Almost as good as the curve (almost) Barry Zito = Uncle Charlie As a soxs fan I never wanted to see Barry pitch... we could never hit lefty pitchers with good breaking balls... an he had the best
For what it’s worth I hadn’t heard Pedro Ciraco’s name in forever. As a lifelong Yankee fan I remember him coming up with Boston and looking scary as hell to deal with in the future. Like the next Garciaparra or Pedroia on his way up that we would have to now deal with for years. Then he suddenly disappeared from Boston to my great relief. Always wondered what happened there.
Although, overall, he didn't really love up to his massive contract what he did in the postseason eliminated ALL that crap!! Thanks BZ, you'll never be forgotten!! Another SFGiant postseason hero!!!❤
Yeah postseason success can erase 63 wins in 7 years for $ 130 Million. I was always a big fan, partly because it's hard not to root for such a nice guy
Zito has to be historically unique in that, while he was a "bust" who the team had already succeeded "in spite of" overall, in the two games Giants fans had dreamed of him pitching when they signed him, he literally drove in more runs than he allowed.
@@TPTGopher ".. historically unique" is term that perfectly suits Barry Zito. From his up & down career, record setting contract ,& a postseason pitching repitiore that included a more than serviceable 83mph fastball, Barry Zito is "historically Bay Area"
"The story of Barry Zito begins with Nat King Cole" is one of the most preposterous sentences I've ever heard. Why are baseball people so weird? I love it. Great video.
It's funny, I was just looking at Barry Zito's baseball reference page and thought to myself: "I wonder if someone will put together an almost 24 minute long video about Barry Zito?" I'm glad to see it was done.
I think what I love most about this beautiful sport is how it constantly humbles you, yet how it constantly seems to give you the opportunity to redeem yourself in the biggest moments
Barry Zito married a girl from my home area in Southeast Missouri. He was hanging out at our local bar during their wedding week. He mentioned several times how bad he felt about his play in San Fran under that contract. Super nice guy and paid for beers and bologna burgers for every at the bar!
127 million dollar contract but it was worth it seeing redemption in Game 5 of the LCS. He glanced down 3rd base and said to himself in Griswold fashion: "This is Crazy...This is Crazy!". As much as Vogelsong and Scutaro were awesome that year Zito was why they won.
Zito, Hudson, and Mulder had way more to do with the success of the 2002 A's than Scott Hatteberg walking... (Not a knock on Scott, but on the Moneyball book and movie.)
Big time, the OBP gets kind of overblown when they neglected the hitting involved as well. Hatteberg was okay but he doesn't hold a candle to Tejada and Chavez who had done more to produce those runs, roided up or not.
I watched that Oakland A's team, Tim Hudson Barry Zito Mark Molder, they were scary good I remember when it came down was Barry Zito gonna sign with the Mets or Giants when he choose the Giants I was mad because he was one of my favorite pitches in the game and especially if they had him with the Mets rotation
Seeing that Posey injury is still brutal all these years later. That 2011 team was their best team of that run and had a great chance for a repeat until the Posey injury
What a great comment and thank you for the laugh. That 12 to 6 curve is so rare to see used as very few pitchers are able to create enough speed difference without it looking like a batting practice pitch. You'll see mostly left-handers use it outside of maybe Clayton Kershaw on the right-handed side. Now if you move your fingers slightly over you can have 11 to 5 or even 10 to 4 but it won't drop as much and to get the angle on it the pitch has to be thrown harder which makes it flatten out a bit. Past that point it almost becomes a sweeper but it gets hammered by staying in the strike zone too long. Watch Clayton Kershaw throw one though and it's a joy.
Zito - a great redemption story. A bad contract to an aging/declining talent... but came thru in 2012. Not my favorite Giant by any detect, and admittedly in my youth I throw vitriol good was. Everything happens for a reason! Life lessons are everywhere... congrats, Zito
My dad said it I think the best way possible. For as much as Barry Zito struggled during his time in SF, you pay players in the hopes to win a championship, and he did exactly that. Dude will always be remembered fondly by my dad and I.
Big Three Mulder, Hudson, Zito, was such a bittersweet era. They couldn't make it to the WS because the A's lacked offense built for the playoffs. Their Moneyball approach has proven effective for the regular season only. I still have my Barry Zito tie that the A's gave away on a Father's Day at their stadium.
I never laughed harder at a baseball moment than Zito hitting an RBI single off Verlander in the World Series. It still makes me smile thinking about it.
Millar would be interesting, went from being an undrafted free agent and becoming a replacement player during the 1994 strike (and thus not being able to join the MLBPA) to having a solid career and even winning a World Series with the Red Sox.
