It’s a long ways from Bristol, Connecticut to Phoenix, Arizona, 2517 miles to be exact.
It’s a trip new Diamondbacks broadcaster Steve Berthiaume will make Thursday as he relocates from the chill of the northeast to the mild winters of the southwest.
A self-proclaimed “seam head” he’s kept close tabs on this week’s Major League Baseball winter meetings and even closer eye on some of the Dbacks moves over the past couple days in Nashville.
Wednesday the club announced the signing of veteran infielder Eric Chavez who hit .281 with 16 homers and 37 runs batted in for the Yankees. Known as an excellent fielder (six Gold Gloves), he’s expected to platoon with Chris Johnson who was brought over in a late season trade with the Houston Astros. Chavez’s one-year deal is worth a reported $3 million.
“I love the Chavez [move],” Berthiaume told Pros2Preps Wednesday on ‘Big Guy on Sports.’ “A terrific defensive third baseman. Kevin Towers has been on record…the priority here is veteran, experienced bench depth. Guys that can you major league at-bats late in games.”
He said, although the Snakes haven’t made any “sexy moves” at the meetings, adding key depth to roster is critical to a team’s overall long-term success through the course of a season. The Justin Upton rumors to this point are just that, rumors.
Berthiaume said he doesn’t enjoy the “downtime” of the off-season and is grateful how he has been treated since he was officially hired in mid-October.
“I’m ready to go,” he explained. “Everybody with the Diamondbacks organization and the media [in Phoenix] has been so welcoming and so inclusive and so fantastic….we love the vibe there. We can’t wait to get started.”
He spent 12 years at ESPN as a Baseball Tonight host and SportsCenter anchor.
Eric Sorenson
