Arizona Diamondbacks 3, San Diego Padres 0: Memory Lane

I could sit here and recap this game, but considering how challenging the last month has been for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and with tonight being the franchise’s 25th anniversary celebration, I say we change it up and share our favorite moments in team history. I don’t care how small or insignificant the moment may seem. It doesn’t have to be Gonzo’s game winning hit in the World Series. Heck, it could even have very little to do with the actual game itself but perhaps maybe a memory you made at the game with your friends and family. Lets hear it.

Before we get to the fun stuff, I suppose a brief synopsis is owed. Although it was difficult to find much enthusiasm considering the team was in the midst of a nine game losing streak, they did have Zac Gallen on the mound. Not only that, but 41,000 fans found their way into the stadium to take part of the 25th Anniversary celebration. Players from different eras of the team were present as fans took a stroll down memory lane.

Zac was about as spectacular as he has been for most of the season tonight. He pitched six innings of scoreless baseball giving up only four hits, one walk, while striking out eight San Diego Padres en route to a 3-0 victory. Tommy Pham had a pair of doubles driving in one run and scoring another on a Christian Walker two run home run in the bottom of the third. Miguel Castro, Kevin Ginkel, and Paul Sewald combined for a scoreless seventh, eighth, and ninth innings giving Arizona their first win in almost two weeks.

And now for the fun stuff... I’m going to throw a couple of my favorite team history moments and hope that you will as well. Some are specific to the team and always stand out in my mind, and one is more personal to me. As I said, it doesn’t have to be about a specific moment on the field and could instead be one of your favorite memories at a game.

Most heartwarming

This one will always be right there at the top of the list for me. Tony Womack had lost his father a few weeks prior to this unforgettable grand slam on Father’s Day. He was in the television broadcast booth tonight sharing a story about his professional dress attire with the team in 2001 although Bob Brenly gave the team a relaxed dress code. Tony shared that his father told him to always be a professional both on and off the field which is why he chose to still wear a three piece suit, and you could just tell by the way he spoke about him tonight that the two were very close. That was also evident 22 years ago in one of the most emotional moments in team history. Under no circumstances could Tony be considered a power hitter being that this was one of his only 36 career home runs. But on that day he honored his father and was visibly emotional as he walked back to the dugout.

My favorite family memory

This year was my first Opening Day as a father, and a very special moment for me to share with my daughter. My love for the game comes from childhood memories made with my own parents. I hope to create many more new memories with my daughter for as long as she will allow me to. Before this game, I had never come remotely close to catching a foul ball or home run at a game. Not even a few minutes after sitting down Josh Rojas smoked a foul ball into the diamond level that I was able to grab for my daughter. Even though she won’t remember it, this will be something that I can share with her for the rest of my life.

Loudest game I was present for

I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend any of the World Series games. Although this wasn’t the first playoff game I had attended, I definitely remember these two moments easily being the loudest. I was down the right field line with my family and could feel the stadium shake after these two hits. If you ever needed an argument against the designated hitter in the National League, Archie Bradley’s triple should probably be exhibit number one.

Dramatic comeback

A ten inning game clocking in at 3 hours and 47 minutes? Ooof. I remember my family losing interest after a disastrous top of the tenth that saw the Los Angeles Dodgers take a commanding 6-1 lead. Mind you, this was before the automatic runner rule in extra innings, so the D’backs odds being down 5 runs with 2 outs was slim to none. My family started to leave the living room to head towards their bedrooms as it got closer to midnight, but me being the masochist that I am was committed to seeing this one through. When you ask me about greatest comebacks in franchise history, this will always be at the top of my list.

Those are just a handful of my most favorite memories of this frustrating to love franchise. Given a few more days to think this one through I could easily stretch this much further, but I want to give you a chance to share some of your favorite core moments involving the D’backs. Thanks for reading.