I used to watch Barry Zito when I was a kid at the Oakland Coliseum. He was one of the best pitchers in the early 2000's and no one talked about him. He was so underrated.
I always liked Barry Zito. He was a lefty, like me, and he had a curveball I could only dream of being able to throw. He had ups and downs, but overall was a great pitcher who deserved all the success he got. Glad he got to redeem himself in 2012. And to beat Verlander (who I've always seen as somewhat arrogant) was a treat. Just like when Lackey beat him in the 2013 ALCS 1-0.
This is great :) I like the way you presented your story of him, the way it flows and the questions it asks and answers. Very impressive! And, thank you very much. Barry Zito is one of my favorite players, and his story is one of my favorites to tell :) I am now a new subscriber :)
I remember it like it was yesterday, opening day 2007... I was in high school and decided to leave early to watch the game at home. Skipped school just to watch Zito get shelled, a precursor to what his career would be like in SF outside of his 2012 performance against the Cardinals.
As a Tigers fan, that 2012 series definitely brings back some painful memories. That said, I can appreciate the comeback it was for Zito. He owned that postseason.
I pitched with Zito at LA Pierce Community College. Dude was pretty cool. If ny memory serves me right, he carried his guitar around more than his glove.
His 2012 first half of the regular was so good he had 10 wins. He did a lot for the Giants vs the Reds in the playoffs. They were 1 game away from elimination. The 2012 World Series game was epic!
Man that 2012 run was a treat to watch. So many great moments. Also fun fact: I was at Zito's last game (as mentioned at 22:26). The final score ended up being 14-10, with a game-winning grand slam being hit by Jarrett Parker of all people. Safe to say both Hudson and Zito didn't really have a great game lol
Zito will always be known as the worst contract turned into the best contract in Giants history. Bonds gave us numbers but zero rings. Zito was our MVP and savior in 2012. As a fan who cares more about titles than records Zito is the better of the Barrys. Loved this but I wish you would have gone into the insane run that Zito went on starting in late August of 2012 through the playoffs. He even started the game that eliminated the Dodgers from the postseason and he tossed a gem. I was at that game and knew he was going to be the silent catalyst to our playoff run. I will never forget watching game 5 against the cardinals. Even though I wasn’t present I stood and applauded when he was taken out of the game. One of the best pitching performances I’ve ever witnessed. Hated him for years but I will always love him. He’s a FOREVER GIANT!
Kids today will never know the glory of seeing a Barry Zito 12 to 6 hook freeze even the greatest hitters. Those A’s teams are one of the biggest what IFs in baseball history after the 94 Expos and 95-97 Cleveland teams.
@@wyssmaster more proof that solely looking at one stat (team stats too) is also not indicative of performance. im glad we're doing away with giving so many cy young votes to >15-win pitchers with >4 ERAs and whatnot
Zarry Bito came in from bizarro world to save the day been a Giants fan since 1987 and one of my all time favorite moments is the slight expression he makes when he notices Cardinals 3B not playing in and he legs out a bunt single
It’s weird to think that Hudson was probably the most consistent when he left to the braves. When I was a kid I always thought it was zito, mulder, and Hudson in that order
Looking at those 3 pitchers for Oakland I bet the majority of people just looking at them would have guessed that it was the little guy Tim Hudson who was the best , easily having the best career.
One image I have engraved in my head is from watching Zito freeze a hitter with that hanging curveball back in 2002 or 2003. 75mph. Lol I saw Zito pitch in 2010, when Utley came off DL at CBP. 82-86 fastball.
In reference to 16:16 “Having placed my full identity into my baseball career for most of my life, only to have it stripped away during the 2010 World Series run is what led me to discover my true identity. Not in a game, but in Jesus Christ.” -Barry Zito in Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame
In the signing with SF they stipulated that Barry had to refrain from surfing.. in contrast when his father negotiated the As deal. It was stipulated that Barry could surf in the off season.. I was Barry's neighbor throughout his As run. He lived right above me in Hollywood during the off season.. point is.. surging is great for your arms..shoulders back muscles Pectorals etc.. this is why his arm didnt have the same Cy Young making magic.. it was lame for the Giants to squash is love of sufing and hos off season conditioning.. paddling a surfboard.... But 126 million reasons to quit surfing.. I am absolutely certain that the team Management's lack of understanding this is why his carrer suffered.. he was the coolest neighbor a person could have.. when he won the Cy Young he drive back to LA the next day. I understandably had to congratulate my neighbor as neighbors always do when their neighbor in an old rent controlled building win the Fkng Cy Young.. the odds of this are so freakishly statistically impossible. It still blows my mind.. talk about a great neighbor.. barry and his sister lived together they played music and made everyone feel the amazing pride that Barry earned .
