A special group

Tony, thank you and the team for a very fun season. While I realize, as professionals, you want to achieve that ultimate goal, I think you all achieved something bigger this season. Something so rare it seems to come along once in a career, no matter what your career choice may be. I’m happy for the team, what you accomplished this season, and that you all got to experience it together. I look forward to seeing you and the team back in action next season with an October ’08 to remember.

In the meantime, enjoy your time off, time with the family, maybe get inside a gym and run up and down the hardwood for a while. Mostly, just relax. You guys all deserve it, you played your butts off!

THANK YOU!

-Andy

Tony, Many thanks to you and your teammates for a great 2007 season to remember. The D-Backs exceeded everyone's expectations this season. Hope you all have a great offseason and I sure am looking forward to the 2008 season. Many thanks again and take care. VK

Im comin to visit AZ next summer!!

As a rockies fan I want to say congrats to your team on a great season. You guys played hard and showed a lot of class. The media was carried away with what Byrnes said. Byrnes is a great player and the rest of your team deserves more recognition. See you next year to start things off.

Tony,
Thanks for all the great memories in '07! I'm looking forward to seeing this bunch play together next year (I'm buying season tickets again!) and seeing what you can accomplish.

You and your teammates rock! I'm so proud of you guys for going down fighting, and a fan couldn't ask for more.

Take care, and enjoy your off-season!

LaDonna

Thank you so much Tony for all of your hard work and leadership. This season has been so much fun, and I am glad to have been along for the ride!
Have a wonderful break, and see you in March!

Jane in Page

One thing can be said about the game last night and that is that you guys never quit. As a fan that's all I wanted. I really feel for Micah because he played with everything he had. A diving catch like the one he made is not a play you're going to see from just any pitcher.

I just want to say thank you to not only you but the entire team for a great season. Thank you also for an exciting postseason. (Unfortunately now I have to watch less attractive ball players. Ha ha) I am definitely looking forward to watching the Diamondbacks next year.

tony,you are as good as the best,and better than the rest!stay the spiritual leader you are.GOD BLESS YOU! b. tracy

tony and team thank you for an exciting 07, hope to see you with the team next season, next will be the d-backs year, can't
wait.

To Tony and the entire team and coaching staff:

I have been a season ticket holder since the franchise was awarded in March of 1995. I have to say that I don't think I have ever been more proud to be a fan of any of the Diamondback teams than I am of this one. Not to say that I wasn't absolutely thrilled beyond belief when we won in 2001, but this team this year is one that I can say I am truly PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!

Tony, you have brought a sense of class, dignity and commitment that this team and this city have needed for some time. Thank you so much. May God continue to bless you.

I look forward to seeing all of you next spring when we go at it again!

Thanks for a terrific season!

To the entire team:

Sure, we would have liked to see the season go on forever, but while we are sad we are certainly not disappointed.

We knew this team would be something special, and we have such pride in the fact that you all proved us right. We can look forward to seeing this team in the playoffs for many years to come. This is only the beginning of the return of October baseball in the desert.

Hold your heads high, because you can take solace in the fact that you have given your fans the best baseball season we could have asked for, regardless of the outcome. We are all so proud and happy to be Diamondbacks fans today!

Dear Tony,
I appreciate this opportunity to give you and the D'backs a huge WELL DONE! What a wonderful ride it was, and thanks for your part in providing so much pleasure over these past months. As one of the Diamondback faithful, I so look forward to next spring. The entire

team and staff have surely done Arizona proud--thank you all!!!

Tony,
What a season!!!! Thank You and the team for the great season. You deserve a rest this off season. I will see you and the team in Tucson for spring training I will be at all the games there. I am still verry proud to be an fan. Thank You for these blog during the post season. It has made me fell like part of the team. Enjoy your family this off season.

Karen in Tucson

To the whole Dbacks team:

Thank you for an awesome season. You gave us fans one **** of a ride, finishing 1st in the division, 1st in the NL, and sweeping the Cubs. A Final Four finish is **** good and I will take it. See you guys next year!

After playing oranized baseball for over 15 years and getting nearly completely burned out, I would like to thank you Tony and the rest of the organization for renewing my love for this great game! In an era of the "selfish athlete" it has been such a breath of fresh air to watch you and your teammates play with such passion for one another and showing the true definition of "team" on a nightly basis. But more than that, it is such a joy to watch you guys play the game the way it should be played, with heart, hustle, and most of all with great smiles on your faces. Thanks again for a memorable season!

An unfortunate end to otherwise a good season. It was a lot of fun watching you guys play this year. I'm looking forward to the next. Thank you and all the D-Backs for leaving it all out on the field every single game this year.

