Brad Cesmat
Pitchers and catchers report in a month!!
No one is expecting anything out of the Arizona Diamondbacks this coming season. The recent lawsuit filed by the team against Maricopa County, a new GM, Manager, and the general malaise around the hometown nine means that they are off most everyone’s radar. This is a good thing! Unlike our hometown heroes on the football field that just crashed and burned, the Diamondbacks aren’t coming in with unrealistic expectations. Sure, I would like to see the Diamondbacks compete, but I’ll be happy to have baseball be played in 2017. Longterm I continue to believe that this team is going to move from downtown to the East Valley(101-202 loop, north side of the freeway). It will be a long, hard, contentious, battle. Some of you have asked if I believe the team will move out of Arizona. That would be a hard “NO”. The lawsuit filed by the team isn’t a surprise. More legal wrangling can be expected in the coming months, years. Enjoy the on-field product. Hold your nose and close your ears to the business of baseball…
Eric Bledsoe has two and half years left on his contract with the Phoenix Suns. The team has a grand-total of 11 wins and is once again close to claiming a spot in the draft lottery. If you’re a gambling person, do you REALLY believe Bledsoe will want to stay with the Suns once his deal expires? Do you believe the Suns will be a title contender in two seasons? This is why I am still of the opinion that in the best interest of the franchise, trading Bledsoe in the near future(next 12 months) is the BEST option to dig out of this black hole of six straight non-playoff seasons. Keep Bledsoe and he walks as a free agent then what do you have. Same could go for the Diamondbacks strategy with Paul Goldschmidt…
Bill Walton and Dave Pasch are doing the Arizona v Arizona State basketball game broadcast Thursday night on ESPN 2. Another reason to watch the game! I am actually going to Tucson. Want to see Arizona center Lauri Markannen in person. NBA wise-guys say he’s a lottery pick…
Quite a stretch for ASU over the next week-and-a-half. Three ranked teams, all on the road. At Arizona, At UCLA, at USC. Good time to measure the progress of Bobby Hurley and staff…
Have to give a shout-out to Karie Kloss Dozer for her hole in one this past week. Scottsdale National, Second hole. Mine Shaft course. 119 (uphill and into the wind of course ) Karie was the first person to call me back in 1993, when I had accepted the sports-host job at KTAR and was leaving San Diego. Never forgot the call. It was a simple “congrats and I am faxing you over a nice story the newspaper did on you” Great job Karie!
