Stewart: D-Backs Preparing for Arb Hearings by Steve Gilbert / MLB
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
│ http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/05/diamondbacks- reliever-brad-ziegler-ahead-of-schedule-in-recovery-from-knee- Stewart: D-backs preparing for arb hearings surgery/related/ By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/108490194/gm-dave- stewart-d-backs-preparing-for-arb-hearings-with-mark-trumbo- addison-reed Arizona Diamondbacks honor graduates at Dominican ceremony By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 015/02/05/arizona-diamondbacks-dominican-republic-classes- mlb/22944465/ Gonzalez, Barkley entering Arizona Sports Hall of Fame By Jeff Metcalfe / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/2015/02/05/arizona- sports-hall-of-fame-asu-phoenix-suns-arizona- diamondbacks/22928917/ Diamondbacks new vision: Winter meetings By Fox Sports Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/video/diamondbacks-new- vision-winter-meetings-020415?vid=390991427886 Diuamondbacks new vision: Chip Hale's type of team By Fox Sports Arizona MLB NEWS http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/video/diamondbacks-new- February 6, 2015 • MLB.com vision-chip-hale-s-type-of-team-020515 http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_ind ex.jsp Diamondbacks are in the education business, too By Mark Brown / Examiner.com ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.examiner.com/article/diamondbacks-the- February 6, 2015 • Sports.yahoo.com education-business-too http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission Announces MLB TRANSACTIONS 2015 Class into Arizona Sports Hall of Fame February 6, 2015 • MLB.com By Damien Alameda / Tuscon News Now http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/28039318/arizona- sports-and-entertainment-commission-announces-2015-class- into-arizona-sports-hall-of-fame Cubanos en los Diamondbacks By Jesus Quinonez / Univision Arizona http://univisionarizona.univision.com/deportes/accion- deportiva/videos/video/2015-02-04/cubanos-en-los- diamondbacks Diamondbacks reliever Brad Ziegler “ahead of schedule” in recovery from knee surgery By Aaron Gleeman / NBCSports.com 1 │ They represent the first graduating class in a program that's Stewart: D-backs preparing for arb hearings believed to be the first of its kind. For years, every major-league By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com club has operated a Dominican academy where players as young http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/108490194/gm-dave- as 16 begin their professional careers. The Diamondbacks' stewart-d-backs-preparing-for-arb-hearings-with-mark-trumbo- academy in Boca Chica is the first to also offer players a addison-reed classroom education. PHOENIX -- With negotiations at a standstill, the D-backs Each year, teams sign dozens of young Dominicans to minor- could be headed to their first salary-arbitration hearing since league deals. Some include sizable bonuses; most do not. A tiny 2001. fraction eventually become major-league stars; most wash out. The team has not been able to reach an agreement with closer Addison Reed and outfielder Mark Trumbo, who are both "Not only do most not make it to the big leagues, but most don't eligible for arbitration. Major League Baseball and the teams do make it over here to play in our minor-league system," said not announce when individual arbitrations are scheduled for, but Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall, who will take part in the all hearings are scheduled for between Feb. 1-21. ceremony. "I feel responsible for them and would like to provide them with an education. Each player has the opportunity to Reed filed at $5.6 million while the D-backs came in at $4.7 receive that education and graduate, and we're fully subsidizing million. Trumbo filed at $6.9 million and the D-backs at $5.3 it." million. Participating players are required to attend classes two days a During the hearing, each side uses examples of other players of week for four hours a day and are evaluated weekly by similar service time as justifications for their salary figure. instructors. Tuition is paid by the team, which also gives each participant a laptop computer. The arbitrator must choose one of the two figures, and the two sides can reach an agreement at any point before the arbitrator Concerned about the Dominican Republic's poor education rules. system, Hall said the club began talking internally about this sort of program about five years ago. It was put into action two years "Things are exactly as they were a week ago, two weeks ago, ago, not long after Hall made a promise to Dominican Republic we're in exactly the same place," D-backs general manager Dave President Danilo Medina. Stewart said of negotiations with the two players. "There has not been any