Hitting Eckersley Easy Compared to Kirk Gibson's Newest Challenge

SAN DIEGO -- What happened to the Arizona Diamondbacks?

Only three years ago they looked like one of the more promising franchises in baseball. Fresh off a surprising run to the 2007 National League Championship Series, Arizona had room to grow its payroll and seemingly was not sorely lacking in able young hitters and pitchers. In its farm system were high-value prospects such as pitcher Brett Anderson and outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Carlos Quentin.

The Diamondbacks figured they would contend for the playoffs every year.

"We had a great young team," ace pitcher Brandon Webb told FanHouse on Thursday. "We all thought we were going to be great for years and years.

"What happened? I'm just not sure. That's a tough question to answer, because we all thought we're going to be real good."

As it turned out, the 2007 season for the Arizonans was like a trip up Camelback Mountain, the popular hiking spot north of downtown Phoenix that affords views of the Valley of the Sun. The Diamondbacks in '07 rose to a 90-72 record and .556 winning percentage and then the NLCS, despite allowing more runs than they scored.

Subsequent seasons have been like a meandering, tortured stagger toward Death Valley. The club followed with marks of 82-80 and .506 in '08; 70-92 and .432 a year ago; and 34-56 and .378 entering Saturday's game against the first-place Padres.

A reckoning of sorts came earlier this month.



Share Fed up with the historically bad bullpen, the dubious trades and drafts, the questionable leadership and the scary decline of the team's farm system, Diamondbacks ownership recently decided that eating millions of dollars in salary was preferable to retaining general manager Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch.

Both were fired and replaced from within, although it appears likely that Arizona will go outside for its next GM.

If there's a face of the franchise now, it belongs to that of interim manager Kirk Gibson, the former Tigers and Dodgers star who was Hinch's bench coach.

Gibson met with his players during the All-Star break and, true to his tough-guy persona, spoke bluntly about the team's task.

"I expect them to come out and try to erase what happened in the first half," Gibson said. "They've got to push. They've got to play the game to win."

The Diamondbacks then went out and got trounced by the Padres on Friday, 12-1.

Take it for what it's worth, but Gibson has gained support from within the clubhouse. "The team's looser, more energetic," said one Diamondbacks insider. "Gibby's been good."

Said Webb: "He knows the game. He definitely knows the game. He was an old school type of a player. Hard-nosed guy. He definitely pushes us. He definitely is going to push us in this second half. He's not happy with the way we played in the first half, obviously. He motivates the guys. He's very well respected by all of us, and that works well with the team."

"Does he strike fear? I think he could. When he gets pissed, it'll be a little scary."
-- Brandon Webb on new manager Kirk Gibson If nothing else, Gibson will command the players' attention.

"Does he strike fear? I think he could," Webb said. "When he gets pissed, it'll be a little scary."

Webb intends to pitch in mid-August, his soft target date for his return from a shoulder problem that led to surgery last year and has sidelined him all season. So the rotation could get better. Or not. As part of salary shedding that ultimately could drop the payroll by $25 million before the 2011 opener, the holdover staffers in the front office will entertain trade offers for several players.

Arizonans look at their miserable Snakes and see another reason to look forward to the NFL season and whether Matt Leinart can replace Kurt Warner as QB of the Cardinals.

The Padres look at the D'backs and see opportunity -- 12 games with Arizona in the second half.

No doubt the Padres felt better about the menu after teeing off against the team's ace, Dan Haren, on Friday. Throwing fastballs that were 3-4 miles-per-hour slower than his average and struggling to unite his delivery, Haren looked dreadful, said a few scouts on Saturday.

Gibson had to give the ball to starter Rodrigo Lopez on Saturday. Lopez has below-average stuff across the board, and the Padres knocked him around. Lopez became only the second pitcher in Petco Park's seven-year history to give up four home runs, including an inside-the-parker to Tony Gwynn Jr. on a misplayed ball in the outfield followed by an errant throw home.

Gibson can't upgrade the team's talent. He does aim to hold the players accountable for their effort.

"We want to do whatever it takes to win ballgames," said the man best known for limping into the batter's box at Dodger Stadium and homering off A's closer Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series. "If the other team scores two, we have to score three. If the other team scores seven, we have to score eight. We just have to make a commitment as a team to push through whatever situation we're in on a given night.

"As far as the style of play and my expectation, I shared that with them, and I'll keep pushing hard on that, and we'll keep trying to execute better than in first half."