D-backs manager Chip Hale has strange reaction to opening day loss
After a bold offseason makeover, the Arizonda Diamondbacks announced their intentions to compete with the Dodgers and Giants in the NL West loud and clear.
They would have liked to get off to a better start on opening day, though. Zack Greinke, the crown jewel of their acquisitions, was shelled for seven runs in four innings and allowed three home runs Monday in Arizona’s 10-5 loss to Colorado.
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It’s just one regular season game out of 162, but opening day does get more play than say a day game in the middle of June. However, D-backs manager Chip Hale seemed to blame the extra attention for his team’s poor performance, via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic:
Huh? That’s as bizarre a reaction to a loss as you’re going to find. What did Hale expect? That no one would be talking about the first game of the year with the prized free-agent signing taking the mound? Greinke, for his sake, told reporters after the game he wasn’t worried and gave the Rockies credit for hitting some good pitches.
Arizona was fairly irrelevant on the national stage last season and finished 79-83, so that mediocrity wasn’t the result of any increased media scrutiny. Greinke just came from Los Angeles, where he received his fair share of coverage, and that sure didn’t stop him from being one of the top pitchers in baseball and earning himself a six-year, $206.5 million contract with the Diamondbacks.
[Related: Opening day winners/losers — Bryce Harper, Dodgers, Zack Greinke, more]
As we saw with the Padres last year, winning the offseason doesn’t always result in great success. It’s obviously much too early to write off Arizona and Greinke. But if the hype of opening day is too much, what’s the response going to be when facing the prospect of playoff games?
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
