Arizona Diamondbacks Dream Team

 

Every sport evolves with each passing generation -- from the

size and athleticism of players to game strategy. 

Baseball’s evolution, however, is both historic and unique given

the pre-integration and dead ball eras. For the former, full

segregation took place from 1887-1947. Full integration, which

was a gradual process, came in 1959. The Deadball Era was a

period in the early 20th century when baseball was characterized

by low scoring and emphasis on pitching. 

There was the Steroid Era, which has no definite start time though

it is generally assumed that the era ran from the late 1980s until the

late 2000s. This era was defined by shattered home run records

leading to exorbitant salaries.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have existed since 1998, the shortest

history among existing Major League Baseball teams. In their fourth

season, the Diamondbacks were World Series champions in 2001,

outlasting the New York Yankees in seven games. The Yankees

had won four of the previous five World Series. The Diamondbacks

have won the National League West five times. 

Today, I formed a Diamondbacks Dream Team. For openers, to

make this roster, four years as a Diamondback are required. No

exceptions. With the free agency era, I’m not going to cheapen this

roster with 1-3 year rentals. The conundrum with forming a

Diamondbacks Dream Team is that the history is long enough to

create a starting lineup but the players that provide bullpen and

bench depth might be a reach. 

I’m forming a 12 man pitching staff, five starters and seven relievers.

For the latter, I want at least one lefthander in the bullpen. For

position players, I am taking what I believe is the best of the best

regardless of era. I’m not picking a designated hitter because the

bench has enough quality depth to choose one on a given day. For

the bench players, it’s the best of the rest with versatility being

heavily considered. Merit achievements such as Hall of Fame, All

Star appearances and Gold Gloves are considered but not

guaranteed. General impactfulness on the franchise is also

considered.

Generational reminders

If you played on a World Series champion or playoff team, there is

no guarantee of landing on this roster. If you played during a bad

season, that does not deter you from being on this roster. Off the

field baggage is not a deterrent to landing on this team, nor is any

Steroid Era affiliation. This is baseball, not the Boys Scouts. 

Starting pitchers

Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Zach Greinke, Brandon Webb,

Patrick Corbin

Any discussion of a Diamondbacks Dream Team starting rotation

begins with Johnson, Schilling and Webb but especially Johnson

and Schilling. That dynamic lefty/righty duo were the ringleaders

that delivered the lone World Series championship in franchise

history. They shared the World Series MVP honors and finished

first and second in the Cy Young balloting, with Johnson one and

Schilling finished second. Schilling is also tied for third for most

300 strikeout seasons. Johnson is in the Hall of Fame and a strong

case for Schilling could be made as well. 

Webb's career was short-lived at seven years because of multiple

shoulder surgeries but he enjoyed an accomplished career with a

Cy Young Award and three All-Star appearances. Greinke only

spent four seasons with the Diamondbacks but was an All-Star

three times in that span. Corbin, who is now a Washington National,

spent seven seasons with Arizona, two of which were All Star

appearances.

Bullpen

Closer -- Byung-Hyun Kim

Brad Ziegler, Jose Vaverde, JJ Putz, Archie Bradley, Greg Swindell,

Andrew Chaffin

Kim gets the nod as the closer by default since 70 of his 86 career

saves came in a Diamondbacks uniform. He also had one All-Star

appearance in an Arizona uniform. 

Ziegler spent four seasons with the Diamondbacks and fashioned

a 2.57 ERA and 44 saves. Valverde was inconsistent but led the

franchise in career saves. Putz recorded 83 saves in four years

and also compiled a 3.07 ERA. 

Bradley compiled a 3.91 ERA in a Diamondbacks uniform for five

seasons and also had a strikeouts two walks ratio of 2.5 to 1.

Swindell was an original Diamondback and a member of the 2001

World Series championship team. He was an effective left-hander

out of the bullpen who had a better than 2-to-1 strikeouts to walks

ratio. Chafin delivered a 3.67 ERA and a 2.7 walks to strikeouts

ratio in his five seasons with Arizona. 

Infield

Catcher -- Miguel Montero, First base -- Paul Golschmidt, Second

base -- Ketel Marte, Third base -- Matt Williams, Shortstop --

Stephen Drew. 

The Venezuelan-born Montero played 13 seasons in the Major

Leagues, nine with the Diamondbacks. Both of his All-Star

appearances came in a Diamondbacks uniform. Choosing

Goldschmidt at first base is about as easy it gets. Goldschmidt, now

a St Louis Cardinal, was a six-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger

Award and three-time Gold Glove Award winner.

The Diamondbacks have been through multiple second baseman in

their 22 years but to this point Marte appears to be the top choice.

He was an All-Star in 2019. Williams, who is known for his years of

stardom with the division rival San Francisco Giants, was an original

member of the Diamondbacks when the franchise opened in 1998

and helped them deliver a 2001 World Series championship. Drew

played seven seasons with the Diamondbacks and even though he

never earned any All-Star recognition, his value to the team was

quite significant. 

Outfield

Leftfield -- Luis Gonzalez, Centerfield -- Steve Finley, Rightfield --

Justin Upton.

Gonzalez can eat for free for a long time in Arizona. He spent seven

seasons with the Diamondbacks, five of which were All Star

campaigns. His game winning RBI in Game 7 of the 2001 World

Series will resonate forever with Diamondback fans. That season,

Gonzalez hit 57 home runs. Finley spent five seasons with the

Diamondbacks and helped deliver a championship in 2001. Finley

was a five-time Gold Glove Award winner. Upton spent six seasons

with the Diamondbacks, two of which were All Star campaigns and

one of which he won the Silver Slugger Award.

Bench

Damian Miller, Craig Counsell, Jay Bell, Nick Ahmed, Greg Colbrunn,

Danny Bautista. 

Miller was an original member of the Diamondbacks and spent five

seasons with the franchise. During which time, he earned an All-

Star appearance and helped deliver the 2001 World Series

championship. Counsell spent four seasons with the Diamondbacks.

Versatility was the name of his game and he helped deliver the 2001

World Series championship. After eight seasons what's the Pittsburgh

Pirates, Bell became an original member of the Diamondbacks and

helped deliver the 2001 World Series championship. He also earned

one All-Star bid and its five seasons with the franchise.

Ahmed recently completed his seventh Major League season, all

with the Diamondbacks. During his career he is a two-time Gold

Glove Award winner. Colbrunn spent five seasons with the

Diamondbacks and was particularly a strong player off the bench.

He helped deliver the Diamondbacks 2001 World Series

championship. Bautista spent five seasons with the Diamondbacks,

one of which was the 2001 season. In 2004, he had a 21-game

hitting streak. 

Manager

Bob Brenly. 

Buck Showalter, the Diamondbacks original manager, has sweat

equity in the Diamondbacks winning their 2001 World Series title.

However, Brenly is the easy choice because he was the right

manager at the right time for the Diamondbacks. Though Brenly

was dismissed midway through the 2004 season after a 29-50 start,

delivering a World Series championship and consecutive National

League West titles gives him the top spot. Brenly was a perfect

mixture of taking into account analytics and also managing from his

gut. 

Team

2001. 

The Diamondbacks were World Series champions just four years

into their existence. Arizona went 92-70 during the regular season,

outlasting the Giants, who had a 73 home run season by Barry

Bonds. The Diamondbacks accomplished their World Series on the

strength of one of the best 1-2 pitching combinations in major

league history with Johnson & Schilling along with Gonzalez's 57

home runs. The Diamondbacks defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in

the NLDS and the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. Their crowning

achievement, however, was beating the Yankees in seven games

in the World Series.