I've watched a lot of Diamondbacks baseball over the years. I ran the team's website beginning with the 1997 Expansion Draft before joining MLB.com in time for the 2001 season.
While the Diamondbacks don't have the history of, say, the Red Sox or the Yankees, they've had plenty of amazing moments since their inaugural 1998 season.
Here's a look at my Top 10 moments (in chronological order) from Diamondbacks history:
First Pitch -- March 31, 1998
On this day, right-hander Andy Benes threw the first pitch in franchise history against the Rockies' Mike Lansing. It was the culmination of three years of scouting, drafting and development by the front office, and it ended Arizona's long wait for a Major League team.
Arizona lost the game and was swept by the Rockies, but none of that mattered, because the state had a team to call its own.
$1 million homer -- July 11, 1999
As part of a promotion the team had with Shamrock Farms, a fan was chosen at random before Sunday home games to pick a Diamondbacks player and an inning in which that player would hit a grand slam.
Chandler, Ariz., resident Gylene Hoyle picked Jay Bell and the sixth inning, and sure enough, Bell delivered a grand slam in that inning. Bell, who did not show emotion very often on the field, pumped his fist as he rounded the bases because he knew he had won $1 million for a fan. Hoyle used the money to buy a new house for her family.
Postseason bound -- Sept. 24, 1999
In just their second season of existence, the Diamondbacks clinched the National League West on this date.
The Giants' Doug Mirabelli hit a chopper to third, where Matt Williams fielded it and threw across the diamond to Erubiel Durazo, and Arizona became the fastest expansion franchise to make the playoffs.
Big Unit, big strikeout -- May 8, 2001
Randy Johnson racked up a lot of strikeouts in his career -- 4,875, to be exact, second only to Nolan Ryan's 5,714 -- but there was never a game during which Johnson had more of them than on a Tuesday night in Phoenix, when he compiled 20 strikeouts against the Reds.
Johnson got Juan Castro to strikeout to end the top of the ninth inning and complete his night. Unfortunately for Johnson, Arizona's offense didn't come through, and the game went to extra innings before the Diamondbacks finally won, 4-3, in the 11th inning.
Emotional HR for Womack -- June 17, 2001
On Father's Day, just weeks after losing his father to a heart attack, Tony Womack hit a fourth-inning grand slam as the Arizona beat the Tigers at Chase Field.
Womack began crying as he rounded the bases and pointed to the sky as he crossed home plate. Later, surrounded by his teammates in the dugout, he wept openly.
Luis Gonzalez walks it off -- Nov. 4, 2001
This one was undoubtedly the biggest hit in franchise history and one of the more memorable ones in the history of Major League Baseball.
Trailing, 2-1, against the Yankees heading into the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, the Diamondbacks rallied for a pair of runs off Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera. Luis Gonzalez, who hit 57 homers in the regular season, capped it off with a walk-off bloop single to left field as Arizona became the fastest expansion team in history to win a World Series.
RJ records the final out -- May 18, 2004
The 2004 season was a forgettable one for the Diamondbacks, who lost a franchise-record 111 games and saw the firing of manager Bob Brenly.
But it was also a year in which one of the franchise's best moments happened, as Johnson recorded a perfect game against the Braves at Turner Field. Johnson, then 40 years old, completed the 27 up, 27 down feat by striking out Eddie Pérez with a 98 mph fastball.
No. 4,000 -- June 29, 2004
Johnson joined an exclusive club when he struck out Jeff Cirillo of the Padres to mark the 4,000th punchout of his career. Johnson is one of just four players to strike out 4,000 or more: Ryan (5,714), Johnson (4,875), Roger Clemens (4,672) and Steve Carlton (4,136).
J.D. = Just Dingers, Sept. 4, 2017
Acquired in July from the Tigers, outfielder J.D. Martinez played a huge role in the Diamondbacks' clinch of an NL Wild Card berth.
Martinez's biggest night for Arizona came against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, where he hit four home runs in four consecutive at-bats, with the final one coming against Wilmer Font.
Final out of Game 7 -- Oct. 24, 2023
The Diamondbacks won just 84 games during the regular season in 2023, but they went on an amazing run in the postseason to secure the second NL pennant in franchise history.
It took them seven games to beat the Phillies, and the final out came when right fielder Corbin Carroll hauled in a fly off the bat of Jake Cave to send Arizona to the World Series, where it lost in five games to the Rangers.