A missed playoff berth will put the microscope on Diamondbacks’ Torey Lovullo, Mike Hazen

The Arizona Diamondbacks are in a strange place entering their final home series of the season. Part of the mood is celebratory, a franchise ready to commemorate the 25th anniversary of their only World Series championship.

And the rest of it is pure desperation, a team with fading and flickering playoff hopes.

But there is also something very compelling and very familiar about this moment:

Just like the 2001 World Series, the Diamondbacks are a team licking their wounds and on the brink of elimination — a team that needs to find a way to beat the Yankees twice at Chase Field. Three times would be even better.

So much is on the line. Fail to make the playoffs for the eighth time in the span of nine years, and it’s hard not to see big changes coming. But I don’t want manager Torey Lovullo to get fired.

I know this isn’t popular among the pitchfork crowd, but I think most of the blame lands in the lap of general manager Mike Hazen, who whiffed at the trade deadline and failed to trade Ketel Marte in the offseason.

But just like Lovullo, I don’t think the Diamondbacks are going to find a better GM than Hazen.

It’s a tough deal. You cannot reward mediocrity.

But you don’t let good people go out of frustration and circumstance. The 7 Seconds or Less Suns learned that lesson the hard way.

So, it’s about time the Diamondbacks rise from the muck of mediocrity and make a dramatic last stand at Chase Field. Just like they did 25 years ago.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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