Dave’s Diamond Blog: Day 2 of our time with the D-backs

Day 2 of our time with the D-backs at Salt River Fields
was spent talking about Day 1.

Apparently our chat with
Daniel Hudson moved the meter just a little bit. The D-
backs starter told The Burns and Gambo Show Monday that
he will defend Justin Upton if necessary. “If it’s a
starting pitcher, remember, he’s got to hit. They either
have to hit their spots, or they better expect something
in return.” Gambo specifically asked him if his words
were to serve as a memo to National League pitchers, and
his answer was “absolutely.”

His
comments elicited reaction from Kirk Gibson who said
“there are certain things you are better off not
commenting about. Hudson himself was
asked to clarify by MLB.com and while he stood by his
words he suggested they were perceived differently than he
intended.

Luis Gonzalez astutely pointed out that by saying it,
Hudson is now in the position of having to back it up and
if he doesn’t, you better believe it will be brought up.
So,
in Gonzo’s mind, you’re
better off saying nothing and just doing whatever it is
you’re going to do.

Heck, I even heard the MLB Network Show “Intentional Talk”
was going to enter the fray.

Take a listen to the original
interview if you want and decide for yourself if he
was goaded into it. I know this; I’m not going to rip him
for saying it. Partly because it serves me (and the show)
when he’s honest and partly because I respect a person who
gives you a genuine opinion even if it’s not in his best
interest to do so. I know this part two–he was certainly
the right guy to ask. In the same interview, he admitted
his emotions run so high that they cloud things from time
to time. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing for him to say
but I bet there are guys in that clubhouse who are glad he
said it.

Other highlights from Tuesday:

• Willie Bloomquist admitting that negotiations between
his agent and the D-backs were shaky enough that “I hate
to say it;I thought I was going to be wearing black
and orange.” And no, he wasn’t referring to the
Orioles.

• Brandon Webb stopped by the D-backs facility Tuesday and
we were able to coax him into putting on the headset. The
former Cy Young Award winner is attempting yet another
comeback despite the fact he hasn’t thrown a pitch in a major
league game since 2009. What fascinated me was why he
continues to try and get back—he’s got nothing better to
do right now.

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