Valley Sports

This is a headline on azdiamondbacks.com: Upton needs help from D-Backs fans.
The story details how Upton ranks 15th in voting among National League outfielders despite his impressive offensive numbers.
Normally, I wouldn’t make note of such a story. But given that it was posted a day after Upton committed an error against the Los Angeles Angels then, in response to being booed, faked throwing a ball into the stands, I can’t imagine it’s being received very well.

Many Arizona State fans remember Jason Urquidez, the right-hander who put up two impressive years with the Sun Devils and helped the team to a third place finish at the College World Series in 2005.

He was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 17th round that year.

While his name isn’t brought up when there is talk of Arizona’s top prospects, Urquidez continues to perfom.

He had surgery on his arm following the 2005 season and missed all of 2006, but has quietly been working his way through the minor league ranks ever since.

In his minor league career, Urquidez is 10-5 with a 2.63 ERA, nearly all in relief. He went 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA in 12 games this year at Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A Reno. In his time there, Urquidez is 2-1 with a 2.30 ERA.

He won’t blow away hitters with an overpowering fastball, but Urquidez is walking just 1.1 batters per nine innings and striking out a respectable 7.5 batters per nine in Reno.

He doesn’t have plus-stuff, so he might not be a longterm answer for the Diamondbacks in the bullpen, but it would be nice to see Urquidez get a shot.

The day-after hangover from Thursday night’s NBA draft still lingers, and, in the case of the Suns, may linger for days to come.

In the wake of Shaquille O’Neal being traded, the Suns  took Earl Clark with the 14th pick out of Rick Pitino’s Louisville program, which means in the immediate future he’s raw for the NBA level, athletic and can - or, at least, willing - to play defense.

None of that was of much interest. We were  much more fascinated with rumors flying about Amare Stoudemire possibly going to Golden State for Andris Biedrins, Stephen Curry (the Warriors No. 7 pick) and perhaps Brandan Wright.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr acknowledged they received several phone calls about Amare, Leandro Barbosa and Robin Lopez (Really? Robin Lopez?) but, post-Shaq, denied anyone on the roster was being shopped.

Of course that’s a crock, unless you believe the jubilation from the Suns draft room after Minnesota took Jonny Flynn at No. 6 was because of some fairy tale not involving the Warriors getting Curry.  The Suns have nothing to gain by publicly acknowledging or discussing such proposals, so they should keep quiet.

But as history suggests, it’s a cliche for a reason: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

If I’m Steve Kerr, I pull the trigger.

Regardless, we probably won’t know the outcome of this latest rumor until the first week in July, but at this point even that is a wild card for two reasons.

First, Golden State is giving up a lot, especially since they like Curry and figured he wouldn’t be around at No. 7, even though Curry is rumored to be less than thrilled about being a Warrior  (I wouldn’t want to live in Oakland either, but why wouldn’t Curry want to play for Don Nelson’s track-meet team?).

Secondly, while Amare would fit nicely into the Warriors with his size, quickness and athleticism (not to mention a no-defense-required style), would the Warriors take on Amare’s contract this season in the wake of his eye surugery/recovery, and give him a maximum contract extension he’ll demand after next season when he can opt out and become a free agent?  If the Warriors think they’d lose him to free agency after next season, there’s no chance they make a deal.

The Suns have no chance to make a championship run in the West given their current roster. If they’re not going to give Amare a maximum contract extension, the earlier they can trade him, the more pieces figure to come in return so they can start over.

On vacation in San Diego, but felt compelled to weigh in on the Shaquille O’Neal trade:
Well, Suns’ fans, do you still think that Shawn Marion-O’Neal trade was a good move?
Without saying so, the Suns admitted they made a colossal mistake in acquiring O’Neal when they traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday for, well, nothing.
Phoenix was so desperate for the cap relief it would receive in dumping O’Neal’s $20 million contract that willingly was robbed at gunpoint in the trade with Cleveland.
Ben Wallace? Sasha Pavlovic? A second-round pick and $500,000 in cash?
That’s it?
I’m surprised the Suns didn’t toss Steve Nash into the deal as well.
Look, I’ve said all along that I thought O’Neal needed to go. He and Nash could not be on the floor together defensively because they were helpless against the pick-and-roll. But are you telling me the Suns couldn’t get anything in value for O’Neal? The guy was an All-Star last year; it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t one team willing to give up a player could help Phoenix.
But that tells you how badly the Suns wanted to get O’Neal’s salary off the books.
So what do we make of the O’Neal “era” now that it’s over?
Well, he was entertaining, and he proved he still has some game left in him. But here’s the bottom line: When the Suns traded Marion, they were coming off a 60-win season and had the best record in the Western Conference.
With O’Neal, they won one playoff game.
One.
Yeah, that worked.

