[新聞]D-Backs finish improbable quest
http://tinyurl.com/2svpfs
Dan Bickley
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 28, 2007 10:30 PM
DENVER - As champagne bottles erupted inside the visitors clubhouse, the
starting right fielder had to abstain from all forms of guzzling.
Justin Upton, 20, is not old enough to drink. And you can find no better
metaphor for the precocious, playoff-bound Diamondbacks.
"It's pretty phenomenal when you think about who our team is," said Ken
Kendrick, managing general partner.
Yes, one of the worst hitting teams in the National League became the first
team in the league to reach the playoffs. While the Defiant Diamondbacks are
not in the same team picture as, say, the Miracle on Ice or the Amazin' Mets,
this is phenomenal stuff. And the triumph was so unexpected and dazzling that
their manager, Bob Melvin, emerged from his office holding a bottle of
bubbly, still unsure of his team's footing.
"We're in, right?" he asked General Manager Josh Byrnes, even though a party
was raging in the background.
"It would've been pretty embarrassing if we weren't," Melvin later said.
One can surely understand his confusion.
It seemed like only a few hours ago that, on a soggy morning in Pittsburgh,
the Diamondbacks were circling the drain for the umpteenth time this season.
Then a brilliant move by Melvin and a herculean effort from Micah Owings
(pitching on two hours notice) plugged the leak, allowing Brandon Webb to
tackle the hottest team in baseball.
And then, in the span of 10 minutes, the Mets lost in New York, Jose Valverde
danced out of trouble and the first quest was magically over.
"You look up and down our roster, and you probably wonder how and why,"
Melvin said. "But if you if see these guys play every single day, you know
why."
Shamefully, the celebration was marred by a little gamesmanship. Apparently
not wanting the Diamondbacks to celebrate on their field, the home team never
posted the Mets' loss on the outfield scoreboard, even though the game was 10
minutes old. That added to both the confusion and the combustion inside the
locker room.
But I've witnessed many champagne celebrations in my time. None was as
innocent and ebullient as this one, primarily because of the Diamondbacks'
youth, their obvious flaws, their tenuous position and their undeniable
spirit.
"We believed what everyone else didn't," Conor Jackson said. "We had faith up
until the very end."
So they chanted, "Web-by! Web-by! Web-by," in honor of their ace. They tossed
buckets of ice and sprayed every beverage that could be found. And in
mid-celebration, Livan Hernandez called a team summit and reminded them that
they were still 12 wins from a championship.
(Note: Do not let Hernandez balance your checkbook. The first round is still
best of five, meaning the Diamondbacks only need 11).
Think that's funny? Just wait until they find out that it was Byung-Hyun Kim
who beat the Mets on Friday, meaning he actually did something positive for
all that money the Diamondbacks paid him.
"It doesn't get any better than this," a weepy-eyed Tony Clark said.
Then he paused.
"Well, actually it can get a little better," he said.
True, the Diamondbacks still have a division to win and some playoff games
ahead, but they're playing with house money now. They don't have to worry
about pressure or expectations or the label of worst playoff team ever. That
honor belongs to the 2005 Padres, who finished 82-80 and were swept out of
the playoffs.
"I keep hearing about how bad we are on paper," Eric Byrnes said. "But
nothing fazes this team. And we're just getting started."
Can't wait for the next surprise.
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