Barry Zito: Wrong Curve

I mean you can't help yourself but Barry Zito is an interesting guy. Or how did the announcer's put it yesterday - he's beating to a different drum. So far so good. Just look up his wikypedia file and you will read about some of the stories concerning the veteran left hander of the San Francisco Giants. He collects stuffed animals, is outspoken and media friendly, bought his own baseball cards and one of his nicknamesa includes "Planet Zito" - just to name a few of the little anecdotes that surround this refreshing young man. But there is one story that will hang with him forever and that will ultimately create his legacy. It's not the legend of the dandy pitcher with the incredible curveball but of the downfall of this once great hurler who signed this enormous 126 million dollar contract, which will haunt for the rest of his baseball days.

When Barry Zito left the Oakland Athletics and signed the contract with the Giants, worked out by his new agent Scott Boras, many knew that it was a mistake by San Francisco. Zito wasn't the same pitcher anymore that he was in 2002, when he won the American League Cy Young Award behind a tremendous 23-5 record and a strong 2.75 ERA. And he isn't now either. What is left of him is just a memory. Today, his fastball is barely scratching the mid eighties. Back in the day, he constantly topped out in the low nineties which made his superb secondary stuff just that much more effective. But how good can a pitcher be without any kind of effective fastball and spotty control?! Not very good, just ask Barry Zito. Or the fans of the San Francisco Giants. Zito has lost all four of his decisions so far this season, something that never happened in his entire career before. His ERA in the usually more pitcher friendly National League has gone up to 4.50 - despite coming from the American League and pitching in a pitcher's ballpark. You can turn it and see it how you want but the story of Barry Zito is a very sad one. He's earning the big money, sure, but don't believe he's happy with what he's doing. I mean here's a guy at the age of 29 who once belonged to the elite pitchers in the game of baseball. It's not like he is a 36 year old nearing the end of his career. Now he still has over 5 years left on a contract that rests on his shoulders like the image of a needle on Barry Bonds. He will hear more and more boos as the season goes. And he will have to deal with more and more doubts by fans and himself with every loss if he doesn't make adjustments and reinvents himself as a pitcher, something he hasn't been able to do for quite a few years now. In the end, all he will have is a big bank account and a memory of better days, but his legacy will never be what it once was...