movement to the positive, so we're still preparing "He said it was very important for him to find a way to try to ourselves as if we're going to have to go [to a hearing]." educate players at all of the academies," Hall said. "I said, 'I'll tell you what, I will give you our word that we're going to educate In his most recent role as a player agent, Stewart said he nearly them and we're going to do it at a level higher than anybody.'" went to an arbitration with two of his players, but in both cases, the teams offered two-year deals that the players accepted. Players who are released by the organization are still eligible to complete the program; one of the five graduates on Friday is a Teams try to avoid going to hearings if possible, as evidenced by former player. Another is 20-year-old right-hander Jose the fact that the last player the D-backs took to a hearing was Martinez, who is regarded as one of the organization's best catcher Damian Miller in 2001. pitching prospects. All five passed what a team official described as the Dominican equivalent of the GED. "I don't think anyone is looking forward to going to an arbitration hearing," Stewart said. "I don't think that the team is, Hall believes the program helps give the Diamondbacks a leg up and I don't think that the agent looks forward to the process, on signing players at a time when major-league rules have made and I know that the player doesn't. I've been a player and I know it more difficult for teams to spend wildly in Latin America. that in that period of time, I wasn't looking forward to going into a room and sitting there listening to a team tell me all the "I'll give Ken a lot of credit there," Hall said, referring to things that I can't do, all of my shortcomings. It's not a good Diamondbacks Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick. "Ken process. It doesn't do anybody any good to go into a room and, said that if it's a level playing field, we can have an advantage I guess, air out your laundry." looking these parents in the eyes and telling them, 'We're going to take care of your son. We're going to provide him an education so that if he doesn't make it in baseball he has Arizona Diamondbacks honor graduates at Dominican something to fall back on.' ceremony By Nick Piecoro / The Arizona Republic "I hope it's pioneering. I hope other teams follow suit. Of http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 course, we'd lose our competitive advantage, but I wouldn't 015/02/05/arizona-diamondbacks-dominican-republic-classes- mind. I'd be pretty proud to say, 'Look what we started.'" mlb/22944465/ Short hop Five young men will don caps and gowns atop Diamondbacks uniforms on Friday morning in the Dominican Republic, where Former Diamondbacks player Luis Gonzalez will be inducted club officials will present them with high school diplomas. Saturday into the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame. He will be 2 │ inducted alongside Pedro Martinez, Carlos Delgado, Nomar http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/video/diamondbacks-new- Garciaparra, Ozzie Guillen and Roberto Kelly. vision-chip-hale-s-type-of-team-020515 Gonzalez, Barkley entering Arizona Sports Hall of Fame (Video embedded on webpage) By Jeff Metcalfe / The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/2015/02/05/arizona- Diamondbacks are in the education business, too sports-hall-of-fame-asu-phoenix-suns-arizona- By Mark Brown / Examiner.com diamondbacks/22928917/ http://www.examiner.com/article/diamondbacks-the- education-business-too Luis Gonzalez and Charles Barkley, two of Arizona's most If the Diamondbacks tapped the international market by recently honored professional athletes, are among five new members of signing infielder/outfielder Yasmany Tomas and pitcher Yoan the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. Lopez, they continue to spread their presence. Others in the 45th Hall of Fame class are the late basketball After inking Cuban-born Tomas and Lopez, movers and shakers coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, golfer Danielle Ammaccapane and of the franchise renewed their appearance in Mexico and points sports writer Joe Gilmartin. They will be honored at an beyond. Last spring, they ventured into Australia and opened induction ceremony April 8 at the Scottsdale Hilton. their championship season against the Dodgers in Sydney. Now, it’s Mexico and beyond as the Diamondbacks hope to cash in on Gonzalez played for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1999- their image. 2006, hitting 57 home runs in 2001 when he had the World Series-winning hit against the New York Yankees. The First, it’s a pre-season game with Colorado Rockies slated for Diamondbacks retired his number 20 in 2010, and Gonzalez March 29 in Hermosillio, Mexico and this coming weekend in currently is a Diamondbacks special assistant.