Could Greinke Retire?

ESPN's Buster Olney has the scoop on Zack Greinke's mysterious departure from spring training.  Sounds to me like he doesn't like his bosses and has perhaps lost the desire to play baseball:

"Talked to several folks in baseball yesterday about Zack Greinke's departure from Kansas City's camp. Greinke, according to these sources, was going through some drills halfheartedly last week, and K.C. manager Buddy Bell got on him, pushing him to improve his effort; Greinke, displeased, later met with Bell. And then, a couple of days later, he packed up and walked out of camp.

According to one source, Greinke indicated that he felt the team's new pitching coach had nothing to offer him. Greinke's discontent was felt last year, as well, when he repeatedly indicated to others that he was fed up with the way his baseball career was going. He told others he was ready to walk away."

This blog posting kind of implies that Greinke was considering walking away sometime during 2005, but it's news to me either way.  According to Olney, this wouldn't be unprecedented:

"This reminded me of a former Mets prospect, Ryan Jaroncyk, who simply decided he didn't enjoy baseball that much." 

Jaroncyk, a shortstop, was selected 18th overall by the Mets in 1995 and didn't make it past A ball.  Jaroncyk never actually liked baseball (he actually grew to hate it), and was playing for the sake of his father.  I hate it when parents force stuff on their kids.  Word is that Jaroncyk threw his equipment in a dumpster and walked out for good. 

Michael Barrett was the only useful Major Leaguer taken after Jaroncyk in the first round (although Roy Halladay was selected 17th by the Jays).  Interestingly, Carlos Beltran was taken 49th overall that year by the Royals, directly after the Mets grabbed the immortal Brett Herbison with their second pick. 

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Comments

[Losing is tough]

Greinke isn't used to losing. His HS team didn't lose much and he came from the successful little league in Apopka, FL. KC shows no promise or future so I can't blame him for losing desire but I can't imagine walking away from the game with his talent.

[Taiwan Yankee]

Oh!No!He can't retire!

If Greinke retire,I would be very very brokenhearted.

Although I am a yankee's fan,but I like to watch Greinke's game.
He is still young,and still has good stuff.
I hope Royals can trade him to florida(his birthplace),or rangers,which team has interest at him,and they has very good offense.

[Paul]

If it's not in your heart at very least deep down, it's just hard to do something you don't love or even like.

[Paul]

If it's not in your heart at very least deep down, it's just hard to do something you don't love or even like.

[Irwin]

I can totally believe and relate to this on my own personal, albeit much smaller level. Count me as one of the “I was forced to play baseball” crowd. Being outstanding at something will mask the fact that you don't have the heart for it. Go from top prospect to struggle in 2 years like Greinke, and you will know real quickly if the game is a passion or just a job.

[Benny Blanco from da Bronx]

Wow, this is crazy stuff.
I am not a Royals fan but this would be REALLY bad for the Royals to have Grienke leave.
I like Greinke though and I'd be very dissapointed to see him retire at the old age of 22.
The Royals should just trade him. Make him happy, let him like baseball again, and get some talent back in return. Cause I don't wanna see that happen.

[Kyle]

I say you send him to the Devil Rays they would love a young pitcher that way he can be a lot closer to his home and have a team that is on the rise and can hit better than the royals. He won't be winning there either but at least he would be close to home

[Erik]

I remember Ryan Jaroncyk, what a waste!!! How dare he make the Mets waste a draft pick for him! Rott in Hell Jaroncyk!

[angelfan]

I actually went to college with Jaroncyk after he quit baseball. He was a pretty good football player.

I guess he wouldn't have been allowed to play baseball in college even if he had wanted to. Is that right? Once you play professionally, I think you can't play NCAA baseball?

[Erik]

Why are we even bothering with Greinke? Didn't he lose 15 games. What a failure to go along with quiting! Baseball my friend does not need core losers unles youre the yankees!

[Ed]

If Greinke retires, I may personally go down to Florida and strangle him. To be born with that much talent and walk away from the game like that would be an enormous waste. I wish I could trade jobs with him.

[Benny Blanco from da Bronx]

I just heard on MLB radio from Mike Siano who was told from former Major Leaguer Brian McCrea who was at Royals camp. He said that Greinke does not like to pitch and does not want to pitch. He actually wants to hit.
Well he hit one dinger in interleague so maybe that gassed him up?
VERY wierd. Just... VERY wierd.

