Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Tucson Electric Park tomorrow morning which meant the off-season was quickly coming to an end. It also meant that today was probably the last day the mailman had to deliver my invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.

Earlier this month the Arizona Diamondbacks announced their list of non-roster invitees that would be in camp when Spring Training began in Tucson. This year they identified 17 players who would be invited to attend.

Among the list of players were right-handed pitchers T.J. Beam, Josh Ellis, Barry Enright, Kyler Newby, Rodrigo Lopez, Wes Roemer, Brian Shaw, and Matt Torra. Left-handed pitcher Tommy Layne was also on the list.

Catchers Carlos Corporan, Sean Coughlin, and Konrad Schmidt were invited as were infielders Jeff Bailey and Mark Hallberg. The outfielders who received an invitation included Collin Cowgill, Evan Frey, and Drew Macias.

I scoured the list looking for my name but it was not among the 17 listed. Surely this was a mistake. After all I have been playing baseball since I was four years old and I had been a Diamondbacks fan since 1995 when the team was awarded.

I read and re-read the list but each time I could not find my name. Perhaps it was just lost in the mail. So here I am standing at the window waiting and stalking the mailman.

As he approached our mail box I leapt from the house running as fast as I could towards him. His eyes became the size of baseballs and a look of fear enveloped his entire being. He threw the remaining letters addressed to my mailbox in my general direction and retreated to the safety of his car.

There in the box was a white and Sedona Red envelope with the Arizona Diamondbacks address. My heart was racing as I stood there trying to read the address which was made more difficult by me shaking like a leaf.

I tore open the envelope excitedly anticipating my invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. I unfolded the paper expecting to see instructions of where to report and what to bring to Spring Training.

Instead it was a letter inviting me to purchase a parking pass for the upcoming season. Dejected I slowly walked back to the house with the realization that yet again I didn’t get invited to Spring Training. When am I ever going to learn?

As I was standing in line for FanFest last Saturday to get in an hour early I realized that I often take for granted some of the amenities that are included as part of being a Diamondbacks Season Ticket holder.

Perhaps the greatest benefit is the fact that each Season Ticket holder has a dedicated Season Ticket Services Executive. This might not seem like a big deal until you have to call down to the ballpark to ask a question or need assistance.

Before that meant explaining my situation to whoever would answer the phone. Considering that I seem to have a lot of questions, this became kind of frustrating. Now though I know I am always going to talk to the same person who knows me and my needs.

This of course has implications. My Season Ticket Services Executive is Mandi Howard. She is awesome. No matter how many times I frantically call or send her an email she calmly deals with my “emergency” and talks me off the ledge.

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that. I have to believe that Mandi probably ticked someone off in the Season Ticket Services group to be assigned me as a client. I’m sure when the Diamondbacks instituted this program they assumed this to be a relatively low frequency job duty.

After all, how many questions can a Season Ticket holder have? Maybe a question about game time, or a request for additional tickets but that’s about it.

Poor Mandi, she has to deal with things like questions on how high the roof is over the playing surface or if the 2010 promotional calendar has been released or when will the Media Guide be available in spiral format or better yet PDF. I’m sure she is starting to question exactly how much job satisfaction she is actually getting from this.

Besides the dedicated Season Ticket Executive there are several other benefits to being a Diamondbacks season ticket holder. The team provides you with the ability to exchange or upgrade tickets to games you might not be able to attend to another game giving you schedule flexibility.

They also have an agreement with StubHub allowing season ticket holders to sell their extra tickets to other fans without an outrageous fee attached. I have to admit these latter two services I have never used since I am always at the ballpark.

Some of the more interesting benefits include The Box Score electronic newsletter that is delivered every month. It notifies you of upcoming events and even includes a trivia contest with the winner getting autographed merchandise.

I answer all of the trivia questions the minute the newsletter arrives and I have yet to win which means there are some pretty knowledgeable season ticket holders with fast email clients. One of these days maybe I’ll win.

