Diamondbacks Move In To New Digs

Even the players were gazing at the new name tags above their lockers as the Arizona Diamondbacks opened their first spring training camp Saturday.

Manager Buck Showalter was back in uniform after nearly 2-1/2 years without a team to run. Team owner Jerry Colangelo joined eager fans and University of Arizona football coach Dick Tomey as 34 pitchers and six catchers had the expansion team’s first workout.

“We’ve had time to build the organization and do it the right way,” Colangelo said. “Now we get to the fun part. We have some players signed, and they’re getting in shape and ready to go, and I want to see some baseball.”

Showalter, the former New York Yankees manager, arrived in Tucson last week. Soon after, he began to bombard headquarters with requests for snake’s-head logos at the training center, which is across a highway from Tucson Electric Park where the Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox will play home games.

Colangelo approved the expense - one ticket to a regular-season game in Phoenix for every new painting.

Showalter said he wanted to remind the players about their new organization. Most came through the expansion draft, and others were signed as free agents.

“He made it clear that this is a new organization, and this is what we are now,” right-hander Willie Blair said.

Blair, expected to be No. 2 in the rotation behind Andy Benes, is with his third team in three years.

“Sure I would have liked to be with one team for a while, but it’s also been fun to be able to meet different people. In some ways, I feel like that’s been a blessing,” he said.