The Diamondbacks Didn’t Exist. Then They Won the World Series. | Baseball Bits 

Congrats Miguel!

In the time it took the Cubs to win a World Series after 1908, Arizona became a state, that state become populated enough to attract an MLB expansion team, and that team won the World Series

If I had a nickel for every time Foolish Baseball made a video about the 2001 World Series, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice.

Congrats Miguel!! Nice degree!

“Acquiring Curt Schilling, meaning Counsell wasn’t the only Dback known for his controversial stances “😭💀

Shoutout to Ethereal Garbanzo for his 2 run home run in the NLCS

The hiatus is over, FOOLISH BASEBALL POSTED, taking a break for the next 17 minutes to watch this

Brennaman was probably thinking how great it was to be in “one of the [baseball] capitals of the world”

On a list of players with WAR totals that make you go "wait his WAR was THAT high???" Luis Gonzalez has to be near the top. He managed 51.6 career WAR and five total all-star games.

Imagine telling someone in 1991 that teams called the Florida Marlins and the Arizona Diamondbacks would win the World Series in the next 10 years.

Comedic effect achieved, Bailey. Comedic effect achieved. Ethereal Garbanzo lives on in all of us.

Congrats Miguel!

Those 4 seasons represent the shortest time for an expansion MLB franchise to win the World Series. Marlins: 5 seasons Mets: 8 seasons Blue Jays: 16 seasons Royals: 17 seasons Angels: 42 seasons Nationals: 51 seasons Astros: 56 seasons Rangers: 63 seasons Brewers, Padres, Mariners, Rockies, Rays: still waiting

Yankees were so dominant in the late 90s. In the new millenium, the one year where everyone wanted the Yankees to win for NYC, the DBacks said, "No."

Congrats Miguel! Also, loved Mark Grace, glad he got a ring.

D-Backs trivia (and sort of an epilogue/coda for the episode): for the 20 seasons after their 2001 WS winning team (so before 2023), the Diamondbacks won just one playoff series and one Wild Card game. They returned almost exactly the same team in 2002 and won the division with 98 wins but were swept in the NLDS by the Cardinals. Just two years later, in 2004, they went 51-111, the worst record in the league and their first losing season since their expansion year. They returned to the playoffs in 2007 after a 90-win season where they finished with a negative run-differential; they swept the Cubs in the Divisional series, only to be swept themselves by their division rival Rockies in the Championship series. Their next playoff appearance was in 2011, where they won their division with 94 wins but lost 3-2 to the Brewers in the NLDS. This was the most recent division win for the Diamondbacks (still more division wins than the Marlins have). In 2017 they won 93 games but that was only good enough for a wildcard spot and in an epic contest they beat the Rockies 11-8 in the NLWC game. Fun fact: future Cardinals teammates and NL West rivals Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt both homered in that WC game. They were then swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS. 2021 was a low point, as they went 52-110, only one win better than their nadir in '04, and their season included a 17-game losing streak (sorry White Sox fans), a 24-game road losing streak (most since the 1889 Louisville Colonels), and a 5-40 stretch. And then, two years later, with the same manager, they went 84-78 with a negative run differential and a +4 Pythagorean luck value but still rode their momentum all the way to their second pennant, and although they of course lost to the Rangers the D-Backs currently look poised to make a return to the playoffs in 2024, which the same cannot be said of the Rangers. As of writing, AZ have a +91% chance of making the playoffs and they currently occupy the first WC slot with a 76-59 record with a +88 run differential, and they're the only team in the league to have already scored more than 700 runs - they've scored 723, which amazingly is more than the White Sox have allowed in 2024 (704). Oh, and of course, congrats Miguel!

Oh mama, Randy pixel art, Dbacks content, I am here for it. Cheers Foolish Baseball!

1:22 - Woah, i never realized "knock it out of the park" is a baseball expression! Lets touch base about that soon. ❤

The 2001 World Series is the first I recall watching on TV as a kid. That D-Backs team was awesome. Randy Johnson became one of my favorite pitchers of all-time. So cool they beat the mighty Yankees. Thanks for bringing back great memories with this video.

