PHOENIX — The 2023 Major League Baseball season is here. On Tuesday, the sounds of baseballs zipping into catchers' mitts and the crack of bats could be heard at the 10 ballparks across the Valley playing host to 15 MLB franchises for the next month-plus as pitchers and catchers reported.
12Sports' Cameron Cox got the opportunity to catch up with Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo at Cactus League media day at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Here is their conversation.
*Editor's note: Some questions and responses have been edited for clarity*
Q: Torey, what's with the beard?
A: I don't know. It's some offseason craziness, right? I just got done telling the story that (former Diamondbacks pitcher) Archie Bradley sent me a text in September when it got a little long. And he said, 'Shave it off, you look old and gray. So get rid of it.' So I'll probably shave it off before the season's over. But it's a new thing. And it's not gonna last very long.
Q: Torey, this team was a massive improvement last year. And I know you want to take another jump. What's it going to take to get this team back to that point?
A: Yeah, we did only win 74 games, right? But it's an improvement from the year before. And we know what that jump feels like. We know what we have to do to engage and get into that mindset of improving. We've got to make up 16 games get to that 90-plus win territory, to get to where we want to go to so it's just going to be about preparation, not looking beyond today, winning today, taking care of that and seeing where we're at tomorrow. But for me, it's about winning inches and winning inches is about preparation. As a prepared athlete, you're gonna have a good time.
Q: You have a nice mix of veterans with really good young talent, like tops of baseball young talent. Do you see that out there?
A: Of course I do. You know, this has been brewing and it's been bubbling inside of our system for a long time. And, you know, now that Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas, some great position players have gotten here and contributed, we feel like they're gonna be that much more ready to help us win baseball games this year. But it doesn't end there. We've got some really good young talent that didn't come in here and luck it out and win baseball games last year, from the starting pitching standpoint. So we've got to go out and like I said, prepare and win today.
Q: Do you believe this team will be better this year?
A: 100%. I've got to. If I don't, I'm not I'm not tugging on the right side of that rope. So I'm a firm believer that this team has a chance to go out and win every single night. Well, we've got to do our job, we're going to be a lot better. But we've got to earn things. We've got to earn our fans. We know you guys are out there. And we want to bring you back into the stadium and have you be as proud of us as I am of this team.
Q: The Diamondbacks gave you another year to manage this team. Have you asked about your future beyond 2023?
A: No, it's not my style. Yeah, I've signed a one-year extension. I'm grateful for that. (We've) had some lean years here. Ken Kendrick has been unbelievably fair to me. And you know, if we do our job every single day, staff members, and the players go out and perform, things will fall where they're supposed to. So I don't worry about that stuff. I've got to block out that black noise it's the last thing I'm thinking about on a daily basis. I want to be here for the players and be everything I can for them.
Q: You are the longest-tenured manager in D-Backs history. You're also the longest-tenured head coach in Valley sports right now. Do you ever think you would be that guy when you got here seven years ago?
A: Not at all. I'm so proud of that. You know how I feel about connecting with the other coaches. I have yet to connect with with with the hockey coach (Coyotes head coach André Tourigny), but I love connecting with the coaches here in the Valley. I feel like it's my responsibility. I will continue to do that. I've made some really good friendships in doing that. But I'm honored. I'm honored that I'm starting my seventh year with the D-Backs. I want to do it right. I want to get to that, the top of the mountain, and stay there for a long, long time.
Q: This means a lot to you because you had coaches reach out to you when you came to Arizona, right?
A: For sure. I feel like it's my job. Everybody reached out to me and welcomed me to the Valley. And you know, I probably got as close with (former Coyotes head coach) Rick Tocchet as I did with anybody. And those are friendships where you share information. Nobody gets what we go through on a daily basis. I feel like when you get three or four other coaches you can connect some dots with, (Phoenix Suns head coach) Monty (Williams) is somebody that I rely on a lot. We'll text a lot back and forth and I appreciate what he offers me.
Q: This is an interesting time in Valley sports right now. Do you feel the buzz? The Arizona Cardinals just hired a new head coach and Kevin Durant is here in the Valley. What do you make of the Durant move?
A: Well, I love the fact that he's involved. I love the fact that he's in the Valley and he's going to help the (Suns) win basketball games. That's all I care about. I don't know. I think they gave up a good player in (Mikal) Bridges. But look, you got an elite player in Durant. I'm going to probably go out there as often as I can and watch him play.
Q: How much are you looking forward to the D-Backs being that team to capture the excitement?
A: I want that more than anything. I think our players want that too. We walk into some venues, you know, and some teams have a lot of support from their fans. They've earned it. We know our fans are out there but I want our organization to be the one that everybody comes to, watches, and supports. But we've got some work to do and we'll get there.
The Diamondbacks will play their first two Spring Training games on February 25th. They will play split-squad games against the Oakland A's (at 1:05 p.m. at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa) and the Colorado Rockies (at 1:10 p.m. at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale).
The D-Backs will open their 2023 season on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 30th. Opening night at Chase Field will be on April 6th, also against the Dodgers.
You can buy tickets to all D-Backs games and the upcoming World Baseball Classic at Chase Field here.