If there is a question and answer period at the Shoot for the Heart seminar on Jan. 4, one of the queries that might be directed at Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew is, “Will you be ready on opening day?”

An answer from Drew would mark a prestigious moment in Shoot for the Heart history because fans, boosters, sports journalists, and even Diamondback big wigs, are wondering if Drew has sufficiently recovered from a broken ankle to return to the Arizona lineup when the 2012 season kicks off April 6 vs. San Francisco.

Drew suffered the injury, which was called “gruesome” on a sports blog, while sliding into home plate in a game vs. the Brewers and underwent surgery the following day.

It was reported he suffered ligament damage along with a broken bone, which can slow the recovery process.

About his return for the season opener, Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers told the media recently, “We don’t know, but (the team trainer) seems to think he’ll be ready, if not to start the season, then shortly after.”

While Drew will probably be asked plenty of baseball questions at Shoot for the Heart, his purpose for attending is to share his passion for the outdoor way of life and faith in God that, some say, now defines his life.

His appearance at Shoot for the Heart will not be his first in Payson.

In 2009 he visited Rim Country Middle School as part of a Diamondbacks contingent participating in the APS hometown tour.

Drew was a big time hit with the students playing games, answering questions and signing autographs.

To those in attendance it became quickly obvious Drew is a spiritual man when many of his autographs contained uplifting and motivational references to faith.

In speaking to the students, Drew also referenced his passion for the outdoors saying he has loved to hunt and fish since he was a young boy living in Hahira, Ga.

Drew’s finest season in the majors was 2008 when he hit .291, slugged 21 home runs, scored 91 runs and recorded a career high 67 RBIs.

Defensively, he turned 85 double plays while fielding .976.

Drew played collegiately at Florida State and eventually became one of the highest draft picks the Diamondbacks had ever signed.

Stephen Drew was supposed to be the next big thing for the Arizona Diamondbacks but things don’t always work out the way teams hope. In 2011, Drew only played in 86 games, finishing with a .252 average, five home runs and 45 RBIs. Now, he is questionable for Spring Training in 2012.

The big injury took place on July 20 while Drew was sliding into home plate. The break to the ankle was nasty and it was obvious that the shortstops season was over with. Drew underwent ankle surgery in July and doctors have not yet cleared him to play. He also underwent hernia surgery in the offseason. The ankle is a bigger concern but both medical procedures make him questionable when it comes to rebounding from his down year in 2011.

In 2006, the Diamondbacks thought they had a superstar on their hands. Shortstop is already a weak position in Major League Baseball and when a team finds a keeper, they have someone to treasure. In his first season in Arizona, he finished with a .316 batting average, five home runs and 23 RBIs.

It was the only year he finished over .300.

In his first season as a full-time starter, Drew finished up with a .238 average and an ugly .370 slugging percentage. He did hit 12 home runs and 60 RBIs but those did not discount from his disappointing season.

He rebounded the next season with career high numbers for a full season, including a .291 average, 21 homers and 67 RBIs. It looked like he was finally turning things around. He never hit those levels again and has a .270 lifetime average.

One thing that hurts Drew as he prepares to return was the play of Willie Bloomquist after his injury. The veteran came in and hit .266, his best batting average since 2008, with four home runs and 26 RBIs. They are not huge numbers but he also scored 44 runs and helped Arizona make it to the World Series. He also stole 20 bases, a tool that Drew never held.

Bloomquist is not the future at the position and the Diamondbacks still believe that Drew is. However, with Bloomquist on the roster, Arizona does not have to rush Drew back from his injury. It looks like he might not be ready for Opening Day, and if he misses that, it is okay.

Stephen Drew will be back. Whether he can ever be the star Arizona hoped he could be is another story.

Source: MLB.COM

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CARACAS, Venezuela, Dec. 30 (UPI) — Melvin Mora, who was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks in June, announced in Venezuela his retirement from Major League Baseball.

Mora, who was released from the Diamondbacks after hitting .228 in 127 at-bats and had earlier said he would return to baseball if the right opportunity presented itself, said while visiting his home country Thursday he will not be returning to the sport, The Baltimore Sun reported Friday.

Mora, 39, was traded to the Baltimore Orioles by the New York Mets in July 2000 and spent 1,256 of his 1,556 career games with the team, making two all-star teams and winning a Silver Slugger award and Most Valuable Oriole honors during his tenure with the team. He left the Orioles as a free agent following the 2009 season.

By Ryan Bafaloukos

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Dec 29, 2011 – With 2011 quickly coming to an end SB Nation Arizona has decided to give out its first ever 2011 End of the year Awards or EOYAFSBNA’s for short. Over the next four days we will be giving out awards for the best of the best in Arizona Sports in the year 20111. First up is Arizona Coach of the Year.

