Eric Byrnes is everything most major-league baseball players are not. He wears baggy everything and will, on occasion, skateboard to the ballpark, and his hair is more unkempt than a college freshman’s dorm room. But after batting practice at Coors Field earlier this season, it was Byrnes who provided an accurate picture of his Arizona Diamondbacks.
“If we hit, we are going to win a lot of games,” Byrnes said, “because this team can pitch.”
Young, energetic, ambitious and in line for the playoffs – wasn’t this supposed to be the Rockies’ role in the National League West? While Colorado is young and competitive, the team it faces this weekend is young and dangerous.
If the Rockies don’t win at least two games in Phoenix, their life as a refreshing contender is, for all intents and purposes, over, leaving them pursuing the franchise’s first winning record since 2000. So how is it that the Diamondbacks, who entered Thursday being outscored by 38 runs this season, are primed to play in October just three years after losing 111 games?
“Because they have good, young players, especially pitchers. They remind me a lot of the 2003 Florida Marlins,” said San Francisco Giants reliever Steve Kline. “And they have some great leaders in Tony Clark, Byrnes and Orlando Hudson. When your team’s best players play their butts off, it rubs off on everyone else.”
The Diamondbacks were picked to finish in the middle of the NL West mainly because of their weak lineup. Like Colorado, they are inexperienced at key positions and, as such, prone to frigid and hot streaks. That’s why their hitting instructor, Kevin Seitzer, was fired at the all-star break, replaced by Rick Schu, a finalist for the same position with the Rockies last fall.
Byrnes, who recently signed a three-year, $30 million extension, and Hudson are Arizona’s closest thing to stars. Justin Upton, their right fielder, is 20. Center fielder Chris Young, quietly becoming an Eric Davis clone, is a rookie with 28 home runs, but a rookie nonetheless.
And yet the Diamondbacks led the NL West every day since Aug. 1 before falling into a virtual tie with San Diego Wednesday night.
What gives?
“Our starting pitching has provided stability,” Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes said. “And our bullpen, with (closer) Jose Valverde, (Brandon) Lyons, (Tony) Peña has been terrific.”
The Diamondbacks constructed their roster with the idea that it might take time before the offense matured. Bringing back Randy Johnson didn’t work out – he’s out for the season with a back injury – but acquiring Livan Hernandez in 2006 and Doug Davis over the winter to team with reigning Cy Young Award-winner Brandon Webb left the Diamondbacks with three pitchers capable of eclipsing 200 innings.
“They keep them in so many games,” Dodgers center fielder Juan Pierre said.
The Diamondbacks’ trio of Webb, Davis and Hernandez is 34-29, but, more important, has let manager Bob Melvin use his bullpen when he wants to, not when he has to. The result? Valverde is likely to get some NL MVP votes with 40 saves in 46 attempts.
“Anytime you can shorten a game to six, seven innings, you have a good chance to win a lot of games,” Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday said. “They are just a good team, up and down the lineup and pitching staff.”
Staff writer Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
