ESPN: Keri: Give some credit to early architects of D-backs, Rays

Raw panic gripping the baseball world!...Joe Garagiola Jr. and Chuck LaMar sightings!

When Byrnes took over as the Diamondbacks’ general manager in October 2005, he inherited a team in bad shape. Arizona was coming off two straight losing seasons, including a 2004 team that posted the worst record in franchise history—and one of the worst in recent MLB history—at 51-111.

Backed by an aggressive ownership group led by Jerry Colangelo, GM Joe Garagiola Jr. was the team’s first GM and had whiffed on many personnel moves leading up to that point, including several big-ticket contracts larded with deferred compensation that plunged the team into debt. The front office had also misfired on a number of trades, dealing away veteran stars too early (Curt Schilling), shipping out top young talent before it ripened (Brad Penny) and acquiring past-their-prime former stars who were nearing the end of the road (Shawn Green).

...The list of names below shows that of the D-backs’ top 29 players who’ve seen time at the major league level or are on the disabled list awaiting return, 14 were drafted, traded for or otherwise acquired by Byrnes (15 if you count the new GM’s signing of Justin Upton after a long wait at the end of the previous regime). The list includes three-fifths of the starting rotation, three of the eight starting position players and a flurry of great talent snagged in December 2005, right after Byrnes’ hire. Those are impressive totals, given the new guy’s only been at it for two and a half years.

Still, save some acclaim for Garagiola, whose scouting and player development staff drafted and developed the two best players (year-to-date) on the current D-backs squad (Cy Young winner Brandon Webb and likely All-Star Conor Jackson), future MVP candidate Upton and several other key contributors.