Other Sports Officials upset at Zack Greinke

T-post Tom · 02-23-2014, 09:30 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Organizers of Major League Baseball's season-opening series in Australia are upset about comments from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, who said that he was not excited for the trip, according to reports in Australian newspapers.

The Sydney Morning Herald said Australian officials have reached out to the Dodgers and Major League Baseball for an explanation. The newspaper said the officials are "holding off on making comment until they've spoken to relevant parties in America."

The opening series at the Sydney Cricket Ground was planned between Australian officials, MLB, the players association, the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The teams open their seasons more than a week before the other MLB teams.

Greinke, the Dodgers' No. 2 starter, presumably would pitch one of the games.

"I would say there is absolutely zero excitement for it. There just isn't any excitement to it," Greinke told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "I can't think of one reason to be excited for it."

The Dodgers responded to the uproar from Australia by explaining that the team, as a whole, is looking forward to the excursion.

"Zack has this endearing, contrarian quality to him that we all know and love about him," Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. "He's famously focused and meticulous about his training regimen. It's what makes him so good and such a great teammate. This is clearly going to alter his routine. I understand that aspect of it.

"But my problem right now is trying to make room for all the people that want to go -- players, family, front-office people. As an organization, we couldn't be more excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Kasten organized a tour of the former Soviet Union by the Atlanta Hawks and has also been part of international trips with baseball teams and said players typically return from such trips and view them favorably.

The Dodgers have not announced their starting pitchers for those two games. They are trying to control ace Clayton Kershaw's workload and have considered holding the Cy Young Award winner out of the games in Australia so they could use him in the United States opener on March 30, as well as in their home opener on April 4.

Kershaw could pitch all three games on at least four days' rest, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the team doesn't want him to throw that many innings so early.

Kershaw, 25, pitched a career-high 259 innings last season, including the playoffs.

The Australian games are to be played on March 22 and 23. Because the Dodgers break camp on March 16, they'll play roughly 10 to 15 fewer Cactus League games than in a typical spring. For the starting pitchers, that means two or three fewer starts to get ready, followed by extra rest after their season-opening starter.

Greinke has said he's willing to pitch in Australia and understands why those games were scheduled.

"It's a baseball thing. It's an ownership thing, spreading stuff around," Greinke said. "That's what it's for and it's for the greater good of baseball."

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/s...alia-officials

FloridaMan88 · 02-23-2014, 09:38 PM

I would imagine that most of the players on both teams playing in Australia would say the same thing if they were being honest.

Australia is a 14 hour flight from LA.

Both Arizona and LA are going to have to fly round-trip 22+ hours within a week's time-frame.

No thanks.

scho63 · 02-24-2014, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

I would imagine that most of the players on both teams playing in Australia would say the same thing if they were being honest.

Australia is a 14 hour flight from LA.

Both Arizona and LA are going to have to fly round-trip 22+ hours within a week's time-frame.

No thanks.

While it is one hell of a LONG flight, flying with your teammates First Class on a jumbo jet is pretty sweet accommodations these days and many of these flights have BEDS that lie 100% horizontal with pillows and partitions to sleep.

I've flown from Newark NJ to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing more than 18 times R/T and it was very easy even in Business Class. Can't imagine moving up to First.

I would NEVER fly this far in coach!!!

FloridaMan88 · 02-24-2014, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scho63

While it is one hell of a LONG flight, flying with your teammates First Class on a jumbo jet is pretty sweet accommodations these days and many of these flights have BEDS that lie 100% horizontal with pillows and partitions to sleep.

I've flown from Newark NJ to Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Beijing more than 18 times R/T and it was very easy even in Business Class. Can't imagine moving up to First.

I would NEVER fly this far in coach!!!

I did a semester abroad in Australia in college... I flew direct from London to Sydney with a brief stop for refueling in Bangkok... total time on the airplane was 22 hours... all from middle seat in coach.

Coming back I flew Sydney to LA, LA to Miami... two different flights but both were middle seat in coach.

