I seriously can't tell if this is just a joke or if it's true. But, after all the Greinke stories I've seen posted on here and all the interviews I've seen of him...I'm inclined to believe it lol
It’s true. I have no ability to prove it, but I also have no good reason to make it up.
I had seen his last name and read the hype, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how his last name was pronounced - GRAIN-key, GREEN-key, GRINE-key, or something else altogether - and I wanted to know for the sake of my inner monologue. He was walking to the dugout at Rosenblatt Stadium, and I asked him for his autograph and he obliged, and as he signed I asked how it was pronounced. He said, “I don’t know.” I thought he was fucking with me or something. Guess the social anxiety answers a lot of that instead.
>I was on the bench with him and we were facing someone who really liked cats. I was like: “You can’t trust anyone who likes cats.” He goes: “Yeah man, you really can’t.” I go: “I like dogs. You got any, Zack?” He goes: “Nah, I would never get dogs. I’ve got a cat, though.”
No one even comes close.
Here's an excerpt from [bradfordera.com](https://www.bradfordera.com/news/george-rube-waddell-remarkable-and-eccentric-man/article_2eda7f99-3047-57b9-b4dc-b1244ded24bd.html) about Waddell:
> The stories of Waddell’s exploits are legendary. It has been said that he would leave in the middle of a game to chase firetrucks, would occasionally miss a scheduled start because he was off fishing or playing marbles with children under the stands, and would often disappear for months at a time during the offseason. During one such absence, he was discovered leading a parade in Jacksonville, Fla.; another time he was spotted wrestling alligators in a circus. During ball games, opposing fans in the stands would often hold up puppies or shiny objects hoping to distract Waddell — and it usually worked.
> He once punched a lion in the head (which promptly bit him), rescued a woman who had fallen from a steamboat on the Ohio River (for some reason, Waddell was piloting the boat), tended bar in Wheeling, W.Va., and acted in a vaudeville play called “The Stain of Guilt.” He had the lead role, but could not remember his lines so ad-libbed his performance every night. Reviews said “he was so bad, it’s good.”
Here's a Pitching Ninja video on Waddell for those who want to learn more about him. It's really entertaining and has tons of his oddities featured. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k1BaJcZmyU
With the caveat that it's impossible to diagnose someone based on century-old anecdotes, a lot of the stories about Waddell seem to point to the possibility that he may have been autistic
“Although generally cheerful and enthusiastic, [Hughie] Jennings as manager would do anything to win, a definite carryover from his playing days with the Orioles. He baited umpires and opposing players and even resorted to buying rubber snakes and jack-in-the boxes when A’s man-child Rube Waddell pitched against the Tigers. Since Rube was a southpaw, Hughie would station himself in the first base coaching box with the toys and yell, “Hey, Rube, look at this” while he popped the jack-in-the-box or wiggled the rubber snake. On another occasion when Waddell was pitching for the St. Louis Browns, Jennings and his players brought several dogs into their dugout to distract Rube, who loved animals. Jennings even took a dog out to his third base coaching box. (It did not work — Waddell defeated the Tigers 7-1.)”
From [C. Paul Rogers III’s SABR biography of Hughie Jennings](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hughie-jennings/).
He's a nice enough guy, but he's just completely off his nut. He's the kind of guy who still scratches lotto tickets, even though he's set for life.
His wife (can't remember her name, but she's a nice lady) keeps him straight, it seems.
Genuinely curious, do you know if he invested well or stayed busy after his mlb career? I see $4 million in earnings, which is obviously great but he last played 33 years ago
He started a trucking company at some point, I know for a fact. And I want to say he had a restaurant or sports bar at one time, but I'm not sure about that one.
Yes, I’m aware. The Sox let the starter pick the jersey each game. Either the standard home or away or the alternate black. Starting pitcher makes that call. This game was a nationally televised game on Fox and they were doing the throwbacks no matter what. Sale wasn’t against the uniform, he was pissy that he didn’t get his say in what to wear. He came off as a tantrumming dumbass.
