Barry Zito

Baseball Player

Barry Zito was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on May 13th, 1978 and is the Baseball Player. At the age of 45, Barry Zito biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

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Other Names / Nick Names
Barry William Zito
Date of Birth
May 13, 1978
Nationality
United States
Place of Birth
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Age
45 years old
Zodiac Sign
Taurus
Networth
$50 Million
Salary
$19 Million
Profession
Baseball Player, Singer-songwriter
Social Media
Barry Zito Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 45 years old, Barry Zito has this physical status:

Height
193cm
Weight
97.5kg
Hair Color
Dark brown
Eye Color
Dark brown
Build
Athletic
Measurements
Not Available
Barry Zito Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Roman Catholic
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Southern California
Barry Zito Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Not Available
Children
Not Available
Dating / Affair
Not Available
Parents
Not Available
Barry Zito Life

Barry William Zito (born May 13, 1978) is an American professional baseball pitcher and singer.

He spent 15 years with the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball (MLB).

A curveball (his strikeout pitch), a four-seam fastball, a circle changeup, and a cutter-slider were among his pitching repertoires. Zito attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles Pierce College, and the University of Southern California.

Zito signed with the Athletics when they selected him in the first round of the 1999 MLB draft, despite being drafted three times while in college.

He was in the major leagues, finishing fifth in the American League, winning the Rookie of the Year Award a year later.

He struggled to start the 2001 season, but recovered quickly down the stretch, ending the year with an 11–1 win–loss record in his last two months.

He played 23 games (while only losing five) in 2002 and received the Cy Young Award.

In 2003, his record was just 14-12, but he made the All-Star team for the second year in a row.

He had his worst season at the time in 2004, going 11–11 with a career-high 4.48 earned run average.

He began with Oakland in 2005 and finished fifth in the AL with 171 strikeouts.

In 2006, he joined the All-Star team and set a record of receiving two or more runs of assistance. Zito signed a seven-year contract with the Giants in December 2006, following his seventh season with the Athletics.

It was the first contract ever granted to a pitcher at the time.

In his first three seasons, he won double-digit victories, and in 2010, he helped San Francisco win their first championship since 1954.

However, he suffered during the first month of the season and was left off the postseason roster.

He returned in 2012 and thrived, finishing with a 15-8) record, his best season in a Giants uniform, after being out for much of the 2011 season due to a foot and ankle injury.

Zito, who was born in October, was instrumental in the Giants' second World Series title, going 2–0 with a 1.69 ERA in three postseason starts.

He beat the Tigers' ace Justin Verlander in Game 1, setting the tone for San Francisco's sweep to their seventh World Series title in franchise history in his first World Series appearance.

Zito struggled in 2013 but received a standing ovation from the fans in his last appearance as a Giant.

He became a free agent after the year.

Strikeouts For Troops, a national non-profit that provides safety and boosts the spirits and morale of wounded troops as well as military families.

Early life

Zito was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 13, 1978, to Roberta (née Rosser), 1943-2008) and Joe Zito (1928-2013). He is of Italian descent. He and his parents, who were 9 and 13 years older than Barry, were a show-business couple who were playing for singer and pianist Nat King Cole and his two sisters were older than Barry. Since he showed signs of promise from a young age, his family migrated to San Diego, California, to help him focus on his baseball career. His father, who was unaware of baseball, started reading books on pitching tactics and eventually stopped working to help coach his son. Randy Jones, a former Cy Young Award winner, was recruited by his father to teach him at $50 an hour at the age of 12. He went from Grossmont High School, where he was the star pitcher, to University of San Diego High School, a Roman Catholic private school, for his senior year. Zito received many awards in the industry, including an 8-4 record with a 2.92 ERA, as well as 105 strikeouts in only 85 innings.

Zito came from UC Santa Barbara, where he earned Freshman All-America Honors with 125 strikeouts in 85+13 innings. Zito migrated to Los Angeles Pierce College in his sophomore year so he might be able to draft the Major League Baseball draft. He had a 2.62 earned run average (ERA), was 9–2 with 135 strikeouts in 103 innings, and was selected to the all-state and all-conference teams at Pierce. He then went to the University of Southern California (USC), where he was a first-team All-America selected by USA Today Baseball Weekly, Collegiate Baseball, and Baseball America. Zito was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year with a 12–3 record, a 3.28 ERA, and 154 strikeouts in 113+2/3 innings.