Lol that Thom Brennemam San Fran reference was crazy

I could live that bloop single a million times and it'd still get me. One of my favorite baseball moments as a young Dbacks fan :D

MLB having 2 expansion teams quickly put together championship teams had to be a weird situation for everyone. Especially when both teams subsequently fell off for years. But now that I think about it, it does make sense. An expansion team taking a win-now approach tank their farm system and limit their long term potential.

In the time between Foolish Baseball videos, we’ve had 487 terrible baseball RU-vid videos released. “Remember when the Red Sox came back against the Yankees? Let me read you the Wikipedia article on it. Please subscribe” Came back just when we needed him

Birds fear the Johnson

i would like everyone to know that at 12:20 thats the deep drive to left field by castellanos guy

Brian Anderson’s “6 Out Inning” in Game 3 is still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

The DBacks are my home team, and watching them go on a tear last year during the post season was incredibly exciting. It sucks that they fell apart against the Rangers, but watching them utterly *crush* the Dodgers was gratifying as hell to see. Here's hoping they can do it again this year. Embrace the Chaos, y'all.

Congratulations Miguel! Super proud of your accomplishment.

Always love it when a team wins their first championship. My Rangers got theirs last year. By far my favorite world series.

As a Red Sox fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thanks curly haired smart baseball guy!

I hate where these video's end. You don't even get a chance to watch the celebration. But congrats Miguel, good job.

Congrats Miguel!!!

How many memes and previous foolish baseball references did you put in Bailey: Yes Edit: Also Congrats Miguel

Congrats, Miguel!

Love the Randy Winn shout out, he was my bridge favorite player between Barry Bonds and Tim Lincecum. Say what you will about Barry, watching him play for my team for a decade and a half was absolutely worth all the bs.

congratulations miguel batista

Neither does Baseball, exist. or so i hear

Two d-backs videos in 10 months? You’ve outdone yourself Bailey

11:30 Nice

Damian Miller, future Brewer, would become a rare player to hit a grand slam in a ballpark with the same name, Miller Park.

I honestly never realized just how fast the diamondbacks turned themselves into a contender as an expansion franchise

16:25 The man on deck now in the batters box

Miguel!! Congratulations, my friend. Well done!

The fact that Johnson and Schilling combined for 90 wins and 1424 K's over 2001 & 2002 is INSANE.

I love video essays, especially on films. But the ones that Foolish makes not only make the game more enjoyable, but they balance humor, facts and entertainment really well.

Hey Bailey, how come you didn't go over the Diamondbacks signing their Devil-Magic wizard in 2000? They've been singularly responsible for so many great Arizona playoff moments

My dad lived the last 30 years of his life in Tucson and consumed any AZ sports but really loved his D backs. He had season tickets from the start and got to witness all of this. I went to several games with him and am always grateful for those memories.

We love you in Dbacks nation Foolish Baseball, thank you for highlighting our crowning achievement in what still is my favorite World Series, honorable mention of 2005 though.

Been watching your stuff for almost 5 years now… love the stuff brother!

This was the best video in a long while, much more storytelling and less droning about statistics. The "No - Vember" pun with Jeter was really hilarious as well

I agree with your assessment on Kurt Schilling. Kingdoms of Amalur is my go to comfort game. Very underrated.

Oh my goodness gracious! It's the man on deck!

Congratulations Miguel! We're all proud of you!

Kingdoms of Amalur was such a fun game! The expert analysis I expect when watching Foolish Baseball.

MIGUEL!! Well done, you worked so hard. CONGRATULATIONS!

One key reason Randy Johnson was willing to sign for a lot less than other free agents: He and his family lived right down the street in suburban Scottsdale. Playing close to home was a huge lure for him.