Perhaps the two most widely used benefits at least in my case are the early entry to Chase Field on Saturdays and the discount at the Team Shop. Showing my Season Ticket ID card will allow me to get into the stadium 30 minutes before the gates open on Fridays and Saturdays.

With the Diamondbacks usually having bobble head giveaways on Saturday that means I can go to the front of the line to get a bobble head. That has eliminated a lot of stress around our house and made it so we don’t have to camp out at the gate hours before they open.

The Team Shop discount is the feature I love and Trina hates. For me it is an excuse to get more Diamondbacks gear at less than retail. For Trina it means we have more Diamondbacks gear around the house.

Season ticket holders are given access to purchase game day tickets before they are available to the general public and are given discounts on group tickets. For those special occasions the team also gives season ticket holders a $500 credit towards an individual suite.

One of the most underrated benefit is the Arizona Fall League pass. Season ticket holders receive a free pass to attend Arizona Fall League games each October and November showcasing some of the best young talent in baseball.

The games are sparsely attended but the quality of talent is first class. I look forward to this every year and the Diamondbacks make it even better by giving me free admission.

Overall being a Diamondbacks season ticket holder is a very rewarding and with all of these added benefits it is a great value. Now if I could just talk them into giving season ticket holders free Wi-Fi access at Chase Field or maybe a discount to MLB.TV my life would be complete.

To say my home life revolves around baseball and the Arizona Diamondbacks would be the understatement of the millennium. The problem is that I have imposed this lifestyle not just on myself but on my family as well.

On the one hand it has exposed the kids to a whole new set of experiences that perhaps other kids have not had an opportunity to have. On the other hand, my kids have grown up with a very warped sense of what reality is.

My son Dakota is only 12 years old yet he has been on the playing field several times in a parade as a reward for attending 50 home games per year. When he was just a year old he was in the Diamondbacks bullpen as part of the “Big Daddy’s Bullpen Buddies” program allowing kids to meet players before select games.

He was on the mound with me in 1998 when I threw out the ceremonial first pitch. To him, these are common occurrences and he seems confused when his friends are amazed that he has experienced these events. I try to explain to him that this is not a normal childhood but to him it is all he knows.

When my daughter Mallorie had a friend in high school who idolized Randy Johnson, she spoke to Johnson before a game and asked if he would autograph a baseball with a Happy Birthday message on the ball.

Randy was happy to assist and gave my daughter the ball which she in turn gave as a birthday present. Needless to say the young boy was thrilled and to this day lists that ball as the greatest gift he has received or will ever receive for the rest of his life. To my daughter it was a simple gift.

It should be noted she is also appalled at how Randy Johnson is portrayed by the media. As far as she is concerned he is very approachable and a perfect gentleman and I would have to agree with her.

Last week my youngest daughter came home from school. Her math teacher had offered the class an opportunity to get extra credit. The assignment was to have their picture taken with the math book in a famous place or with a famous person.

I immediately suggested that I had the perfect idea. She should take her math book to the Arizona Diamondbacks FanFest. We could take a picture of her math book in the Diamondbacks clubhouse which as far as I was concerned was the most famous place in the universe.

She agreed and when we went down to the stadium I had not only my two daughters but also an Algebra 2 text book. We entered the stadium and I began suggesting places where we could have pictures taken.

As we walked through the doors to FanFest, we were given vouchers for autographs. Whitney received a Miguel Montero voucher. We walked over to where the autograph station was set up. Whitney didn’t have anything to autograph, all she wanted was a photo of Montero and her with her math book.

I explained that she really should have something signed and suggested having Montero autograph her math book. This didn’t go over too well as she was afraid she would get fined by the school for writing in her book. I was pretty sure they would overlook a player’s autograph but she refused.

Instead I pulled a baseball out of my pocket (hey, who doesn’t have a Major League baseball in their jacket pocket?) and handed it to Whitney. She walked to the table where Montero was sitting. He reached out his hand and took the ball from her and signed his autograph.