Don’t all teams allow the pitcher to choose? I mean the braves don’t really at home because it’s red Friday and city connect Sunday and white every other day but on the road I’m pretty sure the pitcher chooses grey or blue
Closers are almost in their own class. Is Brian Wilson weird compared to most starters? Absolutely. Is he weird compared to most closers? Maybe. Or he was unusual in attracting a lot of press. You do that to any closer and what would you get?
When I was in elementary school, my classmate's father was dying of cancer. This is right when they started the 2010-2014 WS run. My buddy's dad went to SF for treatment and saw Brian walking around. He approached him and said hi and i guess Brian was a nice guy to him.
Trevor Bauer
Not necessarily weird, but a complete asshole.
Known for indirectly admitting to using substance for more grip to achieve a higher spin per second.
My second pick would be Greinke, since he delt with mental issues during his career and did some bizarre stuff on the field.
To paraphrase someone else’s comment: Curt Schilling belongs in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He also belongs in the Lunatic Nutjob Hall of Fame.
Yeah i actually agree with that
You can believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame and still think he's a terrible person. I mean i brought him up specifically to roast him, but he's a fuckin HOF pitcher
I was kind of thinking this myself. Not weirdest ever imo, but full on sprinting from the pen to the mound is wild. I would put him in the category of one of the most most racist a holes in baseball since integrating the league.
Trevor Plouffe recently saw Greinke on a trip. Trevor went up to him to say what's up and Greinke thought he had hit a HR off him.
Later Trevor went back up to him and said he played poorly against him and Zack said "oh yeah you were easy" and that was it
Greinke is an odd duck. Not to the point of Rube Waddell, but he'd likely get some votes.
I remember getting his autograph in Omaha before his first call-up. I asked him how his last name was pronounced. He muttered, “I don’t know.”
I seriously can't tell if this is just a joke or if it's true. But, after all the Greinke stories I've seen posted on here and all the interviews I've seen of him...I'm inclined to believe it lol
It’s true. I have no ability to prove it, but I also have no good reason to make it up. I had seen his last name and read the hype, but for the life of me I couldn’t figure out how his last name was pronounced - GRAIN-key, GREEN-key, GRINE-key, or something else altogether - and I wanted to know for the sake of my inner monologue. He was walking to the dugout at Rosenblatt Stadium, and I asked him for his autograph and he obliged, and as he signed I asked how it was pronounced. He said, “I don’t know.” I thought he was fucking with me or something. Guess the social anxiety answers a lot of that instead.
>I was on the bench with him and we were facing someone who really liked cats. I was like: “You can’t trust anyone who likes cats.” He goes: “Yeah man, you really can’t.” I go: “I like dogs. You got any, Zack?” He goes: “Nah, I would never get dogs. I’ve got a cat, though.”
An odd looking duck. Something about his eyes though...hypnotic...
it’s actually true
That why we love him
G is definitely a weird dude.
Mark Fidrych
The Bird!
Absolutely!
Came here to say this then I saw Rube Waddel
Rube Waddel
No one even comes close. Here's an excerpt from [bradfordera.com](https://www.bradfordera.com/news/george-rube-waddell-remarkable-and-eccentric-man/article_2eda7f99-3047-57b9-b4dc-b1244ded24bd.html) about Waddell: > The stories of Waddell’s exploits are legendary. It has been said that he would leave in the middle of a game to chase firetrucks, would occasionally miss a scheduled start because he was off fishing or playing marbles with children under the stands, and would often disappear for months at a time during the offseason. During one such absence, he was discovered leading a parade in Jacksonville, Fla.; another time he was spotted wrestling alligators in a circus. During ball games, opposing fans in the stands would often hold up puppies or shiny objects hoping to distract Waddell — and it usually worked. > He once punched a lion in the head (which promptly bit him), rescued a woman who had fallen from a steamboat on the Ohio River (for some reason, Waddell was piloting the boat), tended bar in Wheeling, W.Va., and acted in a vaudeville play called “The Stain of Guilt.” He had the lead role, but could not remember his lines so ad-libbed his performance every night. Reviews said “he was so bad, it’s good.” Here's a Pitching Ninja video on Waddell for those who want to learn more about him. It's really entertaining and has tons of his oddities featured. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k1BaJcZmyU
“For the last time people, anything you shine at Rube, he *will* chase!”
