With under a month until the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks open the 2014 Major League Baseball season in Australia, all isn’t well in advance of the two games down under.
A series that is designed to showcase MLB’s top talent may fall a bit short of the mark if Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw doesn’t make the trip. This would allow him to start the Dodgers’ first game in the U.S. as well as their home opener. Then, there were the comments made by teammate Zack Greinke, which were bound to not go over well with the host country.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, those working to make the event happen are reacting about the way you would expect after catching wind of what Greinke said.
Organisers in Sydney are far from thrilled with Greinke’s outburst but are holding off on making comment until they’ve spoken to relevant parties in America.
The opening series at the SCG has been planned in close consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Association and the Dodgers and Diamondbacks clubs, and Australian baseball representatives have now asked for a please explain.
Arizona pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Patrick Corbin have spoken of their desire to be a part of history in Sydney, but it seems big brothers the Dodgers may feel the venture is beneath them.
It’s understandable that there would be some in Australia who take exception to Greinke’s comments. They certainly didn’t come across as pleasant or endearing.
For a series largely intended to be a goodwill event, things are off to a bit of a rocky start. Then again, when the Dodgers and Diamondbacks are involved someone’s feathers always seem to end up ruffled.
H/T HardballTalk
