PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks are trying to get back to a World Series Championship, and you'll be hearing about the team a lot.
We know a lot of you are new to the Valley, some of you have never cared about watching baseball before, and this may be your first playoff run. So consider this your CliffsNotes version of the Arizona Diamondbacks, your new favorite home team.
1. The stadium is as Arizona as you can get
The Diamondbacks play in Chase Field, which, being in Arizona, is air conditioned. The roof also retracts and the walls open up to let the breeze in for those few months of baseball that don't require the A/C turned on.
And, because it's Arizona, the stadium also has a pool installed for fans to rent out. Remember that pool, it will come back into play in a minute.
2. The mascot is a Bobcat (but they're named after a snake)
This one's tricky, but go with it. the Diamondback is a type of rattlesnake, for those of you new to Arizona.
Chase Field used to be named Bank One Ballpark, which everyone abbreviated to BOB. The mascot is Baxter, the BOB-cat...get it? That made sense at the time, until Bank One merged with Chase Bank and the stadium named changed too.
Now we have to explain why a team named after a snake is representative by a bobcat.
3. You'll hear about "the bird" at some point
If the Diamondbacks are famous for something other than having a pool, it's "the bird."
On March 14, 2001, pitcher Randy Johnson was on the mound. The Diamondbacks were in spring training ahead of what would be their best season of all time (see Number 5).
It was the 7th inning against the San Francisco Giants. Johnson wound up for a pitch (he could throw more than 100 miles an hour), throw the ball... and a bird flew directly into the ball's path.
It was an explosion of feathers and a combination of physics, flight, baseball and luck that has never been repeated.
5. We won a World Series
The season that started immediately after "the bird incident" led to the Diamondbacks only World Series Championship.
The season was paused because of the attacks on September 11th, and the World Series came down to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees.
The entire season came down to one pitch in Game 7, bottom of the 9th. Luis Gonzalez hit a line drive base hit to bring home Jay Bell and the World Series Trophy. You can see the trophy at Chase Field.
6. We have some really good players
Here's who to watch for, even if you've never followed baseball.
Corbin Carroll is a centerfielder for the Diamondbacks. he's also 12 Sports' Cameron Cox's bet for National League Rookie of the Year. You'll hear his name a lot.
Zac Gallen is a pitcher. Last year, he pitched the equivalent of five games without allowing a single run.
And Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. plays left field. His first-ever major league home run won Game 2 of the NLDS series against the Dodgers. He's from Cuba, and you can spot him by the purple hair.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.
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