Those yrs of Luis Gonzalez and Randy Johnson and the crew were magical

I had never really loved baseball but I stumbled across this sb nation rewinder of the game winning hit by Gonzalez and ever since fell in love with baseball. I’ve been watching you since as early as 2019 and haven’t looked back since. Love ya Bailey!

snakes do be livin’

As a long tortured Arizona sports fan, this remains one of the most cherished memories of my life.

As a lifetime Arizona sports fan, it is so perfectly representative of Arizona sports that the new team that didn't have a real established fan base managed to be the only one to ever win it all. Legendary team that wasn't appreciated enough by the city, who was and still is (though less so) filled with fans of other teams who moved to warm weather

Great vid Congrats Miguel and Curt Schilling Can kick rocks

Kingdoms of Amalur was actually a really good game, and it's available on switch now!

One of your best scripts to date, great story !

I still remember how excited everyone in Arizona was after that Gonzales walk-off.

Fun fact: One of the broadcasters effectively predicted Luis Gonzalez's hit when he noted that the Yankees had pulled the infield in, and that Riviera induced a lot of bloopers into the shallow outfield off lefties.

oh my god what is the song at 2:29 i can't find it anywhere on maxo's website please

Congratulations Miguel! Proving what we all know; 90% of Baseball is half mental. (Yogi Berra quote) 🎉

I'm a simple man, I love a good Randy Johnson video segment

How did I miss this when I was at work? I looked through my subscriptions. Oh well. Going to listen now, then listen again when I get to work tomorrow.

As a lifelong Red Sox fan I'm glad to find someone with similar Curt Shilling takes

always been a big Ethereal Garbanzo guy. Criminally underrated.

Congrats Miguel! Also, Congratulations to ethereal garbanzo for his clutch homer against the braves.

I absolutely love what you did with the thumbnail on this one. Idk why I like it. Can’t really put my finger… ahem… thumb on it. Love the video foolish!!

Congrats Miguel! You're the man!

Everyone drop what their doing new baseball bits dropped ‼️‼️‼️

3:32 hey, hey, hey. That's 1.5 million dollars of Pohlad money which, adjusted for non-cheap ownership, is worth at least 150 million today, by my own personal estimations

Your pixel art is so awesome. Also, I am pretty stoked Reggie Sanders was mentioned in this video.

Rod Barajas reference, baseball bits is really just a circle

The amount of times I’ve seen a foolish baseball video include the 2001 World Series is uncountable 🤣🤣

This video is a great response to the whole debacle about getting plagiarized by another RU-vidr. In this video, he clearly shows how he can take another famous format (SB rewinder videos) an ads his touch to it, making it unique. Great video as always.

Never a bad time to remind everyone that Mark Grace started that rally in the 9th inning of game 7.

Mom wake up new baseball bits

Bailey finally giving the second channel some love

The greatest World Series of all time, and it’s not even close.

This WS is by far the greatest ever. It being just after the events of 9/11, and being the only WS to stretch into November...only add to the historical significance of this series.

i may not be feeling well but seeing a new baseball bits always brightens my day

Congratulations Miguel! Top notch stuff Bailey.

Congratulations Miguel, great job!

“Here’s him shooting come cardinals” I choked on my mcchicken man that was a good one

7:26 this joke is gold

11:14 lmaooo my man you really have a knack for writing a script 😂😂

They are the greatest expansion team ever

That Curt Schilling joke made me laugh. Good one.

