Improvement hard to see, but there

   Brian Anderson
   Special to the Republic
   The Arizona Republic
   Aug. 13, 1998
   
   Can you sense the change? You might not be able to see it yet, but the
   evidence is there, and more is just around the corner.
   
   The change is the way we have been playing. We're still not setting
   the world on fire by any means, but we've shown a dramatic improvement
   over the first part of the season.
   
   We just came off a good trip where we beat some quality teams. We're a
   young team, but I think we've shown lately that we're one of the
   up-and-coming teams.
   
   I think the guys have enjoyed the opportunity they've had to play
   here. They know it's also important how they play the game and what
   they do off the field.
   
   There have been some personnel changes along the way, and the guys
   we've gotten seem to have fit in well. Danny Klassen, David Dellucci
   and Travis Lee have provedthey can play, even though Danny recently
   was sent back down to Tucson.
   
   Our pitchers are a lot more aggressive, and our players are
   sacrificing their bodies, doing whatever it takes to try to win.
   They're not interested in the stats.
   
   Everybody is disappointed with the way things started out, but we're
   just as excited about the way we've come around.
   
   Now we'll see what we're made of in the last six weeks. Some teams
   might close up shop and just mail it in the rest of the season, but
   these guys aren't the type to do that. They play the game the right
   way.
   
   When I was taken in the expansion draft, I was a bit uncertain about
   what the future would bring here. But I'm glad I came to this area. I
   knew the summer would be hot, but it hasn't been that bad at all. And
   the fan support has been outstanding.
   
   It's remarkable how fast the season has gone. To think there's not
   that much time left is strange, but before long, we will be in spring
   training and getting ready for next year. We might even surprise a few
   people.
   
   I've heard and read that there are a lot of people around baseball who
   resent the way we do things here, that we act like we invented the
   game. There's a lot of jealousy because our organization is already
   successful in many ways.
   
   The way we play the game, the way we do things is right for us. That's
   not to say it's better than anybody else, it's just right for us. If
   other teams view that as arrogant, well . . .
   
   There's also the perception among some people that Buck Showalter, our
   manager, is a dictator and that we're all soldiers in his little army
   and don't have minds of our own. That we live in a dorm and have bed
   check after every game.
   
   Nothing could be further from the truth. I can be myself and others
   can be themselves.
   
   Sure, Buck holds us accountable for our actions, but there's nothing
   wrong with that. That's the way it should be. To think that we're
   robots is absolutely, totally absurd.
   
   Diamondbacks left-hander Brian Anderson shares his comments each week
   in Baseball Extra.