The Ryan Braun/Zack Greinke Clubhouse Dynamic
One of the most underrated aspects of the blockbuster trade which brought Zack Greinke to Milwaukee is the potential clubhouse relationship between Greinke and Brewers superstar Ryan Braun. Both of these players have remarkable personalities, and they aren’t exactly kindred spirits. If they are peas, they certainly live in separate pods, if you will.
Greinke’s quirks are pretty well known, particularly in the saber community. His quote after winning the Cy Young Award in 2009 is especially famous among statheads: “That’s how I try to pitch, to keep my FIP as low as possible.” Some of his quotes can come a bit out of left field for different reasons. For example, another quote about the 2009 Cy Young, this time on whether he had thought about the award after the conclusion of the regular season: “Not really. I’ve been playing this World of Warcraft game.” This quote probably best sums up Greinke’s social adeptness:
“Zack,” a teammate once said to him, “I’m having this charity golf tournament. Was hoping you might play in it.” Greinke paused, as if considering the request. Then he said, “No. Why would I do that?”
On the other hand, we have Ryan Braun. The Ryan Braun who says “I’m kinda known for my confidence.” The same Ryan Braun who was described by the USA Today as “a mixture of SoCal and South Beach cool, with a New York flair for the bravado and a business mind that belongs on Wall Street.” He looks like this:
Who knows what will happen when these opposites share a locker room over the course of 162 games? I’m not sure we’ll ever see Greinke in a Remetee or Ryan Braun playing World of Warcraft, but perhaps each can learn a little bit from the other.
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It’ll work, I’m sure of it; so long as they have a winning team.
But I’m probably more than a little bias considering that I’m half-confident-Jew – half-anti-social dork.
(For the record that’s half-Jew as in my father was raised Jewish, my mother wasn’t, so really I’m not Jewish at all, technically, but I act it)
I’m pretty much the same way, all the way around.
Well I guess we will both be rooting for them then.