The Royals have been inactive again this week.  This week, will continue our look at the American League Central infielders by reviewing the second basemen of each team.  The following statistics will give us a view of each player’s 2011 season.

                The Chicago White Sox will start one of the once highly touted prospect Gordon Beckham at second.  Beckham had a breakout rookie season hitting .270 with a .460 slg and a .347 obp.  Beckham has struggled to live up to the hype the last two seasons.  His offensive production has steadily decreased each year.  Will his bad streak have finally hit rock bottom last season or will become continue to digress.  The White Sox still have hopes Beckham can perform like he did his rookie season.

The Cleveland Indians will be starting Jason Kipnis.  Kipnis had his first taste of the big leagues last season.  In his first 36 games Kipnis hit .272.  Throughout the minor leagues Kipnis has always been a solid contributor with the bat.  In his three seasons in the minors Kipnis hit .300.  The Cleveland Indians plan on Kipnis being an everyday player for the next six seasons.  The Indians feel Kipnis will be a solid offensive contributor and continue to improve his numbers at the big league level.

The Detroit Tigers will start Ramon Santiago at second. Santiago is the most seasoned second basemen in the American League Central.  Santiago has never been an everyday player.  The most games he has played in a single season was 141 in 2003.  Since then, 112 in 2010 and 101 in 2011 are his next highest totals for games played in a season.  Santiago will really just be there to fill a position in the offensive line of an infield the Tigers will be trotting out everyday.  Santiago has been a .260 hitter over the past three seasons.  With Santiago you know what you are getting and that is not much production.  With that said in the Detroit offense, this should not be a problem.

The Kansas City Royals will start Johnny Giavotella.  Johnny forced the Royals hand last season with his hugely productive season at AAA.  Giavotella hit .338 in 110 games at AAA.  This followed up a season where Giavotella hit .322 at AA.  The Royals know the potential for Giavotella to hit is there, but in 46 games last season Johnny struggled to adapt to big league pitching.  He hit only .247 and got on base at only a .273 clip.  Throughout the minor leagues Giavotella showed better patience and the Royals see him as a potential staple in their lineup.  Giavotella will have to continue to improve his patience at the plate at the big league level.  He also must work on making contact at the plate, in the 46 big league games he played he struck out 32 times.  In AAA in 110 games he struck out only 57 times.  If Giovatella is able to make a few adjustments he will be a solid contributor for the Royals.

                The Minnesota Twins will begin the season with Alexi Casilla at second.  Casilla is another player who has never been an everyday starter.  Casilla played a career high 97 games last season.  Casilla is a prototypical second baseman.  Not much power, hits .250 and steals a couple bases.  The Twins may have a tough time scoring runs this year unless Mauer and Morneau are healthy.  Even then the middle infield for Minnesota has no power and hits for a low average.

Now that all second basemen have briefly been discussed, I will rank them from 1 to 5 in my point of view as to how their overall production for the 2012 season will stack up.

1. Jason Kipnis
2. Johnny Giavotella
3. Ramon Santiago
4. Gordon Beckham
5. Alexi Casilla

From my point of view, none of the second basemen have ever shown much of a reason to get overly excited.  Jason Kipnis showed throughout the minors he could hit, and in limited big league time he proved he could hit at this level too.  If Johnny Giavotella makes a few adjustments and shows his is not a AAAA player, but a solid major leaguer he could easily move to #1 on this list.  With Santiago you know what you are going to get .260 a little pop, but just watching the Detroit infield is entertainment enough.  Gordon Beckham could be the best player on this list.  He proved for a full season that he could produce at the big league level.  If he can revert to his rookie form Beckham could easily head up this list.  As for Casilla, well he has never played 100 games hits .250, nothing to be excited about.  The second base position for the AL Central could be a battle of mediocrity, but only time will tell if any of the young players can have break out seasons.