You have to take the positive out of what the Dbacks did this season and in the playoffs. Arizona got excited again about baseball and that's what's most important in my mind. The ball club has put together a good mix of veterans and talented young players that we as fans can look forward to see playing for years to come. Tony, thanks to you and the Dbacks for the great season. We'll see you at spring training!

Tony, you and the entire organization have been amazing! What an exciting year!! I have totally enjoyed the season. You are all great. I can hardly wait for next season to be here. Enjoy your time off.

Tony, I can feel the pain with you and your teammates! I was really counting on bringing the game back to Phx Friday and Saturday! I have been praying for you guys starting from Spring Training until last night! Thank you for such a wonderful season! You have all exceeded everyone's expectations! I'm forever proud of all the players! I know this is beginning of a very wonderful career for most of the players. And I will always stand by yourside to cheer on my home team! Get some good rest and I CAN'T WAIT TIL SPRING TRAINING AND SEASON 2008! Over and out to hibernate!!

Thanks for being part of such a special team, and all you did this year! From my first chance seeing the Diamondbacks in Montreal in '98 (I was on the wrong side of the country at the time) until now, this year was the one I enjoyed most.
Bring on spring training! I hope we get a chance to see you out there on the field in Tucson in March!

Tony,

Thanks for all your contributions to a season the likes of which no one dared hope for last March. Losing in a sweep hurts, but we've got a lot to look forward to. I hope you'll be back.

ByrnesBlogger1

http://byrnesblog.mlblogs.com

Thank you very much for the blog Tony! It was awesome for the fans to get an inside look at the playoffs. I certainly appreciate everything you do, on the field and off. Can't wait to see what the team does next season. Enjoy your offseason being a dad.

Tony,

This year has been the most fun I've ever had watching the DBacks, and I've been watching this team ever since 1998. We Arizona fans are so proud of you guys--we knew you were good, but you surprised us and the whole country, and I'm incredibly proud to wear my DBacks hat everywhere I go.

Despite allowing more runs than scoring, you made it happen one way or another. The Rockies got hot late in the year, but you guys were the best team in the NL all summer. The DBacks were amazing to watch, and I can't wait 'til March.

So thanks for everything.

Have a great break. It's all yours next year.

Tony,
I had the most fun watching the Dbacks play this season that I've had watching any team play in any season before (including the 2001 world series champion team). The mantra "Anyone, Anytime" was no more true than for this team, as someone else would step up and make the big play each game. This attitude made it so that each night I had a different favorite player on the team. While playing for 12 years, I learned that there isn't any justice in baseball, and that one bounce can make the difference in a close game. Up until the NLCS, the Dbacks seemed to make the plays that they needed to make to win, and that made the season incredibly exciting. The fact that you guys were a couple of bounces and a couple of pitches from winning 2 of those games shows how close you guys are to being the best team in the NL. Only after the last out of the last game of the NLCS, I started looking forward to next season. The playoff experiences that the team gained this year will undoubtedly help you guys in the future. This year's Dbacks team was one that made me believe that anything is possible on the field because they played that way every night, and that is something I will never forget. Have a great off season and I cant wait until March.

As a fan since the team's birth, I am with everyone on this that I have never been more proud of a team than I have been this year. Out of all this I can say that you guys will hopefully finally start to get the respect you deserve. You have all shown extreme unselfishness in your play, and should be a model of sportsmanship and class for the rest of the league to follow. Too bad about this series, but in the playofss it seems to be siding up with the team that gets hot at the right time, not the team that has been better all year. There have been a lot of questions about fan support here in Arizona, (which I don't always whole heartedly agree with) but know there are quite a few fans who have been there, rain or shine, win or lose, no matter what. You guys deserve to be backed, and I see a lot of it getting better this year. Every homestand, I see some of the same people in the same section every time. Hopefully Chase Field will look like it did on Friday night every night next year. Congrats on all you and your teammates have given to the fans and the organization.

To Tony and the Dbacks,
Thank you so much for such an exciting season. You are a young team and should be proud of what you accomplished. I was blessed to supervise some of my students at a game this year and the smiles you all put on there faces are priceless. My son and I go to many games and have enjoyed each and every one of them. You are fun to watch and am looking forward to next year. You guys were awesome! Be proud and hold your heads up high. The accomplishment you made this year is truly incredible. Thank you for such a wonderful and exciting season. God bless all of you and I look forward to next year.

Tony, You are an inspiration, a wonderful gift to the Diamondbacks, and thank you for all you have done.
This truly was an amazing team, you played your hearts out and you all should be very proud of what you accomplished.

