Zach Greinke

I live here in KC and we can't watch the Royals without a special TV subscription but I did listen to the last few innings. He's been absolutely amazing. 104 pitch complete game! I read in our newspaper that he got 4 standing Os last night.

There is a thread titled “How come pitchers can’t hit?” Zach was a very good hitter, too bad he’s not in the national league.

Here is a report we wrote from one of our events in December of 2001. This was before anyone knew if he would end up being a pitcher or a position player.

Greinke does just about everything other than run at the major league level. He can hit, hit with power, field and he has one of the best arms in high school baseball. He spent some time behind the plate in Ft Myers and who knows, that could possibly be his future. Of course we have always been most interested in his arm and continue to see him as a big time pitching prospect. He tops out at 94, 95 on some guns and he displays outstanding pitching traits. He is a definite 2-way guy in college, but the question remains about just how high he might go in the draft. That arm especially will create a lot of interest, but he can really play the game.

BTW, he had a 1.85 pop time at the above event and threw 90 mph across the infield. He played 3B, SS, C and P at that showcase. Zach also was an outstanding hitter (with power) who would easily have been drafted early as a position player. And he could play any position on the field.

In 2002 he was playing for Team Florida (I believe) in our WWBA Tournament in Georgia when the royals signed him in between games for 2-3 million or whatever it was. He recently signed for $38 million/4 years. A couple winters ago we were in Ft Myers running an event at the Twins complex. Zach walked up and said hello, I said Zach what are you doing here? He said watching my brother. I asked him if his brother was any good, he said, he got a strong arm and can hit. I asked, is he as good as you. He answered… No, not quite that good! His brother is very talented. Zach looks like the kid who lives next door. If you didn’t know him, out of uniform you’d never guess he was a professional baseball player, let alone a multimillionaire. He has had some struggles with some kind of anxiety disorder. What is going on now is amazing stuff, couldn’t happen to a neater kid.

I think Greinke is a jerk. He walks around like he owns the place and he's peeved that you're there. He has no fear and throws at guys chins regularly.

I get to see him a lot, seeing as my team, the White Sox, are in their division.

I wish he would go to the national league and show off those hitting skills...unless of course the White Sox can trade for him...

CPLZ

I think you need to take a "chill pill"---we continually ge sermons from the moderators regarding language on the site and look at the term you are using---great example Mr Moderator

PG, I was lucky enough to see a couple of Zachs last HS games in the playoffs and what I believe was his last homer in a summer league game in Orlando just before he headed to WWBA in Atlanta.

His younger brother Luke was a teammate of my son's on the Scorpions before Luke went to Auburn. Luke is very good. Their dad used to post here way back when. Nice kids from a nice family.

CP, he has an arrogant streak on the mound as the good ones do. I don't think I'd like him either if he was in my team's division.

The Direct TV MLB package rocks.

I agree with Dad04, his arrogant streak got him where he is, you HAVE to have that, they don't want "nice guys" on the mound. Having no fear and throwing at chins is considered ML stuff. This is something he has learned, and it has changed his game.

That's a thing that you have to show, FEAR ME.

What is amazing is watching him toy with the Chicago White Sox as easily, or easier than he did with West Orange High School. He is playing extreme arrogance, which is a good thing.

TPM, Zach learned that a long time ago. In hs, one of my son's teammates broke up one a no-no late in the game, and we were all relieved when he didn't come up to bat again that game against Zach. Zach, however, well remembered and hit the kid in the head his first at bat the next game we played Apopka.

He may have a Boy Next Door face, but the kid is a talented conundrum.

I watched him carve up University HS before the draft. He was 91-93 all day until he let one go at 96 drilling a kid between the shoulder blades. I assumed it was for the scouts and got away from him. Maybe not.

He put CWS batter Ramirez on his butt Monday. He then struck him out with 3 curve balls in a row on the outside corner.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
CPLZ

I think you need to take a "chill pill"---we continually ge sermons from the moderators regarding language on the site and look at the term you are using---great example Mr Moderator

TR,
If you read my whole post through, you'll see that it was tongue in cheek as I end the post with wanting my team to trade for him and a smiley face

Keep those chill pills close by my friend...you need them more than anybody I know here. Looks like that, "east coast straight talk", you like to pride yourself in, seems to have impaired your reading and interpretation skills.

Grienke is an amazing talent...and I do respect his ability to control the inside of the plate.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
He put CWS batter Ramirez on his butt Monday. He then struck him out with 3 curve balls in a row on the outside corner.

What you don't know, is that ever since Trey Hillman arrived in KC, there has been as much bad blood between the White Sox and KC as any team in baseball. Hillman has a history of throwing at CWS batters. Not that Zach limits his chin music to CWS players, but they do brush back and hit a good number of CWS players...although very few CWS pitchers have retaliated...some of that being that both benches get warned early and no one wants to get tossed.

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
He put CWS batter Ramirez on his butt Monday. He then struck him out with 3 curve balls in a row on the outside corner.