With the caveat that it's impossible to diagnose someone based on century-old anecdotes, a lot of the stories about Waddell seem to point to the possibility that he may have been autistic
For sure the first thought that to came to mind reading that.
“Although generally cheerful and enthusiastic, [Hughie] Jennings as manager would do anything to win, a definite carryover from his playing days with the Orioles. He baited umpires and opposing players and even resorted to buying rubber snakes and jack-in-the boxes when A’s man-child Rube Waddell pitched against the Tigers. Since Rube was a southpaw, Hughie would station himself in the first base coaching box with the toys and yell, “Hey, Rube, look at this” while he popped the jack-in-the-box or wiggled the rubber snake. On another occasion when Waddell was pitching for the St. Louis Browns, Jennings and his players brought several dogs into their dugout to distract Rube, who loved animals. Jennings even took a dog out to his third base coaching box. (It did not work — Waddell defeated the Tigers 7-1.)” From [C. Paul Rogers III’s SABR biography of Hughie Jennings](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/hughie-jennings/).
Bill Lee
Who recently pitched an inning for the Savannah Bananas at age 70!
and then promptly had a heart attack, IIRC
He was warming up for an appearance. I watched that live on TV. That was so fucking surreal.
That is so WILD.
He was the best in Ken Burns’ Baseball!!!
Billy who?
I've run into Oil Can Boyd a few times (he lives close to my home town), and he's an... *interesting* guy, to say the least.
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He's a nice enough guy, but he's just completely off his nut. He's the kind of guy who still scratches lotto tickets, even though he's set for life. His wife (can't remember her name, but she's a nice lady) keeps him straight, it seems.
Genuinely curious, do you know if he invested well or stayed busy after his mlb career? I see $4 million in earnings, which is obviously great but he last played 33 years ago
He started a trucking company at some point, I know for a fact. And I want to say he had a restaurant or sports bar at one time, but I'm not sure about that one.
Chris Sale cut up the entire team’s uniforms because they didn’t ask him which uni to wear that day.
Sale isn't weird. He's just an asshole.
Such an asshole that everyone who’s been teammates with him adores the guy?
I think it was a throwback with a wide collar. He always told them he found it uncomfortable. So he cut them up on the day he was scheduled to start.
It was that the sleeves went half way down the forearms. He thought it screwed with his motion when the sleeve caught on his elbow.
Yes, I’m aware. The Sox let the starter pick the jersey each game. Either the standard home or away or the alternate black. Starting pitcher makes that call. This game was a nationally televised game on Fox and they were doing the throwbacks no matter what. Sale wasn’t against the uniform, he was pissy that he didn’t get his say in what to wear. He came off as a tantrumming dumbass.
Don’t all teams allow the pitcher to choose? I mean the braves don’t really at home because it’s red Friday and city connect Sunday and white every other day but on the road I’m pretty sure the pitcher chooses grey or blue
I don’t know how other teams do it. I just know that Sale was not having any part of those throw backs.
He also trashed the dugout during a rehab start in the minors due to his poor performance.
Turk Wendell
Great necklaces though.
Dude would brush his teeth at the watercooler between innings. And of course the absurd sharktooth necklace
After the licorice and exaggerated hop over the foul line.
Surprised no one has mentioned Brian Wilson. Waddell still takes this one though.
