Last night's Home Run Derby was surprisingly terrific entertainment, and we were fortunate (thanks to a pal) to be seated just a few feet from the owner's box near the third-base dugout.
Robinson Cano's superman hitting show was one for the ages, made even sweeter when we realized that his dad, Jose, was throwing the pitches that the New York Yankees star was bombing into the right-field bleachers and beyond.
It struck us during the proceedings that one guy (not Derek Jeter) was conspicuous by his absence.
The fellow's name is Jerry Colangelo.
Remember him?
Colangelo was the prime reason that Phoenix finally secured a major-league baseball franchise starting with the 1998 season.
Like it or not, his notion of spending large early and building a veteran team, with superstar pitchers Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson, won this town a world championship in only its fourth year of existence.
Yes, Colangelo left behind a ton of debt when he was forced to leave his position as the D-Backs' managing general partner in the summer of 2004. And, yes, the team has paid dearly in the long run for its early successes, though this year's edition has proven to be a resilient and scrappy bunch.
Clearly, though, this community and the Diamondbacks' current owners have a lot to thank Jerry Colangelo for.
So why not even a token gesture by Major League Baseball to the guy at its All-Star showcase?
We asked a spokesperson where Colangelo was last night.
He said he had no idea.
Kind of sad, huh?