As he handed the ball back to Whitney she asked if she could get a picture taken with him and her math book. From the confused look on his face I would guess this was the first time in his career that he has ever been asked to have his picture taken with an Algebra 2 book.

Montero agreed but only after we explained the situation to him several times. Too bad it wasn’t a Spanish textbook; it might have made more sense. I think Miguel was afraid we were going to ask him to do some math problems and he obviously was a little rusty in Algebra 2.

After the Montero episode we walked around the field taking in the activities of FanFest. Suddenly Whitney saw Diamondbacks manager AJ Hinch and General Manager Josh Byrnes waiting to go on stage for a Question and Answer discussion.

She approached them and asked if they would be willing to pose with her and her math book. She explained it was for extra credit. AJ was awesome and congratulated her for taking her education seriously. Josh Byrnes was great. He asked if he could hold the math book.

While we were getting ready for the photo, Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall came by to talk and explain to me why Garcias was being replaced with Macayo’s (I really appreciated the explanation, now I have to remember what we talked about so I can explain it to my wife Trina).

I felt kind of stupid having to excuse myself from Derrick Hall so I could take a picture of the manager and the General Manager with my daughter and her math book. Hall looked on and immediately AJ was trying to explain it was for extra credit. Byrnes was saying that he got to hold the book.

I took the picture and my daughter Whitney thanked these two for their help. It was just a little thing but it will be an experience my daughter will never forget. Since that time we have talked and laughed about the team and the math book.

It had absolutely nothing to do with baseball and Montero, Hinch, Byrnes, and Hall could all have said no and it would have ended there. Instead they were all willing to help a young fan regardless of how absurd the request seemed.

Whitney tolerates baseball, she is the one child I have who could take or leave baseball and she cannot understand why I am so obsessed with this game.

After her experience at FanFest, all she talks about is her experience with the Diamondbacks and how they helped her to get extra credit in her math class. She has become a fan especially to those who took time out of their day to help a fan.

These are the kinds of experiences that keep the fans coming back to Chase Field and help build a younger generation of fans. As for me, this is just another example that I need to explain to my children as to why they are not having a normal childhood and a lot of it is probably my fault.

I was going to send Derrick an email and ask him what day he planned on celebrating General Manager Day but I was afraid the answer would be the same that I got as a child when I asked my parents why we celebrated Mother’s Day and Father’s Day but there was no Kid’s Day.

Like every other parent on the planet the answer was, “Because every day is Kid’s Day”. I never accepted that answer but I have to admit, given how busy Josh Byrnes has been this off-season every day truly has been General Manager Day.

Byrnes seems to have been in the news every week as he attempted to shore up the Diamondbacks roster trying to turn around a franchise that lost 97 games during the 2009 season.

Now with pitchers and catchers due to report by the end of the week, you would have thought Byrnes would have finished his work and been given a few days breather before the start of Spring Training.

That was not the case as news leaked yesterday that the Diamondbacks had come to terms with their final arbitration eligible player. Just three days before the Diamondbacks were scheduled to appear in front of the arbitration committee with pitcher Edwin Jackson, the team came to terms with their newest starting pitcher.

Jackson had been asking for a $6.25 million salary in 2010 while the Diamondbacks had countered with an offer of $4.6 million. It did not look as though common ground would be found between the two sides and for the first time under the Byrnes era they would keep their arbitration meeting for Wednesday.

I have to admit I didn’t think a deal would be completed. Jackson is represented by agent Scott Boras who is notorious for holding out. I was there ecstatic when it was announced not only was there a deal but it was for two years.

When the Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to the Detroit Tigers in the three-way trade that brought Jackson and pitcher Ian Kennedy to Arizona it was widely believed that Jackson would be here just one season.

Having Jackson for two years at a known payroll amount gives the Diamondbacks cost consistency and allows them to begin planning for the 2011 season. This is one fewer budget variable and hopefully will give Arizona some extra money they can put to use in either re-signing Brandon Webb or finding his replacement.

