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Barry Zito
In simple terms, Barry Zito’s baseball story follows an arc much like a curveball — snapping out of his left hand and rising quickly to his profession’s highest achievement, then breaking and tumbling into what he himself has described as “a letdown.” Zito spent only a year in the minor leagues and won the American League’s Cy Young Award in just his second full season in the majors. By age 24 he had already won 47 games and was the linchpin of a rotation of young superstars. Despite this early success, the promise of those first few seasons began to elude him. Four years later he was a free agent, and though he signed what was then baseball’s largest-ever contract for pitcher, each season was a struggle. When the contract expired, he was out of baseball and on a quest to find himself.
But there’s much more to Zito’s story, from being born into a family of music professionals to being recognized for his abiding commitment to community and giving. During his playing days he was known for his personality nearly as much as his pitching. He prepared for starts in ways that set him apart from other players. He did yoga poses in the outfield before games. He meditated, played guitar, surfed, dyed his hair. One winter he played a toy soldier in the Oakland Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. Though his baseball career did not live up to even his own expectations, in its waning days he married and found God. Now, post-career, Zito talks openly about his focus on more personal achievements, like acceptance and redemption, family, and music. - SABR
Redid the facegen.
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