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Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers, Pre-game Manager Notes

SB Nation Arizona is live at Chase Field for tonight's game. Jose Romero contributed to this report.

Kirk Gibson met with the media in the dugout several hours before the game and talked a bit more about his philosophy for the team.

Establishing the batting order

The more visible changes from Gibson have been in the batting order, with Chris Young taking firm control of the lead-off position. Gibson said he likes Young's energy at the top of the order and the way he sets the table.

Overall, the idea is get a more established order for the team and tonight's move to bat Chris Synder fourth is part of that, but not the full story, and certainly not a permanent move.

"Overall, I'm trying to invigorate my team. Our team. Maybe there's some shock factor to it," Gibson said.

Drew and Johnson updates

Gibson said that Drew was available last night and is available tonight even though he won't start. It sounds like the plan is for him to play tomorrow. Drew's played a lot early in the season and it seems that Gibson is trying to establish the idea that the team needs to play hard no matter who's name is on the lineup card.

"It doesn't matter who's in the lineup. We'll be a better team if everybody's involved," the new manager said.

Kelly Johnson was scheduled to start today, but was a scratch due to the flu.

Momentos from his first game as manager

Gibson said that in general he doesn't consider himself a guy who saves things, but that LaRoche game him the ball and he saved the line up card. "You never know how valuable it will be. Hopefully stuff from last night will mean something someday."

Kirk said he did not get a thousand well wishes, but it was in the high one hundreds. People from his first year in pro ball -- which was 1978 -- came out of the wood work and contacted him.

Joe Torre, the venerable Dodgers manager, offered interesting praise for his new counterpart, Kirk Gibson. Torre called Gibson "one of those dirty players." 

"But when I say that, I mean it in a complimentary way," Torre said. "One word that gets your attention is grinder, the grind mentality that he has. That's the type of player he was."

Torre added that Gibson is the type of manager who is "going to get their (D-backs players') attention." 

Promotions of Bo Porter and Joel Youngblood

The Diamondbacks announced earlier today that third base coach Bo Porter would be promoted to Bench Coach and Joel Youngblood had been called up from from his role as the minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator. 

Gibson called Porter "a guy who will really be a great asset to me."

Youngblood, a former 14-year major-league player who has the distinction of getting a hit for two different teams on the same day, is the new D-backs third-base coach. On the afternoon of Aug. 4, 1982, he singled for the New York Mets in Chicago. That night in Philadelphia, he singled for the team to which he was traded, the Montreal Expos.

On last night's baserunning mistakes

Gibson talked about baserunning in general when asked about Justin Upton getting picked off first inning of last night's game. All of his guys continue to have the "green light," but he wants them to learn when and why they should run and better understand the game and take what's given.

Mostly, though, the new manager stressed the need to have constant mental focus during the game, "When we're out there in the game, it's full go, full alert. There's nothing relaxing about it at all. Like I told them, we want to be mentally exhausted after the game."