Pitcher Brandon Webb, whose health might be the key to the Diamondbacks’ season, has been playing catch regularly at Chase Field.

It’s still early in the recovery process, but so far so good, manager A.J. Hinch said.

“He looks really good and really comfortable,” said Hinch, who has played catch recently with Webb a couple of times. “I saw him throughout his process last year and even when he almost got back on the mound he never looked comfortable.

“He had a floating arm slot, the look on his face – he just looked like he didn’t feel good. You notice immediately that he’s a lot more confident. He’s not hesitating and waiting for pain to happen.”

Webb had shoulder surgery in August, a so-called “debridement” procedure that amounted to a clean-up of his rotator cuff and labrum.

Hinch said that once spring training begins – pitchers and catchers report Feb. 19 – it’s possible the team will put Webb on a schedule that’s a little behind those of his teammates, just to be on the safe side. He’s still expected to be ready for the start of the season.

“Smart aggressiveness is the way that I would phrase it,” Hinch said. “It’s important for us to have the right combination of aggressiveness and being conservative. At the same time we want to make sure we get him ready for the season.”

That said, Hinch can envision Webb throwing off a mound before heading to Tucson.

More injury updates

Closer Chad Qualls, who underwent surgery in September to repair severe damage in his left knee, also could be on a cautious schedule when spring training begins.

But Qualls recently said he has made significant progress and doesn’t normally need a full spring training to prepare for the season.

“I have no doubt in my mind that I’ll be ready to go by Opening Day,” he said.

Last month, Qualls underwent a procedure known as a gentle manipulation, in which he said he was put to sleep and doctors bent his leg in order to break up scar tissue.

“I’m excited, because I’ve kind of turned the corner and I can feel it getting better day by day,” he said.

Catcher Chris Snyder (back surgery) also has been working out at Chase Field, and Hinch expects him to be fully healthy for the start of spring training.

“I think he’s going to enter camp without restrictions,” Hinch said. “He’s been taking soft toss and has been swinging the bat with freedom. There’s only so much you can evaluate in a cage, but his freedom and bat speed have been good.”

Jay Leno will headline the Diamondbacks’ annual “Evening on the Diamond” charitable fundraiser April 1 at Chase Field.

The Emmy Award-winning comic, who will return as the host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” on March 1, will perform on the field during an event that has raised $3.5 million for charities through the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation.

The evening will include an elegant cocktail party and dinner on the field attended by many of the Valley’s philanthropists and corporate executives. Every member of the Diamondbacks’ coaching staff and team will sit with guests at selected tables.

Sports memorabilia and entertainment packages will be available for purchase during a silent auction. Sports packages will go to the highest bidder during a live auction.

A limited number of tables are available, ranging in price from $10,000 to $35,000. For more information, call 602-462-6573 or email dbacksfoundation@dbacks.com.

The dawn of baseball season seemed so bright. The Diamondbacks had reunited with Gonzo, now a club employee. They had refitted with some deft moves from their general manager, adding the spice of promise to spring training. And then Donald Schulz, a converted Cubs fan, simply stole the moment.

He went out and died in fantasy camp.

“He was just a good old Chicago boy,” Diamondbacks broadcaster Mark Grace said. “And it just sucked.”

Save the tears. This is not a sad story.

In just three short visits, Schulzie had become a fantasy-camp legend. He had been widowed since New Year’s Eve 2003, and his five children were scattered about the country. But a man who loves baseball is never truly alone, and nothing tickled Schulzie like the camaraderie and crude humor that occurred inside a clubhouse. Here, he was at ease, a center of attention, his lumpy body an ongoing source of amusement.

“He had one eye going this way, and one eye going the other,” Grace said. “One day he complained that he saw cockroaches in the shower. Said he saw one on the floor and one on the ceiling. I told him he was the only guy who could see both at the same time.”

Schulzie would often monopolize kangaroo court, bringing case after case before the exasperated judge. He couldn’t get Matt Mantei’s name right, calling him “Monty” instead. And then came the day when he walked naked through the clubhouse, right behind a television crew doing a live shot from camp, a moment forever seared on my brain.

Schulzie was 75 when it all went down on Jan. 10, and not in good health. He had a triple bypass heart surgery in 2007. He had a pacemaker installed last year. Rumor has it he was once revived from the brink, and responded by saying, “What the hell did you do that for?”

“That was Aug. 3rd, 2009,” said his son, Tod. “He flat-lined prior to me getting to the hospital, and had signed paperwork to not revive or resuscitate. I did not know that. They asked me if I wanted to be with him when he goes. The nurse motioned me to the bed. I grabbed his hand. I said, ‘Dad! Dad!’ The second time, his eyes popped open, and his heart started again. He chewed me out for that.”

The 2010 Diamondbacks Fantasy Camp was going to be special. It marked his fourth visit, and possibly the last camp staged in Tucson. Too fragile to play, Schulzie made a reunion out of it, arranging for his brother and two of his sons to also attend. At the welcoming reception, Schulzie spent a chunk of quality time alone with Luis Gonzalez, a camp rookie. And then he was given the floor, asked to introduce his family.

“He was in his glory,” said the Diamondbacks’ Jeff Swanson, business manager for baseball outreach and development. “He came up and gave me a big hug. But I could tell there was a shortness of breath. He was having a hard time getting around.”

After dropping off the aging camper, Swanson returned to his own room, where less than 20 minutes later, the phone was already ringing, carrying news that Schulzie had died. That quick, and this time for good.

Campers were stunned. Memorial patches were ordered immediately, affixed to every cap in the building. Those that knew him couldn’t believe the irony.

Schulzie was an accountant, an IRS agent and a teacher. He loved to retell softball exploits with fellow senior citizens in Sierra Vista. One lucky codger hit a home run, touched home plate and died on the spot. Another guy slid into second base all wrong, and his leg just snapped, ending up behind his ear. Shocked onlookers and emergency workers were relieved to find the leg was only a prosthesis that had come unhinged.

To men like him, nothing could be more honorable than dying in uniform. And he nearly pulled it off.

“There’s a country music song we play about going out with your boots on,” said Tim Hattrick, a longtime camper and co-host of the popular Tim & Willy show. “Schulzie went out with his cleats on. For that, he’ll always be a legend.”

Still, he needed a proper sendoff, and it came the following morning. Grace strolled into the lunch room in a black robe and wig, the sense of pall hanging heavy. Schulz’s uniform was in the room. A truly disgusting picture of Hattrick kissing Schulz’s sagging breast was taped to the wall. And when kangaroo court came to order, Grace promptly fined Schulz $2 for having the temerity to die in fantasy camp.

“Had to do it,” Grace said. “But there was a tear in my eye.”

The judge pounded his gavel. And somewhere above, the old man was howling with laughter, guaranteed.

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