Evaluating Barry Zito
-Dexter Sports
4:49 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox
Ok, so maybe Barry Zito's once untouchable stuff is a thing of the past. The 126 million dollar man isn't the young Yoga practicing, 295,000 ace that once won 23 games for the Oakland Athletics in 2002. Right now, he isn't the Greg Maddux of this decade, like many have said he was going to be.
Even with all of that in front of me, I flipped on the tube for today's Giants/Tigers match up hoping that I would be able to see the Zito I fell in love with. I really hoped for something similar to that baffling stuff we all remembered. Guess what folks? I found It. In a five run 2 inning start, I can solve the question everyone has been asking the last two years.
"What the Hell is wrong with Barry Zito?"
We all know about the drop in velocity on his fastball. His once burning 90 MPH heater has now fallen to around 86. Since it isn't possible to magically add velocity to an ace's arm (even if he is worth 126 Million), the Giants have to look into other options, instead of just throwing him out to the sharks and in today's case, the Tigers of baseball.
So what should they do? Now, they don't need to bust out the tactical gear and decide to bring in his former pitching coach, Rick Peterson. He is a major league pitcher. He has the stuff and the ability. He just needs a little bit of seasoning.
It is time to get Zito to agree to some minor league work, to gain back his once unbelievable accuracy. We have seen this done with Detroit Tigers' pitcher Dontrelle Willis. Why not send him far away from the California media? If he can control corners with his fastball, he can have success. Especially with his great changeup and curve.
I know it hurts to send down someone who is earning more than the 2008 Tampa Rays, but it has to be done. Let him figure it out and don't put a timetable on his return. Unfortunately for the Giants, one missed start is not going to be good enough.
4:49 PM
Dexter-Sports Inbox
Ok, so maybe Barry Zito's once untouchable stuff is a thing of the past. The 126 million dollar man isn't the young Yoga practicing, 295,000 ace that once won 23 games for the Oakland Athletics in 2002. Right now, he isn't the Greg Maddux of this decade, like many have said he was going to be.
Even with all of that in front of me, I flipped on the tube for today's Giants/Tigers match up hoping that I would be able to see the Zito I fell in love with. I really hoped for something similar to that baffling stuff we all remembered. Guess what folks? I found It. In a five run 2 inning start, I can solve the question everyone has been asking the last two years.
"What the Hell is wrong with Barry Zito?"
We all know about the drop in velocity on his fastball. His once burning 90 MPH heater has now fallen to around 86. Since it isn't possible to magically add velocity to an ace's arm (even if he is worth 126 Million), the Giants have to look into other options, instead of just throwing him out to the sharks and in today's case, the Tigers of baseball.
So what should they do? Now, they don't need to bust out the tactical gear and decide to bring in his former pitching coach, Rick Peterson. He is a major league pitcher. He has the stuff and the ability. He just needs a little bit of seasoning.
It is time to get Zito to agree to some minor league work, to gain back his once unbelievable accuracy. We have seen this done with Detroit Tigers' pitcher Dontrelle Willis. Why not send him far away from the California media? If he can control corners with his fastball, he can have success. Especially with his great changeup and curve.
I know it hurts to send down someone who is earning more than the 2008 Tampa Rays, but it has to be done. Let him figure it out and don't put a timetable on his return. Unfortunately for the Giants, one missed start is not going to be good enough.
