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Ian Thomsen

March 29, 1999

"I knew we were going to do something," says first baseman Travis Lee of Arizona's outrageous off-season. "Then I show up the first day, and the clubhouse is all veterans." Not that he's complaining. "There are a lot of 10-year guys to learn from," says Lee, 23, a Rookie of the Year candidate in '98 until a groin injury limited him to five second-half homers. This year the Diamondbacks expect big numbers from their youngest starting player. He could also teach his elderly teammates a few tricks with a yo-yo, his constant companion on road trips. On top of that, Lee is ambidextrous. He throws and bats lefthanded, but in high school he was a righthanded quarterback.