2009 Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks had a pretty good 2008, finishing 2nd in the NL West, though they failed to repeat 2007’s stellar performance. The D’backs are starting the 2009 season as early favorites to win the division, due in no small part to their great starting rotation and overall strength in pitching. The offseason was relatively quiet, with only a few notable changes: Randy Johnson left for the San Francisco Giants and was replaced by Jon Garland, Orlando Hudson went to the Los Angeles Dodgers and was replaced by Felipe Lopez, and Brandon Lyon and Juan Cruz left as free agents and were replaced by Tom Gordon and Scott Schoeneweis. The offense is the only question remaining, and the Diamondbacks’ success will depend on youngsters Justin Upton, Chris Young and Stephen Drew meeting their potential. It promises to be an exciting season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, so get your tickets to Chase Field and help the team make it to the 2009 Playoffs!

Early Years

The Arizona Diamondbacks were created as part of the 1998 expansion that also saw baseball arrive in Tampa Bay. Even though they are one of the youngest teams in all of baseball, the Diamondbacks quickly established themselves as a contender. After capturing the NL West title in 1999 they made it all the way to the World Series in 2001 where they defeated the New York Yankees in a thrilling 7 game series.

The 2001 World Series winning team was stocked with veterans such as pitchers Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson, and hitters such as Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley, and Mark Grace. After winning the division again the following year the team got old quickly and lost 111 games in 2004.

A Younger Roster

The Diamondbacks turned over their roster and now field a younger and hungrier team. Much to the surprise of the experts the young Diamondbacks won the West division for the 4th time in 2007. With a solid young team and a beautiful ballpark, the fans of Phoenix will be entertained for years to come. The stadium, formerly Bank One Ballpark, but now called Chase Field, features many new amenities sure to delight fans including a swimming pool in deep centerfield and a retractable roof that lets fans watch the game in air conditioned comfort regardless of the scorching temperatures outside.

The Phoenix area is home to each of the 4 major American Sports leagues. The NBA’s Phoenix Suns play at US Airways Center and the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes’ home court is the Jobing.com Arena, right down the street from the Diamondbacks. The Arizona Cardinals of the NFL recently opened the brand new University of Phoenix Stadium just outside Phoenix which features a retractable field that can be rolled outside for natural sunlight.