Gibson won't let D-backs buy into their success

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson, right, and pitching coach Charles Nagy talk during a spring training baseball workout, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson, right, and pitching coach Charles Nagy talk during a spring training baseball workout, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
The Diamondbacks will not believe they will win the NL West simply by showing up this season.

Kirk Gibson won't let them.

Gibson, who said "successes can be very dangerous" Sunday, expanded on that thought Tuesday as a guest on Arizona Sports 620's Doug and Wolf.

"You read a lot of good articles about yourself and sometimes it just can work in the opposite way and you can let your guard down, you can maybe change the routine from what got you there to one that's less productive and less team-oriented," Gibson said. "You can't be looking for credit."

The Diamondbacks certainly got plenty of that last season, as they surprised everyone by winning 94 games along with the NL West.

Gibson, though, knows the D-backs are just one season removed from being one of the worst in baseball, so they must not be allowed to feel like they've arrived as one of the league's best.

"It's just important to understand that you've got to keep your guard up and we have to keep doing things the right way," Gibson said. "When you have success, you've earned certain things but it doesn't mean you've earned the right to quit working and trying to get better."

And not to say the Diamondbacks quit trying to improve after reaching the playoffs in 2007, but their fast start in 2008 was followed by nearly three years of bad baseball.

Kirk Gibson on D&W
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That's an occurrence the team will look to avoid this season, as the hope is they can build off last year's success rather than regress.

"Different things can happen, there's just certain things you can control within your daily calendar and within a game," he said. "The things you can't control -- a bad hop, injuries to a certain extent, a bad call -- you know, you're going to have to find a way to overcome those things."

But those worries are for another day, because for now, the Diamondbacks have the look of a team that can contend for a World Series.

Even if Gibson won't let them believe it.

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