Zito also played in the Cape Cod Baseball League, a summer wooden bat league that showcases the country's finest amateur players. In 1997, he led the Wareham Gatemen to the league championship, was named a league all-star and led the team to a runner-up finish.

Personal life

In April 2011, Zito proposed to former Miss Missouri Amber Seyer, who married on December 3, 2011. Joe Zito, his father, who died in June 19, 2013, composed and arranged music for Nat King Cole in the early 1960s (ca.1961–64) and arranged for the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra. Roberta Baha, the mother of Zito, was a member of The Merry Young Souls and his band, as well as Nat King Cole and his band. Zito is also a musician. He plays guitar, and he co-wrote the song "Butterflies" which was used in Eddie Murphy's film A Thousand Words. Zito's maternal aunt was married to television actor Patrick Duffy.

In July 2014, Zito and his wife Amber gave birth to their first child, a boy named Mars. In May 2017, they welcomed their second child, Mercer Joseph Zito, into their household. In February 2020, a third child, a son named Rome, was born.

Zito is best known for his idiosyncrasies and his offbeat demeanor. Zito dyed his hair blue early in his career. When working in Oakland, he earned the nicknames "Planet Zito" and "Captain Quirk." Zito says he likes the way his uniform number 75 appears because the 7 and the 5 are like a "shelf" to hold the word "Zito" up. He surfs and practices yoga. He has performed yoga poses in the outfield and meditated before games. Zito practices Transcendental Meditation and supports the David Lynch Foundation. Zito has claimed that people who do not know him well enough to know better.

Zito was raised in a "spiritual, metaphysical type church" that was established by his grandmother's grandfather and at which his mother, Roberta, who died in 2008, preached at. Zito praised a universal life force in 2001, which he credited with his midseason revival. He said he discovered this power by reading Ernest Holmes' book Creative Mind.

However, Zito said he "committed to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior" in August 2011. God paid attention to him through his being left off the 2010 Giants' postseason roster and a car accident in early 2011. He got a golden calf tattoo on the inside of his right bicep as a reminder for him to "not worship false gods" and that God comes first. Zito said that his wife is a Christian as well. Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment In 2019, Zito wrote Curveball, a memoir about his life and conversion to Christianity. “I have been putting my whole identity into my baseball career for the bulk of my life, only to have it stripped away during the 2010 World Series run,” Zito said. Not in a game but in Jesus Christ."

Strike Outs For Troops, a charity established by Zito, was founded in Zito. The charity gives families and troops of the United States the opportunity to lift the spirits and morale of wounded service members and helps injured veterans of the United States Army. Zito announced in 2010 that he would donate $1,500 for every strikeout in the Giants-Padres game on September 11. In the game, there were a total of 14 strikeouts.

In an episode of JAG on CBS in 2003, Zito portrayed a United States Navy petty officer. During a yearly Navy-Marine all-star baseball game, Zito's character, a pitcher, was charged with assault after striking a Marine with a baseball.

Source

Barry Zito Career

Baseball career

Zito was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 59th (1,586th overall) draft in 1996 and the Texas Rangers in the third round (83rd overall) but not signed with either team. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the ninth pick of the first round in the 1999 draft, and was given a $1.59 million bonus.

Zito's career began in 1999 with the Visalia Oaks, Oakland's A team. In eight starts, he went 3–0 with a 2.45 ERA. In 40+13 innings, he struck out 62 runs out of a field. Zito was promoted to the Midland RockHounds and went 2–1 for a 4.91 ERA to finish the AA schedule. He got off to a slow start with six strikeouts in six innings for the AAA Vancouver Canucks (PCL).

Zito with the Sacramento River Cats began in AAA in 2000 (the Canadians franchise had relocated to Sacramento). He hit 101+220 runs in 18 starts, going 8-5 with a 3.19 ERA, 91 strikeouts, and 41 walks in 8 innings.

Zito made his major league debut against the Anaheim Angels wearing #53 on July 22, 2000. He only allowed one run in five innings and took the win. Zito went seven innings in his first appearance in his new role, while giving up three runs to the Boston Red Sox. Zito's rookie season was a huge success. He went seven innings and gave up one run against the Toronto Blue Jays in his third career start. Zito's first complete game shutout against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on September 10. He threw 110 runs, struck out eight, and allowed five hits. He went 5-1 with a 1.73 ERA during the month of September. Zito had a 7-4 record and a 2.72 earned run average in 14 starts. Despite his late start to the season, Zito finished fifth in American League Rookie of the Year Award voting.