The Choice: Kirk Gibson: Manager, Arizona Diamondbacks- Although there were plenty of outstanding coaching jobs done all over the state of Arizona in 2011, Gibby takes the cake.

In his first full season as the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Gibson went 94-68 and led the Diamondbacks to the NL West Division Title. Gibson led the snakes back to the postseason for the first time since 2007 and Arizona was one win away from advancing to the NLCS.

Gibson took a team that had been underachieving the past three years and got the best out of them. When their shortstop, Stephen Drew, was lost for the season, Gibson and his team did not miss a beat. Gibson knew when to be agressive this season, and he knew when to lay back and let his team play baseball.

The most impressive trait that Gibson showed in 2011 was the ability to get the best out of his players. Most would say the D-Backs did not have the most talent in the NL West. However, Gibson took what he had and got the most out of it. Guys like Ryan Roberts, Gerardo Parra and Ian Kennedy all had career years under Gibson. Even Aaron Hill put up major numbers after he was acquired from the Blue Jays.

It looks like Kirk Gibson will be with the Diamondbacks for many years to come which is a good thing for Diamondback fans. Right now, Kirk Gibson is the 2011 Arizona Coach of the year from SB Arizona.

Honorable Mention: Sean Miller, U of A Head Basketball Coach- Miller was a very close second. In his second season at the helm of the Wildcats Miller led the team to a 30-8 regular season record and was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Miller brought U of A back to basketball reverence in 2011 leading them to the Elite Eight, a loss against eventual national champion Connecticut 65-63. Miller is set up for years at U of A as he has the number one ranked recruiting class ranked by ESPN for 2012.

Who do you think is the 2011 Arizona Coach of the Year?

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and “Like” us on Facebook.

Read More: 2011 end of year awards, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks

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Jason Marquis and the Minnesota Twins agreed on a deal for the pitcher to join the team for the 2012 MLB season. Marquis is currently rehabbing after fracturing his right fibula while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011.

Through the season, Marquis went 8-6 over 23 starts with a 4.43 ERA as the Diamondbacks made their surprise surge for an NL postseason appearance.

The injury occurred on August 14 in a game against the New York Mets. Angel Pagan hit a line drive that nailed Marquis in the third inning of the game. Marquis remained in the game, and seemed fine, but in the fourth inning he fell to the ground, grasping his right leg after hitting Josh Thole with a pitch.

Trainers had to help Marquis off the field with an injury that, at first, looked like a rolled ankle. The injury, which takes several weeks to heal, put Marquis on the 15-day disabled list and they replaced him in the rotation. On August 23, the Diamondbacks went ahead and placed Marques on the 60-day DL, effectively ending Marquis’ season.

Since Marquis was about to become a free agent, both sides agreed he had played his final game as a Diamondback.

It didn’t take long for the 33-year old pitcher to latch on with a new team. The Minnesota Twins needed a fifth starter and are looking to rebound from a disappointing last place finish in the AL Central in 2011. The Twins will give Marquis $3 million in a one year contract that will allow him to pitch in the American League for the first time in his career.

One big positive for the sinker ball pitcher is a nice, big pitcher’s park in Target Field to play. In the first two seasons the Twins have played there, the ballpark has been one of the most difficult for home run hitters. Of course, over his 12-year career, Marquis has made a name as a ground ball pitcher.

Marquis has played in Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago (NL), Washington and Arizona over his career. His career ERA sits at 4.51 but he dropped his yearly ERA almost two runs when he moved from the Nationals to the Diamondbacks.

In 2012, Minnesota hopes Marquis will help them turn their fortunes back around.

Source: ESPN

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University of Phoenix’s parent company has named former Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns executive Rich Dozer to its board of directors.

Phoenix-based Apollo Group Inc. made the announcement on Tuesday.

Dozer, 54, is the chairman of GenSpring Family Office of Phoenix, a wealth-management firm. Before that, Dozer was the founding president of the Arizona Diamondbacks and chief operating officer of the Phoenix Suns.

Earlier in Dozer’s career, he held various positions at Arthur Andersen, where he was a certified public accountant. Dozer earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arizona.

Dozer serves on the boards of directors of several Arizona-based corporations, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Meridian Bank, Swift Transportation Corp. and Viad Corp.

The Phoenix businessman replaces Samuel DiPiazza Jr., the former global chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

DiPiazza resigned from the Apollo board in October.

Dozer supports numerous Arizona organizations, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital, United Way Foundation for Blind Children and United Cerebral Palsy.

He also serves on the boards of directors of Teach for America of Phoenix, the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Greater Phoenix Leadership Inc.

Reach the reporter at jahna.berry@arizonarepublic.com.