You guys have put baseball back into baseball and thank you for that!! I can hardly wait until next season—best of luck and enjoy the time off.

Tony,

You and this team are a tribute to not only the Baseball world, but also to what a group of men can accomplish when they truly believe in each other and in the principal of doing the right thing...for the right reason. The character that everyone exhibited throughout the grueling 8 1/2 month season should inspire all young men to realize that individual accomplishments are hollow unless they are tied to the yoke that binds a team. You all have brought such joy, and a sense of pride to everyone in the Valley. And for that I'm sure I speak for everyone in saying THANKS! The lessons you have taken from this 2007 experience will, with a little bit of luck, propell you to the summit of the World Series very soon...I'm confident of that. Thanks again, and my best to you, your family...and your baseball family. Blessings.

Tony and the rest of the fellas, you exceeded our expectations, you lifted heavy hearts and you showed the passion to drive; you truly were Anybody Anytime! I am the President of a Little League organization out here in California. I am always searching for ways to improve and teach great sportsmanship to our military’s youth. The Arizona Diamondbacks made it real easy to do this year. All I had to do was simply tune into one your games with my son, and play after play you truly amazed us. Though there is not a single Diamondback player my family and I do not cherish, it especially lies true with you. From Pittsburg to Colorado, never in my life had I been so happy to see anyone come to the plate. You’re a great man Tony, I hope you get to stick around for many more years to come, those fellas need you, and the state of Arizona needs you, were darn proud to have you. See you in a few months. Go D-Backs!

Tony , thank you for everything!!! You and the guys played very hard and lost with class and i love you all!

I am very confident to see you all at the top next year, with the help of Randy and orlando and Chad and hope to have you in the team forever!!!

Bye for now from Napoli and i hope you can send me a postcard with the signatures of you and all the guy when you will be comfortable...please contact me TY YOU ALL WERE GREAT

Tony,

As a true member of DBACKS Nation I would like to thank all of you guys and the other fans for such a great year! This team showed so much heart and a never say die attitude that is so refreshing to see as a fan. Even when you were down in the 9th inning in game 4 Byrnesie is still diving into first. You guys had such a great year and none of you should feel disappointed! I only wish I could have been at the airport in arizona when you guys came home to show you how much all of the DBACK fans really cared. I watched game 1 at the ESPN Zone in Anaheim and there were tons of DBACKS fans everywhere. This team can be great for years to come and I hope you get to come back and play next year because I really think we can get you that world series ring! Im gonna miss gettin text updates on your games but spring training isnt too far off.... Thank You so much again and watch out baseball for the 2008 DBACKS!

Jon in so cal

Being a temporary Canadian transplant I had lost all interest in baseball once the Expos left. I had no idea you guys had such a great exciting team to watch live, on tv or listen to on the radio. It's something to say that yes, I enjoyed watching the DBacks more than hockey! You'll get 'em next year!

From 111 down to 90 in the win column, its been a great ride. Here's hoping they sign you on somehow, someway to keep motivating these kids and helping them along. Its been a pleasure having you on the team and following the work you've done with these guys. Thank you.

THANK YOU, D-BACKS...As they say, hindsight is 20-20, but don't beat yourselves up so much re: quiet bats and stranded men -- you gave my family the gift of a thrilling, memorable season -- I even suspended our no-TV-on-school-nites rule to make exception for D-back games, because the team's perseverance and sportsmanship was a good example for my kids, a lesson in virtues without words! So no more words about what went wrong, instead feel as proud of yourselves as we do of our 2007 D-backs...EVERYBODY, ALWAYS!

I am a devoted fan who lives in Tucson. I want to thank all of the D-backs for an amazing season. But mostly I want to thank you guys for how you played the game. Thank you for running out all your hits. Thank you for not standing and admiring your homeruns. Thank you for always hustling and picking each other up day after day. You may not hear this enough so let me put my two cents worth in, your fans notice it and we thank you for acting like you've been there before even though many of you haven't. Can't wait for spring training. See you all then. Enjoy your time off. Tony, to you, God knows what he is doing always, and he knew what he was doing when he sent you to the D-backs. thank you. Cal

Hi Tony,

Thank you and the rest of the DBacks for making this the best year ever. 2001 was a very special year but this year was in many ways more special because we got to see the maturation of wonderful young men and your leadership qualities. You are truly an inspirational leader and friend to those kids. We are anxiously awaiting Spring Training with you and hopefully the core of this team to again dazzle us and entertain us. Have a good peaceful, restful winter.

We love ya,

Pat & Jean

Mr. Clark,
I use the term "Mr." with the upmost respect.

