Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets

Arizona Diamondbacks History And Information

Arizona Diamondbacks, one of five teams in the West Division of the NL. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the D’Backs play at Bank One Ballpark located in downtown Phoenix. The club takes its name from the venomous and very dangerous diamondback rattlesnake that is found in the southwestern United States. The Diamondbacks uniform colors are turquoise, copper, black, and purple.

The Diamondbacks joined the MLB on March 9, 1995, along with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Major League Baseball awarded the Phoenix expansion team to an investment group headed by Jerry Colangelo, owner of the Phoenix Suns of the NBA. Roland Hemond, a three-time winner of MLB’s executive of the year award for his roll with the Baltimore Orioles during the 1980s.

The Diamondbacks began play in April 1998 under the wing of former New York Yankees manager Buck Showalter. Before the start of the season, Arizona filled its roster by taking players from existing major league teams in a special expansion team draft. Arizona enriched its roster by signing several free agents, including shortstop Jay Bell and pitcher Andy Benes, and by trading for several well known stars, including third baseman Matt Williams and center fielder Devon White. The D’Backs finished last in its division in its first season, with a record of 65-97.

The team improved, however, with a mix of young talent and established players. After adding free agent pitcher Randy Johnson before the 1999 season, Arizona took a 100-62 record and took the West Division title as Johnson recived the NL Cy Young Award. The D’Backs lost to the New York Mets in the first round of the playoffs.

Even though acquiring veteran pitcher Curt Schilling from the Phillies midway through the season, Arizona finished third in their division in 2000 and didn’t take part in the postseason. But in 2001 the Diamondbacks defeated the West and won the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves for the NL pennant. In the World Series, Arizona won the three-time defending champion New York Yankees in seven games to win the series. Johnson and Schilling shared the MVP award for the 2001 World Series.