The Jackson contract is reported to be $13.35 million for two years which many believe will be a bargain if Jackson performs up to expectations. Given his 2008 season with Tampa Bay and his 2009 campaign with Detroit, it appears he is ready for a complete breakout season instead of pieces of brilliance.

Now that we’ve defined President’s Day and General Manager’s Day the next question to be answered is, “When is Fan’s Day?”

It’s not for lack of trying. I really try hard to find something that I think my wife will like. You would think after being married 28 years I would have picked up a few clues but I seem to strike out more often than Mark Reynolds.

Like Reynolds, I refuse to change my approach and my wife has learned to accept the strikeouts instead focusing on the other aspects of my game that I bring to the plate. Wow, that analogy really worked well.

This year was going to be different. With the Diamondbacks FanFest being held yesterday I found what I thought was the perfect gift. In the Diamondbacks Foundation Yard Sale I ran across a game used batting helmet.

This was perfect, it would go great in our family room right next to the Diamondbacks base, the piece of Bank One Ballpark, and the lucky hat. As I paid for the batting helmet I was feeling pretty good.

My daughters attempted to warn me that my “perfect gift” was not going to go over well with mom. Oh these kids, how could they doubt me? I mean I have been doing Valentine’s Day since before they were born.

Still, a small voice in my head suggested that I should probably listen to the kids and have a back-up plan. I somehow remembered Trina saying something about how she would love to have flour for Valentine’s Day or something like that.

Somehow a five pound bag of flour didn’t seem any more romantic than a game used batting helmet. Besides, it was left-handed, how many times are you going to run across a left-handed batting helmet let alone game used?

When Trina got up, I had strategically set the batting helmet on the kitchen table along with a post-it note that said “Happy Valentine’s Day”. In all my excitement getting the batting helmet, I forgot to get a card. The post-it note was pink so technically it was holiday themed.

From the looks of Trina’s face I could tell she was really surprised. It was hard to tell whether the contorted look she was giving me was joy or frustration. Not wanting to take any chances I decided I better go to the store and go with “Plan B”.

While I was gone I received a text that simply stated, “I said flowers not flour”. I put the bag back onto the shelf of the baking aisle and made a beeline to the floral section.

I stood there with what looked like half the male population waiting in line for “flowers”. I was talking to the guy next to me telling him this was the second gift I had purchased. After telling him about the really cool batting helmet he looked at me and said, “You can go in front of me, you need these more than I do.” I have no idea what he meant.

When I got to the front I told the lady I needed a dozen Sedona Red roses. We spent the next 10 minutes comparing the color of flowers to my Diamondbacks hat. When I explained to the lady about my first gift she suggested I should probably pick up a box of candy too.

In the end my wife got a dozen Sedona Red roses, a large box of candy, and a gift card to her favorite craft store. Oh, she also got a really cool game used left-handed batting helmet that she keeps failing to mention.

Originally it was held in the plaza outside Chase Field. There were small booths from some of the Diamondbacks partners and vendors. Loyal Diamondbacks fans attended but there really was not a lot there for the general public.

Despite the meager attendance the Arizona Diamondbacks decided to continue this annual event. Each subsequent year FanFest has gotten larger and more elaborate providing a unique experience for the fans.

Beginning in 2009, the Diamondbacks moved FanFest from outside on the plaza to inside Chase Field. It was not just inside the stadium, it was on the actual playing surface. This gave fans a rare opportunity to be on the field where their favorite players play every home game.

This year FanFest promised to be bigger and better than any previous year. The event was scheduled from 10 AM to 5 PM. Season ticket holders who printed out the coupon at the bottom of their electronic newsletter were allowed early entrance at 9 AM.

Subway was the signature sponsor for the event. They also offered fans an early entry opportunity by giving fans a coupon with the purchase of a sandwich meal during the week leading up to FanFest.

