If D-backs are for real they need to beat Giants
Jun 15, 2011, 10:14 PM | Updated: 11:23 pm
In a season where most people thought the only storyline for the Arizona Diamondbacks would be what young prospects were getting their first taste of the majors, the team has far exceeded expectation. Now the question has become, are they contenders or pretenders?
“You saw them in April and they sort of treaded water and then all of a sudden they took off in May,” Sports 620 KTAR’s Paul Calvisi said Wednesday on Sports Interactive. “And you’re saying ‘this team is learning on the fly’. Is it a team that is navigating this learning curve? Could there come a point in this season where they are a viable threat to the Giants?”
If the D-backs are going to become a threat it may occur this week. While the Giants entered the series with what seemed like very little respect for their division foes, that may have changed Tuesday evening.
“I don’t sense the Giants are really sweating the Diamondbacks until maybe the latter innings of that game when the realized ‘you know what, this is a different team’,” Calvisi said. ” There is a different DNA about this team. They won’t stop competing. It is a testament to Gibby-ball what we’ve seen so far.”
Despite an gutsy comeback that fell short, the Diamondbacks have yet to prove they can hang with the Giants this season losing six of seven. If they want to be NL West champions, they still have a lot to prove.
“Having a winning record and being in contention is one thing,” Calvisi said. “Taking out the defending world champions is a whole nother challenge.”
It’s a challenge they’ll have to overcome if the answer to the seasons biggest question is to be contender rather than pretender.