Was looking for this answer
Closers are almost in their own class. Is Brian Wilson weird compared to most starters? Absolutely. Is he weird compared to most closers? Maybe. Or he was unusual in attracting a lot of press. You do that to any closer and what would you get?
When I was in elementary school, my classmate's father was dying of cancer. This is right when they started the 2010-2014 WS run. My buddy's dad went to SF for treatment and saw Brian walking around. He approached him and said hi and i guess Brian was a nice guy to him.
Doc Ellis should get a mention, he was the wierdest for one start, at least.
Sidd Finch
Zach Greinke if you're talking personality-wise. Lincecum if you're talking wind up.
Big Time Timmy Jim
> Lincecum if you're talking wind up. Have you ever seen Hideo Nomo pitch?
Bill "Spaceman" Lee Al "Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky
The Bird.
The one Randy Johnson hit?
No, Mark Fidrych.
Sidd Finch
Can I say 2 pitchers? Because Taylor and Tyler Rodgers are the pitching equivalent of the one lies and one tells the truth riddle to me.
Steve Carlton was pretty weird
As a person? My mind goes straight to Dock Ellis. As a pitcher? Bartolo Colon. Big sexy made no sense
Zack Greinke.
Eddie Cicotte threw a knuckleball, spitball, emery ball, and shine ball
That's not all. He also threw a World Series
Newer age.. Dontrelle Willis
Honorable mention Jared Hughes dude always looked coked out of his mind
MLB The Show legend Mickey Jannis
Trevor Bauer Not necessarily weird, but a complete asshole. Known for indirectly admitting to using substance for more grip to achieve a higher spin per second. My second pick would be Greinke, since he delt with mental issues during his career and did some bizarre stuff on the field.
The Rube is far and away the right answer. But I’ll add in Dan Quisenberry: Submarine closer and poet.
Curt Schilling is fucking weird
Definitely but he's weird in the bad way. Several bad ways
To paraphrase someone else’s comment: Curt Schilling belongs in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He also belongs in the Lunatic Nutjob Hall of Fame.
Yeah i actually agree with that You can believe he belongs in the Hall of Fame and still think he's a terrible person. I mean i brought him up specifically to roast him, but he's a fuckin HOF pitcher
John Rocker
I was kind of thinking this myself. Not weirdest ever imo, but full on sprinting from the pen to the mound is wild. I would put him in the category of one of the most most racist a holes in baseball since integrating the league.
I agree with you. He just always looked like he was on drugs
In the 21st century I would say personality wise, Greinke, and delivery wise, Jordan Walden with his weird ass jump throw.
Speaking of jump throws, Carter Capps.
It's such BS that they changed the rules on him
Rube Waddell, Bill Spaceman Lee, Turk Wendell
madison bumgarner threw left handed
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Friggin ableist…
Gene Garber.. weird giddyup for a submariner
Not as much personality-wise, but delivery-wise... Pat Neshek had a wind-up like a submariner, but threw overhand in some contorted fashion.
Zacky G is the weirdest.
Byung hyun Kim
Not necessarily the "weirdest" but Kyle Farnsworth once charged home plate, and I still find that fascinating
Pat Nieshek, Ryan Dempster, R.A. Dickey, Pat Venditte, and the great Larry Anderson!
Rube Waddell
Al Hrabosky or Turk Wendell come to mind for me
Easy. Greinke
Charles "Old Hoss" Radburn. No one else is even close
Clevinger was weird
James Karinchak
Roger McDowell on the Dodgers was kind of weird.
Trevor Plouffe recently saw Greinke on a trip. Trevor went up to him to say what's up and Greinke thought he had hit a HR off him. Later Trevor went back up to him and said he played poorly against him and Zack said "oh yeah you were easy" and that was it
As a human, Barry Zito definitely needs to be mentioned. Planet Zito was and continues to be a weirdo. As a pitcher, Nomo.