History of the Arizona Diamondbacks facts for kids

The Arizona Diamondbacks, often called the D-Backs, are a professional baseball team from Phoenix, Arizona. They started playing in 1998. Their home stadium is Chase Field, which used to be called Bank One Ballpark. The Diamondbacks quickly won the World Series in 2001. This made them the fastest new team in Major League Baseball to win a championship, achieving it in only their fourth season! Later, the team faced money problems, and their stadium name changed in 2005. After some tough years, they won their division, the National League West, in 2011.

How the Team Started

Baseball's Roots in Arizona (1940s-1990s)

Baseball was popular in Arizona long before the Diamondbacks arrived. The state has been a place for teams to train in the spring since 1946. Many people moved to Arizona from other parts of the United States, so teams like the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants had many fans there. By the 1980s, Phoenix had grown a lot, becoming a very large city. It was clear that Phoenix would eventually get its own major league baseball team.

One of the first people to try and bring a team to Phoenix was Martin Stone, who owned the local minor league team, the Phoenix Firebirds. He even talked about building a big stadium with a dome. A dome was important because Phoenix is one of the hottest major cities in North America. Summer game temperatures can be very high! However, plans for the stadium didn't work out at first.

Jerry Colangelo and the Diamondbacks Name

In 1993, Jerry Colangelo, who owned the Phoenix Suns basketball team, decided to put together a group to get a Major League Baseball team for Arizona. His group was so sure they would get a team that they held a contest to name it!

The winning name was "Diamondbacks." This name comes from the Western diamondback, a type of rattlesnake found in Arizona. These snakes are known for their powerful bite. The other name ideas included Coyotes, Phoenix, Rattlers, and Scorpions.

Building the Team and Stadium

Jerry Colangelo's plan got a lot of support. They also planned a new stadium with a roof that could open and close. This stadium, called Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field), was built in downtown Phoenix.

On March 9, 1995, Colangelo's group was officially given a new team to start playing in the 1998 season. Another new team, the Devil Rays, was also created at the same time. The Diamondbacks were originally going to join the American League, but because some teams had concerns, the Diamondbacks joined the National League instead.

The team's first colors were Arizona turquoise, copper, black, and purple. Turquoise is a stone found in Arizona, and copper is a metal produced there. Purple was chosen because it was a popular color for Phoenix sports fans. The team's "A" logo and colors were designed by a local company.

In the beginning, the Diamondbacks were part of the same company as the Phoenix Suns. Even some Suns players, like Kevin Johnson and Danny Ainge, helped show off the first Diamondbacks uniforms. These uniforms were quickly sold to fans.

Colangelo wanted the team to be popular all over Arizona, not just in Phoenix. That's why he named them the "Arizona Diamondbacks" instead of the "Phoenix Diamondbacks." They even started special bus trips called the "D-backs Express" for fans from Tucson to come to games. They also have a "Hometown Tour" where players visit different towns across Arizona.

Before their first game, Colangelo hired Buck Showalter to be the team's first manager. The Diamondbacks' minor league teams started playing in 1996, and the main team picked its first players in a special draft in 1997.

Early Success and a World Series Win (1998–2002)

First Games and Quick Wins

The Diamondbacks played their very first game on March 31, 1998, against the Colorado Rockies at Bank One Ballpark. The stadium was completely full with over 50,000 fans! The Rockies won that first game, but the Diamondbacks quickly showed they were a strong team.

In just their second season, 1999, Arizona won 100 games and took home the NL West title. They made it to the playoffs but lost to the New York Mets. After the 2000 season, the team got a new manager, Bob Brenly.

The 2001 World Series Championship

The 2001 season was amazing! The team had two incredible pitchers: Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. They were two of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

The Diamondbacks won their playoff series against the St. Louis Cardinals and then the Atlanta Braves. This sent them to the World Series to play against the New York Yankees. The Yankees had won the championship three times in a row!

In a very exciting series, the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees 4-3. This made them the youngest new team to win the World Series, doing it in only their fourth season! It was the first major sports championship for Arizona. Over 300,000 fans celebrated at the victory parade in downtown Phoenix.

In 2002, the team continued its success, winning another NL West title. Randy Johnson won his fourth straight Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs that year.

