Davis has been compared by some to Jim Sundberg, which is a fair comparison. Like Sundberg, Davis s defense is strong enough to keep him in the lineup, but it s his offensive contribution that will determine whether he s valuable or merely adequate. It s that he did it in a batting cage known as Mavericks Stadium. On the road, Penny put up a 1.38 ERA and gave up just one home run all year. Acquired by the Marlins as part of the Jerry Colangelo Charity Program, he went to the more-friendly altitude of Portland and struck out 35, walked 14 and allowed just 28 hits in 32 innings.
Penny serves as an illustration of what can happen to even the best of pitchers from the low minors.
It was completely natural, but was worrisome enough that the Diamondbacks pushed the panic button. Branyan may have even more power than Jim Thome. He missed most of last year with a wrist injury, but still hit 16 homers in just 43 games. Like Thome, there were early concerns that he d never play third at the major league level, and like Thome, he s improved in the field as he got more experience. Despite a .208 batting average, he managed a respectable 773 OPS on the strength of 30 homers and 52 walks.