My name is kurt schilling and i HATE NEWSPAPERS GOD i hate them

Congratulations Miguel Batista! Finally they added pure hitter Mark Grace after 13 great seasons with the Cubs. All three were excellent for the Diamondbacks in 2001, their fourth season as a big league franchise. Grace and Sanders were the only two everyday above average hitters in the lineup, besides Luis Gonzalez of course who famously hit 57 home runs that year, and Miguel Batista excelled as a swing man. Arizona was going back to the playoffs this time under new management. Buck Showalter had managed the first three years of the Diamondbacks existence but was let go as Bob Brenly moved from the broadcast booth to the dugout. Look at that young man in San Francisco, I wonder what he's thinking about. The postseason roster was set, they were a young franchise, but an old team composed of many veterans acquired via free agency or trade. Still there were remnants of the expansion draft four years prior. Randy Johnson faltered a bit in the NLDS versus St. Louis. Pujols hit a two-run homer off him in first inning and a Miguel Batista error in the ninth allowed the Cardinals to score a crucial insurance run. Wait, that was Kerry Robinson, you betrayed me Kerry! But Curt Schilling was in control, hacking and slashing his way through the Cardinals lineup collecting wins in games 1 and 5, the latter of which ended on a Tony Womack walk-off. Surely this would be the only floater to the outfield to end a playoff series, right? The Diamondbacks went through to the NLCS, Craig Counsell was named MVP of that series versus the Braves, but it was certainly a team effort. In the deciding game 5, the Diamondbacks took the lead in the fifth thanks to a pinch hit two out two-run homer by Ethereal Garbanzo (comedic effect), as Randy Johnson outdueled Tom Glavine in a matchup of Hall of Fame lefties. Byung-Hyun Kim collected the save and Arizona had its first pennant. They would need to play their best baseball to win their first world series in their fourth season. They were going up against the Yankees, the team that had won it all every single year the Diamondbacks had existed to that point. The Snakes won the first two games in Arizona thanks to strong starts by Schilling and Johnson, but the momentum shifted when the series moved to the Bronx. The Yankees won Game 3, a one-run nailbiter, and in game 4, Byung-Hyun Kim had a chance to collect his fourth save of the postseason, but Tino Martinez said "NO!" And then he had a chance to push the game to the 11th inning, but Derek Jeter said "No!"-vember. And then in Game 5, a game that featured a Rod Barajas home run no less, Kim had another chance to collect a save in the ninth, but Scott Brosius said "No! No way buddy boy!" After a twelfth inning walk-off by Alfonso Soriano, the Yankees had a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 was a 15-2 beatdown started by Randy Johnson, meaning Game 7 would be the decider. Schilling took the mound on three days rest versus Roger Clemens. Through seven innings they each had allowed just one run, but Soriano struck again in the top of the eighth, homering to give his Yankees a 2-1 lead. After a heroic relief outing from Johnson the day after his start, the game went to the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees turned to Mariano Rivera. You know what happens, you know how this ends, but let's acknowledge that Mariano Rivera entered the ninth inning of a playoff game with a lead 50 times in his career, and only blew that lead twice. This would be the first. Mark Grace kicked things off with a single to center. Expansion draftee David Dellucci pinch ran for him, as fellow expansion draftee Damian Miller hit a grounder back to Rivera, who was unable to link up with a slightly hobbled Derek Jeter. Everyone was safe. Jay Bell attempted to bunt both baserunners over, but Rivera was able to get the lead runner at third. That meant it would be runners on first and second, one out, for Tony Womack. Because of his cutter-induced reverse splits, lefties only had a .524 OPS versus Rivera across his entire career, and Womack was one of the lightest-hitting lefties of his era, only earning playing time because of his speed and defensive versatility, but there was nothing flukey about the swing he put on Rivera, smacking a double to right that tied up the game. To this day, it's still the third most pivotal hit by championship win probability added in MLB history. After a Craig Counsell hit-by-pitch, Luis Gonzalez, the man of 57 homers, and the best position player in franchise history to that point, stepped into the batters box with the bases loaded. The Yankees middle infield moved in, Rivera unleashed his cutter, bearing in on the hands of lefties. I told you from the beginning, this video ends here! And it will! Floater! Center Field! The Diamondbacks are World Champions! Big thank you to my newest patrons, to see your name here, head on over to patreon.com/foolishbaseball. Also, thank you to maxo for the music.

As a Yankees fan, this and the 03 were amazing series to watch

12:57 Love the Kerry Robinson return!

another great video. Foolish is one of the few channels I have notifications for.

That "controversial stance" joke was top tier. 😂 Edit: Congrats Miguel!