Pure hell.

scho63 · 02-24-2014, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

I did a semester abroad in Australia in college... I flew direct from London to Sydney with a brief stop for refueling in Bangkok... total time on the airplane was 22 hours... all from middle seat in coach.

Coming back I flew Sydney to LA, LA to Miami... two different flights but both were middle seat in coach.

Pure hell.

You are one sadistic bastard! I could never do that, probably have a panic attack.

About 12 years ago I flew to Amsterdam for a trade show and on the way back they screwed up my business class seat and I got stuck in coach for 10 hours. I HAD to be back to Silicon Valley or else I would have waited until the following day.

Instead I had to fly. I was one miserable son-of-a-bitch and got a free domestic R/T plus everything else was comped plus a credit for the extra money spent on business class.

I flew coach on Quantas to Australia in 1987 from LA but I was younger, smaller, and skinnier then. Also Pan Am to Rio De Janiero and Air New Zealand to Fiji and to Bora Bora Tahiti/in coach during my youth.

NEVER a middle seat...

Seats are bigger on international flights and were much bigger back then.

Lex Luthor · 02-24-2014, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scho63

You are one sadistic bastard! I could never do that, probably have a panic attack.

Actually that would make him one masochistic bastard.

GloryDayz · 02-24-2014, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

I did a semester abroad in Australia in college... I flew direct from London to Sydney with a brief stop for refueling in Bangkok... total time on the airplane was 22 hours... all from middle seat in coach.

Coming back I flew Sydney to LA, LA to Miami... two different flights but both were middle seat in coach.

Pure hell.

I rode a submarine over there, it was a pretty ****ing nice ride (all things considered), but took more than 22 hours... So the whole jet-lag thing didn't bother me, and once there, it was AWESOME. For me it was so awesome I thought it was a vacation! Without a doubt some of the best diving I've ever done (work and free time diving), and the Aussie divers are kick-ass. Hell, their whole ****ing Navy is awesome, they skip a LOT of bullshit... All I can say is when Aussie Navy divers (even their surface navy divers!!) take you out drinking, life is good... And perhaps the most awesome thing from that event, since we knew we were going, I took my surfboard. Go from surfing East Cost waves to surfing in Australia and you go from small-time to the big-time in one experience. it wasn't Australia's biggest surf by far, but it was ****ing awesome....

We worked with the Aussies for nearly two months, and it was AWESOME. God they're awesome people!

Zach is a MORON!

-King- · 02-24-2014, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I rode a submarine over there, it was a pretty ****ing nice ride (all things considered), but took more than 22 hours... So the whole jet-lag thing didn't bother me, and once there, it was AWESOME. For me it was so awesome I thought it was a vacation! Without a doubt some of the best diving I've ever done (work and free time diving), and the Aussie divers are kick-ass. Hell, their whole ****ing Navy is awesome, they skip a LOT of bullshit... All I can say is when Aussie Navy divers (even their surface navy divers!!) take you out drinking, life is good... And perhaps the most awesome thing from that event, since we knew we were going, I took my surfboard. Go from surfing East Cost waves to surfing in Australia and you go from small-time to the big-time in one experience. it wasn't Australia's biggest surf by far, but it was ****ing awesome....

We worked with the Aussies for nearly two months, and it was AWESOME. God they're awesome people!

Zach is a MORON!

How much drinking and surfing do you think Zach will do there?
Posted via Mobile Device

Deberg_1990 · 02-23-2014, 09:40 PM

So they would prefer him to just lie then?

Simply Red · 02-23-2014, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

So they would prefer him to just lie then?

yes Gosh Damned it.

|Zach| · 02-24-2014, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

So they would prefer him to just lie then?

Yes, are you new to being an adult associated with an organization?

Three7s · 02-24-2014, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Yes, are you new to being an adult associated with an organization?

And that's the problem with sports media.

|Zach| · 02-24-2014, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three7s

And that's the problem with sports media.

Not really.