The Kansas City Royals have been quiet this week, only announcing their slogan.  Our Time.  Well Royals fans had thought for a couple days this could be Our Time.  Until, the Detroit Tigers shocked a lot of people when they signed Prince Fielder to the 4^th largest contract in baseball history.  I thought Fielder would now be the everyday DH and Miguel Cabrera stays at first.  This week Cabrera has said he will play third.  That altered our look at third basemen quite a bit.  I doubt he plays too much third base because he defense could be atrocious.  In the American League Central and for the Detroit Tigers, all of baseball knows who is on third.  With that said we will now take a look at the American League Central third basemen.  The following statistics will give us a view of each player’s 2011 season.

The Chicago White Sox will start Brent Morel.  Who?  That was my thought too. 2011 was Morel’s first full season in the big leagues.  In both of Morel’s stints in the bigs he has shown nothing.  Morel was a solid hitter throughout the minor leagues with an average of over .300.  The White Sox have to hope Morel can regain the form he had in the minors, or he just may turn out to be another AAAA player.

The Cleveland Indians will be starting Jack Hannahan.  Hannahan has been a career back up.  He had not over 150 at bats for three until last season with the Indians.  Hannahan had 320 at bats and his highest average in 5 years hitting .250.  Obviously when you look at Hannahan stats he is nothing but a major league bench player.  Good luck Cleveland with Hannahan at third.

Miguel Cabrera is officially listed as Detroit’s starting third basement per the Tigers official website.  Cabrera is a perennial MVP candidate.  In 2011, Cabrera posted his highest batting average ever at .344.  Cabrera also posted his highest OBP ever at .448.  That is not too far from the ordinary, Cabrera is a career .317 hitter and has posted a .395 OBP.  Imagine the impact of having Prince Fielder now hitting behind Cabrera.  The Tigers offense is going to be scary.  Their infield defense may be the size of an offensive line and may post the worst defensive ratings in MLB history, but their offense will easily outweigh their defensive struggles.

The Kansas City Royals will have second year man Mike Moustakas at third.  In his second big league season, the Royals hope Moustakas can continue to grow as a hitter.  Moustakas struggled immensely in his first couple months in the big leagues.  Moustakas has struggled at every stop throughout the minors after his initial call up.  As Moustakas saw more major league pitching he began to show flashes of what scouts said could be expected of Moustakas.  Can Moustakas take another step forward this year?  For the Royals to compete in the central, he will have to take a huge step forward.

The Minnesota Twins will begin the season with Danny Valencia at third.  Valencia in his first full big league season hit .246.  A huge decrease from the average Valencia had carried throughout the minor leagues.  A career .290 hitter in the minors Valencia, take a huge step back in his first full big league season.  Valencia and the Twins hope he can become the hitter he was in the minors, but it looks like we may have another AAAA player.

Now that all third baseman have briefly been discussed, I will rank them from 1 to 5 in my point of view as to how their overall production for the 2012 season will stack up.   Well I don’t know if it is even necessary, as no one can compare to Miguel Cabrera.  Cabrera is by far and away the best player at third base.  As for my rankings, here they are.

1. Miguel Cabrera
2. Mike Moustakas
3. Danny Valencia
4. Jack Hannahan
5. Brent Morel

From my point of view, and anyone else who knows what baseball is, Miguel Cabrera will by far be the best and most impactful offensive player at third base.  Cabrera will continue to produce MVP caliber numbers and dominate all major league pitching.  It’s scary to think how much better Cabrera could be with Fielder hitting behind him.  The rest of the third basemen have a lot to prove.  Moustakas is a huge prospect for the Royals and if the scouts are right he should continue to improve.  Moustakas has a long way to go, but he should be better than the rest.

The Kansas City Royals have been slightly active again this week.  They have signed all of their arbitration eligible players except for Alex Gordon.  It will be interesting to see if the Royals are able to sign to a long term contract.  There have been rumors of this in the media, but only time will tell.  This week, will start our look at the American League Central infielders by reviewing the shortstops of each team.  The following statistics will give us a view of each player’s 2011 season.

