│ MLB Franchise Notes: D-Backs' Payroll Likely To Be Third-Highest In Team History Bradley, four other D-backs prospects make Top 100 By Sports Business Daily Shipley, Lamb, Blair and Toussaint round out standout talent http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2015/01/29 By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com /Franchises/MLB-Fran-Notes.aspx http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/107864362/archie- bradley-four-other-d-backs-prospects-make-top-100 The Night Before 2015: Jason Aldean, FGL, Dierks Bentley Throw One Crazy Super Bowl Party Arizona sports executives now big political players By Carrie Severson / Radio.com By Dan Nowicki / The Arizona Republic http://radio.com/2015/02/01/the-night-before-jason-aldean- http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2015/ florida-georgia-line-dierks-bentley-review/ 01/31/arizona-sports-executives-now-big-political- players/22612415/ 12 Fest in the Desert turns into a display of the power of the 12s Diamondbacks new vision: A jolt of energy By Clare Farnsworth / Seahawks.com By FOX Sports Arizona http://www.seahawks.com/news/articles/article-1/12-Fest-in- http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/video/diamondbacks-new- the-Desert-turns-into-a-display-of-the-power-of-the- vision-a-jolt-of-energy-013015 12s/227554a4-c933-4298-a84d-a109197fb760 Diamondbacks' Hale likely to experiment with different Thousands of 12s get loud at Chase Field line-ups By KOMO - Seattle News By Mark Brown / Examiner.com http://www.komonews.com/news/local/290356451.html http://www.examiner.com/article/diamondbacks-hale-likely-to- experiment-with-different-line-ups Seahawks fans flock to ’12 Fest’ rally ahead of Super Bowl XLIX By Seattlepi.com http://blog.seattlepi.com/football/2015/01/31/seahawks-fans- Buxton, Bryant lead Top 100 Prospects list flock-to-12-fest-rally-ahead-of-super-bowl-xlix/ Pirates lead all Major League organizations with seven representatives Cleveland Indians talking to John McDonald about By Tyler Maun / MiLB.com rejoining organization http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150130&conten By Paul Hoynes / Cleveland.com t_id=107986042&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2015/01/cleveland_ indians_talking_to_j.html Diamondbacks hire Joe Carter By Associated Press UT students, staff head to Arizona to work Super Bowl http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/12244508/arizona- XLIX diamondbacks-hire-joe-carter-assistant-general-manager-dave- By Mary Caroline Ferguson / Tennessee Journalist stewart?ex_cid=espnapi_public http://www.tnjn.com/2015/01/30/ut-students-and-staff-head- to-arizona-to-work-super-bowl-xlix/ A Grand D-backs Experiment, Pt. I By Jeff Wiser / Inside the 'Zona - ESPN.com UT Martin Professor Has Students Working Events at http://insidethezona.com/2015/01/grand-d-backs-experiment- Super Bowl pt/ By Kate Lochte / WKMS - Kentucky NPR http://wkms.org/post/ut-martin-professor-has-students- Security at stadium moving briskly at Super Bowl XLIX working-events-super-bowl By Gary Mihoces / USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super/2015/02/01 /super-bowl-security-patriots-seahawks/22702653/ Matt Williams Super Bowl party raises more than $1 million By Megan Finnerty / The Arizona Republic http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/01/31/supe r-bowl-matt-williams-party-charity-mark-wahlberg/22682055/ 1 │ Grudzielanek brings rugged work ethic to Cougars By Bruce Miles / Chicago Daily Herald http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150131/sports/1501397 23/ MLB NEWS February 2, 2015 • MLB.com http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_ind ex.jsp ASSOCIATED PRESS February 2, 2015 • Sports.yahoo.com http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews MLB TRANSACTIONS February 2, 2015 • MLB.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions 2 │ Toussaint was the D-backs' No. 1 pick (16th overall) in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. The team pushed him to Missoula in the Bradley, four other D-backs prospects make Top 100 Pioneer League last year, knowing that it would be a big jump Shipley, Lamb, Blair and Toussaint round out standout talent for him, but wanted him to get the experience in that By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com atmosphere. The 18-year-old impressed during his time in the http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/107864362/archie- instructional league following the season. bradley-four-other-d-backs-prospects-make-top-100 Arizona sports executives now big political players By Dan Nowicki / The Arizona Republic PHOENIX -- The D-backs have five players on MLB.com's http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/politics/2015/ Top 100 Prospects list that was announced Friday night on MLB 01/31/arizona-sports-executives-now-big-political- Network, highlighted by right-hander Archie Bradley at No. 15. players/22612415/ The five players