In Game 4 of the AL Division Series (ALDS), Zito made his postseason debut against the New York Yankees. He went 5.2 innings, struck out 5, walked 2, and allowed an earned run. Zito won the game after outpitching Roger Clemens. However, the Yankees will win the series, 3–2, and will then win their third straight World Series title.

Zito changed his uniform number to 75 (which he would wear through the remainder of his career) in 2001, placing third in strikeouts (8.61), sixth in ERA (3.49), and tenth in winning percentage (.680). Zito was the sixth lefty aged 23 or younger since 1902 to knock out at least 200 batters in a season. Zito struggled through the first 22 starts of a great rookie season, posting a 6–7 record with a 5.01 ERA in his first 22 starts. However, he recovered well and by August, he was posting strong pitching numbers. In August, Zito was named Pitcher of the Month, going 5–1 with a 1.02 ERA. Zito won Pitcher of the Month again in September, going 6–0 with a 1.89 ERA. Zito had a 1.32 ERA in the last two months of the season, the highest in baseball.

The Athletics made the playoffs and then played the Yankees in the ALDS for the second time. In Game 3 against Mike Mussina, Zito pitched against Mike Mussina. He went eight innings, striking out six, walking one, and giving an earned run. But Zito suffered as the Yankees won the game 1–0. The Yankees would win the series 3–2.

Zito was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2002. Zito won his 10th game of the season on June 22. Since Bob Welch arrived on June 15, 1990, it was the first time an A's pitcher had beaten the 10-win mark. For the first time in his career, Zito was selected to the All-Star team. He went 7.1 innings against the Angels on July 18, giving up no runs against them. Zito won in a straight victory at home for the 16th straight win in a row. Zito made his first appearance against the Angels in his next match and achieved similar success. He went 6.1 innings and gave up just one run. Zito won the most games by an AL pitcher (14). When Zito defeated the Rangers, he would be the AL's first 15-game champion. Zito won his 18th game of the season on August 23, giving him one more than his previous career-high of 17.

Zito defeated the Kansas City Royals on August 28, his 19th victory of the season. However, Neifi Pérez singled out with one out in the sixth innings, ending his hopes for a flawless game in the sixth innings. Pérez was lauded by Zito, who praised him. Zito said, "I wasn't pitching to maintain a no-hitter or something." "I left the ball up over the middle to Pérez, and he hit it in the middle." It was a good piece of hitting."

Zito pitched seven innings and allowed no earned runs against the Minnesota Twins on September 8, becoming the first pitcher in the AL to win 20 games. Zito said, "I'm not pitching for the Cy Young." "I'm pitching to get the Oakland A's to the playoffs and the World Series." Zito had a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners in his eighth inning before John Olerud singled out leadoff the inning. "It would go to the young man who pitched for the Oakland team," Seattle manager Lou Piniella said if he could vote for the Cy Young Award Laureate. While there are other deserving pitchers out there, [Zito] has won 21 games and he excels at them."

Zito went six innings against the Texas Rangers in his last start of the season. Zito went 8-0 in his first ten starts, raising his chances of winning the AL Cy Young Award. Art Howe, the Oakland manager, said, "Barry pitched another gem." "He has obviously had a Cy Young-type season." He's just been good all season."

Zito won in Game 3 of the ALDS after going six innings and giving up three earned runs against the Twins. However, the Twins defeated the Athletics in five games, making the Athletics the first team to lose the deciding game of a string three years in a row.

Zito will win the AL Cy Young Award with a 23-55 record, barely beating Pedro Martnez in the polls. He led the league with 23 victories (.821), and third in both ERA (2.75) and strikeouts (182). Zito's 23 victories were the most by an AL left-hander since Frank Viola had 24 wins for Minnesota in 1988. Zito's opponents had a.185 average, the lowest in the AL. Martnez, the AL's best pitcher since the award of a franchise to lead his league in each of the three categories and not win the award, was the first pitcher since the award was established. Zito became the first A's pitcher to win the Cy Young Award since Dennis Eckersley did it in 1992. Zito was also named AL TSN Pitcher of the Year.

