10 players you forgot were once D-backs

PHOENIX -- When you think of the D-backs, what players spring to mind? Luis Gonzalez, Randy Johnson, Paul Goldschmidt and Matt Williams are probably some of the names that arise.

But what names are familiar to baseball fans but might have even some D-backs fans saying, "He was a Diamondback?"

Here's a look at 10 of those:

Dan Plesac, 1999-2000
The current MLB Network analyst is best remembered for his days with the Brewers, but he also played a key role on Arizona's first playoff team.
The lefty was acquired by the D-backs in June 1999 to serve as a left-handed specialist, and he helped Arizona to a 100-win season as it became the first expansion team in history to make the playoffs in just its second season.

Carlos Baerga, 2003-04
Baerga is best remembered as the second baseman who played a key role on the Cleveland juggernaut teams of the mid-1990s while putting together a 14-year big league career. Toward the end of that distinguished career, he spent a pair of seasons with the D-backs, serving mainly as a pinch-hitter.

Roberto Alomar, 2004
Alomar is a Hall of Famer who played in 2,379 games and collected 2,724 hits while playing Gold Glove defense at second base. He won a pair of World Series with the Blue Jays and led the Indians to the postseason.
In 2004, the D-backs signed Alomar to a free-agent contract and he played 38 games, hitting .309 before being dealt to the White Sox.

Jose Cruz Jr., 2005
Regarded as one of the game's top prospects after being selected third overall by the Blue Jays in 1995, Cruz may not have lived up to all the hype, but he did put together a nice 12-year career in which he finished with an OPS+ of 102.

Looking to bolster their offense, the D-backs sent lefty Casey Fossum to the Rays for Cruz before the 2005 season. After Arizona fell out of the race, however, it dealt Cruz to the Red Sox just before the non-waiver Trade Deadline for a pair of Minor Leaguers who never reached the Majors.

Shawn Green, 2005-06
The D-backs acquired Green in January 2005 and he joined Gonzalez and Troy Glaus to form what some fans called the "G Force" in the heart of the Arizona batting order.
While Green did his part, slashing .286/.355/.477, the D-backs' offense never really came together as hoped that year and Green was dealt to the Mets in August 2006.

Terry Mulholland, 2006
Mulholland is remembered by some for the no-hitter he threw for the Phillies in 1990, and by others for the time the ball got stuck in his glove while fielding a comebacker and he threw the glove (with the ball stuck in it) to first base for the out.

Overall, Mulholland logged 20 seasons in the big leagues with 11 different teams. His final stop was with the D-backs in 2006. Signed as a free agent, Muholland, who lived in the Phoenix area, made the Opening Day roster, but he had some injury issues and made just five relief appearances before being released.

Adam Dunn, 2008
Desperate to hold off the surging Dodgers, who had traded for Manny Ramirez, the D-backs acquired Dunn from the Reds in an August 2008 waiver deal. Dunn, who smacked 462 homers in his career, would hit eight for the D-backs down the stretch as they came up short to the Dodgers, and Dunn departed via free agency following the season.

David Eckstein, 2008
On Aug. 31, 2008, the D-backs acquired Eckstein, who is probably best remembered for his performance for the Angels in the 2002 postseason, hoping his leadership skills could help Arizona down the stretch.
Eckstein hit .219 in 73 plate appearances and signed with the Padres after the season.

Dontrelle Willis, 2010
Willis burst on the scene in 2003, capturing the National League Rookie of the Year Award while helping lead the Marlins to a World Series victory over the Yankees.

Control problems hampered him after his first four seasons, but the D-backs believed they could help Willis when they acquired him during the 2010 season. Unfortunately that proved not to be the case, as Willis walked 27 while striking out just 14 in six games with Arizona before being released.

Mike Hampton, 2010
Coming back from rotator cuff surgery, Hampton signed a Minor League deal with the D-backs in August 2010 and made 10 late-season appearances over 4 1/3 innings. The team re-signed him on a Minor League deal for '11, but he ended up retiring in Spring Training to finish a 16-year career.