(AP Photo/Paul Connors)

Dan Bickley, from the Arizona Republic and “Bickley and MJ” on XTRA Sports 910, writes a great article on why the Dbacks need to keep Eric Byrnes or risk fan mutiny.

Guess what Bickley? I agree!

Eric Byrnes brings so much more to the table than his superb play in the outfield and his ever-so-hot bat. He brings the energy, the charisma, the craziness, that the Diamondbacks need. Not too many players have their own reality tv show along with a fan blog dedicated just to their cause. For Byrnes though, thats no problem at all.

Let’s face it though. The guy is having a sick year and well he is now due for a big pay day. A pay day that the Dbacks won’t be entirely jumping at the opportunity.

“As with any decision, we’ll touch on the variables of what’s best from a baseball standpoint, what makes sense from a financial standpoint and from a fan identification standpoint,” Josh Byrnes said. “Eric has been tremendous for this organization in every way, and we certainly don’t take it lightly that free agency is coming. We’ll try to make the very best decision for our baseball club.”

Let’s just hope that the “fan identification” part plays a big role. The longer Byrnes is in town, the better off the Dbacks will be. Financially it might not make that much sense to pay out $10M to Byrnes, but from a fans perspective and the revenue that he alone might generate in ticket sales, it might not bee too far fetched.

Now…as for that TV show of his. If you haven’t seen it, then you should tune in:

The Eric Byrnes Show — May 31, 2007

The next episode of “The Eric Byrnes Show,” which is scheduled to air Friday, June 29, at 6 p.m. MST on FSN Arizona, will offer a look at how the outfielder spent a day in New York.

“The whole show is going to be shot in New York City,” Byrnes said. “We had a long day of shooting. We went over and looked at the monuments. It’s a cool experience. I’ve done it before, but it never gets old. We shot at the hotel, the hotel gym, we pulled a prank on Mark Reynolds, so we’re getting creative there. I never know until they’re done with it, but I have a feeling this one is going to be good.”

Join the discussion at The Fanster Forums. Arizona Sports 24/7.