Make That 'The Meal Deal'

God almighty, did you see poor J.D. Durbin’s pitching line for the Diamondbacks last night? It was mind boggling: two-thirds of an inning pitched, seven hits, seven earned runs, and a walk (2007 ERA: 94.50).

This wasn’t a mop-up performance, by the way; Arizona brought Durbin into the game in the eighth, trailing 4-2.

It’s pretty sad, actually. This was a kid, after all, who gave himself the nickname “The Real Deal,” and he was the rare case of a professional athlete whose cockiness was so dorky it was charming.

The Diamondbacks designated Durbin for assignment this morning, which means they have ten days to trade him, release him, or put him on waivers.