San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Houston is the perfect place for a shy ace
HOUSTON — Be yourself. That could have been the rebuilt Astros’ slogan in 2015, when they shocked Major League Baseball and almost reached the American League Championship Series a few years early.
The two words also would have been perfect in 2017, when Houston’s professional baseball team won its first World Series title and veteran ace Justin Verlander was instantly accepted by a young, pulsing clubhouse.
And those simple yet true words still fit perfectly in 2019, during A.J. Hinch’s fifth year as manager and in a season when the best team in the AL shocked MLB again, this time by trading four prospects for Zack Greinke, a former Cy Young winner who is just three wins away from career victory No. 200.
Earn it. Never settle. Take it back. All of the organization’s recent marketing slogans have been applicable.
But when you’re an Astro under Hinch, be yourself are the words to live by.
“(Greinke) can be exactly who he wants to be and feel very comfortable in his skin, knowing that nobody’s going to judge him for however he wants to be,” said Astros radio announcer Steve Sparks, who pitched in 270 major-league games in nine seasons.
During a time when everything is overanalyzed and then reanalyzed, “winning” a press conference has become a thing. It’s silly and outdated, especially considering how much importance we place in 2019 on seasonending and career-defining championships.
Then again, Russell Westbrook recently owned his introduction day, and the newest Rockets superstar instantly began to alter local perception.
Greinke did not win his Friday. He constantly looked down at the start and rarely made eye contact with a packed room inside Minute Maid Park, as cameras kept clicking and questions kept pouring in about the Astros’ third ace. Being on stage appeared to be the last place he wanted to be.
“I don’t really know what I was thinking,” Greinke said after being asked about his initial thoughts when he learned he was joining the Astros.
Is there anything that he admires about Verlander’s career or approach?
“I don’t know,” Greinke said. “No.”
Greinke, 35, was diagnosed with social-anxiety disorder and dealt with depression early in his 16-year career. The No. 6 overall pick of the 2002 draft missed most of the 2006 season with Kansas City and spent ’07 as more of a reliever than a starter while working his way back.
“That was kind of my thought: Why am I putting myself through torture when I don’t really want to do it?” Greinke said during spring training in 2013 after signing a $147 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I enjoy playing, but I didn’t enjoy anything else about it, so I was like, I’ll go do something I want to do, that I have a passion for, and that was my thought process when I left.”
The Astros knew exactly what they were getting in Greinke when they went all in for the second time in three seasons. As the minutes quickly ticked toward a 3 p.m. Wednesday deadline, the franchise did not hesitate.
“He’s not a guy that seeks the limelight, and that actually works well for us here in Houston and slotting in with Verlander and (Gerrit) Cole,” said Astros president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow. “He’s not going to have to be the guy that’s in front of the camera the whole time. But he’s a competitor. The one thing I’ve heard about him is he’s really intelligent. He’s a fierce competitor. And, in fact, the GM of the Diamondbacks told me that he loves to study the draft, he loves to absorb the draft, he knows all the draft players. So I’m looking forward to having him as a special assistant.”
George Springer, Josh Reddick and Michael Brantley don’t exactly line up as close friends on paper. But the outfield trio instantly bonded during spring training and have only grown closer since.
Verlander quickly bonded with Cole. Jose Altuve instantly connected with Carlos Correa. Yordan Alvarez, Yuli Gurriel, Jake Marisnick and Wade Miley have all found a welcome place in the Astros’ clubhouse. Club Astros was a big thing in 2015; the music still booms and adult silliness sometimes still rules. During batting practice Friday, Alex Bregman, Reddick and Altuve joyfully commanded the cage inside Minute Maid Park, then went out of their way to interact with eager fans and sign autographs.
Chemistry has defined this team since 2015 under Hinch. The one year it was off, in 2016, is the only time the Astros haven’t made the playoffs since the new manager changed everything.
But you don’t have to be loud to fit in with these Astros. You just have to be good.
When a reporter pointed out that Greinke appeared to be quiet and all business, Hinch snapped back with his trademark sarcasm.
“You think?” the manager said.
“I like (Greinke) being himself. I think he should be himself,” Hinch said. “I think he’s entering a clubhouse that is second to none at letting guys be themselves. If he wants to be quiet, be quiet. If he wants to be loud, be loud. Every five days I’m going to roll him out there and he’s going to do his thing. I don’t think anyone in my place can tell any of the guys like that how they should be.”