Comments on: So Long, Guillen. The Process Continues

By: Bobster

Bobster — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:55:44 +0000

I have one MAJOR problem with what Zack said. While Greinke is certainly entitled to his opinion, said opinion would have more weight it he wasn’t having, say, a sub-par (and that’s being generous) year. Yes, he IS paid to pitch. And he’s not even doing that very well this year. His HRs are up, and so is his ERA, to the tune of nearly 2 points (!!) higher than last year. So, to Mr. Greinke, I say, perhaps if you’d concentrate on your pitching as much as flapping your yap this year, I’d have more of a listening ear.

By: Knoiro

Knoiro — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:00:05 +0000

As I watched Zack throw the ball Friday night, I was amazed at how easy he threw the ball. There was no gleam in his eye, no snarl on his lip, it was almost as he was just going through the motions “one more time”. Yes he WAS the Cy Young award winner last year and he HAD a sensational season, but there is absolutely nothing to indicate that he will do it again. His ERA over 4.00 this year, his strikeouts down, HR balls leaving the park with a little more regularity and the AL seems to understand Zack likes to throw a first pitch strike…..Smash goes the ball. Perhaps we just don’t want to believe that perhaps in 2009 Zach overachieved. Perhaps he didn’t but I sure don’t see many signs from last year showing up in his pitching this year. You can blame the offense as much as you want but last year he gave up 2 runs a game and this year it is 4. The year before he became famous, he gave approximately 3.5 runs per game. Maybe he isn’t a 2 run a game pitcher maybe he is a 3.5 – 4 run a game, he is above average but not Great like many of us (including me) wanted to believe.

By: Jerrod

Jerrod — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:57:01 +0000

I liked the candid statements from Zack, I like to see this from players. I wouldn’t say he was bad mouthing at all. He just sat down and said what was on his mind.

By: bbartho494

bbartho494 — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:22:53 +0000

Greinke probably has until the end of next year to show that 2009 was not an aberration. Even at his best this year, he has been nowhere near as dominant as he was last year. Has the league figured him out? Haven’t seen the stats to verify this, but the opposition does not seem to be swinging and missing nearly as often this year. It is the rare night that Zach can tempt them with his slider now. Last year, with two strikes, it was a given that it was coming and still no one could hit it. As the year progressed, fewer and fewer hitters chased that pitch. Now, very few do. Last year he was hitting 97, 98 on the gun. Now its mostly 92, 93. If he is sacrificing velocity for movement, it has not worked out very well. I figure he has 16 months to make the adjustments and become the most sought after pitcher at the 2011 winter meeetings. At that point, the Royals “brain? trust” will have to weigh how much it will cost to keep him versus what they can return in trade. It might be worth it to trade him for two front of the rotation starters at that point in time.

By: jimmy

jimmy — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 06:18:00 +0000

Greinke is one of those prospects whom the verdict is still out on. One good season doesn’t make you a great pitcher and doesn’t give you the right to bad mouth other players. Perhaps crazy head Zack should just stick to pitching and trying to win games he pitches in instead of giving up 6 runs to one of the worst scoring teams in baseball. I’ve never believed Zack is that great of a pitcher and his season last year was a fluke in my opinion. The biggest problem I’ve seen over the years from Zack is that the majority of his outs come on deep fly balls which you know are usually just a timing issue from the hitter and once they figure out his timing the hitters start turning those flyball outs into home runs.

By: Sprewell

Sprewell — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 02:12:05 +0000

Bottom line, Kila better be more than average after these last two years.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:21:51 +0000

What was the context of Zack’s comment?

By: Craig Brown

Craig Brown — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:16:57 +0000

Eric’s comment…

“What I think is ungrateful is a guy (Guillen) who signs a 36 million dollar contract and then shows up fat and out of shape at his first spring training. Greinke signs a 40 million dollar contract and wins the Cy Young in his first year with an absolutely terrible team with and absolutely dominating performance and now he wants to win”

Is perfect.

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:00:46 +0000

So, because Zack Greinke had a mental illness, which is a physical illness all the same, he’s supposed to sit down and accept the fact that the Royals have stunk for 20 years? No, I don’t think it’s ungrateful at all… What I think is ungrateful is a guy (Guillen) who signs a 36 million dollar contract and then shows up fat and out of shape at his first spring training. Greinke signs a 40 million dollar contract and wins the Cy Young in his first year with an absolutely terrible team with and absolutely dominating performance and now he wants to win…. so what? Sticking by an injured player does not give a team the right to take advantage of their talent later….

By: DiggityDawg

DiggityDawg — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:21:11 +0000

The only thing that bugs me about Zack’s comments have to do w/how the organization stood by him when he had his issues a few years back. While I agree with much of what he said, it seems a little ungrateful to me. That element of the whole thing kinda sticks in my craw a little.