Zito won over the Mariners in 2003 and got off to a winning start. In the first innings, he went 6 innings and allowed an earned run, as well as an RBI single by Olerud in the first innings. Zito went 7 innings, struck out 7, walked 4, and allowed one run against Texas in his next start. He became only the fifth A's pitcher to win ten straight games since Welch in 1990. Zito took the field for the first time against the Rangers on April 18, allowing six hits and no runs. Zito's career against Texas saw him go 9-0. "I got the feeling he made it look so simple," Texas boss Buck Showalter said after the game. You can see what happens when he has that kind of order. Zito got off to a rocky start in his second to last game before the All-Star Break on July 8. Against the Devil Rays, he had seven earned runs and 15 hits. The 15 hits allowed were a career-best. Zito's poor start surprised Devil Rays boss Piniella. "I should have told you we'd get 15 hits off Zito in five or six innings," he said. Nevertheless, Zito recovered from his poor start in his new role. Against the Baltimore Orioles, he went eight innings without losing a single run. Zito was also named to the All Star team, marking the second time he had been selected to the team.

Zito was seventh in the AL in 2003 (3.30). During a career-high 231+223 innings pitched, he had a 14-12 record and 146 strikeouts.

Zito played seven innings against the Red Sox in Game 2 of the ALDS, knocking out nine runs, walking two, allowing one earned run, and winning by five runs in Oakland's 5–1 victory. Zito went six innings and allowed four earned runs, causing the Red Sox to lose the game and the series.

Zito struggled in 2004 and posted the worst numbers of his career at the time. In the month of April, Zito went 2-3 with a 6.83 ERA. In a 1–0 loss to the Cleveland Indians on May 28, he threw eight shutout innings but was denied a no-decision. In a 5–0 victory over the Devil Rays on August 21, he threw eight shutout innings of four-hit ball. Ken Macha would have allowed him to call a complete game, but Zito replied, "I was anxious about being fresh for the next game." I didn't want to die up [throwing] 115–120 [pitches], so I took advantage of the situation and shut it down." He threw seven shutout innings and had 10 strikeouts on September 12, gaining the win in a 1–0 victory over the Indians. He went 11-11 for a 4.48 ERA this season, placing him 11-11 overall. It was his first year with the Athletics in which his ERA was greater than 4.00. With 163, he still finished 10th in the league in strikeouts.

Following Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder's departure, Zito received his first Opening Day assignment in 2005. In a 4–0 loss to the Orioles on April 4, he allowed four runs over six innings. Zito also struggled in April, going 0–4 with a 6.60 ERA. He was 3-8 with a 4.41 ERA in his first 16 starts of the campaign. However, Zito pitched better the remainder of the season. He had a streak of 14 starts from May 17 to July 25 (and 20 out of 21) in which he had less hits than innings pitched, but not in which he had more hits than innings pitched. He gained the victory in eight straight starts from June 28 to August 4. In a 2–1 loss to the Washington Nationals on June 6, Zito allowed two runs in six innings. During the game, he earned his first major league hit against Tony Armas Jr. Zito was named Pitcher of the Month in July, going 6–0 with a 2.51 ERA. Zito went 14-13-13 with a 3.86 ERA in 35 starts. Zito's 35 starts were the most in Major League Baseball this season, proving his tenacity as a pitcher. He had 171 strikeouts, good for fifth in the league.

On Opening Day (April 3) against the Yankees, Zito went 1.1 innings and allowed seven earned runs. It was the shortest outing of his career. However, Zito recovered quickly from a rough start. In a 4–0 victory over the Twins on June 1, he allowed four hits over seven innings. He struck out Lew Ford in his 1,000th career strikeout during the game. Zito and Brandon Webb both allowed one run through eight innings before Zito gave up two runs and only two outs in the ninth; Webb threw a complete game as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Athletics 3–1. Zito was 8–6 on a 3.29 earned run average when the All-Star Break came around. He was selected to the 2006 All-Star Game. Zito defeated the Rangers 9–3. He won his 100th game on August 25, his 100th victory in his career. He had a no-hitter going into the eighth inning, but Mark DeRosa was able to lead it off. He had a 16-10 record, a 3.83 ERA, and 151 strikeouts in 35 starts (first in the league). Zito finished eighth in the league in victories, ranked tenth in ERA, and third in innings pitched (2221). He had the eighth-lowest run support of AL pitchers (4.97) but he had a 15-1 record if he had at least two runs of support.

