When the Arizona Diamondbacks reached the 34th round of baseball's draft, they didn't pick for need or take a chance on potential.

Let’s say a huge Arizona Diamondbacks fan spent three months completely out of touch – a stint on a space station, sealed in the Biosphere, working for the IRS in Cleveland, take your pick – and had no idea how his favorite baseball team had fared over the first two-plus months of the season.

Hamilton teammates Patrick Murphy and Cody Bellinger were the first two East Valley high school players off the board on Day 2 of the Major League Baseball draft Friday.

"Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the crowd. Buy me some biscuits and Scooby snacks ..." -- wait. That's not how the song goes. But it may as well Sunday, June 9, when the Arizona Diamondbacks invite fans to bring their dogs to the afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants.

D.J. Peterson will be home from college soon, and little brother Dustin will be there waiting with a smile on his face and a paddle in his hand.

Former U.S. Navy specialist Ron White will commemorate the 2,200 servicemen and women killed during the ongoing Afghanistan mission by writing their names on a specially constructed wall at Chase Field during the Arizona Diamondbacks’ doubleheader against the Texas Rangers on Memorial Day. He will do it from memory.

If you're staying in town for the long Memorial Day weekend, there's no reason to strike out on ideas for passing the time.

The enigma of Justin Upton was in full display during his recent three-day return to Chase Field.

The Valley sports media has been tripping over itself in lauding the hiring of new Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough, calling it a turning point and a ray of light for a franchise that has been in a death spiral during these past couple years of the Robert Sarver era.

With an estimated 24,000 blood donations by the end of the school year, teens have retained their status as United Blood Services largest statewide donor group for the ninth consecutive year. The D-backs honored the accomplishments of students in the 2012-13 High School Blood Drive Challenge by donating 1,000 tickets to 83 award-winning schools for their May 1 game against the San Francisco Giants. Championship banners were presented on-field during pregame ceremonies to the nine schools earning the highest honors. The team invited the top two high schools, Gilbert's Highland (most total donors) and Williams (highest percentage participation) to share a party suite at the game.

It’s way too early. The National League West is way too talented. Summer in Arizona is way too long.

The Arizona Diamondbacks aren't just hosting the Colorado Rockies for a little baseball on Saturday, April 27 - they're inviting fans to come early for Outdoors Night.

More than 1.7 million fans helped the Cactus League set a new attendance record with the 2013 spring training season that ended Saturday in Arizona.

For Suns fans, rooting against the Lakers has never been so much fun.

SAN FRANCISCO — If you're a baseball fan looking to add a new pastime to your vacation itinerary, consider setting a goal to visit all 30 of the sport's major league stadiums.

Arizona is on the verge of shutting the door on the ability of players for Arizona's professional sports teams to file workers' compensation claims elsewhere, even if that's where they were injured.

Valley residents will band together this weekend to walk for an organization that got its start in the Phoenix area more than three decades ago, and on behalf of youngsters around the world looking to have that one ultimate wish granted.