Deberg_1990 · 02-24-2014, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Three7s

And that's the problem with sports media.

I agree. The problem is he's paid very well by a billion dollar team and league.

Personally I think it's refreshing when an athlete is brutally honest.
Posted via Mobile Device

NewChief · 02-23-2014, 11:03 PM

I've been to Australia. It's awesome. I also stayed 2 months when I went. If you're going to make the trip you need to be able to stay and actually see some shit. Otherwise it's just a long freaking plane ride. Don't blame Greinke. Truth be told, I imagine many football players feel the same about the London games.

02-23-2014, 09:30 PM	Topic Starter
T-post Tom Busy in a Kohl's restroom Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Milk/Honey/Gazland Casino cash: $1927293	Officials upset at Zack Greinke GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Organizers of Major League Baseball's season-opening series in Australia are upset about comments from Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, who said that he was not excited for the trip, according to reports in Australian newspapers. The Sydney Morning Herald said Australian officials have reached out to the Dodgers and Major League Baseball for an explanation. The newspaper said the officials are "holding off on making comment until they've spoken to relevant parties in America." The opening series at the Sydney Cricket Ground was planned between Australian officials, MLB, the players association, the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The teams open their seasons more than a week before the other MLB teams. Greinke, the Dodgers' No. 2 starter, presumably would pitch one of the games. "I would say there is absolutely zero excitement for it. There just isn't any excitement to it," Greinke told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "I can't think of one reason to be excited for it." The Dodgers responded to the uproar from Australia by explaining that the team, as a whole, is looking forward to the excursion. "Zack has this endearing, contrarian quality to him that we all know and love about him," Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. "He's famously focused and meticulous about his training regimen. It's what makes him so good and such a great teammate. This is clearly going to alter his routine. I understand that aspect of it. "But my problem right now is trying to make room for all the people that want to go -- players, family, front-office people. As an organization, we couldn't be more excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Kasten organized a tour of the former Soviet Union by the Atlanta Hawks and has also been part of international trips with baseball teams and said players typically return from such trips and view them favorably. The Dodgers have not announced their starting pitchers for those two games. They are trying to control ace Clayton Kershaw's workload and have considered holding the Cy Young Award winner out of the games in Australia so they could use him in the United States opener on March 30, as well as in their home opener on April 4. Kershaw could pitch all three games on at least four days' rest, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the team doesn't want him to throw that many innings so early. Kershaw, 25, pitched a career-high 259 innings last season, including the playoffs. The Australian games are to be played on March 22 and 23. Because the Dodgers break camp on March 16, they'll play roughly 10 to 15 fewer Cactus League games than in a typical spring. For the starting pitchers, that means two or three fewer starts to get ready, followed by extra rest after their season-opening starter. Greinke has said he's willing to pitch in Australia and understands why those games were scheduled. "It's a baseball thing. It's an ownership thing, spreading stuff around," Greinke said. "That's what it's for and it's for the greater good of baseball." http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/s...alia-officials
Posts: 22,273

02-23-2014, 09:38 PM	#2
FloridaMan88 Mahomes: We Are All Witnesses Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Miami, FL Casino cash: $-517094	I would imagine that most of the players on both teams playing in Australia would say the same thing if they were being honest. Australia is a 14 hour flight from LA. Both Arizona and LA are going to have to fly round-trip 22+ hours within a week's time-frame. No thanks.
Posts: 49,708

02-23-2014, 09:40 PM	#9
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $334454	So they would prefer him to just lie then? __________________ Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning: Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down. One of the best plays Matt has ever made.
Posts: 68,418

02-23-2014, 11:03 PM	#15
NewChief In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Fayetteville, AR Casino cash: $7290204	I've been to Australia. It's awesome. I also stayed 2 months when I went. If you're going to make the trip you need to be able to stay and actually see some shit. Otherwise it's just a long freaking plane ride. Don't blame Greinke. Truth be told, I imagine many football players feel the same about the London games. __________________ In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. - H. L. Mencken
Posts: 21,845