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EVENTS AD PARTNERS
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1999 Recap: Arizona owner Jerry Colangelo opened his wallet before the 1999 season, and the investments paid off with a 35 game improvement and a division title. Free agent jewel Randy Johnson was dominant, winning a second Cy Young award with a 17-9 record, 2.48 ERA, and 348 strikeouts -- the most in a season since Sandy Koufax fanned 382 in 1965. Several D'backs had career years, and the team stayed injury-free. 1999 Highlight: The 35 game turnaround was a major-league record, and the team, in their second year of existence, became the fastest expansion team ever to make the playoffs. 1999 Lowlight: Todd Pratt's game-winning homer in extra innings of the fourth and final game of the NL Division Series barely snuck over Steve Finley's glove in center field. It got over by enough to end the D'backs season on a bitter and sudden note. Manager: Buck Showalter (165-159 with Arizona; 478-427 overall) Coaches: Jim Presley (hiiting), Mark Connor (pitching), Dwayne Murphy (first), Brian Butterfield (third), Glenn Sherlock (bullpen), Carlos Tosca (bench) Camp Site: Tucson Electric Park, Tuscon, Ari. Reporting Dates: Pitchers & catchers on Feb. 17; full squads on Feb. 22. Additions: RHP Brad Clontz, RHP Mike Morgan, RHP Russ Springer Subtractions: RHP Andy Benes, RHP Bobby Chouinard, SS Abraham Nunez, RHP Gregg Olson, OF Dante Powell, LHP Ed Vosberg, OF Ernie Young Spring Cleaning: Arizona benefited from career seasons from almost the entire lineup. Matt Williams (142 RBI), Steve Finley (34 HR), Tony Womack (72 SB), Luis Gonzalez (.336 BA) and Jay Bell (38 HR) all exploded offensively, and expectations to duplicate those numbers may be unfair. Only two projected everyday players -- 1B Erubiel Durazo and RF Travis Lee -- are younger than 30, and once again, there are some position changes heading into spring training. Womack moves from right field to shortstop, a position he played in the minors and with the Pirates, but with mixed results. Lee, deposed at first by Durazo last season, will battle with Bernard Gilkey for the starting right field job.
Key Acquisition: With almost all of the lineup set, the D'backs were quiet in the offseason, but they did add some depth to the bullpen. RHP Russ Springer will likely be the set-up man for Mantei after a strong (2-1, 3.42 ERA) stint with the Braves, and Brad Clontz joins the bullpen after a good season (2.74 ERA) with the Pirates. Pivotal Player: Stottlemyre's return to health and a full season of starts could mean good things for Arizona. Stottlemyre got their only win in the playoffs, and his leadership and bulldog attitude give the Snakes one of the deepest starting rotations in the National League. The Future is Now: Erubiel Durazo was a virtual unknown in the minors, but his bat spoke loudly. A Mexican League product, Durazo hit .403 with power in AA El Paso, .407 with power in AAA Tucson, and by July he had pushed Lee out of the way at first. He is a patient hitter, and, despite being platooned with Greg Colbrunn, three of his four hits against lefties were homers. He should flourish with a full season of at-bats. Opportunity Knocks: He's bounced around a bit, and his pivotal role out of the bullpen for the Indians run to the World Series may be four years old, but Brian Anderson is finally getting a chance to start. Anderson did well with the 19 starts he had last year, posting an 8-2 record. Now he'll get an opportunity at starting every fifth day. If he can duplicate those numbers over a full season, Arizona should coast to the division title again. Prospects to Watch: C Rod Barajas, LHP Nick Bierbrodt, 1B Jack Cust, RHP Byun-Hyung Kim, RHP John Patterson, RHP Jeremy Ward
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