Bring back the bullpen car; Diamondbacks could use one Wednesday

Outside of a handful of Japanese League teams and a couple minor-league clubs that still roll them out, baseball pretty much abolished the use of the bullpen car. They were fun while they lasted, those goofy golf carts topped with giant caps.

Some were sharp, like the Yankees’ famous pinstriped Datsun. Some were not, like the Mariners’ infamous tugboat on wheels dubbed the M.S. Relief. But they’re basically all gone now.

It’s too bad, really, because the Diamondbacks probably could use one of their own on Wednesday in what essentially will amount to a “bullpen game” when they wrap up their three-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

With a very real chance they could burn through most, if not all of their relief pitchers, they might want to make it a clown car. Anywhere from six to seven to eight relievers might end up spilling out of it.

“I imagine we’re going to have quite a bit of fun,” reliever Tom Wilhelmsen said. “And we already have a pretty good time down there.”

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With Taijuan Walker assigned to the disabled list due to a blister on his right index finger, Arizona needed someone to make a spot start in his absence. The most logical replacement, Braden Shipley, isn’t available after throwing seven innings for Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

So after huddling with management, manager Torey Lovullo announced on Monday his bullpen will handle the day game by itself. Right-hander Randall Delgado will get the start and the other seven relievers will simply wait for their turn to be called when they hear the bullpen phone ring.

It might just ring off the hook like it did here at Chase Field in an exhibition game just before Opening Day. That’s when Indians manager Terry Francona used nine different pitchers against the Diamondbacks – one for each inning of play.

“Yeah, it might (ring a lot), I would assume,” reliever Andrew Chafin said. “We’ll all be ready when it does, though, I can tell you that.”

“Bullpen games” happen frequently in the minors when the parent club raids one of its clubs of an ace just before a scheduled start. They are a little rarer at the major-league level, although last month, the Rays, fearing a lengthy rain delay, relied entirely on their bullpen to beat the Orioles 2-0.

“I’ve been in quite a few of them,” Wilhelmsen said of bullpen games. “I think it’ll be just fine. We’ve got guys in our bullpen that are capable of throwing two, three innings, so that makes it a little easier. There’s eight of us in there now, so that makes it a little easier, too. We’re just going to go out and do what we’ve been doing this year. We’re just going to start the game and finish it.”

Asked if there might be any ribbing over who might fall in line for the potential “win,” Wilhelmsen said, “We’re not that into ourselves. We’ve all been humbled. That’s why we’re in the bullpen.”

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Lovullo said he tabbed Delgado to start because he’s had the most extended outings and has emerged as the Diamondbacks’ long reliever. Plus, the one-time starter has been pitching lights-out lately. Ranked second among National League relievers in innings pitched (26.2), Delgado had a career-long scoreless streak of 15.1 innings snapped on Friday.

How many innings will Delgado throw?

“I’m not going to put a number on it,” Lovullo said. “What we’re asking him to do is go as hard as he can for as long as he can, not change his routine, not change his game-day prep. Just walk into that start doing exactly what he’s been doing because he’s been locked-in and throwing the ball very well.”

Lovullo went on to say that he’ll worry about each of his reliever’s availability when Wednesday morning gets here, but said the bullpen was a completely rested unit entering Monday’s night’s series opener against the Sox.

“We have guys that can create a little bit of length,” he said, “so we’re going to do what we can as a group to walk through this each day, individually, and once we get there we’ll figure out what we have and who we have and try to win the game when Randall starts.”

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The only problem with Delgado starting is that by him not actually being in the bullpen during the game, the rest of the relievers say they won’t have their favorite funny man around to help amuse them. That’s right, apparently Delgado is the Jackie Jokester of the group.

“He’s a very funny guy. He’ll keep you on your toes,” reliever J.J. Hoover said. “He’s just, I don’t know, Randy.”

The Diamondbacks bullpen, which was leading the NL and ranked second in the majors with a May ERA of 2.06, isn’t without its share of wise guys and cut-ups. Just ask Wilhelmsen, one of the group’s more colorful personalities.

“We’re going to have to lock it in a little bit earlier this go-around,” he said. “But it’s still not going to take us away from our calm, fun-loving, kind of busting (expletive) nature, because we like to keep things the same down there – light and free and easy.

“There’s a number of things we do, but it’s mostly just looking at and making fun of Randall. We’ve got quite a few characters. (Fernando) Rodney’s pretty darn funny. Chafin’s a funny guy. (Archie) Bradley, he just talks and talks. But Randall I think is the one we all look forward to laughing with.”

The real laugh would be if Lovullo could summon up a funky-looking bullpen car to ferry his relievers from the bullpen to the pitching mound. If nothing else, it could help speed up the game.

Reach McManaman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Wednesday night between 7-9 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash.

Tuesday’s game

White Sox at Diamondbacks

When: 6:40 p.m.

Where: Chase Field (Roof hotline: 602-462-6262).

Pitchers: Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (3-4, 4.38) vs. White Sox RHP Dylan Covey (0-3, 7.64).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1).

Corbin has a 9.00 ERA over his last three starts, which included allowing eight earned runs in a game at Colorado. He’s never gone deeper than seven full innings in any of his starts, but his ERA in six starts at home (3.06) is far better than his ERA in three starts on the road (7.31). Teams are hitting .279 against him. The Diamondbacks have won in four of his last five starts. … Covey is making his eighth start and still is searching for his first win despite allowing three or fewer earned runs on three occasions. He’s allowed two home runs in each of his past four starts, in which the White Sox have gone 1-3. This will be his first career start against the Diamondbacks. His ERA in five road appearances is 8.33.

Coming up

Wednesday: At Chase Field, 12:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Randall Delgado (1-0, 4.50) vs. White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (2-5, 3.92).

Thursday: At Milwaukee, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (3-3, 3.91) vs. Brewers RHP Paolo Espino (0-0, 4.50).

Friday: At Milwaukee, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (1-1, 2.45) vs. Brewers RHP Chase Anderson (2-1, 4.25).