During their emergency team meeting on Tuesday, Backman came clean with his new bosses. He blamed the bankruptcy filing in 2003 on his ex-wife. The spat with the current wife and her friend was just an alcohol-fueled misunderstanding, and by way of proof, he showed them his weekend itinerary:
He will be elk hunting with the husband of the woman that hit him with the baseball bat. So, really, how bad could it have been?
As for the restraining order that resurfaced Wednesday? Backman said that, too, was bogus.
Maybe none of this is his fault. Some guys always find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some guys hit into a lot of tough luck. As manager of the Bend Bandits in the Western Baseball League, Backman once was bit on the head by a brown recluse spider, and the bite almost killed him.
For now, the Diamondbacks are standing by their manager. But they have their own bloodhounds out. The contract hasn’t been signed. If this gets any worse, the gig could be up before it got started. Or maybe it all goes away with time.
Problem is, this isn’t even about Backman.
This is about an organization in decline and how another defining moment in Diamondbacks’ history – hiring the manager that will lead them back to prominence – turned into another episode of amateur hour.
How do the Diamondbacks trade Curt Schilling for damaged goods? How do they hire Backman – a manager who came with more than a few whispers – and get caught unaware? Don’t job applications ask if you’ve been to jail?
The perception is dark, the credibility crisis is under way and the Diamondbacks officially may touch rock bottom in the coming months. And if you’re wondering, Jerry Colangelo is in his seat across the street, happily watching a basketball team.