[metdenn]

All I have to say walking away when you get to the majors is retarded. You are walking away from money, real money, even if you aren't successful. Most Americans make 1-1.5 million in their lifetime, if they are lucky. A baseball player makign the MINIMUM makes 200k a year, so you can make a lifetime's worth of money in 5 years.

Plenty of people hate their job, loath it, and make far, far less. They don't get 4 months off, they don't get to sit on their ass for 4 out of 5 days a week, and they have to do it for 40-50 years.

Suck it up.

(Minor Leaguers I understand, no guarentees, but this guy... suck it up.)

[RumorMonger]

Actually the Major League minimum is $300K now.

[Randy]

As a big White Sox fan, I have seen Greinke pitch a number of times and I thought his stuff was outstanding!

I feel for the kid. In 2004 I was convinced that this kid would be a star. He had so much movement on his pitches at such a young age and didn't seem afraid of anything.

I am shocked. I hope they trade him somewhere and let him start over.

[RumorMonger]

Also on the Royals, they have interest in bringing back Aaron Sele. This would be a fine replacement for Zach Greinke.

[J-Rock]

Yeah, I think Aaron Sele could lose 15 games just as well as Zack Greinke. And, then, the other Royals players wouldn't have to comfort anyone anytime a celebrity couple broke up.

[David...]

If he likes to hit, trade him to a NL team, where he gets the best of both worlds.

Pitching-his stuff won't go un-used.
Hitting-he'll get enjoyment out of being a batter aswell.

[Jem]

I actually pegged KC as a suprise team out of the AL Central this year. They brought in veteran pitchers in Redman, Elarton and Dessens, with similar pitching styles, whom I thought would really help him and take the pressure off him. I guess the losing was tough, but that's the Royals, not him. He's still so young and could be primed to re-establish himself as the Maddux-type ace he really is. Mike Sweeney is the face the franchise; Greinke was the future. Unfortunately, not at the moment.

[Jack]

Jem your crazy man. That team is going absolutley nowhere anytime soon.

I was wondering... Is there anyway Grienke can like make his way out of KC without retiring. He's so young... Is he even allowed to request a trade?? I hope the Royals do something like that... It would be a shame to see a guy quit just because he's team is God awful.

[LargeBill]

This is a strange one. The crazy thing is the larger bonuses and salaries may make it easier to walk away. I actually heard he is considering professional golf.

[steven]

olneys material is usually pretty good before all the links but did anyone see and laugh at his assertion that morneau is the 8th most irreplaceable player on a contending team.

[John E]

Geez... I just traded Garcia for Greinke and D Cabrera. I thought I made a great deal. Now yikes.

[RumorMonger]

Morneau is quite important to the Twins' offense...

[Kyle]

Ya i dont know what you were implying steven but Morneau is probably the key to the twins offense along with Mauer. If Morneau hits as he can hell put up .280 30 110 numbers and the twins have no one else who can put up those numbers

[steven]

i understand the argument for morneau but give me a break. look at his numbers and the twins dependence on him on offense is just a testament to their huge problem there especially with power. this is a guy barely over the mendoza line against lefties for his career with some serious questions surrounding both his power numbers and ability to hit above 250 after last year. im not saying he couldnt be a big part of the twins but i dont think he is going to make or break the team. how can santana or i might even argue nathan not be more valuable than him. if the twins win this year it is a lot more likely to come from strong pitching and a white soxs type timely offense than morneau lighting it up cause as far as im concerned its a stretch to project him to guarantee put up solid cleanup numbers. i just think there are a lot more indispensable players on contenders than morneau. jsut for one more example i dont understand how using teh same criteria to judge andruw jones olney wouldnt have to at least put jones above morneau.

[decibeldave]

I would be a damn shame if Greinke quit baseball. Any suggestion that he isn't capable of being succesful is just wrong. For the first two month of the 2005 season he pitched commanding baseball with no run support and got no wins. In mid season Bell and idiot pitching coach forced him to use only his fastball for the first three innings of each start. I've seen him pitch serveral times in person and he looks a lot like a young David Cone. If his career ends it will be the Royals fault, not his own.

[Michael]

Greinke's problem is he was told he would have to earn a spot in the rotation, that it wasn't just being handed to him. He didn't like that, and instead of sucking it up and pitching his way into the rotation, he cried all the way back home to mommy and daddy who are telling him everything he wants to hear. He's acting like a premadonna! Get over it Zack and get your butt back in camp!

[RumorMonger]

I read that the latest on Greinke is that he regrets not going to college. Both his parents are teachers.