Arizona Diamondbacks - The Early Years (1998-1999)

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Titles:

Top Diamondbacks Players of the Nineties

1999 - Won Division, Lost LDS to Mets

Pitchers:

BallPark:

Andy Benes (3.85) - 18

Bank One Ballpark

Gregg Olson (2.01) - 16

Omar Daal (8.8) - 16

Team Name:

Randy Johnson (9.1) - 13

Diamondbacks

Brian Anderson (2.68) - 10

Matt Mantei (0.8) - 5

Owner:

Armando Reynoso (1.6) - 5

Jerry Colangelo (1998 - 1999)

Todd Stottlemyre (1.07) - 1

Willie Blair (0.21) - 1

General Managers:

Joe Garagiola Jr (1998 - 1999)

Catchers:

Jorge Fabregas () - 8

Managers:

Kelly Stinnett (2.76) - 7

Buck Showalter (1998 - 1999)

Damian Miller (1.42) - 6

No Hitters:

First Basemen:

None

Travis Lee (0.55) - 10

Erubiel Durazo (1.44) - 3

Hall of Famers:

Greg Colbrunn (0.51) - 2

Randy Johnson

Second Basemen:

Rookie of the Year:

Tony Womack (0.57) - 10

None

Andy Fox (2) - 3

MVP:

ShortStop:

None

Jay Bell (8.78) - 17

Tony Batista (2.91) - 4

Cy Young:

Randy Johnson (1999)

Third Base:

Matt Williams (6.67) - 15

Notable Events:

Outfield:

1998 - Arizona and Tampa Bay are born together.

Devon White (3.75) - 12

The Dbacks going to the NL, the Rays to the AL

Luis Gonzalez (6.41) - 10

Steve Finley (4.93) - 10

1998 - Jerry Colangelo who was owner of the NBA Phonix Suns becomes

Dave Dellucci (0.18) - 5

the original owner of the Diamondbacks. He hired an astute baseball

Bernard Gilkey (0.48) - 3

man, Joe Garagiola, Jr. as his GM. Colangelo wanted to win now and

Karim Garcia (1.53) - 1

was willing to spend to do it. Arizona became the quickest expansion

club in major league baseball history to win a title, when they won the NL

Notable Events:

West in only their second year of existence, winning 100 games.

Two years later in 2001, the Diamondbacks would be World Champs.

1999 - The Diamondbacks win the Division, winning a hundred games,

And three years after that in 2004, they would become the worst team

but lose to the Mets in the first round of the playoffs. In just two years,

in baseball

they've acquired a ton of aging, but still very productive talent.

There is also a sprinkling of young players such as Omar Daal, 27,

1998 - Arizona spent heavily to win early on. The strategy was to build

Matt Mantei, 25 and Travis Lee, 23, but the rest of the heavy lifters are in

a fan base for the Diamondbacks to fill up their expensive new stadium

their thirties: Jay Bell, 33, Matt Williams, 35, Luis Gonzalez, 30, Steve

and to build a solid platform for the club moving forward.

Finley, 34, Randy Johnson, 35, Andy Benes, 31 and Gregg Olson, 32

The strategy was partially successful. It did generate a a permanent

Some of these guys defy the aging process (Johnson, Finley, Gonzalez)

solid following for the club (altho' who's to say that wouldn't have

moving forward and some age out prematurely (Bell, Williams, Olson).

happened anyway?). It didn't bring sustained success on the field, as the

Go figure.

Diamondbacks have had a spotty history, at best, after their initial flush

of success. Other than the titles, the initial spending spree also brought a

lot of debt that caused Colangelo's partners to lose faith in him,

eventually causing him to sell his share of the club.

The acquisitions:

□ 1997 - A year before they began playing, Arizona signs 1B Travis Lee, 22,

as a free agent. Lee had been the second overall pick (by the Twins)

in the 1996 amateur draft, However, Minnesota did not offer Lee a contract

within 15 days of the draft and Lee became a free agent, signing with

Arizona for a whopping (at the time) ten million dollar deal with Arizona

□ 1998 - In a series of moves, 3B Matt Williams, 32, is acquired from

Cleveland for Travis Fryman, who had been obtained from Detroit

for three youngsters picked up in the expansion draft, infielders Joe

Randa and Gabe Alvarez and pitcher Matt Drews. Williams would

put up 35-142-.303 numbers in '99 before getting old.

□ 1998 - Righty Jeff Suppan, 23, is the 3rd pick of expansion draft from

Boston. Suppan is in the one that away department as he is sold to KC

after the seaon.

□ 1998 - RHP Brian Anderson, 26, is the 22nd pick of expansion draft

from Cleveland

□ 1998 - RHP Omar Daal, 26, is the 31st pick in expansion draft from Toronto

□ 1998 - RHP Andy Benes, 30, signs as a FA. He wins 27 games in '98-'99

□ 1998 - SS Jay Bell, 32, signs as a FA - he'd hit 38 HRs in '99 before

getting old

□ 1998 - Righty Reliever Gregg Olson, 32, is signed as a free agent,

he has two good years before getting old.

□ 1999 - In what appeared to be a nothing trade at the time, OF Luis

Gonzalez, 30, is obtained from Detroit for OF Karim Garcia. It turns out

to be one of the all time thefts as Gonzalez goes on to be a productive

hitter for the Dbacks thru the age of thirty eight with his high water mark

a 57-142-.325 2001 season.

□ 1999 - CF Steve Finley, 34, is signed as a FA. Maybe it's the Arizona air,

but Finley goes on to a be a productive hitter for the Dbacks thru age

of thirty nine with his high water marks of 34-103-.264 and 35-96-.280

in '99 and '00

□ 1999 - LHP Randy Johnson, 35, is signed as a FA. He is the top pitcher

in the game and would remain a stud with the Dbacks thru age forty

□ 1999 - Righty reliever Matt Mantei, 25, is obtained from Florida in a trade.