The Arizona Diamondbacks are (still) fueled by the haters heading into World Series
ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s Friday Night Lights, Arizona Diamondbacks style.
You want to predict the Texas Rangers will walk over the Diamondbacks in the World Series? Bring it on.
You say you want to party in the Diamondbacks’ pool at Chase Field? Please, tell everyone you’re packing your goggles.
You want to tell the world you’ll retire if the Diamondbacks were to reach the World Series? Hey, there’s plenty of beautiful retirement communities throughout Phoenix.
You want to tweet that the Diamondbacks are done as soon as the crowd starts doing the wave? Well, the D-backs will be happily wave back to you in the World Series.
What next, chastise Phoenix's famous prickly pear margaritas or guacamole?
The Diamondbacks, who face the Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, have been motivated by all of the slights, rips, insults and disrespect this postseason.
They listened to folks say they never should have qualified for the postseason with 84 victories.
They listened to the pundits predicting they wouldn’t have a chance against Milwaukee in the NL wild-card round, the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series or the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS.
They read all about Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs saying the Phillies planned to party in their Chase Field pool when they clinched.
They watched talk-show host Chris “Mad Dog" Russo say he would immediately retire if they won their last two games in Philadelphia.
So, now, they’re reading everything they can, listening to the radio and just hoping that some Rangers player slips up and shows just the slightest amount of disrespect.
“We’ve embraced that undergo mentality," D-backs starter Merrill Kelly said. “It’s like, keep counting us out. Please, please, keep counting us out."
They are all professional athletes and the D-backs will tell you they don’t need outside noise to motivate them, but, man, they sure seem to be thriving on it.
“At the end of the day, we're all internally motivated," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “It's our job to come here, stay motivated and stay focused. I don't think we need extra.
“But when you get extra, it's like a glass of iced tea. Add a little bit of honey and lemon to it, it tastes perfect."
So even though Lovullo says he’s not on social media, he can’t avoid hearing it, and when it’s dropped in his lap, it’s on a bulletin board in his mind.
“We just put it on our list and keep those receipts," Lovullo says, “and walk around with a little bit more of a chip on our shoulder. It gives you a little bit more motivation. And when you can get a little bit more, you take it. …
“Hopefully people start to respect this ballclub. They better because we're here, and it's real."
'Being the underdog is not a bad thing'
The Rangers, who like the Diamondbacks are a wild-card team, and just like the Diamondbacks, were underdogs in each series, aren’t biting. Really, they think it’s kind of silly.
“We don’t listen to the outside noise that much," Rangers All-Star second baseman Marcus Semien said, laughing.
D-backs reliever Kyle Nelson talks about the Phillies’ fans taunting him and the rest of their pitchers in the bullpen, and even a hotel doorman flipping the team off on the bus leaving for Citizens Bank Park. D-backs outfielder Corbin Carroll said he was booed by five different people just walking around the block in downtown Philadelphia. Kelly said the verbal assaults were relentless when he warmed up in the bullpen.
And, oh, yes, there was that sixth-inning home run by Bryce Harper off D-backs ace Zac Gallen in the Phillies’ 6-1 victory in Game 5, they say, that really riled them up.
Harper’s homer landed 444 feet away into the right-center field stands at Chase Field, and when he rounded second base, seemed to stare at Phoenix Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker sitting in the stands. If you didn’t know better, you would have thought they were saying “Atta Boy, Harper," just like when Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia mocked him in the NL Division Series.
“When he was running the bases, he looked at them like he did Arcia," Perdomo told USA TODAY Sports. “I say, 'Why is this guy doing this?' I took it personal. That really got me motivated.
“Like, they were there to support us. So why do you have to look at those guys like that? They don’t play baseball, they play basketball. So that’s why I took it so personal, and said, “Hey, we got to win this for the city."
Maybe it's childish that the D-backs are using every slight as motivation. They are grown men, not pimple-faced kids on a high-school field. Is it really necessary?
Well, whatever you make of it, it sure is working.
“There’s been a lot of people who don’t believe in us," pitcher Ryne Nelson said, “It is what it is when you’re one of those low payroll teams that a lot of people think that other teams have been guys than you do. So, it’s just kind of how it’s been."
