family (he and his wife Polly have two small children).
To my knowledge, he was not at all unhappy with the D-backs organization, and, in fact, he was thankful that general partner Jeff Moorad allowed him out of his contract. He signed an extension last year, and the D-backs were under no obligation to allow him to even discuss a job with the Reds, much less accept one. Also, from what I understand, money played no role in this, as the Diamondbacks even offered to redo his current contract if he wanted.
I take issue with the part of your story on [Luis Gonzalez] leaving where you say that we got to say goodbye to Gonzo because of the front office. It was the front office that decided he would no longer be part of the Diamondbacks, right?
-- Dave L., Mesa, Ariz.
Yes, Dave, it was the front office that elected not to exercise Gonzalez's option for next year and also decided not to bring him back in a lesser role or for less money. What I wrote was, "That they'll get a chance to say farewell is a credit to the Arizona front office, which informed Gonzalez of their decision not to bring him back for 2007, more than two weeks before the end of the season." My point was, and is, that they easily could have let the season end before making up their minds with regards to Gonzalez. Had they done that, the fans would have been deprived of the opportunity to say goodbye and Gonzalez wouldn't have been able to do the same.
I don't know anyone who could have watched what the organization did for Gonzalez, Counsell, former owner Jerry Colangelo, outgoing president Rich Dozer and former GM Joe Garagiola Jr. on the season's final day and not be incredibly impressed. Sure, you can wish they had brought Gonzalez back, but he and Counsell got a sendoff that was over and above what a lot of players get.
So, I think it's only fair to give the organization a tremendous amount of credit for the way that was handled. While I'm on the subject, I also give a huge tip of the hat to the fans for the way they made Sunday such an amazing day. The largest regular-season paid crowd showed up and was incredible throughout.
I was wondering, with the D-backs looking for a high-end pitcher, would they consider going after Barry Zito again?
-- Jessica E., Mesa, Ariz.
I really think it's unlikely the D-Backs will get into the bidding for Zito. As Roy Oswalt's five-year, $73 million contract extension showed, the free-agent pitching market is going to be very, very pricey this offseason. I think the Diamondbacks will look to strengthen their pitching staff via a trade rather than going after a free agent.
I'm not sure the next tier of free-agent pitchers after Zito (i.e. Ted Lilly) are going to be worth the $7 million-plus a year they may get in this market. I'm not saying it will be easy to acquire pitching via trade either, but the D-backs do have some tradable pieces, so maybe someone like the Indians' Jake Westbrook might be a possibility.
When are the new colors coming? Are they going to be cool?
-- Tricia L., Phoenix, Ariz.
Look for an unveiling of the uniforms around Nov. 9, Tricia, with players like Brandon Webb participating. It is hard to tell from the small images that have leaked over the internet exactly how the new uniforms will look.
The "D" logo has been tweaked a bit, while the "A" logo remains pretty much unchanged except for the new colors. I'm going to keep an open mind until I see what the colors look like when they put them together on the uniforms. Personally, I was never a fan of the purple hats because I think the "A" gets lost in the color scheme. Players have long complained about the jagged purple and teal trim on the sleeves of the black alternate jerseys, and the road jerseys were, in my opinion, pretty ugly, though the black hat was good.
Steve Gilbert is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Last edited by TAP on Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
Poor bastard. But I was pleased to get a date for the new uni's.
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The pen is mightier than the sword, if that pen is shot out of a gun
I think it'd be kind of fun to have gilbert's job, just because I'd get a good laugh out of all the stupid things some of those people ask about/say. I'd imagine it gets pretty old, though.
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