Brandon Webb
AZ Diamondbacks Pitcher

Standing on the pitcher’s mound, the focus of attention for thousands of D-backs fans: It all still seems surreal at times to Brandon Webb.

It wasn’t long ago that the 29-year-old Kentucky native was third in a pitching rotation that featured legendary future Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. Now Webb’s devastating sinker pitch and supreme dedication have elevated him to Major League-star status.

“Sometimes we’re all just out there in amazement of how far we’ve come since little league in what seems like such a short amount of time,” he says in his characteristic slow Southern drawl. “It’s amazing to see where we came from, for sure.”

Since Webb was drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2003, he has posted numerous accomplishments, including winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2006. Last year his string of 42 consecutive scoreless innings gained him even more national acclaim.

This month the Open Door Policy crew was thrilled to interview Mr. Webb in his “office” – a corner locker in the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse. With plasma TVs and black leather couches, the setting is more like a luxury lounge than a locker room. Before games, Webb kicks back in the clubhouse, chatting with the other players, strumming guitar or just checking e-mail on his laptop.

Webb has had the same locker since he joined the Diamondbacks, and while other players initially warned him of some negative superstitions surrounding it, he clearly hasn’t been affected.

“They told me, ‘I don’t know if you want that locker,’ but I was like, ‘I don’t believe in that,’” he says. “For a rookie it’s one of the best spots. It’s one of the few corner ones, and those are the biggest ones. It’s nice to have the space.”