In another court hearing which draws more headlines than any transaction or game in years, U.S. Bankruptcy Court moved up the date for prospective local buyers of the Coyotes to Aug. 5.

It sounds like a potential life raft for the Coyotes, but this boat is sinking.

Judge Redfield T. Baum made it clear that hockey fans were going to have to help this cause by lapping up tickets and spending money to help a woefully sunken franchise.  It’s a nice sentiment, if only fans had been given any reason to drive an hour across town in rush hour and fork over scarce dollars to watch an inferior product.

But most don’t, and even if a local mogul or Jerry Reinsdorf comes swooning in and buys the franchise, the money will continue to freefall. A franchise in limbo doesn’t attract free agents (neither would their salary requests for a team financially sunken in the red).

The Coyotes aren’t on the cusp of a significant playoff run, are hemorraging money, and beyond a miniscule, passionate group of fans, haven’t been of Joe Fan’s interest regardless of the economy.

Jim Balsillie offered $213 million to move the team to Ontario. Given the state of the franchise and local NHL interest, I can’t imagine Reinsdorf or any other local ownership group would match that figure.  And even if someone(s) does keep the team here beyond the 2009-2010 season, how long until that group is tired of bleeding their bank accounts dry, and we’re back in courtrooms?

The NHL has been too stubborn to acknowledge defeat in the desert. That’s an odd thought for a league with $213 million in-waiting while it continues to be an afterthought in all but a hand’s worth of “hockey town” markets.

Should Balsillie’s original offer remain when relocation owners make a bid September 10, it would move the team into a hockey haven.

A league desperate for dollars would be wise to let outsiders enter, take the money and run.

Slam Magazine has just listed its top 50 basketball players of all time, and Shaquille O’Neal comes in fourth, ahead of, among others, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson.
Sorry, but as great as O’Neal has been, he’s far too high on the list. Top 10, probably. But No. 4? No way.

Here’s the list:

1 - Michael Jordan
2 - Wilt Chamberlain
3 - Bill Russell
4 - Shaquille O’Neal
5 - Oscar Robertson
6 - Magic Johnson
7 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar
8 - Tim Duncan
9 - Larry Bird
10 - Jerry West
11 - Elgin Baylor
12 - Kobe Bryant
13 - Hakeem Olajuwon
14 - Bob Pettit
15 - Julius Erving
16 - Moses Malone
17 - John Havlicek
18 - Karl Malone
19 - Isiah Thomas
20 - Charles Barkley
21 - Rick Barry
22 - John Stockton
23 - Elvin Hayes
24 - Bob Cousy
25 - David Robinson
26 - Kevin McHale
27 - Scottie Pippen
28 - Jason Kidd
29 - George Mikan
30 - Kevin Garnett
31 - Willis Reed
32 - Wes Unseld
33 - Nate Thurmond
34 - Dolph Schayes
35 - Walt Frazier
36 - Patrick Ewing
37 - Jerry Lucas
38 - Gary Payton
39 - Allen Iverson
40 - Billy Cunningham
41 - Clyde Drexler
42 - LeBron James
43 - Dominique Wilkins
44 - Dave Cowens
45 - George Gervin
46 - Bob McAdoo
47 - Earl Monroe
48 - Dennis Rodman
49 - Walt Bellamy
50 - Steve Nash

The news that Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003 – and possibly lied to Congress – got me thinking about former Diamondbacks third baseman Matt Williams.
You might remember that in November of 2007, a story surfaced saying Williams had bought $11,600 worth of steroids, growth hormone (HGH) and other drugs on March 9, 2002, almost two weeks after he suffered a dislocated left ankle and a broken left fibula during spring training.
Williams declined to talk to reporters but told KTVK, Ch. 3, “Do I regret it? I tried to heal. It had adverse effects and I didn’t like it. I quit. Who was responsible? I was. I could have said no, but I didn’t.”
And that was that.
Except, it was also reported that Williams placed three more orders totaling about $11,000 for additional growth hormone and syringes in 2004 and 2005.
So he didn’t exactly quit when he said he did.
The Diamondbacks continue to employ Williams as a special assistant to team president Derrick Hall, his job responsibilities everything from teaching Mark Reynolds how to play third base to broadcasting games.
At the time, I said I wished Williams would have come clean with the media rather than conduct a quick, softball interview with Ch. 3, which employed his wife. I believed the public would have forgiven him and been appreciative that he was honest and forthcoming, as opposed to the excuses and lies we hear from players like Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez.
Williams has a second chance today. He could be the first major league player to not only openly and honestly address his use of performance enhancing drugs, but to use that position as a platform against such substances.
Imagine the good Williams could do if spoke to high school athletes across the Valley. Kids are numb to media outrage over steroid use, but they would listen to Williams. If he convinced one teenager to stay away from steroids, then any discomfort he experienced by talking about his past would be worth it.
I’m urging you, Matt. Be honest. Speak out. The game needs your voice.

