Chris Young (OF)

One week down, plenty of panic buttons pushed.

It's been an upside down week for Major League Baseball. The Red Sox look like a slumbering bear just awoken from hibernation. The Twins actually won in the Bronx. And the Reds are quietly keeping busy—not that any of us have noticed...or have we?

Before the start of last season, the Diamondbacks were a trendy pick to make some noise in the NL West.  Then Brandon Webb's shoulder suffered a set-back and the season went down the toilet.

The bullpen was atrocious, the third worst in Major League history.  The organization decided to part with strikeout king Mark Reynolds to acquire bullpen help from Baltimore.

The Arizona Diamondbacks 2011 Major League Baseball Season couldn't be any worse than their 2010 season, could it?

The 2010 MLB Season marked the second consecutive year the Arizona Diamondbacks finished with a losing record (65-97) and in last place in the National League (NL) West.

The team's slow start resulted in manager AJ Hinch and general manager Josh Byrnes losing their jobs midway through the season on July 1st.

As we all know, the first half of the baseball season has been nothing short of a disaster for those of us who claim the Diamondbacks as our team.

As painful and embarrassing it is to admit it now, I am one of those poor fans.

Even with the shame and disappointment of the season, this second half still holds value for me as a fan.

Now, since the team is completely out of contention, the priorities change.

There is no way that they can win the division or even get close, but there are some things I wish to see in the final 73 games of the season.

Well that was short.

By my count, first time All-Star outfielder Chris Young had five singles and one double in Anaheim Monday.  

Unfortunately for the Diamondback, it was not the well-placed-line-drive-derby. 

Eliminated in the first round in last place, Young hit just one ball out of the park while frequently voicing his displeasure with himself aloud.

"In the long run, I'd much rather have my line-drive swing than my home run swing," Young told azcentral.com.

The 2010 season is just about to enter its third full week, and we've seen plenty of surprises already.

Several players have unexpectedly emerged as seemingly-reliable fantasy options, while other normally productive players are off to slow starts. 

Here's a rundown of who's hot and who's not as we begin the second half of April.

Risers

Wednesday night was a good night for Phoenix sports. The Suns won their regular season finale and locked up the number three seed for the playoffs, the Coyotes won their playoff opener, and the Diamondbacks pulled off a come from behind/blown lead/extra inning victory over the evil Dodgers. And I missed most of it.

I should be used to it now, being "trapped" (and willingly so) by my other responsibilities of being a husband, dad, and worker. But still, the fan in me sometimes just wants to cry. Here is how my evening went:

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a fascinating history, however short it may be.

When they played their inaugural season in 1998, owner Jerry Colangelo had a sole purpose, to win the World Series, and he wanted it soon.

Unlike their fellow expansion team, the Tampa Bay Rays, who were owned by Vince Naimoli and struggled for most of their existence, Colangelo financially supported the team from the beginning and his dedication led them to their eventual championship in the 2001 season.