The Chicago White Sox will start one of the more proven commodities at shortstop.  Alexei Ramirez in his four full seasons with the White Sox has been a consistent performer on offense.  Ramirez has a career .279 batting average.  Alexei has always had a consistent power stroke averaging 19 home runs, 26 doubles a season.  Alexei will provide the White Sox a solid offensive contribution and will play a solid short stop.  The White Sox know what they are getting from Ramirez and should be excited.

The Cleveland Indians will be starting Asdrubal Cabrera.  2011 was the best all around offensive year of Cabrera’s career.  Cabrera has hit for a solid average in each of his first five seasons, a .281 career average.  Asdrubal has always had the ability to hit for some power as he has average 36 doubles a season.  He had never found that home run stroke until last year when he hit 25 home runs.  His previous career high had been 6.  Did Cabrera finally develop some home run power?  This season should be interesting.  If Cabrera can hit like he did last season and add a injury free season from Sizemore and Hafner, the Indians could once again be a surprise team in the central.

The Detroit Tigers will start Jhonny Peralta at shortstop.  Last season Peralta had one of his best offensive seasons.  In nine seasons Peralata had a career .268 batting average.  Last season his average jumped thirty points higher than his career average as Peralta hit .299.  Peralata has always had good power for a shortstop.  Peralta averages 34 doubles, 19 home runs, and 83 rbi’s a season.  With all the power bats in the Tigers lineup, Peralta will slide into the 6 or 7 slot and continue to produce as he has throughout his career.

The Kansas City Royals will start Alcides Escobar.  In his second full big league season, Escobar showed signs of greatness with his glove.  His bat on the other hand showed signs of Tony Pena Jr.  At times Escobar showed signs that his bat could provide a spark when he gets hot.  Escobar’s biggest issue at the plate is his patience.  With an average of .254 and an OBP of only .290, obviously Escobar needs to improve this number.  If Escobar is able to hit .260 and have an OBP in the .330 neighborhood and continue to play what I thought was Gold Glove caliber defense, he will be an asset to the Kansas City Royals.

The Minnesota Twins will begin the season with Jamey Carroll at shortstop.  Carroll is an aging shortstop who has always been a decent hitter for average.  In his 10 major league seasons, Carroll has hit for an average of .278.  In his last two seasons with Dodgers in 2010 and 2011, Carroll posted a .291 and .290 average.  Carroll has never shown any power.  His career high in doubles is 23 in 2006.  His career high in home runs is 5 also in 2006.  Since then Carroll has not even come close to those numbers.  Carroll will definitely struggle hitting in Minnesota and as he has aged his first step is slowing and he is trending downwards.

Now that all shortstops have briefly been discussed, I will rank them from 1 to 5 in my point of view as to how their overall production for the 2012 season will stack up.

1. Alexei Ramirez
2. Asdrubal Cabrera
3. Jhonny Peralta
4. Alcides Escobar
5. Jamey Carroll

From my point of view, Alexei Ramirez will continue to produce the way he has his entire major league career and provide a solid bat in the White Sox line up.  If Asdrubal can show his power stroke was not a fluke, he could definitely be the #1 shortstop by a long shot.  Was last season a fluke?  This season could answer a lot of questions with the Indians.  Jhonny Peralta will be Jhonny Peralta, a decent average, but a player who will be helped a ton by the bats around him.  As for Escobar, his offense shows room for improvement, but he will play a gold glove caliber shortstop.  If he can improve his plate discipline Escobar could also move up this list.  As for Jamey Caroll, what is there to get excited about?

