Zack Greinke Makes MLB History By Striking Out 1,000th Batter: 'The Curt Schilling Baseball Show'
Royals pitcher Zack Greinke reached MLB royalty on Saturday when he struck out his 1,000th different batter.
Now imagine that, not merely recording 1,000 strikeouts but retiring 1,000 different MLB pros ready to send his pitches into the stratosphere ... truly a feat baseball fans aren't treated to any given day.
(NOTE: Greinke has 2,914 total career strikeouts ... holy smokes.)
Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Granted, the historic pitch to strike out Joey Wiemer was a touch out of the box ... but it wasn't like Greinke would stop at 999 different batters.
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Joining Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux and Nolan Ryan, Greinke will be etched in MLB history as an all-time slinger.
RELATED: WE HATE THE ASTROS, BUT LOVE ZACK GREINKE MORE WITH EVERY START
Greinke, playing his 20th season at 39 years old, spoke on the moment he realized history had been cracked Saturday.
"It’s pretty neat," Greinke nonchalantly said after the Royals' 4-3 walk-off loss.
Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
“They were a little more excited than normal,” Greinke added. “I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s what happened.'”
MLB Legend Curt Schilling Applauds Zack Greinke For Incredible Achievement
Speaking on Greinke's crowning moment, which will help him clear the remaining hurdles to Cooperstown, OutKick's Curt Schilling passionately broke down the significance of the feat and how it couldn't have happened to a better guy than Greinke after all he's endured in the majors.
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"Greinke became just the fifth player in Major League history, and please understand the significance of that. There have been, what, 140 years of organized professional baseball," Schilling said.
"When somebody does something that only four players have ever done. Unique is not really the right word. I don't even know what it is. It's excruciatingly rare.
"But Greinke struck out his 1000 different career player. So he struck out. Only five guys had done it on the list. Pretty much makes you understand. Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux and Nolan Ryan are the only other players ever to strike out a thousand different hitters.
"Not a thousand hitters. A thousand different hitters. If you know anything about Zack. He's been Maddux, like, since he got to the big leagues, right? ... Fascinating story, too, by the way. ... I think a probably a Hall of Fame career too."
It takes a legend to know one. Congrats to Greinke on his all-time achievement.
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)