 |
|||||||
|
By Trevor, Section MLB
by Trevor Freeman I remember Bill Simmons once wrote that every city has a player who never quite lived up expectations. For Boston it was Drew Bledsoe. There are other names you can throw out there on both a pro and college level. Ron Pawlus at Notre Dame and Mike Bibby in Sacramento both come to mind. For fans of the Oakland A's, there is only one guy who could possibly have this tag bestowed upon him. That man is Barry Zito.
As I sit here and get ready to watch the Mets, Rangers, Mariners or San Francisco Giants open up their wallets and bestow upon Barry Zito the money to last a lifetime, I felt it would be remiss if I didn't use my featured writer status to write my thoughts on Barry Zito. If I didn't take the time to provide my evaluation of the premier free agent left on the market.
I say this knowing that it will be tough to find another pitcher who can rack up the 102-63 record that Zito did over the last seven years. And I know that sitting on his mantle is a Cy Young Award earned by throwing a dominant 23-5 season in 2002. And I have seen that curveball........a curveball that most major leaguers could only dream of having. However after watching him lose Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.......a loss that not only took the wind out of our sails, but set the tone for the entire series, I can honestly say that it is time to cut the cord. The thing with Zito that I always used to tell people was that he was more "actor" than "athlete". His psyche and demeanor was never one that truly inspired confidence. For example, when you compare Barry Zito's seven seasons in Oakland to Dave Stewart's the numbers are actually quite close. Stewart in his stretch had fourteen more wins and six more losses. When it is all said and done, Zito will probably end up with career numbers that warrant a bust in Cooperstown while Stewart is going to have to hope the veteran's committee takes a strong second look (especially at any footage that involves games against a certain individual nicknamed "The Rocket"). That being said, I would take Stewart to pitch Game 7 of the World Series every day of the week against any lineup over Barry. Zito just never exuded the confidence that Stew did. He lacked the glare, the presence, the "I'm the baddest pitcher on the planet and I don't care who is walking out of the other dugout" persona. So I say this to the fans of the teams that are about to shell out tens of millions of dollars for Barry. Know that the money you are investing is in a guy who is a class act. Know that Barry Zito is a lock for fifteen wins and a sub-4 ERA every year for the next six. However, also know that you need to put expectations on him that are lower than the ones we placed in Oakland. Zito is what he is. A very good pitcher, but one who can frustrate you with his inability to become great. As for us, we'll take our chances with Harden, Haren, Loiaza and Blanton. None of the "Big Three" remains and maybe that is a good thing. For they represented a stretch in which we kept finishing close but no cigar. As for the new addition we have to make to the rotation. I'm hoping it is Shane Komine or Jason Windsor. It is always nice to get young blood in there. Just like it was when Barry came up seven years ago.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail me at trevor.freeman@realityfanforum.com. Story writing contestLog in or create an account to vote for this story!
All trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective leagues and associations. The Rest © Sportscolumn.com / Cow Hollow Media, LLC. Please read our Terms of Service. Sportscolumn.com is powered by Scoop.
|
Related Links |
||||||
