We look back at the 2007 Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the 2017 MLB postseason underway, fans across the country can fantasize about champagne-soaked celebrations, parade’s down city streets, and exorcising the ghosts of seasons past.
Sadly for nine teams, this postseason will amount to nothing more than a “what could have been?” conversation at sports bars for decades to come. For many disgruntled fans, the wounds of years past are still too fresh, and the anniversary of the 2007 postseason brings back some especially harrowing memories.
Surprisingly, many of the 2017 postseason contenders also had their chances in 2007, but it remains to be seen if the results will be the same.
If the thought of the 2007 postseason still triggers clenched fists for you, read at your own risk. In this series, we’ll take a trip down memory lane to revisit the contenders in the 2007 playoffs, what got them there, and where they went in years to come.
Next up, the Arizona Diamondbacks.
2007 Diamondbacks (90-72, 1st in NL West)
The return of one star, and the breakout of another. 2007 saw the return of Randy Johnson to the desert, after two years with the New York Yankees, and the start of Chris Young’s great career in Arizona. This time, Johnson wasn’t expected to be the ace, with Brandon Webb coming off a Cy Young award-winning season. Though Webb is now remembered mainly for how his career ended, he pitched over 200 innings each year from 2004-2008, led the league in wins twice, and finished 2nd in Cy Young voting twice, aside from his win in 2006. On the offensive side, rookie Chris Young would jump onto the scene with 32 home runs, and Eric Byrnes would tally an impressive 50 stolen bases on the tail end of his career.
Despite a below .500 record on the road, the Diamondbacks terrific 50-31 home record would be enough to edge out the Rockies by a half game for the NL Central title. Battling all season, they never held a division lead larger than 5 games and had a .500 record or better for every month of 2007. They nearly coughed up the division lead in the season’s final series, losing 2 of 3 to the Rockies. Colorado would get their revenge though.
Manager: Bob Melvin (3rd with team)
End Result: Lost NLCS to Colorado Rockies in four games
After battling all season, the NL West was well represented in the 2007 NLCS. 10 years later, these teams would meet again, with different results.
Brandon Webb wasn’t his usual self in Game 1, outdueled by Jeff Francis in a home game for the Diamondbacks. Despite a lackluster 5-1 win in Game 1, the series would actually be an exciting heavyweight battle, regardless of the sweep. Game 2 saw the Diamondbacks score a game-tying run in the 9th inning, but as the winning run, Stephen Drew wandered off second base for a Rockies out. Had Drew scored the winning run, and the Rockies tied the series, maybe it would have ended differently? The Rockies would win in 11 innings and would win the next two games on the heels of two three-run home runs from Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Holliday respectively. After a divisional round sweep, the Rockies swept the championship series, on their way to their first and only World Series appearance.
2008 Record: 82-80 (2nd in NL West)
Following a trip to the NLCS, spirits were high entering the 2008 season for the Diamondbacks. They came out of the gates swinging, with a 20-8 record after April. That would be the season highlight for the team, despite a strong first appearance for future superstar Max Scherzer. Players that contributed majorly in 2007, mainly Eric Byrnes and Orlando Hudson, found themselves on the shelf for most of the year, and the Diamondbacks could only take so many hits. They were eliminated in September and barely won 80 games. They wouldn’t return to the playoffs again until a magical 2011 season and then would be absent again until this year.
10 years later, the Diamondbacks are back in the playoffs, but the 2007 connection doesn’t stop there. Aside from playing the Diamondbacks again in the Wild Card game, both Jeff Mathis (Angels catcher in 2007), and Chris Iannetta (Rockies 2007 prospect) are part of the 2017 Diamondbacks team. They’ll look to finish the season differently this year.
Top Draft Pick: RHP Jarrod Parker (9th overall from Norwell High School)
A lot could be written about Jarrod Parker, but these days just thinking about him gets me upset, so I’ll keep it fairly brief. Despite showing promise throughout his minor league career, Parker couldn’t stay on the field. Traded to the Athletics in the deal that sent Trevor Cahill to Arizona, Parker made his A’s debut in June 2012. He fired 7 hitless innings against the Rangers two months later, and was a budding star. After strong seasons in 2012 and 2013, including superb postseason starts, Parker was primed for more success atop the A’s rotation in 2014. Unfortunately, his injury issues returned, and he underwent his second Tommy John surgery before the season began. After more surgeries, he hasn’t pitched in the majors since his 2013 ALDS appearance and hasn’t appeared in a minor league game in two years. Assuming he doesn’t return, his stories will be one of the saddest in recent MLB memory.