The Kansas City Royals have been slightly active this week.  They have signed Kevin Kousmanoff to a minor league contract with a spring training invite.  The signing worries me that leaves Yuni out of the backup third base picture and forced into a role a SS.  I can only hope the signing is for depth.  This afternoon we saw random rumors floating around Twitter regarding Billy Butler being traded to Yankees for Phil Hughes.  I am sure this is all Twitter garbage, but this trade is not something I would be interested in.  Why not sign Roy Oswalt and not trade Butler?  This is just my two cents.  This week, I will finish up our look at the American League Central outfielders by reviewing the left fielders of each team.  The following statistics will give us a view of each player’s 2011 season.

The Chicago White Sox will start unproven Alejandro De Aza.  De Aza has only played in 140 career MLB games split between the Marlins and White Sox.  De Aza has always hit a decent average in his MLB and minor league experience.  He has also shown a good ability to get on base.  If you have watched Moneyball lately and I recommend you do if you haven’t, it puts into perspective how valuable OBP can be.  De Aza is not a sure thing and has a lot to prove.  With less than a full season of big league experience, only time will tell what De Aza will provide the White Sox.

The Cleveland Indians will be starting Michael Brantley in left field.  2011 was the first year Brantley got significant playing time in the big leagues.  Brantley hit .266 with an OBP of .318, and has shown nothing special to write home about.  To give him some credit, last year was his best slugging season.  Hitting 24 doubles and 7 home runs, both career highs, but nothing special.  Will Brantley ever prove an above average outfielder is still to be seen.

The Detroit Tigers currently list Delmon Young as their starting left fielder on their official depth chart.  Young may be the most consistent left fielder in the American League Central.  Members of the central know what Young is.  He is a hot head that hits for decent average and power, but refuses to get on base.  Young has been a consistent .288 hitter over his career has produced roughly the same power numbers in his 5 major league seasons.  Young will provide Detroit with a solid stick in the middle of their order and provide protection for the hitters around him.

The Kansas City Royals will start Alex Gordon in left field.  Gordon stated last season that he would “dominate” for the Kansas City Royals.  Gordon came into Kansas City with ridiculous expectations.  Gordon was slated to be the next George Brett, the savior of the Royals franchise.  Alex has never been able to live up the overzealous expectations placed on him by fans, media members, and the organization.  Last season though, Alex finally broke through and showed Royals fans the player he could be.  Gordon’s career year had him hitting .303 with 45 doubles, 23 Home Runs and 87 Rbi’s.  This is the kind of production Royals fans have longed for.  If Gordon can build on this production he will be far and away the best left fielder and possibly the best outfielder in the American League Central.  Oh and let me remind you Alex also won the Gold Glove for left fielders.

The Minnesota Twins will begin the season with Ben Revere as their starting left fielder.  Revere played only 117 games in 2011.  Revere’s numbers are by no means impressive.  Revere hit .267 with 9 doubles and 0 home runs.  Revere has absolutely no power, but he does provide the Twins with an element of speed.  Revere was able to swipe 34 bases and was caught 9 times.  The Twins utilize the stolen base so when Revere does get on base, he will put pressure on the opposing pitching staff.  With the stolen base being Revere’s only weapon, he would be a nice pinch runner.

Now that all left fielders have briefly been discussed, I will rank them from 1 to 5 in my point of view as to how their overall production for the 2012 season will stack up.

1. Alex Gordon
2. Delmon Young
3. Michael Brantley
4. Alejandro De Aza
5. Ben Revere

From my point of view, as scary as it sounds, Alex Gordon is going to build and the 2011 season he had.  Gordon will continue to produce at a high level and this year, barring injury, Alex will represent the Royals in the All Star Game.  None of the other left fielders are anything special.  Baseball fans know what Delmon Young is, and the other current projected starters have shown nothing special.  Will Gordon “dominate” again, I definitely think so.

Last week we began taking a look around the National League Central position by position to see where how the St. Louis Cardinals stack up heading into the 2012 season. We started with right field where St. Louis has the decided edge in both starting talent and depth. This week we slide over to what is for sure the most crucial position in the outfield and possibly on the diamond altogether…center field.

