For the D-backs, history will teach us nothing

It wasn’t a big hit for the former front man of The
Police; in fact, it wasn’t a hit at all. Yet all this talk
about what happened to the Diamondbacks one year ago
Monday has embedded a very old song by Sting in my head.
History Will Teach Us Nothing.

Surely by now you know the importance of May 14th as it
relates to last year’s 94-win, NL West champion team. It’s
practically a holiday for team employees and was mentioned
prominently during Monday’s broadcast. But just in case…

On May 14th last year, the Arizona Diamondbacks were
meandering their way through a 15-22 start. Since so
little was expected of Kirk Gibson’s squad, the local
outrage barely measured a decibel. Everything was going
according to plan…the D-backs weren’t any good. On that
May 14th, frankly, they weren’t that great either; after
all, they were one-hit by the Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley.
But Josh Collmenter formally introduced himself to D-backs
fans, Arizona scratched out a run on a sac fly and from
that moment on the magic carpet ride was in full effect.

From that day forward, the D-backs would win 15 of their
next 17 games. The rest is, well, history. It makes for a
terrific story and there is no denying its part in the DNA
of last year’s squad.

Fast forward a year. The D-backs are, once again,
meandering, this time though through a season where the
expectation bar was set much higher. That fact alone
changes the equation. Instead of silence, a 15-20 start
has left the masses questioning, concerned and demanding.

So it stands to reason that the same team with an oddly
similar record playing the same team on the same day at
least provides hope that it can be done again. A wonderful
coincidence that makes for a fine talking point.

The problem with this particular history lesson is while
it certainly can happen again, it doesn’t explain why it
will happen again. Or how it will happen again. It merely
serves as a friendly reminder to be patient: Everything
will be fine, it all worked out, we’ll fix it just like we
did last year.

Just for fun, I looked up May 14th from the 2010 season,
otherwise known as the last days of A.J. Ironically, that
May 14th was something of a watershed moment as well. They
lost to the Braves to fall to 14-22 on the year, only
slightly worse than the record they sport now (but it’s
worth noting that the 2010 and 2012 D-backs were both 8.5
games out of first on May 14th). That bunch won six of
their next eight games to pull to within four games of
.500 only to collapse in a heap of losses. Ten straight to
be exact. A.J. Hinch and Josh Byrnes would lose their jobs
a month later. May 14, 2010 was nothing more than a rest
stop on the road to ruin.

What does it mean? Nothing, and that’s the point. History
will teach us nothing. This day a year ago, two years ago,
isn’t going to help Justin Upton to lay off the outside
breaking pitch or J.J. Putz locate his split-finger
fastball. It isn’t going to bring Chris Young or Stephen
Drew or Daniel Hudson back off the DL any faster than
before. It won’t resurrect the Paul Goldschmidt or Ryan
Roberts of 2011. It isn’t going to help Ian Kennedy
purposely plunk Clayton Kershaw in retaliation, something
he failed to do…twice. To his credit, Upton has said as
much. Last year is last year, let’s quit talking about it.

The history lesson is over. Let’s move on to current
events.

Follow @Vincemarotta