Zito helped the Athletics make it to the playoffs. He allowed one run and four hits over eight innings, outdueling Johan Santana and winning the game in a 3–2 victory over the Twins and setting the tone for a Oakland sweep. Zito did not fare well in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series (ALCS) against the Tigers, allowing five runs over 3+2/3 innings in a 5–1 loss. In four games, the Tigers defeated the Athletics.

In July 2006, Zito replaced his agent Arn Tellem with Scott Boras. Zito was a deciding factor in the 2006 trade deadline, and it was widely predicted that he would be headed to the Mets as part of a future contract for prospect Lastings Milledge. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that if the Mets were unable to trade Milledge, the Athletics might be interested in Aaron Heilman and John Maine. However, Athletics general manager Billy Beane decided to hold Zito for the remainder of the season.

Zito has signed a seven-year contract with the San Francisco Giants worth $126 million, plus $18 million for 2014, with a $7 million buyout. Zito's deal in 2006, the first for a pitcher in Major League history at the time, was the highest for any pitcher in Major League history.

During spring training in 2007, he and Barry Bonds made shirts that read "Don't ask me, ask Barry" with an arrow pointing to the other Barry. Both Zito and Bonds got along fine during their brief time as teammates, and Zito said he would stand by Bonds amid media slaughters.

Zito went five innings and allowed two earned runs against the San Diego Padres in his first appearance as a member of the Giants. He'll take the blame. Zito's first attempt was a flop. He went six innings but gave eight earned runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Zito would win his first game as a member of the Giants on April 16 after he went six innings, gave up three hits, and gave up no runs to the Colorado Rockies. Zito said, "I've been trying to have a good game." "You shouldn't want to do anything." You either do or you don't. I tried to be too specific in my pitches. I wasn't aggressive."

Zito made his Oakland debut on May 18, as a Giant. He was only four innings as he gave up seven runs while walking seven runs on seven wickets instead of seven runs, with two bases loaded walks in between. The A's beat the Giants 15-3. On June 9, he met his old squad again, this time in San Francisco. In a 6–0 loss, Zito pitched four innings while giving up three earned runs on nine hits.

On August 5, Zito made his first Major League relief appearance against the Padres due to a late departure by starter Noah Lowry and an overworked bullpen. He pitched a scoreless seventh innings. In the same game where Barry Bonds scored his record-breaking 756th home run in his career, he batted in (RBI) against the Nationals' Mike Bacsik two days later.

Zito's ERA was 5.13 years old when he began on August 12. He had the fifth-best ERA in the Netherlands over his final nine starts, at 3.10. He had a 3–2 record as well. He admitted that he had put pressure on himself to perform as a result of the lengthy deal, but that he was learning that he didn't have to be himself. Zito also said that adjusting to a new league, squad, and ballpark had been difficult. Zito won by two runs on five hits and four strikeouts in Los Angeles's 11–2 victory over the Dodgers on the final day of the season. Zito had a losing record in his career as he ended the season at 11–13. For the first time since 2000, he failed to reach 200 innings (196+223), with a career-high 4.53 ERA.

Zito's debut in the Giants' starting rotation and as the oldest starter and veteran. Zito went 0–6 in April with a 7.53 ERA and 11 strikeouts. He was the third pitcher in the last 52 years to go 0–6 before May 1. The Giants transferred him to the bullpen on April 28. On May 7, Zito did not make an appearance out of the bullpen and returned to the rotation against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Zito lost for five hits and two earned runs over five innings in the game, his seventh game of the season. Zito beat the Florida Marlins on May 23, his first victory of the 2008 season. Following a 5–1 loss to Oakland, Zito became the first pitcher to record ten losses in the Major Leagues on June 13. His 5.1 walks per nine innings pitched for the season, 51% first-pitch strike percentage, and 14 sacrifice flies were all allowed, among the worst in the majors. Zito made some strides in the remainder of the season, posting an 8–6 record for the remainder of the season in addition to a 4.33 ERA. He had a career-best 5.15 ERA and 120 strikeouts in the year 10–17. His 17 losses dominated the National League and were the second-worst total in San Francisco history (Ray Sadecki missed 18 games in 1968).