Besides myself, I also took my daughter and her fiancé as well as my youngest daughter and her Math book (a story I will explain later). We arrived at the stadium at 8:45 AM. The first pleasant surprise was free parking at the parking garage adjacent to Chase Field.

I had expected to have to pay for parking especially this close to the stadium. Kudos to the Diamondbacks for allowing fans to park for free. With that cost savings it gave me more money for the Diamondbacks Foundation Yard Sale.

As we walked to the Chase Field plaza I was surprised to see the number of people already in line waiting for the gates to open. Season Ticket Holder early entry was at Gate A on the other end of the plaza.

There was a fairly long line waiting for early entry. As we mingled in the crowd I learned that there were actually two early entry lines. One line was specifically for Season Ticket Holders while the other was for those who had gotten vouchers from Subway.

I applaud the Diamondbacks for separating these lines and allowing their Season Ticket Holders to enter first. Once inside the door they had set up a table where they were handing out vouchers for player autographs.

For the hour prior to general admission, Season Ticket Holders could get autographs from Luis Gonzalez, Dan Haren, and Miguel Montero with a voucher. We received vouchers for Dan Haren and Miguel Montero.

There was a lot of confusion around the voucher table the people working that area seemed a little flustered. It really wasn’t explained very well and we were left wondering where the autographs were being given.

A security guard pointed to right field and we went down there only to find out the autograph sessions for early entry were actually in the Picnic Pavilion. There was not a line for Miguel Montero but the Gonzalez and Haren lines wrapped around the concourse back to the entry door making it difficult to get around.

My daughter used her Montero voucher and received an autograph from him. By the way, Montero looks great. He has lost some weight and he is one of the nicest players I’ve met. Definitely a high character person and quite friendly to everyone he spoke to.

The Haren line was so insane that we finally gave up. I’m not sure whether all the people in line would be able to get an autograph before time expired.

We made our way down onto the playing field. Along the way we stopped at Section 132, Row 9, Seat 9 so I could show the kids our new seats. They were all excited at the sight lines for the new seats.

A member of Season Ticket Services came over immediately to answer any questions we might have. He was very nice and he too was impressed with the seat location. I invited him to sit with us during a game this season. Not sure whether he will take me up on that or not.

The public address announcer broadcast that the Diamondbacks would be holding tryouts for the Golden Gloves next week. My daughter suggested I should try out. A comment the Season Ticket Services representative thought was very funny. He may have lost his invitation after that.

The sad part was that I didn’t even catch the jab my daughter made. All I could think of was that being a Golden Glove for an inning was on my bucket list.

Once we got down onto the field we made our way to the dugout/clubhouse tour. This is definitely a must for anyone attending FanFest. It was great walking through the ballpark in these areas where few fans ever get to see.

The clubhouse was great. My kids were especially excited to see Clay Zavada’s locker although my youngest daughter freaked when she saw his jock hanging in the locker. She may never be able to look Clay Zavada in the eye again. Her embarrassment was a recurring joke throughout the day.

I was surprised to see that Adam LaRoche scored a corner locker which is usually reserved for the more senior members of the team. He is sitting next to Conor Jackson who looks like he has already moved in for the season.

My daughter Mallorie was impressed that Justin Upton has a Pyrex casserole dish in his locker. She firmly believes Upton cooked something and shared with his teammates. I sincerely hope Upton did not spend the off-season perfecting his taco dip recipe.

After a few pictures of the kids sitting in the Diamondbacks dugout we were back on the field soaking in all the activities going on. There were several inflatable toys in center field for the kids and from the excited squeals; these were big hits with the younger fans.

Near the pool area was the Diamondbacks Foundation Yard Sale. This is one of the things I most look forward to. It is an opportunity to get some of the giveaways from years past. It’s also a great way to do a little Valentine’s Day shopping.

Both of my daughters were looking for Diamondbacks backpacks. They are both over 12 so they miss out on the giveaways for kids. Unfortunately there were no backpacks for sale and they had to settle for getting a Diamondbacks T-shirt.

