With spring training comes optimism. The way the scheduling works now-a-days, there is a two to three week gap between the Super Bowl and spring training. Those weeks are grueling for me because once the NFL playoffs begin, I start thinking about baseball. I always wonder how my team is going to be that year. Once spring training begins, it makes fans hope for success that season. For veterans who don't have to fight for a job, it's another day on the job.

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AccuScore.com AccuScore uses past performance and statistics to describe how players perform under different…

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Ah, springtime in the desert — a season for lake hopping, barbecues, and of course, the bat-and-ball sport that's played on a diamond. Although Arizona's drought for a title is longer than Randy Johnson, there are reasons why Arizona Diamondbacks fans should be excited for opening day April 1. 1. New name in the hot corner The club made numerous transactions throughout the off-season, including a deal that sent strikeout king Mark Reynolds to the Baltimore Orioles.

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J.J. Putz usually doesn't need much work in spring training to get ready for the season. Good thing, since he pitched just 2 1-3 innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks this spring. And that's fine with him. "I think all systems are go," Putz said Tuesday after his first appearance in nearly two weeks.

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To no one's surprise, Mike Hampton called it a career on Saturday. Unfortunately, over the past six years, he's become less known for pitching and more for a seemingly constant run of injuries. His retirement always seemed just around the … Continue reading →

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Young right-hander Daniel Hudson looks as if he's ready to pick up where he left off last year for Arizona. Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, so did reliever Juan Gutierrez. Hudson didn't allow a run in 4 2-3 innings and Russell Branyan hit his fifth home run of the spring, but Texas rallied for four runs off Gutierrez in the ninth to beat the Diamondbacks 6-4 on Monday.

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How does Roy Halladay's 2010 performance compare to other standout years that Philadelphia Phillies starters had in recent decades? Nine of Halladay's 250 2/3 innings last season were pitched on May 29against the Florida Marlins. The 27 batters he perfectly faced on that historic day became part of a second CY Young award winning season . He won his first award with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003. After going 21-10, with a 2.44 ERA, and 219 strikeouts during last year's regular season, he then no-hit the Cincinnati Reds in his first-ever playoff…

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Aaron Heilman's last attempt to make Arizona's rotation went poorly all around. Brandon Phillips hit a three-run homer and the Cincinnati Reds roughed up Heilman to beat the Diamondbacks 9-6 on Sunday. Heilman, competing with Armando Galarraga for the final spot in the Arizona rotation, allowed eight runs and eight hits in two innings.

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Russell Branyan has won a job with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 36-year-old first baseman is hitting .452 (19 for 42) through 18 games in spring training with four home runs, three doubles and 16 RBIs. Branyan was a non-roster invitee to camp and had an opt-out clause that would allow him to seek employment elsewhere if the Diamondbacks didn't put him on their active roster by Friday.

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Ian Kennedy looks ready for his first opening-day start. Luke Hochevar says he is, too. Kennedy, a 26-year-old right-hander, struck out nine of the first 18 Kansas City batters he faced in a strong final outing of the spring. Hochevar, who will pitch the season opener for the Royals, also got his final spring tuneup, allowing four runs and eight hits in four innings before his teammates rallied.

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