What you don't know, is that ever since Trey Hillman arrived in KC, there has been as much bad blood between the White Sox and KC as any team in baseball. Hillman has a history of throwing at CWS batters. Not that Zach limits his chin music to CWS players, but they do brush back and hit a good number of CWS players...although very few CWS pitchers have retaliated...some of that being that both benches get warned early and no one wants to get tossed.

I don't follow either team, so I'll take your word that in general, KC throws at CWS guys. I know you understand moving batters around the box is a big part of baseball.

Greinke has hit one batter this year, making him 65th in the major leagues, but he is 2nd in innings pitched.

In 2008 he hit 4 batters in 202.1 innings pitched. He was 129th in batters hit and 25th in innings pitched.

KC was 28th out of 30 teams in hit batters in 2008. Maybe they only throw at WS.

I would submit, your honor, that he moves batters without hitting them. Greinke doesn't appear to be a beanballer.

Last night Jason Bay hit a 1st inning grand slam off Joba Chamberlain. He hit the ball and ran the bases. No pimping. Joba hit him in the back next time up. What's a mother to do?

American League stats for this year.

Team Pitching - Hit Batters
Boston Red Sox - 20
New York Yankees - 20
Texas Rangers - 16
Toronto Blue Jays - 14
Baltimore Orioles - 12
Cleveland Indians - 11
Seattle Mariners - 9
Tampa Bay Rays - 9
Kansas City Royals - 8
Los Angeles Angels - 8
Minnesota Twins - 7
Detroit Tigers - 5
Chicago White Sox - 4
Oakland Athletics - 2

CPLZ

I didnt take it as a joke just as I did not take your terming me a "jerk" as a joke---by the way there is nothing wrong with my reading ability--I read what you said---if it is meant to be a joke say so

I also find it amazing how your persona has changed drastically since you became a "moderator".

I didnt know moderators were permitted to insult and malign posters. not only me but others--

dad04

Jason Bay has been eating up and spitting out Yankee pitching this season--Joba is the only pitcher they have that can take the initiative---it is all part of baseball--he didn't go for the batters head

Hey I don't fault a team playing a division rival agressively. There was no payback from Beckett.........yet. There might not be since he's already been suspended 5 games for merely throwing inside. Yet, nothing for Chamberlain.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
CPLZ

I didnt take it as a joke just as I did not take your terming me a "jerk" as a joke---by the way there is nothing wrong with my reading ability--I read what you said---if it is meant to be a joke say so

I also find it amazing how your persona has changed drastically since you became a "moderator".

I didnt know moderators were permitted to insult and malign posters. not only me but others--

The difference is, that with Greinke I was kidding.

I thought we took up a collection to buy TR a sense of humor. What happened? Did someone embezzle the funds?

I reacted kind of negatively to seeing the word jerk, read through it, laughed and thought that somebody without a sense of humor might take it wrong.

It was pretty interesting to read that he's been drilling people since HS.

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
CPLZ

I think you need to take a "chill pill"---we continually ge sermons from the moderators regarding language on the site and look at the term you are using---great example Mr Moderator

TR,
If you read my whole post through, you'll see that it was tongue in cheek as I end the post with wanting my team to trade for him and a smiley face

Keep those chill pills close by my friend...you need them more than anybody I know here. Looks like that, "east coast straight talk", you like to pride yourself in, seems to have impaired your reading and interpretation skills.

Grienke is an amazing talent...and I do respect his ability to control the inside of the plate.

Oops! I didn't see this before my rant.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
Oops! I didn't see this before my rant.

That's what happens when you spend too much time in the sun...Like Winter!

When you see a guy that can work both sides of the plate fearlessly like Greinke does, it shows you how good pitching beats good hitting. Guys like Konerko and Dye are off balance waving at outside sliders in the dirt for fear of leaning into the plate too far.

Steve Stone is doing White Sox TV now. He was telling a story a couple of weeks ago about how when he was a rookie, he threw an inside curveball to Gaylord Perry that made him land on his butt. When Stoney came up to bat, he asked the catcher if he thought Perry took it personally. The catcher responded, "we'll see?". Next pitch, right behind Stones head. So Stone asked the catcher, "Is this over now?", catcher responds, "I think so, just so long as you don't ever knock him down again...he might kill you then."

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ:
He walks around like he owns the place and he's peeved that you're there.

Right now, he does "own the game"... and has been the best MLB pitcher since late last year.

quote:

Originally posted by CPLZ: He has no fear and throws at guys chins regularly.

I am reminded of Gibson and Drysdale.

With the exception of David Cone, the franchise hasn't had a feared pitcher in twenty years.

go Royals.......

Man, if this was on cable we'd have to pay for it.................

quote:

Originally posted by FormerObserver:
Man, if this was on cable we'd have to pay for it.................

FO, doesn't Julie have to pay for this?????

Yes, but she doesn't charge us for the fights the way cable does with pay per view............


My bets on the full 10 rounds here.