I scored a left-handed game used Diamondbacks batting helmet. My daughters warned me that mom would kill me when I got home. I quickly explained that the helmet was for mom for Valentine’s Day. What wife would not love a game used batting helmet?

Next to the yard sale the Diamondbacks held question and answer sessions with players, coaches, and front office staff. While we were there we heard from manager AJ Hinch, General Manager Josh Byrnes, and CEO/President Derrick Hall.

The Q&A sessions were well attended and the fans brought up quite a few very good questions putting the Diamondbacks staff on the spot for answers. I came away with the feeling that the fans have high expectations for the 2010 Diamondbacks and a sense of excitement for the new season.

I had hoped to find the Fox Sports Arizona booth and volunteer to be part of their interactive fans promotion. I didn’t run across that booth though so I missed my 15 minutes of fame.

The Mrs. Fields booth and the Pepsi booth were both very popular especially with their free samples. I also seemed to come home with a Qwest stress ball and a Frisbee.

Overall the FanFest was a great time and everyone I ran into had a smile on their face and can’t wait for April 2 when the Diamondbacks play the Chicago Cubs in an exhibition game, the first game at Chase Field for 2010.

The stores all seem to be busy with people running around doing a bit of last minute shopping before friends and family arrive for the festivities. With all of the depressing news that surrounds us every day, it is these jovial holiday preparations that help you forget all your troubles if only for one day.

Around our house we are frantically running about. Each person has a list of things that need to be done before the celebration begins. My wife Trina has her grocery list to pick up ingredients for our traditional holiday dinner.

I have secretly slid in a photo of the new Arizona Diamondbacks Batting Practice hat just in case she needed a last minute gift idea for her favorite Diamondbacks fan. I know, what can I say I am a subtle kind of guy.

The kids are finding it hard to go to school today. I would love to say that is because they are so excited about the holiday but I think they just don’t want to go to school. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.

This time of year is usually depressing, as the evil groundhog has seen his shadow putting a foreboding cloud over the country still trying to dig out from massive snowstorms. That’s what makes the Arizona Diamondbacks FanFest so important.

People need a holiday like this to remind them baseball is just around the corner. With tomorrow being the actual FanFest celebration at Chase Field from 10 AM to 5 PM, today has to be referred to as FanFest Eve.

I would imagine the celebration at our house is not a whole lot different than what occurs in every other Arizona Diamondbacks fan’s residence. The house is decorated with any and all Diamondbacks merchandise we’ve accumulated throughout the years.

Rather than a traditional FanFest tree, we choose to decorate a Sticks By Stan baseball bat. I wanted to wrap it in Sedona Red tinsel but when I got to the store last night they were completely sold out. I asked the cashier if they anticipated getting any more tinsel before the holiday.

It was weird; the kid just stared blankly at me as if I had just asked him to describe the infield fly rule. I swear I just don’t understand these kids today. I’m afraid I may have to resort to creating my own decorations.

Instead of tinsel I’ve decided to create garland out of Cracker Jacks. Well I’ll use the caramel popcorn; it’s too hard to thread the peanuts on a string. That’s kind of appropriate I guess since the song Take Me Out to the Ballgame refers to Cracker Jacks and the Diamondbacks did sign Jon Garland last season.

I’ll wrap the gifts and place them neatly under the bat so the children have something to open tomorrow morning. It is always so exciting to see their looks of anticipation when they see the bat all decorated. Ok maybe not anticipation but at least they have stopped talking about sending me to a “home”.

Tonight we’ll have our traditional dinner of hot dogs, nachos, and cotton candy. Afterwards I will gather the kids around the bat and tell them stories about the early days when FanFest was just a quiet holiday that commemorated the availability of single-game tickets going on sale.

We will then whisk the kids to bed. If they are anything like me they will find it hard to sleep tonight as they dream of inflatable toys, wiffle ball games, autograph stations, and of course the Diamondbacks garage sale.

