During MLB's winter meetings of the 2007 offseason, the San Francisco Giants and left-handed pitcher Barry Zito inked a seven-year deal worth $126 million. Since the blockbuster deal, let's just say the Giants haven't quite gotten their moneys worth in his first three-years with the ball club. Since joining the Giants in '07, Zito has compiled a record of 20-wins and 30-losses and owns a rough 4.6 ERA. However, the former 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner and 3-time All-Star has gotten off to a blazing hot start to begin his 2010 campaign and is beginning to look a lot like the Zito of old.
Zito, who's now in his 10th year in the big leagues, has never been known for starting the season off strong. In fact, he's been a notorious slow starter since making his big league debut in 2000 with the Giants' bay area rivals -- the Oakland Athletics. But for Zito, the first month and a half of the 2010 season has rang a different tone. Through his first eight games, Zito owns a 6-1 record and an ERA of 2.15. Both of which are a career-best 8 starts into a season. After finishing last season with a record of 10-wins and 13-losses, Zito addressed his mechanics and made a few minor adjustments.
Zito's stellar season this year, started in Spring Training when he sent a message to his fellow teammates and coaching staff after throwing a beam ball at Brewers slugger Prince Fielder in retaliation for his walk-off celebration last season. Many including myself believe Zito's role in the rotation is an important one, given Matt Cain and 2-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum have pitched brilliantly for the club and have been depended on quite a lot. Not to mention the unripe Jonathan Sanchez who is yet to live up to his potential at the young age of 27. With the aforementioned names, the Giants starting pitching staff has already become one of the leagues best, but with a retro Zito in the mix, they can also become one of the leagues most feared from top to bottom.
Giants fans have been waiting to root for Zito since his arrival, but it's been a hard task granted how much weight was put on his shoulders after signing that huge contract. But if Zito can continue his dominance, the Giants faithful just might have a place in their heart for the $126 million dollar man.
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