Like a kid on Christmas Eve who can’t sleep, like a hungry diner who has read all the great reviews about a restaurant, I have a little more giddiup in my step today; Justin Upton is on his way to the bigs.

The moment Carlos Quentin clutched his hamstring in last night in the extra-inning win over San Diego, I knew at that moment this would happen. It makes perfect sense.

Quentin had struggled since his return, Upton has been obliterating Double A pitching (to the tune of a .961 On Base Plus Slugging), and most importantly, it’s not a desperation call-up. The team isn’t fading, they’re thriving. The offense, while not perfect, is hitting much better than before (15 base hits last night).

He doesn’t need to be the savior. But at the same time can be the guy who puts them over the top.

The most heralded prospect in the history of the Diamondbacks is here. Can’t wait to see what he’s got.

Reach Dave Burns at dburns@ktar.com.

The NFL has Vick and Violence towards animals.

For Baseball, it’s the Bud and Barry show.

In the NBA, it’s David against the Goliath of a gambling scandal.

For today’s sports fan, avoiding cynicism is like avoiding perspiration during the monsoons.

You can’t.

So, for those in need of a respite…

Yesterday, Regina Foster received a check for $50,000 from Texans running back Ahman Green and Texans owner Bob McNair.

Foster is the single mother of a 7-year-old autistic child. The money is to be used as a down payment on a new home.

The reason? Green wanted to wear the No. 30 with the Texans. The owner of No. 30 was former ASU standout Jason Simmons. Simmons told Green if he wanted it, he would have to make a down payment on a house for a single mom.

See? It’s not all bad.

Reach Dave Burns at dburns@ktar.com.

Someone must have been listening to Diamondtalk on Sunday. A caller wanted to know why Conor Jackson has been used so inconsistently.

Monday, Jackson was in the lineup - in left field.

See the power you wield, loyal-listener?

The outfield dilemma is almost at a tipping point.

Eric Byrnes is the fan favorite and wants to stay, but he’s 31, wants a big money, long term deal and he’s having a career year; one that might be tough to duplicate.

Justin Upton is tearing up Double A. His call up is sooner than you think if the Diamondbacks continue to struggle offensively.

Carlos Quentin is tearing up Tucson. How much longer will he stay there until he gets another chance?

The infield situation is so crowded, Jackson is out there.

The outfield is so crowded it’s hard to know what it’s going to look like a year from now. But it’s crowded with guys that aren’t producing.

The answers would be simple if somebody would just step up and claim it.

Reach Dave Burns at dburns@ktar.com.

Wow, some vacation.

I leave and the local nine is 12 games over .500 and alone in first place. Come back after a week in Mexico to find the D-backs have lost six of their last eight, and three straight overall, getting outscored 28-4 in those three games.

Montezuma’s Revenge indeed. Was it the water or the Kool-Aid that I was drinking?

Sloppy is the operative word Tuesday after last night’s loss to St. Louis. A three run seventh inning by the Redbirds in which the D-backs failed to engage their brains on defense. Dropped balls, late throws, missed cut-off men. Mix in an offense that has just six hits with runners-in-scoring-position in the last 8 games, sprinkle in a dash of just so-so starting pitching, and presto! Out comes a team limping to the All-Star-Break.

I don’t usually say this, but I was disappointed in Brandon Webb last night. His team gives him a 3-2 lead and what’s the first thing he does? Walk the leadoff man in the bottom of the sixth. That runner scored the tying run. Then his dropped ball at first and subsequent hit batsman opened the floodgates for the sloppy seventh.

Offensively, everyone like to focus on Carlos Quentin’s struggles and the plate and rightfully so. He’s been a mammoth disappointment this year. But the guy who has flown under the radar all year, avoiding criticism like he’s been vaccinated against it, is Stephen Drew. So far, he’s having a lousy year. But no one talks about sending him down to work on his offense.

I have a sense that the price of making a deal in today’s market will be awfully high. Do the D-backs engage in a conversation about Jermaine Dye? I think they should…..depending on the price. Is Adam Dunn available? How much is it going to cost?

They have six games before the break to show everybody, themselves included, that they can be that team they were B.M. (Before Mexico).

The All Star Break is for recharging the batteries, not rehashing the results and reconsidering the plan.

Reach Dave Burns at dburns@ktar.com.

News and Notes from a weekend spent drinking heavily at my brother-in-laws wedding:

• I have never been to a wedding where you were not only allowed, you were encouraged to drink during the ceremony. While vows were exchanged, a grape vodka and red bull was being slurped by yours truly.

• I have decided that the sporting event I would like to attend before I die….well….it’s still a North Carolina/Duke game from Cameron. But creeping up the list, quickly, is the College World Series. Tailgating meets Baseball? Sign me up.

• I have never been to a wedding where, instead of the traditional champagne toast, we were all given shot glasses filled with some concoction called ’sex with an alligator’. I’m told it had jagr, midori and pineapple juice in it. I had two.

• Let the lineup dance begin for Bob Melvin. No more interleague games featuring the DH. Now he’ll have to rotate his guys around depending on matchups, who is hot-who is not kind of thing.

• In between the red bull/grape vodka drinks and the ’sex with an alligator’ shots, I was asked by a guy there what the hot rumor was regarding the Arizona Diamondbacks. I don’t know how hot this is, but I do believe that if Carlos Quentin doesn’t find a way to stop hacking at every pitch that comes out of the pitchers hand, he will be in Tucson very shortly.

Reach Dave Burns at dburns@ktar.com.