N.L. West

Sporting News, The, August 9, 1999

A good impression

For Diamondbacks first baseman Erubiel Durazo, every day is Christmas. Having gone from being undrafted after two standout seasons at Pima Junior College in Arizona to taking a spot on a Mexican League club to reaching the major leagues within a two-year span, Durazo is one of the feel-good stories of 1999.

Durazo, born and raised in Hermosillo, Sonora--the Mexican state just south of Arizona--made quite a splash in his first major league start July 28 in San Diego. A 6-3 lefthanded batter, he had hits in his first three at-bats, scoring twice. His debut game went so well that manager Buck Showalter couldn't keep him out of the lineup in the next game, even if it meant going up against Dodgers ace Kevin Brown. Durazo was 2-for-2 and walked twice and has become the toast of Phoenix.

Fans already are calling for Durazo to supplant Travis Lee, who has struggled this season. Durazo started making a name for himself at Class AA El Paso this year, batting .403 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs. The club's front office decided to promote him to Class AAA Tucson, just to see if this was an aberration or the real thing. Durazo then hit .407 with 10 homers and 28 RBIs in 30 games.

After David Dellucci suffered a season-ending injury, Durazo received a phone call telling him he was headed to the Diamondbacks.

"It has always been a dream to play in the major leagues," says Durazo, who, even after an O-for-4 game last Saturday, was batting .417. "They have better fielders, better hitters, better players. Everything is better. I'm not really thinking about (pitching patterns)-I'm just reacting. I want to continue to hit the best I can, but the main thing is to win." --Pedro Gomez

Arizona

59-46: 1st

Veteran lineup ready for a pennant race

Because of the vast number of vetarans on the roster, this team thinks it can pull off a division rifle. Of the majority of the everyday players and reserves, all but Tony Womack, Travis Lee, Bernard Gilkey and Luis Gonzalez have participated in postseason play. Come playoff time, an experienced rotation could produce big dividends, as Randy Johnson, Armando Reynoso, Andy Benes and Brian Anderson have pitched in the postseason. ... Johnson continues his assault on the all-time strikeout list. Through last Saturday, he was tied for 17th place with Bob Feller at 2,581. With three more, Johnson will pass Warren Spahn and move into 16th.

READY AND ABLE: Greg Colbrunn mostly sits on the bench, waiting for manager Buck Showalter to call on him for a late-inning, pinch-hitting appearance. They usually come at crucial times, with the team trailing by a run or two and the tying or go-ahead run on base with two outs. Colbrunn may log a lot of time on the bench, but he is one of the game's more studious players. He is constantly looking for tendencies by opposing pitchers, or where defensive shifts take place. This is not someone who simply grabs a bat and steps up to the plate to hack. Colbrunn is the club's best pinch hitter and its most experienced. There was a reason he was the first free agent the team went after last winter.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Just about everyone in baseball is fully aware of closer Matt Mantei's overpowering fastball, which reaches well into the range of 95 and 96 mph. But like anyone who can throw just one pitch, Mantei would not last long if that were the case. His curveball can be a knee-bender, and when he has command of it, that's exactly what it is. The problem seems to be that when Mantei throws one of his curveballs early in one of his outings, he loses all confidence in it if he bounces one in the dirt. Opponents are realizing this and sit on his fastball if that situation rises. -Pedro Gomez

GRADING OUT

OFFENSE B

Not mashing the ball like they once were, but they're scoring enough to get the job done.

PITCHING B

The bullpen has suddenly turned things around in a big way for the stretch run.

DEFENSE B

Even with some new faces in the lineup, the plays that need to be made are being made.

DIAMONDBACKS

                 AVG     G     AB     R      H      HR    RBI

(*)Durazo( )    .417     4     12     4      5      0      0
(*)Diaz         .400     3      5     1      2      0      1
Gonzalez( )     .344    99    401    70    138     16     69
Colbrunn        .319    41     69     8     22      2     13
Williams        .316   103    418    68    132     24     92
Gilkey          .310    61    129    21     40      6     21
Bell            .277    98    390    84    108     27     75
Fox( )          .274    68    190    23     52      5     26
Womack( )       .271    93    395    74    107      3     29
Finley( )       .256   103    391    56    100     19     69
Miller          .249    61    209    24     52      5     31
Lee( )          .242   100    347    54     84      9     48
Stinnett        .237    57    186    25     44     12     29
(*)Frias(#)     .183    37     60     9     11      0      6

                 OBP     SLG    SB     K    BB     E

(*)Durazo( )    .500    .417     0     4     2     0
(*)Diaz         .625    .800     0     1     3     0
Gonzalez( )     .406    .551     6    45    41     2
Colbrunn        .392    .493     0    14     6     0
Williams        .354    .557     2    58    26     7
Gilkey          .405    .519     1    24    21     3
Bell            .357    .556     5    82    49    13
Fox( )          .383    .411     3    45    26     9
Womack( )       .330    .362    44    39    36     4
Finley( )       .323    .486     6    66    37     1
Miller          .284    .388     0    59    10     5
Lee( )          .340    .375    17    43    53     3
Stinnett        .302    .462     1    57    13     4
(*)Frias(#)     .300    .233     1    10    10     2
GRAND SLAMS: Lee(2), Bell, Finley, Williams, Womack(1)

                ERA     W-L     G      IP      H      R    ER

Chouinard       1.53    4-1     11    17.2     14     6     3
Johnson( )      2.62    11-8    24   185.2    144    60    54
Mantel          3.00    1-3     44    45.0     31    15    15
Swindell( )     3.08    1-0     36    38.0     34    14    13
Plesac( )       3.24    1-1     18     8.1      8     3     3
Daal( )         3.62   10-5     21   144.1    121    61    58
Reynoso         3.77    6-1     21   114.2    113    55    48
Olson           4.24    5-4     36    34.0     32    18    16
(*)Kim          4.32    0-2     22    25.0     19    13    12
Benes           5.30    6-9     21   125.2    142    82    74
Anderson( )     6.24    3-2     20    79.1    110    57    55

                HR      K    BB    SV    Avg.

Chouinard        1     11     7     0    .226
Johnson( )      19    252    48     0    .213
Mantel           4     64    34    18    .191
Swindell( )      4     29    12     1    .245
Plesac( )        1     10     6     1    .258
Daal( )         15    103    58     0    .230
Reynoso          9     53    45     0    .263
Olson            4     33    16    11    .244
(*)Kim           1     28    17     1    .216
Benes           24     93    60     0    .283
Anderson( )     16     51    16     1    .327