Best Slugger 2014 | Paul Goldschmidt | Sports & Recreation | Phoenix
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Best Slugger

Paul Goldschmidt

Paul Goldschmidt is more than just a power hitter, despite what his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame (complete with tree-trunk-size guns) might suggest. The first baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks, a National League starter at his position in this year's All-Star Game, hits for average and is a crack defensive player. But power is a major part of his game: He led the league last season in runs batted in and was third when he suffered a season-ending injury in early August. Before getting injured, he was among the top 10 NL leaders in home runs (19) batting average (.300), and on-base-plus-slugging percentage, or OPS (.936). And there's more to his offensive game than his bat: He's quick enough to have stolen 18 bases in his first full season in the majors, 15 in his second, and nine at the time of his injury this year.

He's the all-around spectacular athlete in cleats and a cap, diving and leaping for catches in the field; he won a Gold Glove award in 2013 for his spectacular defense. Arizona was a dismal team this season, but Goldschmidt stood out, as he has since his rookie season in 2011. When the trade deadline came in late July, Goldschmidt was the only Diamondback who was sacrosanct. It's an understatement to say that he and injured pitcher Patrick Corbin are the franchise. Following in the footsteps of the greats who came before him, such as Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial, Goldschmidt is a sports hero to the bone. And like at least two of them, he's humble to a fault, embarrassed to answer questions about his greatness.

Best Pitcher

Patrick Corbin

If anyone ever doubted how much Diamondbacks ace Patrick Corbin meant to the franchise, they need only look at the team's horrible record this season. Corbin, who went on the disabled list this spring, followed by Tommy John (ulnar-collateral-ligament) surgery on his left elbow, was a member of the 2013 National League All-Star Team, after posting an 11-1 record by midseason. The best pitcher in the Diamondbacks' starting rotation and one of the best in the National League in his first full season, Corbin went on to a 14-8 record with a 3.41 earned-run average. And expectations were high that the lefty, who commanded a 92-mile-per-hour fastball and an off-the-table slider, would lead Diamondbacks pitchers again — and that he and slugger Paul Goldschmidt would carry the team into the playoffs. A great starting pitcher like Corbin is the most important element on any baseball team. When such an athlete is on the mound every fifth game, the team has a solid chance of victory.

Without such a vital puzzle piece, it can mean the difference between a winning and losing season. And the Diamondbacks' problems this year can be laid squarely on the backs of its starting pitchers. At this writing, Arizona ranked 26th out of 30 teams, with its pitchers combining for a 4.22 ERA. With Corbin on the mound last season, Arizona ranked 17th. Which is not say that the D-backs didn't have pitching woes in '13, just that they weren't nearly as pronounced and that the majority of the problem was the bullpen. This season, Arizona's relief corps has gotten stronger as the season's progressed while its starting pitching has remained woeful. Many pitchers never are the same after Tommy John, but Corbin's young age, 25, is expected to work in his favor; for the sake of making the long, hot summer around here more bearable, we pray that he makes a furious comeback in '15.

Best Basketball Players

Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe

Pundits didn't believe it would work. Phoenix Suns Coach Jeff Hornacek knew it would. He knew that starting two speedy point guards in the Suns back court was a genius move, mainly because he and Kevin Johnson were paired as such when they played for Phoenix under fabled Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. And work it did, when Dragic and Bledsoe were healthy at the same time. In the 37 games they played together last season, the Suns went 24-13, lifting the team to a 48-34 record, more than a 25 percent jump over the season before.

Though the Suns didn't make the playoffs, they certainly would have if Bledsoe hadn't been out for two months following knee surgery. Each player has his strengths; Dragic as a lightning-fast perimeter shooter who, at 6-foot-3, also can dunk on breakaways; Bledsoe is a quick and agile penetrator who weaves to the basket and, at 6-1, can leap to score on big men. Each player's a pesky defender who picks the pockets of even the most sure-handed NBA ball handlers. After his acquisition from the L.A. Clippers, Bledsoe averaged two steals, 18 points, and 5.5 assists per game in his abbreviated season. Dragic averaged 1.5 steals, 20 points, and six assists per contest. A restricted free agent, Bledsoe wants a pay increase to $80 million over five seasons, but the Suns are offering less. If they reach an agreement and the dynamic duo remains intact, we expect the Suns to be a playoff contender for seasons to come.

Best Football Player

Patrick Peterson

Patrick Peterson's always has been an overachiever. A star defensive back at Louisiana State University, he was drafted fifth overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011. And he started fast in the National Football League: In his first season in Glendale, Peterson, a cornerback/returner, ran back four punts for touchdowns. On top of that, at only 24, he's been named to the Pro Bowl twice as a cornerback. His defensive play's been spectacular, naturally, with 12 touchdowns and 162 tackles. And he's been able to avoid serious injury, never missing a game in two years. Now he's getting the big money, an extension of his current rookie contract worth $70 million over five years, $48 million of which is guaranteed. This puts him in a league of his own at his position. With these numbers, Peterson will be the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, eclipsing even defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks corner Richard Sherman. Sherman got a four-year, $56 million deal. When Sherman signed his lucrative agreement after last season, he and Peterson engaged in a war of words over who was the best cornerback in the league. It continued after news of Peterson's deal leaked out. When Peterson tweeted to Sherman: "Yu mad bro LMAO" followed by a bunch of smiley faces, Sherm tweeted back a picture of his hand laden with a Super Bowl ring. Which begs the question: Can the Cardinals overcome arguably the two best teams in the NFL, Sherman's 'Hawks and the San Francisco 49ers, and get Pat a ring of his own?

