With the Zack Greinke 'excitement' thermometer for MLB Sydney 2014 temporarily stuck on zero and the twitterverse ablaze with public opinion, I thought it was a good time to launch...
21 Reasons for Zack Greinke to get excited for the Opening Series in Australia!
21. Ultimately, this is a chance for the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers, my beloved National League team to link arms with Australian baseball fans and networks to grow baseball in Australia and their fan base! As one of their No.1 fans, I am passionate about doing what I can, to do my part in this country and once we jumpstart Greinke's thermostat, I am sure his excitement will make a full recovery.
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat moves from 0 to 4%.
20. Billboards are up and the fans are excited. The fans down under are pumped! I can see Zack starting to get excited.
19. The Dodgers will not be playing Carlos Quentin! Even I would have been a little apprehensive if Quentin was making the trip after he stormed the mound, injuring Greinke's collarbone last season. This is sure to put a smile on Greinke's face! The determination to battle it out against his opponent is what we love about Zack!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 13%
18. Rightly so, Zack may still be a little concerned that there will be no pool celebrations after we beat the Dbacks. We have got you covered Zack, with the 'Bondi Pool' at a good temperature ready for you to jump in!
17. We have locked up all our highly venomous and deadly animals that are known to kill people and assure you there will be none hiding in the clubhouse. Haven't caught the sharks or jellyfish yet so you are on your own at Bondi!!! As for the kangaroos in the streets, that's why we have 40km speed limits in place!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 26%
16. A great article that outlines the welcome mat that Sydney will lay out for the MLB Teams. Us Aussies couldn't be more proud or excited to host your teams, staff, executives and my honorary grandfather, Vin Scully!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 34%
15. Little did we know, Zack was using the descriptive word Zero in a positive way! Like when we use the word mad to describe 'awesome' or 'sick' to call something excellent, Zack was merely enhancing our vocab for the word 'ZERO' to mean the opposite. Zero officially means 'full of'.
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 47%
14. Even though we are on the other side of the world, we also Live.Breathe.Blue.
Wholeheartedly, Undeniably, We Bleed Blue! And we can't wait to see our team of boys that do the same for us! We are so thankful that you would prepare yourselves earlier than the other teams...for us. That you have a different approach to the start of this season...for us. That you sacrificed time with your family so you could head to Camelback Ranch early...for us. That you play for the name on the front of your jersey rather than the name on the back. It not only gets me excited for what will take place in Sydney but it brings me to tears as I write this! Thank you Dodgers! Thank you Diamondbacks! Thank you MLB!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 51%
13. Koalas across Sydney are lining up in droves outside the SCG in the hope they get to meet the Dodgers and Diamondbacks to get a photo with you.
12. Dodgers Bullpen just received Brian Wilson's Summer Twitter postcard.
@BrianWilson38: Goodbye Bondi I love you. See you in March when we kick off the 2014 season. That will put a smile on Greinke's face!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 59%
11. History will be made! What an honour to be there, what a privilege to be on the field representing your team, your country and your family! To go down in the history books of Australian sport can only warm your heart.
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 67%
10. Every game counts! Let's start the season 2 up on the Dbacks! 2 up on the Giants, Padres and Rockies! Team excitement will help us get our game on! #weownthewest
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 72%
9. We want to make fan t-shirts to follow on from the NLDS. #weowndownunder
8. Our last game against the Dbacks was full of suspense and tension, great ingredients for division rivals! Excitement abounds to see this next face off live!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 79.4%
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 84%
6. As you walk on that field as a Dodger, you will no doubt catch the eye of a little boy who has come to see you play! You were made for that moment! Don't underestimate your influence!
5. Aussie baseball fans want the SCG full! Sold Out! With a crowd like you would get at the 'G' in Melbourne on Grand Final Day! With fan support like you would see at the Australian Open Tennis or during a Big Bash Cricket match. I can't wait to hear that people regret not buying tickets earlier, how they almost caught a foul ball and got to see how quick a fast ball crosses the plate. And I want to watch as families fall in love with the game, the sights, the sounds, the way the field is primed ready for play, batting practice moments and the beauty of a double play. I want every fan to feel like they had the best experience ever and capture the essence of the sport that has captured my heart. Who knows if I will be able to hear the sound of Vin commentating from my seat like you can at Dodger Stadium, who knows if I will have the honour of hearing the organist play the 7th inning stretch song, but I know one thing is for sure, that I am going to walk into the SCG as if I was a kid again, experiencing my first MLB game, excited, even after driving 12 hours to see you!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 98.2%
4. It shows me the passion you have for the game. Enough said!
3. Most of the people there will never have been to a baseball game EVER! Not even an Australian Baseball League game or a local league, minor league or little league game. It's a massive deal that they are coming to see you!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 98.9%
2. You have the opportunity to sign my Dodgers From Coast to Coast Book. There is a page with your name on it! I know you can't contain your excitement! Calm down!!!!
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 99.81%
1. My ultimate dream comes true in the game you will play against Team Australia. Justin Huber, my favourite player will hopefully be on 1st base and through tears of joy, I will see the kid in him rise up to play hard against the kid in you! Together, these 3 teams will influence a multitude of young kids to play the sport you love so that our country knows that baseball not only exists, but it's alive and kicking! Justin is working hard, together with players, teams and clubs all across Australia to build the profile of a sport your country was built on. Paired with hard work, respect, endurance and inclusion. But we need your help, we need your excitement, we need you to show up and be the 'Sandy Koufax', the 'Jackie Robinson', the 'Babe Ruth' of this generation. They are looking to you boys! You see the truth is, long after you leave, your name will still be on everyone's lips, said over and over again as they share their memories of Major League Baseball in Australia for years to come.
Greinke 'Excitement' Thermostat: 100%
Worth getting excited for? Let's Play Ball! #ITFDB