The 2011 Diamondbacks debut at Chase Field on Friday, April 8. Photo courtesy of METRO.
After a busy winter, the Arizona Diamondbacks continued to make changes during spring training, as they kicked off their first season in their new Scottsdale spring training facility.
With several personnel moves throughout the spring, the Diamondbacks not only revived their roster, but also their coaching staff as well. While Kirk Gibson remains the manager — his “interim” tag finally removed — he has been surrounded with several All-Star-caliber coaches. Members of the new coaching staff include Charles Nagy, Eric Young, Don Baylor and Alan Trammell. Baylor was acquired from the Colorado Rockies’ coaching staff. Matt Williams remains on the staff this year.
The Diamondbacks kicked off the 2011 season on the road against the Rockies last Friday in a game that went extra innings. On opening day, the D-backs faced Ubaldo Jimenez, a pitcher of All-Star caliber, and were able to handle his pitching successfully. Jimenez gave up six earned runs to the Diamondbacks, and Ian Kennedy kept the game close for Arizona. The D-backs won in the 11th inning off of a runner scoring on a wild pitch.
Game two of the season was a close loss, as Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa performed at the plate and on the mound. He threw five-and-a-third scoreless innings and drove in a run as the Rockies beat the D-backs 3 to 1. The third game of the series, scheduled for Sunday, was postponed due to snow.
The D-backs will face the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field at the beginning of the week and will return home to Phoenix for their home opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
For ticket information, see the D-backs website.
Previous week’s schedule
4/1/11 D-BACKS 7, Rockies 6
4/2/11 Rockies 3, D-BACKS 1
4/3/11 D-BACKS @ Rockies, PPD
This week’s schedule
4/4/11 D-BACKS @ Cubs, 11:20 a.m., Fox Sports Arizona
4/5/11 D-BACKS @ Cubs, 11:20 a.m., Fox Sports Arizona
4/6/11 D-BACKS @ Cubs, 11:20 a.m., Fox Sports Arizona
4/8/11 D-BACKS vs Reds, 6:40 p.m., Chase Field, Fox Sports Arizona
4/9/11 D-BACKS vs Reds, 5:10 p.m., Chase Field, Fox Sports Arizona
4/10/11 D-BACKS vs Reds, 1:10 p.m., Chase Field, Fox Sports Arizona
Thank God game 3 against Colorado was snowed out or the D’backs would likely be coming home in even a bigger hole. This is going to be a loooonnnnggg summer for the Snakes. I just hope they embrace giving young guys chances and try to build for the future (though it seems like they’ve been doing that for years). I hope Brandon Allen is up in the bigs getting every day AB’s sooner rather than later.