Ah, there is nothing like the holiday season to brighten up your day. And to top it off I received an email from the Arizona Diamondbacks this morning. It is a FanFest Eve miracle.

The questions run the gambit from people complaining about the team changing colors three years ago to questioning every roster move that the team has made. Derrick takes each question and gives a sincere answer as best he can.

There are times where I want to pull the keys off my keyboard at some of the questions but he seems to take them in stride. I am way to passionate to be able to calmly reply like he does.

Usually there are a few questions that are well thought out and cause me to pay close attention as Hall provides an answer that gives the fans a look into what we might see at Chase Field with the team or the stadium.

Today was no exception. A loyal fan asked whether the Diamondbacks would be changing any of the concessionaires for the upcoming season. You wouldn’t think that would be a big deal but given the past track record; I learned to pay close attention when the subject of concessions comes up.

My daughter Whitney has been going to the games with me since she was five years old. Every time we went she would always ask for the same thing to eat at the ballpark. She wanted a Blimpie Turkey Sandwich.

Her answer was as consistent as sunshine in Arizona. She never deviated from her request no matter how many Blimpie Turkey Sandwiches she ate. During the 2008 season the Diamondbacks ended their relationship with Blimpie at the ballpark.

You would have thought the world was coming to an end the way Whitney spoke about the loss of her favorite eating establishment in the ballpark. She begged and pleaded with me to talk to Derrick Hall and ask him to bring back Blimpie.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I had absolutely no pull with the team. I mean I’m just a guy from Section 112. Clearly Whitney had not been paying attention at home otherwise she would have known just how little influence I wield.

After all, I’m usually the one sleeping on the couch because I just assumed it would be ok for me to bring home more Diamondbacks gear from the team shop. So the thought that I could change the mind of the Diamondbacks was clearly out of reach.

Like always, Derrick was polite and listened to my idiotic concerns and told me to tell Whitney that while they could not bring back Blimpie they were working to replace them with Subway. That news still did not sit well as Whitney explained the culinary differences between Blimpie and Subway. Since that time Whitney has boycotted Subway at the ballpark instead making chicken tenders and fries her new ballpark staple.

Over the past season and a half, my family has become huge fans of another vendor at the ballpark. Garcias and their Poco Chimis and mini-tacos get rave reviews. Trina is an especially huge fan of Garcias and recommends it to everyone going to the game.

So when Derrick Hall announced during his chat today that Garcias was being replaced at the ballpark with Macayo’s I felt a huge lump rise in my throat. It was one thing disappointing a little girl. I can deal with the tears and getting her some art supplies to ease her pain.

But telling my wife her favorite ballpark restaurant is no longer going to be there? This is not good. My wife is not a large woman. Although she is five foot nine inches, she weighs just a little over 100 pounds.

That being said, I once took a karate class with her and watched as she dropped a guy that weighed 240 pounds and come within an inch of pushing his nose into his brain. While I may wear the pants in our family I know for a fact she could shred me like the taco meat on her favorite Garcias dish.

I don’t mind telling you I am scared. I have absolutely no idea how to break the news to her without having her beating me to a Sedona Red pulp.

With this news today, I figure it will cost me double on Valentines Day in flowers and jewelry just to get her in a good enough mood not to freak out and beat me with the base I got from Chase Field last season. Sometimes being a Diamondbacks fan can be hazardous to my health.

In August 2009, Webb underwent what is described as “debridlement” on his shoulder to clean up some loose ends and strengthen the shoulder. Personally mine was a little more severe than that with doctors repairing a torn labrum, and bi-directional instability of the shoulder joint.

I went through several months of tedious rehabilitation with even the simplest of exercises such as moving a towel on a table seeming difficult. Each day where you have a good day and feel as though you are progressing is followed by a day where you seem to regress back two steps.

