Three Dot Thoughts – Arming the D-Backs, Bellinger a bat to consider, Central wronged, Arizona hoops v Duke, more…

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Corbin Burnes. Two pitchers that I’d like to see the Diamondbacks pursue as the offseason begins this week with the General Managers Meetings in Scottsdale.  

Yamamoto, pitched a  complete game(on 138 pitches), striking out 14 in Game 6 of the Japan Series. He’s going to come to America this offseason as a free agent. The price will be a factor, but when we all look back on the franchise coming up one starter short in the postseason rotation, it’s very clear that the 25-year-old Yamamoto should be atop the shopping list. 

Burnes is coming into the final year of his contract with Milwaukee. He won the Cy Young Award in 2021. He has a home in Scottsdale.  Burnes is the top-of-the-rotation arm to add this offseason via trade. I’ve visited with Burnes the last couple of years at the WM Open, where he played in the Pro-Am. He loves it here in Arizona. 

Nothing wrong with picking up the phone and checking in on Eduardo Rodriguez, who opted out of his contract with Detroit. A left-handed starting pitcher who won 13 -games with the Tigers last season.  Yep, check in on him…

What about Cody Bellinger and the Diamondbacks?  Bellinger declined a  $25 million, one-year option with the Cubs on Saturday. He can play outfield and first base. He hit .307 with 26 homers and 97RBI’s.  There’s no question that the D-Backs need another big bat in the lineup. Bellinger is only a year removed from a dreadful run with the Dodgers. Is he back? Does this franchise need to spend more on a bat than pitching? I’d rather go for Yamamoto than Bellinger if I can’t have both. This would fall under what Ken Kendrick would want to spend…

Central High School football went 8-2 and missed the playoffs. They played the schedule that was assigned to them by the AIA. If the Bobcats had won Friday night over Camelback, they would’ve gone 9-1 and been left out of the 5A playoffs because the AIA computer had them 17th(only the top 16 go to the playoffs). Two weeks ago, Central won by 48 points and dropped 3 spots. A week ago, the Bobcats won by 20 and dropped a spot. A Phoenix Union School SHOULD NOT be punished because the AIA assigned them who they played(Central gave Mountain Pointe a solid game).  Central is the only 8-2 school that missed the playoffs, and there was no school with a 7-3 record that was left out of postseason play.  It is not right on any level for the kids and coaches competing at an inner-city school. Don’t give me the “Well, it’s the region they play in, too bad”. 

Chandler Hovik is the head coach at Central. He’s led the Bobcats to back-to-back Region titles for the first time since the 1970’s. In 2022, He won the National Football Foundation Coach of the Year(The Frank Kush Award). He’s won 17 games in the last two years. He’s a program builder with an outstanding football mind. I won’t be surprised when he gets snatched up elsewhere(high school or college)…

The Open Division for high school football has outlived its purpose. Time for a 7A. No bye week for the Open teams. Losers of the first weekend of the Open drop down into the 6A or 5A brackets, which would have a bye week the week that the Open starts. It is not that hard to implement, other than the annual excuses about lack of officials, too many games for players, etc, etc, etc, etc…

I’ve seen every team in this year’s Open in person except for Centennial. I would not be surprised by any team winning it, but Liberty is the most complete team I’ve watched from the sideline…

No Devin Booker, No Bradley Beal, no worries. Get back to me around March 20th of 2024, and then I’ll care…

Former Perry basketball star Dylan Anderson will redshirt this season for the Arizona Wildcats. It doesn’t matter how skilled or talented you are in high school; the jump to the next level isn’t for the faint of heart…

The Final Four will roll into the Valley next April. With that in mind, I will try to drop in games of interest each week that fans of hoop should be aware of. This coming week is a dandy.

Arizona at Duke this Friday- Duke center Kyle Filipowski was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2022. Caleb Love, who came to Tucson from North Carolina, going back to Tobacco Road. Intense early season matchup. 

Arizona State v Mississippi State in Chicago on Wednesday-Bobby Hurley has handed out the “Hello My Name Is” tags to his team. I believe that his squad will be playing meaningful games in mid-March. He has a way of bringing groups together…

Grand Canyon hosts Northern Arizona next Sunday. The Lumberjacks made it to the Big Sky Title Game in Boise last March. GCU is much deeper than the team that walked off the court losing to Gonzaga in Denver in the NCAA’s…

Proud of Brandy Aguilar and Jordan Spurgeon from our team, being nominated for an Emmy for their documentary, ALS to Ashes…