Baseball Guru
03-02-2002, 09:48 AM
By Jack Magruder
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
The Diamondbacks returned to work to a standing ovation Friday, reprising a theme prevalent in their run to the 2001 World Series title.
Curt Schilling pitched three shutout innings, Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace were in the middle of a three-run rally and the bench players answered when asked, hitting three home runs in a 13-6 victory over the White Sox before a responsive 9,174 at Tucson Electric Park.
The D'backs even tried something new - using the same pitcher twice.
Left-hander Mike Myers got the last out of the eighth inning, left for a pinch hitter, then re-entered to face two batters in the ninth.
The D'backs wanted Myers to pitch to at least one more hitter, and White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said OK.
"Don't you love spring training?" D'backs manager Bob Brenly said, chuckling.
"I asked Randazzo (home plate umpire Sam) 'How closely are we adhering to the rules today?' He said, 'What is it you want to do?'
"We appreciate it."
The team got a hero's welcome. They received a standing ovation when they took the field, and some of the regulars got a large roar when they left in the fourth inning.
Byung-Hyun Kim, victimized in the World Series, was given a standing ovation when he replaced Myers in the ninth.
"That was tremendous," Brenly said. "It really showed B.K. and our players the kind of fans we have. They appreciate what he did for us last year. They know the unfortunate circumstances in New York were the exception, not the rule."
"Just thank you," said Kim, who gave up a two-run triple.
The D'backs were glad to return to work, even if the off-season was short. "It's the first time we were on the field as world champions," Gonzalez said. "We're excited about it.
"For the players, this is the official start of the season. Now we are all on the same side. It's a good feeling. Facing our own pitchers doesn't excite a lot of us.
"We're back where we started."
Schilling, scheduled to go only two innings, went three because of a low pitch-count, finishing with 33 pitches. He gave up two singles and struck out three, not allowing a runner past first base.
"I tried to show up at the park as if this were the opening day of the regular season, and I treated it as such," Schilling said.
Junior Spivey hit a grand slam to give the D'backs an 8-3 lead in the fifth inning, and Erubiel Durazo and Rod Barajas (batting for Myers) added homers in the eighth.
While the D'backs appreciated the response, they keep reminding themselves this is a new season, not a continuation of 2001.
"We enjoyed the hell out of that. We earned it," Brenly said.
"I'm very proud of that, but we know it doesn't mean crap right now. We have to start over just like everyone else. In my mind, the sooner we can leave that all behind and concentrate on what we are trying to do this year, the better off we'll be.
"Now it's time to move on. It's done. When the (players) are grandparents, they can relate the stories to their grandchildren. But we need to put that off for a few years."
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
The Diamondbacks returned to work to a standing ovation Friday, reprising a theme prevalent in their run to the 2001 World Series title.
Curt Schilling pitched three shutout innings, Luis Gonzalez and Mark Grace were in the middle of a three-run rally and the bench players answered when asked, hitting three home runs in a 13-6 victory over the White Sox before a responsive 9,174 at Tucson Electric Park.
The D'backs even tried something new - using the same pitcher twice.
Left-hander Mike Myers got the last out of the eighth inning, left for a pinch hitter, then re-entered to face two batters in the ninth.
The D'backs wanted Myers to pitch to at least one more hitter, and White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said OK.
"Don't you love spring training?" D'backs manager Bob Brenly said, chuckling.
"I asked Randazzo (home plate umpire Sam) 'How closely are we adhering to the rules today?' He said, 'What is it you want to do?'
"We appreciate it."
The team got a hero's welcome. They received a standing ovation when they took the field, and some of the regulars got a large roar when they left in the fourth inning.
Byung-Hyun Kim, victimized in the World Series, was given a standing ovation when he replaced Myers in the ninth.
"That was tremendous," Brenly said. "It really showed B.K. and our players the kind of fans we have. They appreciate what he did for us last year. They know the unfortunate circumstances in New York were the exception, not the rule."
"Just thank you," said Kim, who gave up a two-run triple.
The D'backs were glad to return to work, even if the off-season was short. "It's the first time we were on the field as world champions," Gonzalez said. "We're excited about it.
"For the players, this is the official start of the season. Now we are all on the same side. It's a good feeling. Facing our own pitchers doesn't excite a lot of us.
"We're back where we started."
Schilling, scheduled to go only two innings, went three because of a low pitch-count, finishing with 33 pitches. He gave up two singles and struck out three, not allowing a runner past first base.
"I tried to show up at the park as if this were the opening day of the regular season, and I treated it as such," Schilling said.
Junior Spivey hit a grand slam to give the D'backs an 8-3 lead in the fifth inning, and Erubiel Durazo and Rod Barajas (batting for Myers) added homers in the eighth.
While the D'backs appreciated the response, they keep reminding themselves this is a new season, not a continuation of 2001.
"We enjoyed the hell out of that. We earned it," Brenly said.
"I'm very proud of that, but we know it doesn't mean crap right now. We have to start over just like everyone else. In my mind, the sooner we can leave that all behind and concentrate on what we are trying to do this year, the better off we'll be.
"Now it's time to move on. It's done. When the (players) are grandparents, they can relate the stories to their grandchildren. But we need to put that off for a few years."