The D-Backs had a great run this year, and I am very proud of the maturity that our team exhibited, especially with so many young players.

I cannot help but believe that the maturity and intregity shown by so many young men was a direct result of how You conducted yourself during the season.

In a time when so many players can be consumed with ego and playing for only their careers, I feel that You set a an outstanding example that should be acknowledged.

If MLB had an award for character and intregity, I feel that You would win it hands down.

As a fan, who has to watch the games from home, I must tell you that even on the days when you were not playing, your presence could still be felt. We at home could see the effect of the character you exhibited in the dugout.

If your goal somday is to be a MLB Manager I can only hope that you achieve that goal. Any organization that has You in the dugout will have a extremly valuable asset. In my opinion you have helped put "Class and Intregity" back into this wonderfull game. For that, I would like to thank You personally. I have used your actions as an example to my Grandsons as to how they should conduct themselves not only on the field, but in everyday life.

Again, thanks to You and our team for another great season. Win or lose, Its always a pleasure to watch our D-Backs.

Respectfully

Joe Spencer

Black Canyon City

First off what a awesome year the arizona diamondbacks had.. I had my oppurtunity last year with the Detroit Tigers.. I have been following your career since you started in detroit then i was blessed with having you 10 min from my home in port st lucie, florida for the new york mets spring training.. Now i watch and keep close track of how you and the diamondbacks are doing!!! I wanted to thank you for all the seasons that you have entertained me with and to wish you only the bet of luck. Hopefully we will see you back in the playoffs. Maybe a Detroit and Arizona matchup.. Best of luck Tony..

Your Biggest fan,

John

Tony,

Not sure if you still check this Blog page but here is hoping you do. We sure did miss seeing you this year and are very happy that you and your team did so well. Your number one and longest fan here in Tampa was yelling for you every night. Devan has never forgotten you, you are still a hero in his eyes. Our local paper had a real nice article about you! Yes you LOL. I quote " Tony Clark, one of the most respected palyers in the game" We already knew that. Devan is doing well and growing like crazy. We sure do hope to see you this next year. Hope the family is well and you have a wonderful Holiday.

Thank you for everything over the years.

Your number one fan's mom

Brenda

Tony,

It's always hard to say "goodbye". You have been a "hero", a mentor, and such a positive influence for your teammates.

It's sad when we are reminded that baseball is a business. It's also about friends, relationships and growing. Those are the intangibles that the profit and loss sheets don't recognize. Yet, they are the cornerstones of everything we do in life.

God bless you and your family as you go forward. We, your fans, will continue to watch your contributions and successes.

Thank you!

Tony,
Hope you get this... As it appears the D'Backs won't be retaining your sevices, I just want to say I'm grateful that you stopped by AZ along your illustrious career. You're everything anyone could hope for in a player. Efficient hitter, great fielder and great leader. But above all you are in my opinion the classiest athelete out there. You're team first attitude and involvement in the community have been appreciated. I wish we could keep you longer, but if it's time for you to go just know you will be missed.

Thank you for everything.

Tony,
You will be missed by many teammates and fans. I am 51 and have been a big fan all these years. Hands down you are the least selfish player I have ever seen especially considering your considerable skill level. The D-Backs will not be the same without you and I wish you great success in all you do. It was a joy watching you. Thanks for all the great memories.

Tony, I met you when you & Damion Easley came to Kingman a couple years ago. When I looked at the autograph you so graciously gave me, my favorite bible verse was referenced. so I know you will be OK, because you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. You will be missed more than you know! The D'backs will, of course, carry on without you, but they will be poorer for not having you there.

Tony,
As already said, you are the classiest, most unselfish player in the game today! I was cool with letting Gonzo, Counsel, Miguel Batista go. For reasons I won't go into. But you, will be missed by my wife & myself.

Thanks for the leader ship you gave the team. Wish like crazy the team could find it in themselves to keep you. Not for sentimental reasons, but you have lots of baseball left in you & you weren't asking for much to stay in the hometown.

Good luck as you go forward with your baseball career & all your endevours when you retire from baseball. I wish you & your family nothing but the best!

Ron Wilhelm - Mesa

Tony, I wish you could stay. You are my favorite player, and the classiest player to ever wear a Diamondbacks uniform. I used to work with your Brother-in-law Kevin, and you signed a Baseball for me. Thank you..and If you have to go, Best wishes and God Bless.

Tony, I echo many fans and their thoughts, you have been an inspiration for the team and the organization. I do wish the organization would see fit to bring you back. Furthermore I believe you would be an excellent fit in any organization position. Hope one day to meet you.

Tom Davis-Phoenix

Enough said, Welcome back my friend.