The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks are the most talented club in franchise history, and they have the hardware to prove it. But in terms of sheer character and lovability, no D-backs team has told a better feel-good story than the 2007 NL West Champions.
Every good sports story starts with long odds, and the 2007 club certainly faced long odds. They won just 76 games the year prior, and they hadn’t posted a winning record since 2003. There was a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Baseball America ranked the D-backs’ farm system as third best in baseball entering the season.
The 2007 team went on to win 90 games, claim the NL West crown and beat the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS. To this day, they are the only MLB team since 2005 — and one of just two teams since 1997 — to win a playoff spot with a negative run differential.
As a team, the 2007 D-backs ranked 26th in runs scored, 29th in batting average and 24th in OPS. Their pitching was good, but not elite. The era of D-backs baseball following the departure of Randy Johnson and Luis Gonzalez was still faceless. In many ways, the 2007 team really wasn’t very good at all. But that only makes their accomplishments that much more impressive.
So, how did they do it? With a simple two-word formula, said backup first baseman Tony Clark: “Anybody, Anytime.” It became the D-backs’ catchphrase, and the team even used it in advertisements. They quickly became a feel-good story around the valley.
But a story is only as good at its characters, and the 2007 D-backs had several we’ll never forget.
- Eric Byrnes (OF)
Eric Byrnes’ almost outlandish max-effort style of play always kept fans smiling. He would slide into first base, do flips on throws from the outfield and charge into the fence to catch any flyball that warranted it. He was also just plain good, slashing .286/.353/.460 with 21 homers, 83 RBI and 50 stolen bases. Byrnes’ 2007 campaign was arguably the best season of his 11-year career.
- Orlando Hudson (2B)
Best known as “O-Dog,” Orlando Hudson was an all-around professional with an 80-grade smile and the best second base glove in the National League. The switch-hitter was at the top of his game in 2007, slashing .294/.376/.441 with 10 homers and 63 RBI. Hudson was the only D-backs position player selected to the All-Star Game. It was the first selection of his career, an incredible feat for a 43rd round draft pick out of college. He is now a player development coach with the D-backs.
- Micah Owings (SP)
Micah Owings was a decent pitcher in his rookie season, going 8-8 with a 4.30 ERA over 152.2 innings. But we’ll always remember his bat. Owings slashed .333/.349/.683 over 64 plate appearances in 2007 with four homers, 15 RBI and seven doubles. The best day of his career happened on Aug. 18, 2007, when he punched out seven Atlanta Braves hitters while hitting two homers himself and driving in six at the plate.
- Mark Reynolds (3B)
After he hit .306/.394/.537 over 37 games in Double-A, the D-backs called up 23-year-old Mark Reynolds on May 16, 2007. Reynolds went 2-for-3 with two RBI that day, and he proceeded to drive in 13 runs in his first 12 MLB games. That was just the beginning for the slugger, who just announced his retirement on Thursday after hitting 298 home runs over his 13-year career.
- Jose Valverde (Closer)
Jose Valverde, or “Papa Grande” as fans called him, was a wild card after a 2006 campaign that saw him post a 5.84 ERA. Nonetheless, the animated fireballer delivered in 2007, converting 47 saves with a 2.66 ERA. He was not without blemish, blowing seven saves and consistently raising the collective blood pressure of the fanbase. Still, he was an All-Star — and an integral part of the 2007 D-backs fan experience.
- Brandon Webb (SP)
If the “Anybody, Anytime” D-backs did have a superstar, his name was Brandon Webb. Webb never received the media attention he deserved, but he won the NL Cy Young award in 2006 and finished second in voting in 2007. He wasn’t a fireballer or a strikeout artist, but Webb’s filthy sinker helped him to an absurd 62% groundball rate. He also led the National League with 236.1 innings pitched. The highlight of Webb’s 2007 campaign occurred between July 20 and August 22, when Webb tossed 42 consecutive scoreless innings — including a streak of three straight complete game shutouts.
In reality, the 2007 D-backs really did have a superstar, but far too few people around the game actually knew his name.
- Chris Young (CF)
Although he made his debut the season prior, 23-year-old Chris Young still had rookie eligibility in 2007. Young wasn’t exactly an on-base machine with a .237 average and .295 OBP, but he did mash 32 home runs and steal 27 bases. He might have been Rookie of the Year material some years, but the competition of fellow National League rookies Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki and Hunter Pence buried him in the voting. Still, Young’s rare combination of power and speed made him an instant fan favorite.
I will stop there, but the list truly could go on with the 2007 D-backs. Everyday first baseman Conor Jackson walked more than he struck out at 24 years old. Top prospect Justin Upton made his MLB debut at 19 years old. Franchise legend Randy Johnson was back in the desert at the age of 43 — and yes, he was still good. Veteran five-foot-nine infielder Augie Ojeda was loved by all.
For a team that didn’t have a single player with an ERA+ above 109, the 2007 D-backs went incredibly far. The story they told together will never be forgotten, nor will the players that took them there.
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