Spring training is here. It feels like a honeymoon. Love is in the air, masking the scent of danger. It underscores one of the greatest challenges in professional sports.
The Diamondbacks are still glowing. Will it keep them from growing?
“In baseball, it’s hard to make the postseason,” said veteran Daniel Descalso. “It’s even harder to get back there the next year.”
The problem isn’t just competition, where the 2018 Diamondbacks must navigate a daunting division. It’s contentment. It’s the creeping malaise that accompanies perceived arrival. It’s human nature.
A team can get soft inside the cocoon, and the warning signs are everywhere, from fans who lined up at sunrise for Saturday’s Fan Fest at Salt River Fields to the way Archie Bradley’s beard has become a rallying cry for an entire region.