Former A’s, Giants pitcher Barry Zito declares his retirement
Pitcher Barry Zito, a soulful presence on both sides of the bay for more than a decade, officially announced his expected resignation on Monday with a heartfelt ego article in the Players Tribune describing the many ups and downs of his career.
“I’m going back from baseball today, but I’ll never be too far removed from the game that made me who I am,” wrote Zito. “I’m immensely grateful to be at peace with leaving, especially thanks to my year of renewal in Nashville with the Sounds.
“My return to Oakland last month was a ‘cherry on top’ moment in my life that my family and I will never forget. I will undoubtedly stand in the stands on both sides of the bay in the years to come. “
Zito was referring to the 2015 season he spent with Oakland’s Triple-A team before the A’s called him to the majors in late September. He made three appearances, including two starts, one against his former Oakland “Big Three” colleague Tim Hudson and the Giants at the Coliseum.
Music has long been a part of Zito’s life. His late parents worked in the industry. His season in Music City allowed him to reconnect with those roots and propel him into a post-baseball career.
“Today I am very happy to be a ‘rookie’ again in a new field: songwriting,” wrote Zito. “I’m sure the lessons baseball taught me will help me develop the thick skin I need for this new endeavor. If you happen to hear a song of mine one day, I hope you are honest with what you think. I’ve built up adversity-handling skills over the years, so go ahead and fire!
Most of these adversities came in San Francisco after he signed a seven-year contract for $ 126 million prior to the 2007 season. When he was badly served, the fans let him know. He wrote that some of his own fans “yelled profanity in my face while I was in the dugout”. Zito sometimes called his mother to “seek five minutes of comfort with someone who understood me.”
Roberta Zito died that same year.
Long before those tough days in San Francisco, Zito established himself as one of the majors’ top pitchers during the happy A days of the early 2000s with a signature round house curveball. He made his debut in 2000 and two years later won the American League’s Cy Young Award with a 23-5 record and a 2.75 ERA.
Zito had exceptional numbers in his original seven seasons with the A’s, 102-63 with a 3.55 ERA. When he became a free agent, the Giants needed a makeover for the franchise in a Barry Bonds era they knew was about to end, and baffled baseball by giving Zito the $ 126 million deal by far the most that they had ever awarded a player.
The contract surprised many in the game who believed Zito’s days as a top-of-the-rotation starter were over.
In fact, Zito was struggling in San Francisco. He was banned from all postseason squads in 2010 when the Giants won the first of their three World Series championships over five seasons. Ultimately, he made himself popular with the fans by taking part without complaint and then making a huge contribution to the 2012 championship.
In Game 5 of the National League Championship Series in St. Louis, in which the Giants lost three to one, Zito scored a staggering 72/3 innings at Busch Stadium to secure a 5-0 win that took the series to San Francisco relocated where the Giants won Games 6 and 7 for the pennant. Then Zito opened a four-game sweep for the Tigers in the World Series by beating Justin Verlander with an 8-3 win at AT&T Park.
“Aside from all the accomplishments,” wrote Zito, “the only thing that fulfills me today is acceptance of myself as a worthy and valuable person, regardless of my stature or position in the world, on any particular day of my career. ”
Henry Schulman is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: hschulman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hankschulman
