AS WRITTEN IN THE NEWLY RELEASED BOOK: BASEBALL CONFIDENTIAL (Available on Amazon):
Zack Grienke has had his share of games in the spotlight, both good times and not so good times. He has pitched in big games and been a star. He also has been a goat as in goat, not meaning greatest of all time. Behind the scenes and under the skin Grienke was probably a lot calmer on the pitcher’s mound was much more peaceful and tranquil than met the eye or that the general fan knew.
This is his story as he told MLB Network Radio.
A little background for this story. Zack Grienke was heavy into fantasy football. He is known as being the type of person that when he chooses to get involved with something, he goes all in. He had a reputation with teammates, and fantasy league opponents as being a wheeler dealer. He gained the nickname, Trader Zack. He was always reconstructing his roster, making trades, and implementing strategies. He really was enjoying being as much the general manager as much as football. Zack was known as a guy who would work the clubhouse and work the league, for his fantasy football endeavors.
First it was at a game at Dodger Stadium. Grienke was warming up in the bullpen, about ready to start the game. Right before heading to the pitcher’s mound to throw the first pitch, still in the bullpen. A.J. Ellis was Grienke’s warm up catcher in the bullpen and would be catching him during the actual game. Ellis tells, in his report to The Athletic that all of a sudden Grienke stops his warmup pitches and starts walking toward me, as I was crouched in my catcher position. I pop up from behind the plate and meet him before he gets all the way there. He looks at me and says, “I’ve been thinking.” I immediately thought right then, “I wonder what this is about. It could be about anything.” Grienke proceeds to engage Ellis, “I’ve been thinking. You guys have this quarterback injury issue going on now. I’ve got a ton of quarterbacks on my roster, and I noticed you’ve got a bunch of wide receivers on yours. I think we match up really well so I think you guys should make a trade. We’ll talk about it a little bit later.” Of course, this had nothing to do with the game that was about to start. Grienke was in fantasy football mode. Grienke, then did a complete about face and walked back to the bull pen pitcher’s mound.
The game started. Grienke was pitching mostly well. At an unexpected moment, A.J. Ellis made a mound visit. There were runners on base and the situation was more tenuous than situations earlier in the game.
Instead of discussing the game, the situation or pitching/game strategy, Grienke took the mound visit opportunity to propose a trade between his fantasy football team and Ellis’ team. Ellis certainly didn’t expect that as he trotted out to the mound. Ellis thought he was visiting the mound to talk pitch strategy or to give Grienke a breather. Grienke offered his catcher a fantasy football trade in the middle of a game. That’s not something any one thought would be part of Baseball Confidential mound visit conversations.