Best Sports Phenom

Brittney Griner

The Phoenix Mercury made franchise history — and damn near made WNBA history — with a 16-game winning streak this season (it was the league's second-longest ever). And the team went on to dominate the WNBA playoffs and with its third title. Second-year phenom Brittney Griner was a large part of why. At 6-foot-8, she's the tallest player in the WNBA (she fits into a men's size-17 shoe). And she's got game! At Baylor University in Texas, she scored 2,000 points and blocked 500 shots — the first in the NCAA ever to do so. And after a rookie professional season marred by injury, she's infused her might into the pro ranks. At 23, she leads the league in blocked shots, is eighth in scoring, and is ninth in rebounding: she's averaged four blocks, 16 points, and eight rebounds per game. She's made dunking —the aspect of the men's game that's made it mega-popular — de rigueur. But it's not all about her size. She's smart, a good ball handler, and possesses mercurial moves.

The league wishes it could clone her star power. Because if it could, it could put a lot more fannies in the seats. In this fantasy world, the Mercury could afford to pay Griner a lot more than the about 50 grand a season it signed her for as the first overall pick in the league draft. In this world, women wouldn't be forced to play in places like China (in Griner's case), where teams are willing to pay them millions of bucks a season to capitalize on their talent. Compare what women make in the WNBA to the minimum NBA rookie salary (paid to scrubs who barely play): $911,400. An NBA rookie of Griner's statue would command $4.5 million annually. Unfortunately, a Brittney Griner comes along once in a lifetime.

Best Sports Expatriate

Steve Kerr

Steve Kerr is the luckiest man in the world. Never a starter when he played professional basketball, the University of Arizona standout had the good fortune to play with Michael Jordan and get coached by Phil Jackson, one of the all-time great basketball minds. And what Kerr lacked in talent — despite his off-the-bench prowess at three-point shots for the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs — the future Phoenix Suns general manager made up for in smarts. We can attest to this after a night out with Kerr, when he was here, drinking and watching the Shaq-era Suns play. A shrewd National Basketball Association analyst, which he proved as a broadcaster, Kerr now is head coach of the Golden State Warriors, his first foray into the world of leading extremely tall men in baggy shorts while wearing a suit that cost thousands of dollars.

Thing is, when Kerr started playing in the NBA after college, he says, he simply hoped he could remain in the league long enough to earn a pension. Instead, he insinuated himself into the potent offense of the Jordan-fueled, Jackson-led Bulls as a three-point specialist. If only his time working for Suns owner Robert Sarver had been as productive as his seasons with Chicago! Seemed the GM job here wasn't right for him, and he decided after a couple of seasons to leave as the Suns went deep into rebuilding mode. Despite his game-winning threes in playoff situations in the NBA (and the distinction of having been punched by Jordan in practice), Kerr's never before been on a seat as hot as the one he now occupies. He has assets: the great young point guard Stefan Curry, for starters. We wish him well.

Best Sports Legend

Basketball player, coach, and broadcaster Doug Collins

Doug Collins is the most astute NBA analyst around, after an illustrious college and professional playing career. Notice we didn't say head-coaching, another of his careers. He's been well-traveled there, having been forced out by the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, and the Washington Wizards. He resigned as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers last year after a dismal 34-48 season. Now, he's back broadcasting as an analyst for ESPN on its NBA Countdown show. Though it's arguable that Collins' expertise didn't translate to NBA coaching, he speaks with great authority on TV, standing out from the many boobs he's appeared with on various networks. Collins began his pro playing career with a bang: He was drafted first in the 1973 NBA draft out of Illinois State. He went on to star alongside Julius "Dr. J" Erving for the Philadelphia '76ers and be chosen for four late-1970s Eastern Conference All-Star teams. But in his team's only trip to the NBA Finals, the Sixers lost to Bill Walton and the Portland Trail Blazers. Injuries forced Collins to retire as a player following the '80-'81 season. He first arrived in the Valley of the Sun when he followed University of Pennsylvania Coach Bob Weinhauer to Arizona State University. Later, his pro-coaching debut was with the Bulls, when Michael Jordan was blossoming. Despite taking the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in '88 and '89, Collins was fired when the Bulls lost both times to the Detroit Pistons (he was replaced by the legendary Phil Jackson). If you ask us, Collins never got dealt a good coaching hand after Chicago. None of his subsequent teams showd much playoff championship potential. Coaching's loss is fandom's gain; his soft-spoken and reasoned approach is a pleasure to behold.

Best Rock Climbing

Gardener's Wall at McDowell Sonoran Conservancy

The McDowell Mountains have been discovered, much to the dismay of longtime Valley climbers. We can't complain — we love the trails built over the past few years in the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. Now, everyone can enjoy this rugged, beautiful wilderness. And in what seems like a miracle, the city preserved access to several top-quality climbing areas, including Gardener's Wall. The wall is a like a giant hand of granite stuck in the earth, about 150 feet at its highest point. Mesquite, brush, and a rock obstacle course make the base a hideaway, which you'll rise far above as you tackle classic local routes like Hanging Gardens and Renaissance Direct. The rock quality here is mostly good — that is, it usually doesn't crumble in your hands. All the best routes should be well-cleaned. In spite of encroaching housing developments and the opening of more McDowell trails, Gardener's Wall is still the paradise you remember — 99 percent sweetness and fun and 1 percent sheer terror.

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