Other Notable Picks: RHP Barry Enright (2nd round), RHP Josh Collmenter (15th round), LHP Sammy Solis (18th round), LHP Tommy Layne (26th round), RHP Evan Scribner (28th round), OF Golden Tate (42nd round)
Collmenter would have some solid seasons with the Diamondbacks, both as a starter and as a reliever. He was successful immediately, going 10-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 2011 as a starter. As a versatile staple of the team, Collmenter would have sub-4 ERA’s each year from 2011-2015, but 2016 struggles left him designated for assignment mid-year. He’d find a new home with the Atlanta Braves, cracking the 2017 rotation, but early struggles saw him demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett in May, where he spent the remained of the 2017 season.
Yes, that Golden Tate. Now known for his work as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, Tate was once a multi-sport threat. Drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2007, Tate instead elected to play college ball at Notre Dame. He was again drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2010, where he again elected not to sign.
Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects: OF Justin Upton (#9 overall), OF Chris Young (#12 overall), OF Carlos Gonzalez (#18 overall), C Miguel Montero (#63 overall), 2B Alberto Callaspo (#82 overall), RHP Micah Owings (#98 overall)
Someone has an eye for talent. Credit to the Farm Director at the time, current Astros manager A.J. Hinch. Just turned 30, Justin Upton has long been one of baseball’s most reliable and feared hitters. Well deserving of the first overall pick back in 2005, it’s easy to forget how young he is when he broke into the big leagues at such a young age. The scouting report compared his tools to those of Ken Griffey Jr., which I’d say was a strong comparison. Upton has bounced around a bit, after a trade that initially sent him from Arizona to Atlanta. Since then Upton has also played with the Padres, Tigers, and Angels. He has a big decision on the horizon, with a contract opt-out on the table, but he’s sure to sign another big-money deal this offseason. Just turning 30, and already a career line of .269/256/812 and 306 doubles, Upton may one day be wearing a Diamondbacks cap into Cooperstown.
Though he hasn’t had the prolific career of Upton, Chris Young was a fan favorite for years in Arizona. Hitting over 20 homers in four of his seven years with the Diamondbacks, Young established himself as one of baseball’s most reliable hitters, while also covering a ton of ground in the outfield. These days he finds himself a lefty-hitting specialist for the Red Sox, but still, has a knack for the timely home run. We’ll see if he gets his chance on the big stage this postseason.
An outfield of Justin Upton, Chris Young, and Carlos Gonzalez would have been a sight to see. Though it didn’t pan out that way, with Gonzalez traded the A’s as part of a haul for Dan Haren in 2007, leaving the desert didn’t stop CarGo from dominating baseball. Despite an uncharacteristically bad 2017 season, Gonzalez has long been one of baseball’s most explosive and dynamic players with the Rockies. Traded for Matt Holliday, the Rockies swapped out one superstar outfielder for another. At age 31, CarGo’s resume sees three All-Star appearances, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and a third-place MVP finish. Don’t be surprised when he returns to his All-Star form next year, that swing is too good not to.
Though at age 34 his days as a full-time catcher may be behind him, Miguel Montero has long been one of baseball’s best backstops. Miggy’s nine seasons with the Diamondbacks established him as one of the best game callers, and one of baseball’s most opinionated players. After two All Star appearances in the desert, Montero found himself behind the plate for the 2016 World Champion Cubs. This season, after publically expressing his displeasure with teammate Jake Arrietta, Montero was released by the Cubs. The next day he was designated for assignment, and later traded to the Blue Jays for cash considerations.
Team Leaders:
- BA: 2B Orlando Hudson- .294
- HR: CF Chris Young- 32
- RBI: LF Eric Byrnes- 83
- SB: LF Eric Byrnes- 50
- W: RHP Brandon Webb- 18
- ERA: RHP Brandon Webb- 3.01
- SO: RHP Brandon Webb- 194
- SV: RHP Jose Valverde– 47
Individual Awards: Bob Melvin (NL Manager of the Year), Orlando Hudson (Gold Glove- 2B)