Changes and Challenges (2003–2010)

Financial Troubles and New Ownership

After their big win, the Diamondbacks faced financial problems. To build a winning team quickly, Jerry Colangelo had signed players to very expensive contracts. By 2004, the team owed a lot of money. They had to trade star players like Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson to try and fix things.

In 2004, just three years after winning the World Series, the Diamondbacks had a very tough season. They finished with a terrible record of 51 wins and 111 losses, one of the worst in baseball history. Even with this, Randy Johnson pitched a perfect game that season, which is very rare!

Jerry Colangelo stepped down as the team's main owner in 2004. A new group of investors, led by Ken Kendrick, took over. They hired Jeff Moorad as the team's CEO.

After the 2004 season, the team tried to rebuild by signing new players. They also got Randy Johnson back in a trade in 2007.

New Look and Playoff Return (2007)

In 2007, the Diamondbacks completely changed their uniforms and team colors. They switched from the original purple, copper, and turquoise to a reddish color called "Sedona Red." This color is similar to other Arizona sports teams. The team also officially started using the shorter nickname "D-Backs" on their uniforms.

Even with many changes to the team, the 2007 Diamondbacks had a great season. They had a young team and surprised everyone by winning the most games in the National League, with 90 wins and 72 losses. They won the NL West title and made it to the playoffs.

In the playoffs, they swept the Chicago Cubs in the first round. However, they then faced the Colorado Rockies, who were playing incredibly well, and the Rockies swept the Diamondbacks in four games.

Ups and Downs (2008–2010)

The 2008 season started strong, with the team having one of the best records in baseball early on. But they struggled later in the season and finished in second place.

In 2009, Jeff Moorad left the team, and Ken Kendrick became the main public face of the ownership. The team also changed managers, hiring A. J. Hinch. The 2009 Diamondbacks finished in last place. The 2010 season was also difficult, with the team finishing with a very poor record. The general manager and manager were both fired, and Kirk Gibson became the new manager.

A New Era of Success (2011–Present)

Winning the Division Again (2011)

Many people thought the 2011 season would be another tough one, but the Diamondbacks surprised everyone! Under manager Kirk Gibson, the team played very well. They had strong starting pitchers like Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson, and a much-improved bullpen.

The team also opened a new spring training facility called Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, which they share with the Colorado Rockies. Chase Field also hosted the 2011 All-Star Game that year.

The Diamondbacks played incredibly well after the All-Star break. On September 23, they beat the San Francisco Giants to win the National League West division title! They finished the season with 94 wins, a huge improvement from the year before. In the playoffs, they faced the Milwaukee Brewers but lost in a very close five-game series.

More Seasons and Changes (2012–2016)

The 2012 season was not as successful. However, Aaron Hill made history by hitting two "cycles" (a single, double, triple, and home run in one game) in just two weeks! This was a very rare achievement.

The 2013 Diamondbacks finished second in their division. But in 2014, the team had the worst record in Major League Baseball. Both the general manager and manager were fired again. Chip Hale became the new manager.

The 2015 D-backs improved under Chip Hale. In the off-season, they made a big move by signing star pitcher Zack Greinke to a very large contract. However, in 2016, the team had another losing season. After this, the general manager and manager were fired once more.

Playoffs and Recent Seasons (2017–Present)

The 2017 season was a big turnaround! The team won 93 games and made it to the playoffs as a wild card team. They won an exciting game against the Colorado Rockies but were then swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the next round.

In 2018, the team had another winning season but didn't make the playoffs. In 2019, they traded Zack Greinke but still finished strong in second place. The 2020 and 2021 seasons were very tough for the Diamondbacks. In 2021, they had a franchise record of 17 losses in a row and finished with one of the worst records in baseball.

However, in 2023, the Diamondbacks had a winning season again! They won 84 games and earned a spot in the playoffs as a wild card team. Rookie player Corbin Carroll made history by being the first player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season.

In the 2023 playoffs, the Diamondbacks surprised everyone. They beat the Milwaukee Brewers and then swept the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2007. They then beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 7 games to win the National League Pennant! This meant they went to the World Series, but they ultimately lost to the Texas Rangers.

Images for kids

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  Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in April 2005

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  Randy Johnson pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks

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  Kirk Gibson managed the 2011 NL West Champion Diamondbacks

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  Chase Field hosted games 3, 4, and 5 of the 2023 World Series