The Arizona Diamondbacks harbor no animosity towards their Los Angeles Dodgers rivals. They express no resentment or envy. While the Dodgers proudly proclaim themselves the “epicenter of the baseball universe,” the Diamondbacks remain unfazed by their assertive NL West bunkmates. Far from being intimidated or resentful, the Diamondbacks are determined to compete fiercely and refuse to be overshadowed.
This sentiment has trickled throughout the team — as it should. These are professional ballplayers on a Major League team. At the moment both squads are 0-0 with bright futures ahead of them. The Dodgers know this too. Mookie Betts said it best when asked about the possibility of repeating as World Series championships, a feat unaccomplished in nearly a quarter century.
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“We can’t keep thinking about being champions again,” Mookie Betts said. “We haven’t even played Game 1. We have to take care of spring training and then when Game 1 comes, then Game 1 comes. But we can’t keep talking about the World Series.
“We didn’t win last year because we were talking about the World Series every day. I think we won last year because we talked about the task at hand.”
But the Diamondbacks seem to have gotten out over their skis when thinking about matchups against the Dodgers, particularly in the playoffs.
Arizona Diamondbacks to Los Angeles Dodgers: “Every time we play those guys I feel like they can be beat”
“Every time we play those guys I feel like they can be beat,” Reliever Kevin Ginkel told USA Today. “They’re deep, but with the guys we have and our pedigree, just get us into the postseason, play those guys in a best-of-seven, and I’ll take our chances.”
The Arizona Diamondbacks could have easily conceded. However, they instead opted for a bold strategy, demonstrating their commitment to competing by signing ace Corbin Burnes to a franchise-record six-year, $210 million contract. This move elevates their payroll to a club-record $195 million. While still significantly less than the Dodgers’ colossal $389 million payroll, this investment signals the Diamondbacks’ intention to remain a competitive force in the National League.
But the mere fact that this team is focused on LA, the playoffs and unseating the champs proves they don’t have the pedigree, a fact all too clear to the Diamondbacks skipper.
“The Dodgers deserve all of that attention,’’ D-backs manager Torey Lovullo says. “They have an All-Star lineup, an All-Star rotation and an All-Star bullpen. A credit to them and the team they built. We have to play our game. I reinforced that.
“Hey, it’s our team, our way, our dugout, our situation. Let’s not be so concerned about what’s going on across the way.’’