Cardinal nation has grown accustom to excellence in center field over the years. From the likes of Willie McGee to Jim Edmonds it was not just about All-Star selections, batting titles and Gold Gloves. Okay well it was, but it was also about longevity. Since Edmonds left St. Louis following the 2007 the Cardinals have had a revolving door out in center usually reserved for second base. Rick Ankiel, Colby Rasmus and Jon Jay have shagged most of the balls out there over the last four seasons.

Going into this spring Jay looks to solidify the spot and make it his own. For the Cardinals this presents the weakest of the three outfield positions. But perhaps the one with the most upside. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak views Jon Jay as the team’s everyday center fielder rather than the left-handed half of a platoon.

Jay has certainly held his own against southpaws in his career, sporting a .296/.356/.377 batting line as compared to a .298/.348/.436 line against right-handers. The splits evidently have Mozeliak and the Cards prepared to run Jay out there every day rather than find a right-handed hitting complement for him, which enhances his value.

Here is a look around the National League Central and how Jon Jay stacks up against his peers.

Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd finished 2011 with nine homers, three steals, 35 RBIs, 51 runs scored and a .276 batting average. Byrd can supply a solid batting average but his lack of power and speed makes him a weak everyday outfielder. At age 34, it’s hard to predict any improvement in his 2012 numbers.

Reds outfielder Drew Stubbs swiped 40 bases in 2011, to go along with 15 homers, 44 RBIs, 92 runs scored and a .243 batting average. Stubbs reached the 40-steal level for the first time. But, the 27-year-old hit just .233 with four homers in the second half. This isn’t the profile of a leadoff hitter and the Reds could look for other options at that spot for 2012. The first Reds player with 40 steals in a season since Deion Sanders had 56 steals in 1997. Unfortunately, it can’t hide Stubbs’ struggles at the dish.

Astros outfielder Jordan Schafer hit .242 with two homers, 13 RBIs, 46 runs scored and 22 stolen bases in 2011. Schafer was traded to the Astros for Michael Bourn after failing to meet expectations in the Braves organization. The 25-year-old former top prospect had mixed results in limited time last season but remains the club’s best in-house option. Jason Bourgeois will continue to fill-in at all three outfield positions, while J.B. Shuck and Brian Bogusevic are also in the hunt . Schafer has enough speed (24 steals in 469 career at-bats) to warrant attention if he can get a full-time role in 2012. But he can’t steal first base and Schafer’s .228 career batting average could keep the 25-year-old from securing regular work.

Brewers center fielder Nyjer Morgan hit .304 in 2011, stole 13 homers, went deep four times, drove in 37 runs and scored 61 times. Morgan continued to be one of the game’s loudest players also let his bat do the talking with the second highest batting average on his team. Surprisingly, the Brewers didn’t let Morgan run the bases aggressively, as he stole 21 bases fewer than in 2009 despite collecting nearly as many hits.

Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen smacked 23 homers, swiped 23 bases, drove in 89 runs, scored 87 times and hit .259 in 2011. McCutchen posted his first 20-20 season but his other numbers weren’t as rosy. The 25-year-old was caught stealing 10 times, the same number as in 2010, despite attempting 10 fewer base swipes. He also hit .216 in the second half. There is still plenty of upside here, but several holes too.

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay smacked 10 long balls, drove in 37 runs, scored 56 times, swiped six bases and hit .297 in 2011. Jay’s development was a key factor in the midseason trade of Colby Rasmus, as manager Tony La Russa wanted to get Jay into the lineup more often. Despite struggling at the dish in the postseason, the 26-year-old could be a big asset if he can exceed 500 at-bats in 2012.

Here is how I rank the center fielders heading into 2012.