Zito's pitching results seemed to be on a revival in the 2009 season. Despite being 0–2 with an ERA of 10, Zito ended the season with a 4.03 average. If it had not been for his first two starts, his ERA would have been 3.74. Despite going only 10-13 in the season, Zito's record was more due to his spotty run support (second-lowest in the major leagues) than his mound performance. Zito pitched a no-hitter against Texas for six innings before giving up a home run to Andruw Jones in the seventh inning. He won the game, his fourth victory of the season. Zito played what could be described as his best game of the season on July 7. He pitched 82 runs against the Florida Marlins, allowing one run to run on four hits, striking out six runs, and walking one. He won the game, his fifth victory of the season.

Zito won his first game of the 2010 season after 2003 when he pitched six shutout innings against the Houston Astros. Zito stifled the St. Louis Cardinals on April 24, to throw eight shutout innings with ten strikeouts for his third game of the season and his first victory of the season. When Lowry first started 6–0, it was the best start by a Giants' pitcher since 2004. Zito won his first match against his former team, the Athletics, on June 12, 2010, giving him victories against every MLB team. Zito is one of eighteen pitchers to win against all 30 MLB franchises, and the first pitcher to do so while only with two clubs.

Zito was 7-2 with a 3.10 ERA as of June 12, when he reached his high point in June 12. Zito regressed down the stretch after a good start to the season, going 2–12 with a 4.97 ERA the remainder of the way. He ended the season 9-14 with a 4.15 ERA, snapping a streak of nine seasons in which he had 10 or more wins. Zito, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sánchez, and Madison Bumgarner were among the oddballs in a rotation. In fact, he was left completely off the Giants' 25-man active roster for the postseason. Zito trained out through the playoffs so he's able to return to the roster in case of an injury, but he wasn't required and remained on the secondary squad. The Giants took home five games over Texas in 2010, and he received his first World Series ring.

Zito's first return to the disabled list came early in the 2011 season after suffering a right foot injury during a fielding play. Ryan Vogelsong's replacement did an excellent job, but Zito was able to return to the rotation in June because Sánchez was on the disabled list with left biceps tendinitis. Zito pitched well in his first few starts back, debuting well against the Tigers, Chicago Cubs, and Padres en route to three Giants victories, but then found himself in a slump, going 0–3 for his next three starts. After aggravated his right foot injury, he returned to the hospital; ironically, his return to the DL made it possible for Sánchez to return to the rotation. Zito's right ankle was injured in another fielding play in a Triple-A rehab program on August 13, delaying him for another month. Zito returned from the DL on September 11, but the remainder of the year was used out of the bullpen; he had a 9.00 ERA in his final four games. He had a 3–4 record, a career-high 5.87 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and 24 walks in a career-low 53+2nd innings in a career-low 13 games (nine starts).

Zito began the 2012 season against the Rockies after battling tilently during spring training in which he threw with a new crouched delivery. In the 7–0 Giants win, he threw possibly one of his finest games of his career, throwing a complete shutout while giving up just four hits. It was his first shutout since 2003, when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics. Zito pitched four-hit shutout ball into the ninth inning for a 2–0 Giants win and his season ERA increased to 3.05. Zito won his 150th game on record, becoming the 246th pitcher to reach the century. In a July 17 match against the Atlanta Braves, Zito had a hand in the Giants' second road shutout victory of the season, allowing three hits and recording four strikeouts. The victory lifted his season record to 8-6. Zito will win their first games with the Giants this season, but he will have a 4.15 ERA.

Zito faced the Reds in Game 4 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) on October 10 and failed, being pulled in the third inning after allowing two runs. However, the Giants went on to win 8–3. The Giants, who lost the first two games of the series, became the first team to recover from a 2–0 deficit at home in an NLDS, winning 3 straight road games in a series of five games. Zito won by 613 runs against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS), on October 19, 2012. It was his first postseason victory since 2006, and Zito himself said it was the best win of his career. The Zito hashtag #rallyzito, which was behind Giants fans' attempts, was trending on the social media giant that day. The Giants won seven games despite trailing 3–1 in the series.

