Camp Grounds: Brenly Dissects 2015 D-Backs

Former World Series-winning manager, now Arizona Diamondbacks television broadcaster Bob Brenly joined at Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat on Wednesday morning to discuss a myriad of topics as the team opened their full squad workouts at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.

Of the current players on the roster, who are you most looking forward to seeing in spring training? “I’m always looking forward to seeing Paul Goldschmidt. I’ve said it to anybody who would listen to me. If this guy were playing in a major market…he quite possibly could be the face of Major League Baseball. He’s that good of a player. He’s that good of a teammate. He’s that good of a person. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the man…Goldy’s a guy you hope your son grows up to be like him.”

What do you make of the catching situation with Miguel Montero now a Chicago Cub? “Well, first of all, big tip of the cap to Miguel Montero. He was a big part of this organization and everything they were able to accomplish…I’m not sure we’re done moving at that position. I’m comfortable myself with Tuffy Gosewisch, a superior defensive catcher behind the plate…if you get enough offense from other positions on the field Tuffy is your guy behind the plate. If there’s a catcher out there available as we move into spring training…then we may see someone come in a later on in spring training.”

Where does Mark Trumbo fit into this season coming off an injury? “The thing about Mark Trumbo…and we talked about this last year, you’d like to put Trumbo and Goldy back-to-back somewhere in the middle of the lineup but Mark Trumbo is a strikeout candidate. He might hit the ball 600 feet but he might swing and miss three times so the idea of protection in the lineup is maybe a little bit overrated but you’d like have somebody behind Goldy that’s going to force the opposing team to work hard to pitch to him. If I was opposing team and I had a choice to pitch to either Goldy or Mark, I’m probably going to pitch around Goldy and go after Mark Trumbo until he proves me wrong.”

How much uncertainty in there in the starting rotation? “You look at the candidates for the rotation and there’s no clear-cut number one or even possibly a number two starter. Once the season develops and we get a little deeper into spring training and closer to opening day somebody may emerge as a top-of-the-rotation guy. There are a couple of guys capable of doing that but based on their track records and what you project from guys I don’t see a legitimate number one or number two starter…when you think about the number one and number two pitchers, even in the National League West you’re going to bump up against, that’s going to be tough. I don’t know right now that we have guys to match up against number one’s and number two’s around baseball.”

What are your early impressions of new manager Chip Hale? “Well, the word I keep using is energy. I mean, I’ve known Chip for a long time. He was a member of the Diamondbacks’ minor league staff when I was managing. He brings it every day. He hits the ground running every morning and he will go as long and as hard as it takes to get the job done. I think just spending a couple of minutes around him…I think that comes across. This is a game of endurance. 162 games spread  out over six months. It really helps to have that…I think it’s very important not on for his own sanity but to keep the team pushing because there will be stretches this season where it will be very, very tough to go out there and compete. I you’ve got a manager with a positive attitude and keeps that energy level where it needs to be I think that’s half the battle.”