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World Series champions. In only their fourth year, the Diamondbacks won it all by beating the best franchise in the history of baseball, a franchise that had won three straight titles and four of the last five. Simply amazing. Arizona did it with a first-year manager, a manager who stepped out of the TV booth and into the dugout. They did it with a bunch of wise old men. They did it with a 22-year-old closer. They did it with a bunch of role players, and one of the best benches in the game. They did it with the best one-two punches in baseball. And they did it with teamwork, something you don't see on a lot of squads these days.
Best Pitcher: Other than a noticeable height difference, not much separates Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling -- a pair of 20-game winners with sub-3.00 ERAs. Schilling notched one more win (22) than Johnson (21) and three more complete games, but the Big Unit had 79 more strikeouts (372) than Schilling (293) -- nearly breaking Nolan Ryan's single-season record of 383. They tabbed the duo World Series co-MVPs, and we'll do the same. In the postseason, Schilling and Johnson were a combined 9-1 with a 1.31 ERA. They allowed a total of 13 earned runs in 89 2/3 innings, striking out 103.
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Big Unit vs. Schilling
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W-L
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IP
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HR
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BB
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SO
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CG
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ERA
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Johnson
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21-6
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249.2
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19
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71
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372
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3
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2.49
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Schilling
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22-6
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256.2
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37
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39
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293
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6
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2.98
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Best Position Player: It's so obvious. Luis Gonzalez, who for the second straight season played in 162 regular-season games, led the D-Backs in virtually every offensive category. The modest 34-year-old left fielder had an MVP-like season, hitting .325 with 57 homers. He was the only Arizona player to reach the century mark in runs (128) and RBI (142). Oh, he also had the Series-winning hit off Mariano Rivera, the best closer of all-time. And stop calling him Lugo!
Grading the Manager: A. Until the World Series, nobody had any reason to criticize Bob Brenly. Then came Game 4. Then Game 5. Byung-Hyun Kim's two-out meltdowns in both games had critics -- most of them of the armchair variety -- blasting the manager from coast-to-coast. But all that is ancient history. Winning a title should silence his critics. No one motivates a hungry bunch of 30-plus guys like Brenly.
Most Improved: David Dellucci. He deserves to be an everyday player just like Erubiel Durazo. But that's another story. In 115 games, the left-handed hitting Dellucci batted .276 with 10 homers -- five of which came as pinch hitter. But can he stay healthy?
Biggest Weakness: Closer. Arizona had to use six pitchers to get 34 saves. They blew 16 opportunities. Kim led the D-Backs with 19 saves in 23 chances, and was often unhittable during parts of the regular season. But we all know what happened in the postseason. With any luck, the 22-year-old sub-mariner can bury those Yankee Stadium nightmares before the 2002 season rolls around. Rookie Bret Prinz was a pleasant surprise, saving nine games in 12 chances; he missed the playoffs, though, because of shoulder tendinitis. Matt Mantei, recovering from Tommy John surgery, isn't likely to resume his duties as full-time closer next season. It looks like Brenly will again have multiple closers in 2002.
Gaining Momentum: The poet, Miguel Batista, and Danny Bautista. The D-Backs won't soon forget Batista's duel against Mike Mussina in Game 5 of the World Series (7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 R) or Bautista's team-best .583 World Series average and seven RBI. The 30-year-old Batista, who won 11 games in 48 appearances (18 starts), may have earned himself a spot in the rotation next season.
Kicked Off the Island: Jay Bell and Reggie Sanders -- for different reasons. Bell, who earned $8 million this season, hit .248 and had 46 RBI in 129 games. The 35-year-old second baseman lost his starting job to the Craig Counsell in the playoffs, appearing in just six postseason games. Yes, Bell did score the Series-winning run, but that isn't enough to justify his enormous salary. Unlike Bell, Sanders had a strong year at the plate, hitting .263 with 33 homers and 90 RBI. The problem? Sanders, a free agent who earned $1.5 million this season, will command a lot more for his services next year. The D-Backs may go with some cheaper alternatives. How about some young arms? It's time to say good-bye to Mike Morgan (42), Bobby Witt (37) and Greg Swindell (36).
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