1. Andrew McCutchen
2. Nyjer Morgan
3. Drew Stubbs
4. Jon Jay
5. Marlon Byrd
6. Jordan Schafer

Looking Ahead

Jon Jay will not be relied on to match the offensive numbers of his outfield mates Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran. Rather Jay will be looked to for defensive support, which he proved more than capable of providing in 2011. However In part-time at-bats, Jay has proven to be a solid offensive player, hitting for a high batting average with at least serviceable pop. If he can average his production out over a full season it will mean good things for the 2012 Cardinals.

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The song Centerfield by John Fogerty is one those songs that always reminds me that baseball is near. It reminds me of the days my coach would send me out to center field. to experience the smell of the grass and the crack of the bat. All of my senses aroused by my surroundings on the field? These were some of the best times of my life. Now I countdown to Spring Training and Major League Baseball season. Spring Training is getting closer, only 40 days away. That leads us to our topic centerfield. I will take a look and provide a comparison of the centerfielders in the American League Central.

Oh, put me in, coach – I’m ready to play today;
Put me in, coach – I’m ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

The projected center fielder this year for the White Sox will be Alex Rios. The once Toronto Blue Jay All Star, has not been the same player since joining the Sox. Rios provided solid offensive production in 2010 and if he can return to similar production he could a contributing force to an aging White Sox offense. Rios’ defense has never been great and is also declining as he ages. Will Rios become the All Star Chicago traded for and finally get the production they thought they were acquiring? I for one don’t think so.

Cleveland brought back the once great, but now so often injured Grady Sizemore. Grady was an outstanding center fielder early in his career. For the past 3 seasons, staying healthy has been a huge struggle for Grady. His numbers have declined significantly as Grady has battled back from all his injuries. We know the production Grady can provide to his team, but the real question is can he stay healthy.

Detroit’s Austin Jackson may be the best of the bunch. Jackson has only played two full major league seasons. Jackson’s numbers have not been anything special, but as major league careers go last year may have been Jackson’s sophomore slump. If Austin is able to raise his average he could be the best centerfielder in the Central. Jackson’s free swinging nature may impede his ability to consistently hit for average, but the potential is there.

The Royals will be starting Lorenzo Cain. Cain has a ton of potential, but he is still a relative unknown. He provided Milwaukee with solid offensive production in 2010, but that was only in 43 games. It will be hard to predict what Lorenzo will provide, but if you look at his numbers from AAA last season, you can see why the Royals acquired Lorenzo in the Greinke deal. For a more in depth look at Lorenzo please read my past article Loco for Lorenzo.

The Minnesota Twins will be starting Denard Span in centerfield. Span also battled the injury bug last season, only playing in 70 games. Span’s first two big league seasons were full of hope as he hit .294 and .311. The past two years he has hit .264. Span provides great speed and defense. Span’s inability to consistently hit left handed pitching is the biggest thing that holds him back. If he can improve on this facet of the game Minnesota will have a solid top of the order producer.

The center fielders of the American League Central have a ton of question marks. In my opinion this is how the centerfielders stack up.

1. Austin Jackson
2. Grady Sizemore
3. Denard Span
4. Lorenzo Cain
5. Alex Rios

Austin Jackson may be young, but has made it through his sophomore slump. I can definitely see his offensive numbers getting better and he is a great defensive centerfielder. If Sizemore can stay healthy he could be the best in this list, but his health is a huge question mark. Span has been consistent and provides solid defense and offense. As a player, he just does nothing for me. Lorenzo Cain is a relative unknown. His minor league stats give us Royals fans hope, but as of right now that’s all it is. As for Rios, he has never been a great defender and his offensive numbers have been steadily declining. I look for more of the same from Rios.

Hopefully for the Royals, Cain will produce offensively as he did in AAA in 2010. His speed and defensive ability should be a huge benefit to the Royals pitching staff. For the first time in years, maybe decades the Royals defense up the middle will be a formidable force. Let me end with this,

Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat, and brand-new pair of shoes;
You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride.
Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all – a moment in the sun;
(pop) it’s gone and you can tell that one goodbye!

