Memo to A.J. Hinch: It’s Not Your Fault

Photo credit: Getty Images

It’s not your fault, A.J. Some may think the Diamondbacks’ dive into oblivion has been hastened by your hiring but I’m not among them.

You see, I was at the ballpark during the forgettable Al Pedrique era. I’m sure you remember Al even if alot of Diamondbacks fans don’t. Pedrique took over during the 2004 crash after Bob Brenly was fired. Arizona was 29-50 at the time Al took over. And then they went a stellar 22-61 down the stretch.

It wasn’t a question of whether the Diamondbacks were going to lose. It only was a question of how. Maybe that’s the case during your brief reign as well, though the three-year contract you received gives you the slightest air of authority that Pedrique never had.

These are your players in as much as you were in charge of the team’s player development department. But it wasn’t you who decided who was going to appear in a major league uniform and when. It wasn’t you who signed Eric Byrnes to the overvalued contract, making him an albatross the team just can’t shed.

You didn’t let Orlando Hudson walk away.

You didn’t settle for Jon Garland and a 200-year-old Tom Gordon as your pitching improvements.

You weren’t behind Justin Upton’s incredibly slow start (which means you aren’t going to get credit for his recovery, either. Sorry about that.)

There’s no question the Diamondbacks are worse this year than anyone had anticipated. But this never was a team that was going to contend for the division title. Los Angeles had that wrapped up before the World Baseball Classic started, even before Hudson traded Sedona Red for Dodger Blue.

Have you ever played tabletop baseball, A.J.? Probably not … it seems to be the private reserve of statistics-obsessed sports nerds. And columnists. But here’s why I ask … as you play enough back seasons and attempt to “manage” a truly terrible team, you realize there’s not a damn thing you can do to make then any better.

No matter what you do, the 1962 Mets are awful. You could try to use this reliever instead of that, play this first baseman instead of that, and it’s not going to matter a bit. On the 2004 Diamondbacks, once you get past the starter you’ve got a world of trouble ahead — Stephen Randolph, Mike Koplove, Brandon Villafuerte, Andrew Good … it goes on and on.

During the heat of the season, lukewarm as the heat may be with this team, it’s often hard to realize that the team just isn’t very good.

A.J., this team just isn’t very good. Watching them throw the ball around Chase Field like the Bad News Bears this past weekend should have erased any doubt anyone had.

It’s not your fault, A.J. Not this year …

Just make sure that enough individuals show enough improvement that they are at least respectable next season.