Making Fun of Zack Greinke for Short and 'Boring' Press Conferences is Really Wrong

Zack Greinke is a different type of dude. He's mowed down batters left and right throughout his career, and has always preferred to let his arm do the talking. After all, if you've eve watched the Astros hurler and former AL Cy Young winner speak with the media, he's a man of few words.

But it was a bit concerning to see the extent to which certain fans and critics decided to make light of his bland, brief responses when facing reporters Friday ahead of this weekend's ALCS opener between Houston and the New York Yankees.

"It's tough to get good hitters out than not-as-good hitters," Greinke said when asked about facing a loaded Yankees lineup, a remark that raised some eyebrows and caused some heads to be scratched. Was Greinke trolling here? Well, maybe. But the guy has a history of anxiety and depression. He's notorious for disliking media engagement. He's doing his duty here simply by showing up.

Let's be careful if we're going to rip him for not being funny or witty or entertaining when the cameras are rolling.

If you're going to accuse anyone of wasting anyone else's time, lay this one at the feet of the Astros organization. They chose to trout Greinke out there, and the player himself simply decided to oblige out of a sense of duty to his team. Let's not lay this at the feet of a guy who legitimately did not want to be there, yet decided to place his commitment to the Houston Astros first.

We ought to be grateful for the increased emphasis in recent years on mental health and wellbeing not simply in sports, but across society as a whole. If you want to have a chuckle and Greinke's blunt responses to all manner of questions, fine-- but don't call the guy out. Spare him your chides. This is simply who he is.

It would be wrong to expect him to be anyone else.