Like millions of other duffers across the country, I am transfixed by Tiger Woods. If he’s in a tournament, I’m watching it. And if he’s on the leaderboard on Sunday, well, the kids and the chores will have to wait.
I’ll be honest: I openly root for Woods to win. I know it’s like cheering for Microsoft, but I can’t help myself. I’m simply in awe of what he’s done.
That said, I’ll be pulling for Phil Mickelson this week in the U.S. Open. I’ve had the chance to get to know Mickelson and his wife, Amy. I can’t say they’re friends, but every time I’ve talked to Amy, she’s been nothing but gracious.
And as a married man myself, I can’t imagine what Mickelson is going through, knowing Amy will have surgery for breast cancer on July 1. If it was my wife, I’m not sure I could concentrate at my job at all, yet Mickelson is at Bethpage Black, hoping to bring the trophy home.
I don’t know if Mickelson will be able to hold himself together, but I’d love to see him walk down the 18th fairway Sunday with victory in hand, the New York crowds at Bethpage wildly cheering his every step.

The NHL got what it wanted Monday: Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie out of its hair.
The 21-page ruling by bankruptcy judge Redfield Baum prohibits Balsillie from purchasing the club from Jerry Moyes and moving it to Hamilton, Ontario without the NHL’s consent.
It’s a clear victory for the league, the city of Glendale and Coyotes fans, and it all but assures the Coyotes will play their games at Jobing.com Arena next season.
But don’t be fooled into thinking Baum’s ruling guarantees the Coyotes will be a Glendale resident for years to come.
An auction for the club will be held later this month; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said four parties have expressed interest in purchasing the Coyotes.
But, at a hearing last week, league attorney Tony Clark said that if the NHL can’t find a buyer who wants to keep the team in Glendale, it would then hold another auction with the intent of moving the club after the 2009-2010 season.
The question now is whether Bettman’s “interested parties” are 1) truly interested in buying the club; and 2) want to keep it in Glendale. It’s already been suggested that three of the parties will play one season in Glendale then apply for relocation, whether to Las Vegas or Toronto.
Complicating matters is the Goldwater Institute threatening a lawsuit if the city of Glendale offers subsidies worth $15 million per year to a potential buyer. Without those subsidies, it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to purchase the Coyotes and lose up to $30 million per year.
In other words, stay tuned. This drama is far from over.

While the Diamondbacks continue to flounder all around him, Mark Reynolds is having a productive year.

Here are his numbers following Sunday’s game: .281 average, 17 home runs and 45 RBIs with 42 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. He has 31 walks, giving him an on-base percentage of .371, and an OPS (on-base-plus-slugging-percentage) of .947, both impressive numbers.

Are there are still holes in his game? Sure. He still strikes out a bunch and is a defensive liability.

These numbers also come following a hot streak, which has his batting average at its highest point since April 22.

Still, the consistency Reynolds has shown bodes well.

His run-producing numbers have always been there, but his ability to hit situationally and for average were concerns. Last season, Reynolds would go through tremendous hot streaks, and then cool considerably for weeks.

This year, he’s still been able to get hot, but battle enough to stay away from prolonged slumps.

In 152 games last year, Reynolds went hitless in 52 games, or 34 percent of the time. He went hitless in three consecutive games on four occasions.

In 62 games this year, Reynolds has gone hitless in 16 of them, or 26 percent of the time. He hasn’t had a stretch of three games without a hit, and has gone hitless in back-to-back games just twice.

Reynolds probably won’t ever hit .300, but if he can hit .260-.270 and knock in runs, the front office will be plenty pleased.

And with the season practically over, A.J. Hinch should give him a try at second base. Reynolds might not have as much range as a typical second baseman, but if he can do a serviceable job, his offense more than makes up for it.

Felipe Lopez is clearly a stopgap, and the Diamondbacks will go into next season needing a player at that position. It wouldn’t hurt to give Reynolds a try.