Zack Greinke not booed -- or introduced -- at Dodgers opener

There were no boos for Zack Greinke at the Dodgers home opener on Tuesday. The Dodgers made sure of it.

The Dodgers introduced every player and coach on their team. But they introduced only the starters for the opposing Arizona Diamondbacks, leaving Greinke among the Arizona reserves directed to head onto the field all at once.

Greinke, the runner-up for the National League Cy Young award with the Dodgers last season, signed a six-year, $206.5-million contract with Arizona last winter. The Dodgers declined to match the sixth year, and their final offer was about $50 million less.

Before the game, Greinke said he did not worry about how he might be received by Dodgers fans.

“Some guys get booed when they’ve done the most for a city,” Greinke said. “Some guys get cheered when they haven’t done much for a city. Adrian [Gonzalez] still gets booed in San Diego. I still don’t understand that.

“Whatever they do, it’s probably deserved.”

Greinke dismissed speculation that Yasiel Puig’s presence on the Dodgers played a role in his decision not to return to Los Angeles.

“Honestly, that had zero to do with anything,” Greinke said.

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Greinke, wearing a black cap with a red bill and a snake insignia, declined to say whether the Dodgers approached him about a new contract last season, or whether any lack of discussion led him to believe his future might lie elsewhere.

“For some reason, I don’t feel comfortable answering that question,” he said. “I don’t know why.”

He said he did not take offense that the team that fielded the highest payroll in North American sports history chose not to afford him.

“People say they have unlimited resources. ... There’s still a limit,” Greinke said. “You have to do what is smart for the team.”

Greinke laughed at the question of whether he spent the off-season in California.

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“No,” he said. “Taxes are too high out here.”

Greinke is not scheduled to face the Dodgers in this series. In his first 10 innings with the Diamondbacks, he has given up 11 runs. In their first 43 innings entering play Tuesday, the Dodgers’ starting rotation has given up 14 runs.

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Twitter: @BillShaikin

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