Mailbag: Checking on the kids
Why is Tony Clark starting at first base instead of Conor Jackson? -- Josh, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Josh, the simple answer to your question is that Clark has been the Diamondbacks' most consistent hitter this year. It's hard for Bob Melvin to keep Clark out of the lineup when playing him gives you the best chance of winning each night and you are in the middle of a pennant race. Now that the D-Backs have slipped to 6 1/2 games back, it would not surprise me to see Jackson get more playing time during the last month of the season.
Do you think the Diamondbacks should dismiss Melvin and hire Jim Leyland? I've read that he desperately wants to manage again. -- Ken, Pa.
To answer the first part of your question, no I don't think Melvin should be relieved of his duties. I don't think the Diamondbacks' struggles these last few months are his fault. I simply don't think the Diamondbacks were as good as they played during the season's first two months. That raised expectations, but I think there were troubling signs during the good times -- the fact that they were one of only a couple of teams with winning records despite being outscored by their opponents. I don't think the players have in any way quit on him. Every team looks like it lacks energy when it's getting beat around the way the Diamondbacks did during their last homestand. I'm not saying that Melvin has done everything right this year, or that there aren't things you could second guess, but dismissing him now makes very little sense. As for Leyland, I understand that he wants to manage closer to his home near Pittsburgh, so I don't see him coming to a team out west.
Why don't the Diamondbacks call up Carlos Quentin and play him every day? -- Mark B., Phoenix
I guess I need to ask you a question right back: Where would you play Quentin? He's a corner outfielder, and right now you've got Luis Gonzalez and Chad Tracy there and Shawn Green, who is a right fielder, playing in center. I know Quentin is a top prospect and has the potential to be a very good player for years to come, but right now I don't think he's better than the three guys currently playing in the outfield right now. Plus, he's not on the 40-man roster and does not have to be protected on it until next year. I think they're better off letting him finish the year strong at Tucson before coming to Spring Training next year with the possibility of winning a spot on the opening day roster.
Everyone's talking about trading Gonzalez. Is that going to happen? I hope not. He's da man! -- Billy, Phoenix
I think it's unlikely the Diamondbacks will trade Gonzalez at this point. Even if the Diamondbacks wanted to trade him, and I don't think that's necessarily the case, there are a couple of big hurdles. He's owed $10 million next year and that's a lot of money for another team to absorb. Also, keep in mind that he is a 10-5 player, which means he can veto any trade, and he loves playing in Arizona. Those two factors, combined with the fact that he's still productive and an icon of sorts for the organization, make it very unlikely he will be dealt.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
Josh, the simple answer to your question is that Clark has been the Diamondbacks' most consistent hitter this year. It's hard for Bob Melvin to keep Clark out of the lineup when playing him gives you the best chance of winning each night and you are in the middle of a pennant race. Now that the D-Backs have slipped to 6 1/2 games back, it would not surprise me to see Jackson get more playing time during the last month of the season.
Do you think the Diamondbacks should dismiss Melvin and hire Jim Leyland? I've read that he desperately wants to manage again. -- Ken, Pa.
To answer the first part of your question, no I don't think Melvin should be relieved of his duties. I don't think the Diamondbacks' struggles these last few months are his fault. I simply don't think the Diamondbacks were as good as they played during the season's first two months. That raised expectations, but I think there were troubling signs during the good times -- the fact that they were one of only a couple of teams with winning records despite being outscored by their opponents. I don't think the players have in any way quit on him. Every team looks like it lacks energy when it's getting beat around the way the Diamondbacks did during their last homestand. I'm not saying that Melvin has done everything right this year, or that there aren't things you could second guess, but dismissing him now makes very little sense. As for Leyland, I understand that he wants to manage closer to his home near Pittsburgh, so I don't see him coming to a team out west.
Why don't the Diamondbacks call up Carlos Quentin and play him every day? -- Mark B., Phoenix
I guess I need to ask you a question right back: Where would you play Quentin? He's a corner outfielder, and right now you've got Luis Gonzalez and Chad Tracy there and Shawn Green, who is a right fielder, playing in center. I know Quentin is a top prospect and has the potential to be a very good player for years to come, but right now I don't think he's better than the three guys currently playing in the outfield right now. Plus, he's not on the 40-man roster and does not have to be protected on it until next year. I think they're better off letting him finish the year strong at Tucson before coming to Spring Training next year with the possibility of winning a spot on the opening day roster.
Everyone's talking about trading Gonzalez. Is that going to happen? I hope not. He's da man! -- Billy, Phoenix
I think it's unlikely the Diamondbacks will trade Gonzalez at this point. Even if the Diamondbacks wanted to trade him, and I don't think that's necessarily the case, there are a couple of big hurdles. He's owed $10 million next year and that's a lot of money for another team to absorb. Also, keep in mind that he is a 10-5 player, which means he can veto any trade, and he loves playing in Arizona. Those two factors, combined with the fact that he's still productive and an icon of sorts for the organization, make it very unlikely he will be dealt.
Source: http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/
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