Zito made his first World Series appearance on October 24, 2012. Zito won by 5+2/3 innings as the Game 1 starter, outpitching Detroit's Justin Verlander by a single yel. en route to victory by the 8-3 Giants, Zito also had an RBI single. In the World Series, the Giants defeated the Tigers in the World Series, while Zito went 2–0 with a 1.69 earned run average in the postseason. After losing a single game against the Mets on August 2, Zito didn't lose a single game, and San Francisco won his first 14 starts.

Zito won by 1 0 on April 5, 2013, during the Cardinals' home opener, while the Cardinals were scoreless over seven shutout innings. In a 10–0 victory over the Rockies, he continued his winning streak with seven more shutout innings and some personal offensive batting at the plate, completing a 3-game series sweep. It was the Giants' 16th straight victory in a row beginning by Zito (including the 2012 regular season and postseason), the longest streak by a Giants pitcher since 1936 by Hall of Fame left-handed pitcher Carl Hubbell. However, Zito struggled for the remainder of the season, going 2-10 with a 6.24 ERA starting April 21 and losing his rotation spot a few times later this year.

As a result of Zito's time with the Giants, team boss Bruce Bochy decided to give him a final start on September 25. Zito responded by allowing two runs (one earned) over five innings and gaining the victory in a 7–4 victory over the Dodgers. However, since Zito was out of innings during the Dodger game, Bochy sent him in to pitch in relief in the Giants' final game of the year so that his fans could give him a standing ovation. As the Giants defeated the Padres 7–6, Zito struck out Mark Kotsay (playing his last game) on September 29 and killed him in the eighth inning. He ended the 2013 season at 5-11 with a 5.74 ERA in 30 games, 25 of which were started. In the San Francisco Chronicle, Zito created a full page ad thanking Giants fans for their help throughout the season. The Giants turned down Zito's 2014 bid, instead selling it out for $7 million.

Zito signed a minor league deal to return to the Athletics on February 16, 2015. After taking a year off from baseball, he took a year off from baseball. Zito played for a part on the Athletics' 25-man roster in spring practice, perhaps as a long reliever. Zito received an assignment to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds on April 4, 2015. Zito's Nashville teammates praised him for adopting the Triple-A lifestyle and his service to the team: charting pitches between starts, coaching first base, and even buying dinner for the entire team on his birthday. Zito was on the disabled list for about a month with left shoulder tendinitis. He was activated on the next day of the season, with one scoreless inning of relief. He made an 8-07 record with a 3.46 ERA and 91 strikeouts in a total of 24 appearances (22 starts).

In an interview, Zito revealed that he had heard the Athletics would not be taking him up to the major leagues in September. Oakland also acquired Zito's deal from Triple-A on September 16, placing him on the major league roster following his season-ending injury to Jesse Chavez. On September 20, Zito made his first major league appearance of the season, while in relief pitching an inning. Zito's Athletics took on Hudson and the Giants in a matchup that was arranged as a salute to the A's "Big Three" of the early 2000s. Both pitchers received long standing ovations from the sold-out Coliseum crowd, which included Mulder, the third Big Three player to leave the game.

Zito announced his retirement from baseball in an article for The Players' Tribune on October 19, 2015.

Music career

Zito began playing guitar in 1999 as a way to pass time on road trips. He had not considered music until his sister, Sally Zito, asked him to play guitar in her band, with whom he performed in the offseason from 2000 to 2007. He began writing songs in preparation for a career after baseball. He spent the majority of the season in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of country music, after his 2015 comeback bid. He used his time off to learn from the city's music industry professionals and to explore songwriting. On January 27, 2017, Zito's debut, No Secrets, was released. Zito's collection includes six songs that were either written or co-written by him. Later, he co-wrote and sang vocals for a Nashville Sounds theme song titled "That Sound."

In season 3 of The Masked Singer, Zito was rumored to have appeared as "Rhino."

Source

Barry Zito Awards

Awards

  • 1999 – Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year
  • 1999 – First-Team College All-American
  • 1999 – Pac-10 Conference All-Star
  • 2000 – Triple-A All-Star
  • 2002 – Baseball America First-Team Major League All-Star
  • 2002 – Cy Young Award (AL)
  • 2002 – Sporting News AL Pitcher of the Year
  • 2002 – All-Star (AL)
  • 2003 – All-Star (AL)
  • 2006 – All-Star (AL)
  • 2012 – ML Hutch Award
  • 2012 – ML Lou Gehrig Memorial Award