A positive attitude and following the letter and the spirit of the law as given by the trainers and medical staff is the only way you can deal with the mental rigors of getting back onto the field.

I remember marking on my calendar the day when I could actually start throwing a baseball again. It was a huge milestone in my road back to being able to play. That date was followed several weeks later with another milestone when I could actually throw a baseball off the mound.

Webb has gone through a similar process. His time to return is guided on the healing process which is equal parts physical and mental. In early November Webb began playing light toss and worked up to playing catch.

He was then shut down for a couple of months before returning to begin throwing again. Each time he has thrown he came away encouraged at how he felt.

Yesterday marked the second milestone in his recovery. Webb threw for the first time off an elevated mound. The throwing session was light and nowhere near the point where you could classify him as recovered.

His outlook remained positive as he threw trying to find the proper arm slot from the mound. I’m sure he was cautious and his mind probably lingered whether the arm would respond when throwing. That should be expected.

The true test will be tomorrow when Webb gets up to see how his arm feels. The Diamondbacks will undoubtedly take it very slow with Webb giving him extra time between sessions initially and easing his workload back to what would be normal.

Webb remains optimistic that he can be ready for the beginning of the 2010 season. The Arizona Diamondbacks and their fans are likewise anxious hoping Webb will return to his dominating self taking his place at the front of the Arizona rotation.

For the team to have success in the 2010 season, they will need a healthy Webb who can give them 20 to 30 starts throughout the year. Just the thought of that makes my surgically repaired arm hurt.

They had the sixth best record for an expansion team during their inaugural season and made the post season in just their second year. Of course no discussion of Diamondbacks history would be complete without mentioning the World Series championship in 2001. Still, the team is not nearly as storied as many of the franchises in Major League Baseball.

That being said, there have been a number of changes that have occurred over the past 12 years. The Diamondbacks have turned over quite a few players either via free agency or traded them making the term “former Diamondback” a much more recognizable term than perhaps many fans would care to admit.

With Spring Training less than two weeks away teams are beginning to finalizing their rosters before Grapefruit League and Cactus League play begins in early March. Like last year there are several players still on the market and more than a few have the moniker of “former Diamondback”. The number of these players have dwindled as several have found work over the past few weeks.

During his tenure with the Diamondbacks, Orlando Hudson brought stability to the infield and a clubhouse presence that the young team desperately needed. Last off-season the O-Dog found himself out of work late into the new year.

This was attributed to the wrist injury he suffered at the end of the 2008 season while with the Diamondbacks. Hudson ended up signing a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. By season’s end the Dodgers had benched Hudson going with Ronnie Belliard down the stretch and in the playoffs.

Hudson again found himself a free agent this season and again saw the market relatively light given his skills. He finally came to terms last week with the Minnesota Twins who negotiated a deal to bring Hudson’s slick defense and consistent bat to the new Target Field.

Pitcher Dana Eveland was part of the deal that brought starting pitcher Dan Haren to Arizona in exchange for several prospects to the Oakland Athletics. Eveland struggled in 2009 with the A’s and found himself traded to the Toronto Blue Jays where he will battle for a starting rotation position. Eveland was traded for cash considerations.

When manager Bob Melvin was let go last May there were many around the league that were shocked to see the former Manager of the Year dismissed. He bounced around a little consulting with several teams. Yesterday he was hired by the New York Mets to be a major league scout.

Last season the Diamondbacks surprised many by signing pitcher Jon Garland to a one year contract with an option for a second year. Garland was traded in mid-game to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trading deadline. He became a free agent after the season and just signed a deal with the San Diego Padres for the 2010 season.

The news was not complete good for all the “former Diamondbacks”. Pitcher Yusmeiro Petit who spent several seasons with the Diamondbacks in the minor league system as well as with the parent team was designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners when they signed free agent Erik Bedard to a one year deal.

I wish only the best of luck to these players and manager. Their time with the Diamondbacks is fondly remembered and hopefully they will find success except of course when they face the Diamondbacks.