NewsGreinke's start to '09 ranks with greats
Kansas City (18-12) at Los Angeles (14-14), 8:05 p.m. CT
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
05/09/09 1:19 AM ET
ANAHEIM -- Zack Greinke's performance so far this season has been not only stunning but inspirational. Take the testimony of his fellow Royals starting pitcher, Brian Bannister."What he's doing right now is historic in nature, and the level that he's pitching at just makes you want to sit back and grab some popcorn, because it's impressive what he's doing," Bannister said.
"And I've seen the adjustments he's made over the last couple of years, and I'm in the process of making those adjustments in becoming the best pitcher I can be. I think it's impossible to have a guy like that and not have it rub off on the rest of the staff."
Greinke's numbers -- 6-0 record with a 0.40 ERA after the first six starts of a season -- have been bested only by two legendary pitchers and then just slightly: Fernando Valenzuela, 6-0 and 0.33 in 1981, and Walter Johnson, 6-0 and 0.35 in 1913.
And, yes, Greinke has heard of "Fernandomania" which swept through the country when the Los Angeles Dodgers' left-hander was a live wire. And, yes, he was even aware of Walter Johnson, the fire-balling Big Train of the Washington Senators.
"Yeah, he was probably a pretty good pitcher," Greinke said. "Christy Mathewson was probably my favorite, though. He just seemed more like a pitcher, and Walter Johnson was just domination."
See, Greinke does know his predecessors and, sure, Matty probably was more cerebral -- he wrote a book, "Pitching in a Pitch" -- and, like Greinke, a thinking man's pitcher.
In Spring Training, Greinke has famously taken a battering from time to time just to work on a certain pitch. This year, the changeup occupied a lot of his attention. He's pretty much now, and probably always will be, a work in progress.
"I already made a couple adjustments as the season's gone on," he said. "I wasn't really pitching deep into games to start off and I was trying to change that, and the last couple of games, I've been going deeper, and that's important."
Sure is. Saves the bullpen. And he's already got three complete games.
His modus operandi has been relatively simple.
"Mainly getting strikes early with offspeed [pitches] and stuff, and kind of stealing strikes on certain counts and not getting behind," he said.
Royals pitching coach Bob McClure has been presiding over Greinke during his steady progress since returning to the Major Leagues -- from his bullpen learning experience in 2007, to his emergence as an effective starter last year, to his performance as an early-season phenomenon this season.
"I think the guys that have good stuff like that, at some time, they start to pop, it starts to happen for them," McClure said.
Greinke always has had great stuff, a fastball that could blaze up to 99 mph if he wished, a good slider and curveball, and the changeup.
"Now he's starting to mix it up. He's always had a good delivery, which helps him locate, and now mixing it up, it makes him so much better. He used to just pitch away, now he pitches in and away and goes back and forth," McClure said.
"Everything comes off the fastball. The better he can use it all, both sides of the plate -- in on guys and away from guys -- the better everyone is going to be."
McClure says Greinke's second-best pitch is the slider, followed by the curveball or change, whichever is better that day. His curve can be tilted or go straight down.
The looping eephus pitch, which dates back to the 1940s and that Greinke lobbed a couple of times in his rookie year, to some belly laughs, apparently has been shelved.
"He's a little more business-like now," McClure said. "I noticed it last year. He was preparing more, he was more interested in hitters' swings. He'd ask, 'What do you think about this or that?'"
Greinke often lavishes praise on McClure, who gives him a lot of space to explore on his own, and catcher Miguel Olivo, who has caught all six of his games and is on the same wavelength.
"Once something works, he'll have it, he'll know it, because he's stubborn that way," McClure said. "It's a good kind of stubborn. It really is. Most good athletes are like that."
No Royals pitcher has gotten off to such a good start since Bret Saberhagen, who was also 6-0 in 1987 (Jose Lima won his first seven decisions in 2003, but it wasn't at the beginning of a season).
Saberhagen has glimpsed Greinke on TV and especially likes the way the phenom pitches inside. But the old master hesitated when asked if Greinke reminded him of himself.
"I don't know about comparing him. I think he's his own guy with his own approach. But he's got that little cocky, confident attitude that he's going to beat them, which is great to see," Saberhagen said.
"I think it's always great to see these good success stories. After kind of pushing baseball aside for a while and coming back and doing what he's doing, it's great to see."
Pitching matchupKC: RHP Zack Greinke (6-0, 0.40 ERA)
How long can this go on? Greinke's second shutout came at the expense of the White Sox last Monday night at Kansas City. That made him unbeaten and virtually unscored upon in six starts and left him as the Majors' best in ERA and strikeouts (54). Catcher Miguel Olivo said Greinke was almost perfect, hitting his glove at will as he stopped the Sox on six hits, mostly flares and infield grounders. Greinke struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter. He's issued just eight walks all season. So what's his history against the Angels? Not too good -- just 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four games. But he did beat them the only time he faced them last year. This will be his first career start at Angel Stadium. LAA: LHP Joe Saunders (4-1, 3.29 ERA)
Saunders won his third straight decision in his last start against Oakland on Monday night. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in his four wins while giving up nine runs combined in his loss and no-decision. He threw 110 pitches against the A's, his highest pitch count on the season. He's facing the Royals for just the second time in his career. He beat them on Sept. 19, 2006, in Kansas City, giving up a run on seven hits over seven innings. He recorded eight strikeouts in that game. Crown points
Nick Van Stratten, Class A Burlington's left fielder and leadoff batter, went 4-for-6 with a home run, a double and seven RBIs in a 12-8 win Thursday at Wisconsin. Van Stratten, born in Kansas City and from Birmingham, Mo., raised his average to .321. ... Last Wednesday night's game against Seattle was the highest-rated Royals game ever on FOX Sports KC with a 7.5 household rating. The 9-1 victory peaked at 9:30-9:45 at 10.4, meaning about 100,000 Kansas City-area homes were tuned in. Tickets
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• Sunday: Royals (Kyle Davies, 2-1, 5.88) at Angels (Shane Loux, 2-2, 4.30), 2:35 p.m. CT
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Royals (Sidney Ponson, 1-4, 5.91) at Athletics (Trevor Cahill, 1-2, 3.82), 9:05 p.m. CT
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