The crack of the bat is getting close, can you feel it? Thanks again to John Fogerty for the use of his lyrics to Centerfield.

On a complete side note, I feel like I want to share my opinions on Tim Tebow’s performance Sunday afternoon.

Tebow Time

How can I not address Tim Tebow? There were times during the AFC Wildcard game where Tim Tebow was highly inaccurate, but Tebow leaves everything out on the field. Obviously, someone powerful must be on his side. He showed signs of the strong arm everyone knew he had. When he is accurate you saw what can happen on the first play of OT. The threat of the running game pulled both safeties up to the line of scrimmage. The corners were stuck on an island on the outside with the wide receivers. To the Broncos credit they trusted Tebow and ran a play action pass. Tebow then threw a strike right down the middle to Thomas in stride and he did the rest. Tebow always finds a way to win and it is absolutely baffling. If only the Royals could find a #1 starter similar to Tebow. No matter what happened he would fight and do anything it took to win the game. Chris Carpenter in last year’s playoffs is the best example I can think of. An athlete of this breed only comes along once in a lifetime. Love it or Hate it, hang on and enjoy the show.

I haven’t forgiven Zack Greinke quite yet. Not after he manipulated his way into a trade out of town, then publicly criticized the city, the Royals, the Plaza, Arthur Bryant’s BBQ, Worlds of Fun, and everything else Kansas Citians hold dear.

Good riddance, I said, and I swore to root against Zack at his every stop from here on. I don’t care if Dayton Moore said recently Greinke “will always be a Royal.” He won’t be in my book.

Well, here he is, exactly where he belongs, pitching on the big stage, and good for him.

No, I’ll probably never forgive him, but I must say, this is where he belongs. A young man with his extraordinary talent ought to be battling it out with the best in the sport in the biggest games of the season.

Greinke was never much of a team player. He often seemed distant and distracted. He seemed somewhat “me-first.” But no one ever questioned whether he was a competitor. So when he took the mound Sunday for the second of consecutive starts on three days rest, it should have come as no surprise.

Greinke wants to win, and he wants to compete on the biggest stage. And he is getting his wish. But as Frank Sinatra might say about the precocious 27-year old hurler “He did it his way.”

He started out the season with typically head-scratching Greinke-esqe absurdity. After costing the Brewers a small fortune, he injured himself off the field and started the season on the disabled list. At the same time he bashed the Royals and spoiled his legacy in KC.

When he finally took the field, he wasn’t sharp. Were it not for the potent Brewers’ bats backing him up, his first half could have been disastrous. After six May starts, his ERA was 5.29. Three good starts were overshadowed by two horrendous ones in June, and the kid entered July with a 6.04 ERA.

The thing he never lacked, however, was strikeouts. In spite of the rust, Greinke mowed down 80 hitters in just 62.1 innings through June.

Greinke got tough when the Brewers needed him most. His August and September numbers were solid: 8-2 with a 2.97 ERA, even if the strikeouts took a dip to about one per inning.

When Milwaukee had a chance to lock down the division title, Greinke pitched on three days rest. He wasn’t perfect, but he managed six innings to get the win in the season finale.

Then on Sunday, he took the hill again, once again on three days rest. Still far from perfect, Greinke gave up three homers in just five innings.

But he wanted to be on the mound. He wanted the ball. He wanted to battle for his team, to help the Brewers advance in the playoffs. In doing so, he helped the team straighten out its rotation for the next several games. In short, he fulfilled the role of an ace.

Greinke may not have been Sandy Koufax when pitching on three days rest, but he also may not have to pitch as much, now that the Brewers have cleared the initial hurdle. Greinke answered the bell and he’s in an enviable position now to pitch deep into the playoffs.

Enviable, that is, to Royals fans. No, I haven’t forgiven Zack Greinke. Not yet.