are the third-most by any organization and Gov. Doug Ducey and other Arizona politicians are supported represent a jump from three last season. by some of the owners and top executives of Arizona's professional sports franchises such as the Cardinals and the Right-hander Braden Shipley is ranked 41, third baseman Jake Diamondbacks. Lamb is No. 80, right-hander Aaron Blair is No. 81 and right- hander Touki Toussaint is No. 98. From Derrick Hall of the Arizona Diamondbacks emceeing Gov. Doug Ducey's inauguration to U.S. Sen. John McCain The annual ranking of baseball's Top 100 Prospects is assembled lounging with Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill at a by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo game, politics and sports are mixing in Arizona more than ever. and Jim Callis, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of Rather than cheering from the sidelines, Phoenix-area players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential professional sports executives — and in some cases, their immediate impact to their teams. The list, which is one of several relatives — are taking active roles in financing political prospect rankings on MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Watch, only campaigns, and in some cases are trying to call the plays for the includes players with rookie status in 2015. Team-by-team Top political establishment. 30 Prospects lists for 2015 will be unveiled in March. Pro sports' cozy relationship with politics is not a new The list does not include recent Cuban free agent signees phenomenon, or unique to Arizona or metro Phoenix. Witness Yasmany Tomas and Yoan Lopez, because players who are least the fallout over New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's recent 23 years of age and have played as a professional in a league celebratory hug of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, whose recognized by the Commissioner's Office for a minimum of five team is a rival of the New Jersey-based New York Giants. Jones seasons are not eligible for consideration. bankrolled the trip for the possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate. Bradley, who ranked fifth on last year's list, struggled at times in the Minors this past season after narrowly losing out on the No. But some say the Valley's teams are assuming a bigger role once 5 starter spot during Spring Training. The 2014 season was a filled by Arizona's home-grown captains of industry. With many good learning experience for Bradley, who will enter his second of Arizona's banks, media organizations and other institutions big league camp knowing what to expect. now owned by out-of-state corporations, the sports franchises increasingly dominate the locally based business landscape. Shipley, who was 79th on last year's list, was Arizona's first- round pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft and has three The stark partisan orientation of Arizona teams' political swing-and-miss pitches in his fastball, curve and change. Shipley behavior also stands out. Cardinals and Diamondbacks red, also got better as the 2014 season went along moving from Class A appears to be Republican red. South Bend to Class A Advanced Visalia and finally to Double- A Mobile by season's end. Franchise officials overwhelmingly favor GOP politicians and aren't afraid to publicly cheer a candidate, as they did for Ducey Lamb put up monster numbers -- 35 doubles, 14 homers and 79 during his campaign for governor. RBIs -- in 103 games for Mobile and spent just five games with Triple-A Reno before getting called up to the big leagues in early Ducey, the former chief executive of the Cold Stone Creamery August. Lamb, who has good range at third, gained valuable ice-cream-shop chain, received thousands in campaign experience in the Majors last year and could compete for a spot contributions from top Valley sports executives while his in Spring Training. Democratic opponent, Fred DuVal, was ignored. The sports titans also sided with Ducey in last year's competitive six-way Blair was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Republican gubernatorial primary. Michael Bidwill made Draft. Blair worked his way from South Bend to Mobile and headlines for urging business leaders to coalesce around Ducey saved his best for last as he went 4-1 with a 1.94 ERA for the at the expense of GOP rivals such as former Mesa Mayor Scott BayBears. A workhorse, Blair developed his curve last year, Smith and former GoDaddy executive Christine Jones. giving him three quality pitches, including a fastball in the low- to-mid 90s and a changeup. Bidwill was later named to Ducey's inaugural committee. 3 │ "It's not unheard of for this kind of involvement, but it's not the A national furor over two bills passed by the Republican- way that the majority of owners behave," said Andrew Zimbalist, controlled Arizona Legislature also threatened big games set for an economics professor at Smith College in Massachusetts and the state.