Arizona Diamondbacks #

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks play Major League Baseball in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. The inaugural colors of the team were purple, Arizona turquoise, and copper. Although styling of the uniforms changed a bit in 2001, there was no major change until the 2007 season when a new logo, new colors and new uniforms were introduced. The colors are described as Sedona Red, Sonoran Sand, and black. The letters have snake fangs.

The name of the team is derived from the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake which still makes its home in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, where Phoenix and Tucson are located.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are often affectionately referred to locally as the Dbacks or D-Backs. When we have new, young players of the team, we call them Baby Backs!

The Arizona Diamondbacks play MLB baseball at Chase Field, which was originally named Bank One Ballpark (or "BOB") when the state-of-the-art stadium was built.

Here is your guide to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Everything you need to know, except what to put on those huge foot-long hot dogs (I recommend grilled onions, grilled peppers and mustard, or chili and cheese, depending on how messy you want it to get), is included in these pages. Have a great time at the games; let's hope the Arizona Diamondbacks make it to the playoffs this year.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Facts to Know

On March 31, 1998 the Arizona Diamondbacks played their first regular season baseball game. It was a home game at Bank One Ballpark. They lost the game to Colorado, 9-2. Andy Benes was the pitcher.

The Diamondbacks won their first game on April 4, 1998. They beat San Francisco 3-2.

Later in that first year the Arizona Diamondbacks won seven games in a row. That tied the record for the longest winning streak by any expansion team in history.

After the end of the season, the Diamondbacks signed Randy Johnson to a 4 year contract. Boy, was that ever a great decision! Randy had a clause in his contract allowing him to keep his long hair and facial hair, both of which were prohibited by the team. (A year later he got a traditional haircut.)

During 1999 the very popular left fielder, Luis Gonzales, had a 30 game hitting streak. He was the 37th player in major league baseball history to do it.

In July 1999 a Chandler resident won a million bucks when Jay Bell hit a grand slam. She had predicted the player and the inning before the game as part of a Shamrock Farms promotion.

Four Diamondbacks went to the 1999 All-Star Game, more than any other team.

In July 1999, Tony Womack hit the Dbacks' first inside-the-park home run.

In 1999 the Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League West, and became the first expansion team in major league baseball to do so in its second year of operation.
In October, 1999 the Arizona Diamondbacks reached 100 wins for the season. That's quite a record!

At the end of the 1999 season the first Arizona Diamondback was recognized with a Golden Glove Award: Steve Finley, center fielder. Randy Johnson won the Cy Young Award.

In the 2000 season the Arizona Diamondbacks bested a previous record by winning nine games in a row.

In May 2000 The Diamondbacks turned their first triple play. Mark McGuire was at the plate.

In July 2000 Luis Gonzales was the first Diamondback to hit for the cycle. For you baseball newbie's, that means that in one game he got a single, a double, a triple and a home run.

In September of 2000 Randy Johnson achieved a pitching milestone: 3,000 career strikeouts.

Early in the 2001 season Randy Johnson tied a major league record when he struck out 20 opponents during a game.

Later in the 2001 year Randy Johnson broke yet another record; he was the first pitcher in Major League history to record four consecutive 300-plus strikeout seasons.

Also in 2001 Curt Schilling became the first Diamondbacks pitcher to win 20 games in a season. Take that, Randy!

In October 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks, in their 3rd year as a franchise, won the National League pennant and go on to the World Series.

The Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees in one of the best seven-game series ever.

Randy Johnson won his 4th Cy Young award. Curt Schilling came in second in the voting.

In 2002 the D-Backs earned their third NL West title in four years but lost to the Cardinals in the NL Division Series.

Johnson won his fourth consecutive Cy Young Award and the fifth of his career. He led the National League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts.

In June 2003 the Arizona Diamondbacks won 12 consecutive games.

Randy Johnson hit his first career home run in September 2003.

Curt Shilling was traded to the Boston Red Sox in the off-season.

In 2004 Randy Johnson pitched his first perfect game. It was often referred to as one of the top sports highlights of the year.

A dismal record in 2004 led to the firing of Bob Brenly as the D-Backs manager. Al Pedrique finished out the year, and Bob Melvin was hired to manage the team beginning in the 2005 season.

After months of speculation, Randy Johnson was traded to the Yankees. Steve Finley was dealt to the Dodgers. Looks like the Diamondbacks are going to have some fresh faces for 2005.

In September, 2005 the name of the ballpark was changed from Bank One Ballpark to Chase Field, after Bank One was acquired by J.P. Morgan Chase.

In 2006 the team announced that the colors, logo and uniform would be changing beginning in the 2007 season. The new colors are Sedona Red, Sonora Sand and black.

2006 was the last year that $1 tickets in the upper deck were offered.

Write the Diamondbacks:
Arizona Diamondbacks
P.O. Box 2095
Phoenix, AZ 85001
(602) 462-6500

Chase Field is located at 401 E. Jefferson Street. It is bounded by Seventh Street to the east, Fourth Street to the west, Jefferson Street to the north and the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks to the south.