‘The fans are why we do what we do’: Diamondbacks relish rare sellout crowd
Last year, the Diamondbacks drew just 19,817 fans on average. The year before, with COVID restrictions in place for much of the season, it was 12,876. In 2020, no fans were allowed.
Thursday’s sellout crowd of 48,034, then, felt new. The last time the Diamondbacks sold out Chase Field was Aug. 31, 2019. Only four of the 15 players who appeared Thursday also played in that game.
For the most part, the clubhouse late Thursday night — after the Diamondbacks fell, 5-2, to the Dodgers — was quiet, as clubhouses are after losses. But when players were asked about the crowd, smiles crept onto their faces.
“It's awesome,” starting pitcher Merrill Kelly said. “Obviously, those are the games that are more fun for us. More people in the stands, more energy. It makes this a reason why we come to work. The fans are why we do what we do. The fans are why we're able to do what we do.”
In recent years, large crowds against the Dodgers have been filled with Dodger blue. On Thursday, though, the crowd appeared to heavily favor the Diamondbacks. Not only was there more Sedona red in the stands, but the ballpark came to life for Arizona’s few rallies.
“It was a lot of D-Backs fans,” third baseman Josh Rojas said. “In the last couple of years, we haven't had that. We've been getting spanked by the Dodgers. Normally, we're playing at home and we're on the road. We're getting booed taking the field, stuff like that. Today was awesome. I felt like it was a home crowd and the D-Backs fans showed out and they were loud and they cheered us on the field.”
Rojas was at the center at one of the loudest moments. After an anemic offensive start from the Diamondbacks, he doubled home their first run in the sixth inning. As he stood on second base, the crowd rose to its feet and erupted in chants of “Let’s go D-Backs” and “Beat LA.”
“It was a lot of fun,” Rojas said. “It was loud, it was electric.”
Rojas did not even sound bothered by the reaction from the fans in the top of the second, when former Diamondback David Peralta received a smattering of boos in his first at-bat at Chase Field since being traded away last summer.
“It probably has to do with the uniform,” Rojas said. “It didn't matter that he played here, I think you put on the Dodger blue and you get some boos.”
In years past, that hasn’t been the case. Even on Opening Day last year, the attendance was just 35,508. Chants for opposing fan favorites have filled Chase Field. On Thursday, those chants rained down on Diamondbacks players.
The goal now is the give the fans a reason to produce more atmospheres like Thursday’s.
“Obviously seeing that many D-Backs fans is definitely exciting going through the year,” Kelly said. “And hopefully we can string some wins together so they'll keep coming.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ‘The fans are why we do what we do’: D-Backs relish rare sellout