Yet, other teams apparently believe the D-backs have a better place to celebrate with their right-field pool, with Stubbs telling the Philadelphia Inquirer the entire team couldn’t wait to take a dip once they won the NLCS in Phoenix.
“That was not smart of Garrett to say something like that," D-backs closer Paul Sewald said, “until you know you’re going to be in there."
And, oh, did the D-backs ever hear about it.
“Little stuff like that is bulletin-board material," Ryne Nelson said. “It’s like, yeah, give us one more person to prove wrong and let’s just make us fight that much harder. It’s just high intensity, emotions. Sometimes that rolls over into interviews, and people get to use that as a little extra motivation."
You think?
“You know, being the underdog is not a bad thing," D-backs reliever Joe Mantiply says. “It really gives you something to prove. It kind of feels a little bit less pressure. You know what I mean? There's not as many press clippings to read so when you're the underdog, so it's been something that's fueling us for sure."
Hey, whatever works, right?
Michael Jordan never forgot the fact he was cut from his high-school basketball team.
Albert Pujols always carried a Hall of Fame sized-chip on his shoulder that he was a 13th-round draft pick.
Tom Brady loved proving everyone in the NFL wrong that he was the 199th player selected in the 2000 draft.
“I think any person or human really enjoys like proving somebody wrong, proving doubters wrong," Kyle Nelson said. “That’s the thing about this whole experience is that not as many people in our clubhouse and within our organization are as surprised as the rest of the world.
“We’ve had our ups and downs (a 7-25 stretch from July 2-Aug. 11), but it's an unflappable belief by everybody in the room."
The D-backs still can't help but overhear.
“Word spreads fast nowadays, especially with the internet," Kyle Nelson said. “Word gets around quick. But my opinion is, What’s the point of saying things like that? It seems extremely unnecessary. I can’t see why [Stubbs] would go out of his way and say that, but we get the last laugh.
“I don’t understand why people are even putting themselves in that position."
Yep, just like the D-backs get to forever taunt Russo, not only for severely doubting them, but reneging on his promise of retiring on the spot.
“A deal's a deal, you can't back out of that one, Mad Dog," Lovullo said.
'We earned this'
Well, at this juncture, we may have everyone outside the 602 area code apologizing for doubting the D-backs, forgetting those 2006 St. Louis Cardinals (83 victories) and the 1987 Minnesota Twins (85 victories) barely squeezed in and were having World Series parades when everyone else was home.
“No one is telling these people not to believe in us," Kyle Nelson said. “It almost became like the cool thing to do to count the Diamondbacks out. I don’t know why they decided to do that. We didn’t do anything personal to these guys. We’ve just been playing our game. So I don’t know why they decided to set their signs on us and say disrespectful things to us.
“In all reality, it’s like confusing at times. Why you guys have this issue with us? What’s the point?"
So, who can blame the D-backs for hoping they have something else to put on their bulletin board?
“We’re internally motivated to win the World Series for ourselves, obviously," Sewald says, “but it doesn’t hurt knowing you get to prove all these people wrong. And I think Torey taking offense to that has really shown us to take offense to that.
“It’s just a reminder that so many people counted us out. There’s only one game a day now, and we’re part of that game.
“So keep doubting us. It’s really worked. We appreciate it."
Now, for one last time, the D-backs are trying to prove everyone wrong – on baseball’s biggest stage.
“It very much is motivation, but not like a Rocky versus Apollo Creed," D-backs first baseman Christian Walker said. “What this presents an interesting opportunity to buy into ourselves that much more. We’re not here because we’re lucky. It’s not that the baseball gods were just on our side. We’re not tricking anybody. We’re not fleecing anybody. We’re showing up every day and we’re executing baseball the way we know how to execute it. We earned this.
“But it’s the nation’s narrative that we’re not supposed to be here. It’s like how do people keep coming up with that. We’re playing against the best teams in the world, and we’re winning. You can’t fake a seven-game series. You don’t just get lucky.
“We look around the clubhouse, no, no, we belong here."
They’ve got the next seven games to prove it.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Series 2023: Arizona Diamondbacks fueled by the haters
