Starting his third decade leading the D-backs, Derrick Hall steps out of the box to talk leadership, legacy and place.
On a brisk morning at Salt River Fields, Derrick Hall looks out his office window at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring training complex.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” says the team’s 57-year-old president and CEO, who took the helm in 2006 as the franchise steadied itself after a turbulent stretch. “Just beautiful.”
If his voice – warm, practiced and unhurried – sounds like a broadcaster’s, that’s no coincidence. Before he ran a baseball organization, Hall came up through media, first as a journalism student at Arizona State University, then as a minor league marketing intern, and finally as a communications exec with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I didn’t know anyone in baseball when I started,” he admits. That golden throat wound up serving him well.
“It certainly makes getting in front of a camera or podium easier,” Hall says – a skill tested as the D-backs navigated MLB’s shifting labor dynamics and disputes over Chase Field’s future. That ease under pressure has helped make Hall Major League Baseball’s second longest-tenured executive – a distinction underlined by the team’s current fit of on-field success. As prez and CEO, Hall hires leadership, sets budgets and defines priorities – but eagerly passes credit to general manager Mike Hazen and others in the organization.
“I definitely give them a budget each year, but trust them to make the talent decisions,” he says. “They’ll come to me and our owner for final approval on larger moves.”
Instead, Hall focuses on what he can control. “Fan experience is one of those things, along with our impact on the community and the culture that we have off the field,” he says.
Hall grew up in working-class Los Angeles, watching baseball on television and at Dodger Stadium when his family could afford it – experiences that shaped his sensitivity to cost long before he worked in a front office. That awareness shows up in how the organization approaches affordability, from value pricing to allowing fans to bring food and water into the stadium.
Place is important, too. Built on land belonging to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Salt River Fields complex marked the first time an MLB team located spring training operations on Native land. “It was really first and foremost getting educated on their culture,” Hall says. “And then figuring out how we could include some of their history for our fans to learn.”
That emphasis also shapes how the organization presents itself publicly. The popular Los Serpientes jerseys, Hall says, were a nod to Arizona’s Hispanic fans. “Just as we did Los D-backs on our jerseys years ago,” he says. “Our demographics are growing… and that should be a reflection of who lives here and who works here.”
Philanthropy has become another defining part of the team’s identity. This year, the D-backs will surpass $100 million in charitable giving, much of it informed by personal experience. Hall survived prostate cancer in 2011. His wife Amy later battled breast cancer, and Hazen lost his wife to cancer during his tenure. “I was very lucky,” Hall says. “The earlier it’s detected, the better chance you have to overcome it.”
Now, Hall’s attention has turned back Downtown. After years of negotiations with the city and county, including periodic relocation threats, Chase Field is undergoing the kind of infrastructure improvements – concrete, HVAC, etc. – that fans rarely notice unless they fail. The upgrades include a new video board and LED ribbon displays, funded through taxes tied to activity at the ballpark – a deliberate contrast to how the building was originally financed when it opened in the late 1990s as Bank One Ballpark.
“If you don’t go to Chase Field, you’re not going to be paying any taxes for the ballpark,” Hall promises. On the field, Hall says the D-backs’ World Series appearance two years ago have sharpened expectations. Offseason additions and a wave of young prospects have reframed 2026 less as a reset than a continuation.
“I hope fans will look back and say we all did it right,” he says. “That we treated them well, put a good product on the field, and we took a facility that was very important to them and made it even better.”
– Jimmy Maghreb
Spicy Expansion
If it were up to Aks Sethi, the whole world would be able to try his fast-casual Thai food. Sethi opened his first Thai Chili 2go location in Queen Creek a decade ago. Today, there are 17 in the Valley, with six more set to open this year. Sethi plans to expand into Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Florida, but says quality is still his priority. “We refuse to cut corners for convenience,” he says. “We remain committed to serving our guests unique and flavorful dishes with the best ingredients available.” tc2go.com
– Eleri Mosier
Tech Corner: CARE•E•ON
Uber, Lyft and Waymo aren’t the only rideshares in the Valley. Now there’s Care•e•On, Arizona’s first premium app-based rideshare service that’s built on customization. Riders can choose and schedule a private driver in advance without added fees, and if they like their experience, they can request the same driver again. “A personal driver on your schedule ensures your experience is exactly what fits your needs,” Care•e•On president Daniel Sidler says. For some, it’s friendly small talk after a long day, and for others, it’s a completely silent ride. “Either way, trust remains at the core,” Sidler says. careeondrivers.com
– Eleri Mosier