Thanks for making this. Very tasteful and I appreciate seeing my journey all in one very well done video!
Oh wow thank you! I hope I did the story justice.
Almost as good as the curve (almost)
Barry Zito = Uncle Charlie
As a soxs fan I never wanted to see Barry pitch... we could never hit lefty pitchers with good breaking balls... an he had the best
Did not expect to hear my 16 year old self’s analysis on the loss of Nick Punto today
What’s up man. I didn’t expect it either
That clip is such an unreal pull
I don’t think any of us were but we were all happy to see it 😂
Amazing congrats on your success!
For what it’s worth I hadn’t heard Pedro Ciraco’s name in forever. As a lifelong Yankee fan I remember him coming up with Boston and looking scary as hell to deal with in the future. Like the next Garciaparra or Pedroia on his way up that we would have to now deal with for years. Then he suddenly disappeared from Boston to my great relief. Always wondered what happened there.
Giants fans will never forget Zito. I bet the same is true for A's fans. He's a bay area hall of famer.
Although, overall, he didn't really love up to his massive contract what he did in the postseason eliminated ALL that crap!! Thanks BZ, you'll never be forgotten!! Another SFGiant postseason hero!!!❤
As a Giants fan, all those years of him being bad paid off on the end. The 2012 playoffs erased all those bad memories of him getting shelled.
100 percent
Yeah postseason success can erase 63 wins in 7 years for $ 130 Million. I was always a big fan, partly because it's hard not to root for such a nice guy
Zito has to be historically unique in that, while he was a "bust" who the team had already succeeded "in spite of" overall, in the two games Giants fans had dreamed of him pitching when they signed him, he literally drove in more runs than he allowed.
@@TPTGopher ".. historically unique" is term that perfectly suits Barry Zito. From his up & down career, record setting contract ,& a postseason pitching repitiore that included a more than serviceable 83mph fastball, Barry Zito is "historically Bay Area"
That’s sports. Who is Brad Lidge? The Astros guy who gave up the Pujols HR… or the dominant Phillies closer who finished out the WS?
Kid RBT is the real star of this video
Being an A's fan pretty much means seeing all the great players you had go on to bigger and better things 😢
Man, I'm not even a huge baseball fan...minus the great baseball youtubers....but you guys in Oakland have it rough as fans. Just seems so unfair.
Zito had his best years in Oakland.
@daveweisbrich1769 he definitely did but he won a title in San Fran
"The story of Barry Zito begins with Nat King Cole" is one of the most preposterous sentences I've ever heard. Why are baseball people so weird? I love it. Great video.
It's funny, I was just looking at Barry Zito's baseball reference page and thought to myself: "I wonder if someone will put together an almost 24 minute long video about Barry Zito?"
I'm glad to see it was done.
Barry Zito was my favorite player as a kid. That 12-6 was insane. Thank you for the great video.
Giants fan here.. I cursed Zito sooooo many times.. but all was forgiven game 5 of the 2012 NLDS. That made all of it worth it.
Giants fan here. Thanks for posting this.
Card fan here. Was like 22/23 watching that game. Loved zito. Who didn't. I wanted him to do well. Low key so happy he pitched out his mind that game
Since 2020 I've been playing MLB The Show and naming all my RTTS pitchers after Zito, he was fun to watch.
I think what I love most about this beautiful sport is how it constantly humbles you, yet how it constantly seems to give you the opportunity to redeem yourself in the biggest moments
Giants legend. Zito came through when it mattered. Rally Zito.
Barry Zito married a girl from my home area in Southeast Missouri. He was hanging out at our local bar during their wedding week. He mentioned several times how bad he felt about his play in San Fran under that contract. Super nice guy and paid for beers and bologna burgers for every at the bar!
Loved hearing his story in Moneyball... (crickets)
127 million dollar contract but it was worth it seeing redemption in Game 5 of the LCS. He glanced down 3rd base and said to himself in Griswold fashion: "This is Crazy...This is Crazy!". As much as Vogelsong and Scutaro were awesome that year Zito was why they won.
Zito, Hudson, and Mulder had way more to do with the success of the 2002 A's than Scott Hatteberg walking... (Not a knock on Scott, but on the Moneyball book and movie.)
Big time, the OBP gets kind of overblown when they neglected the hitting involved as well. Hatteberg was okay but he doesn't hold a candle to Tejada and Chavez who had done more to produce those runs, roided up or not.
Growing up he was one of my favorite pitchers , I am a lefty myself with a natural curveball . So I studied lots of his pitching
as a giants fan he's always gonna be an important piece to us of that world series run
I watched that Oakland A's team, Tim Hudson Barry Zito Mark Molder, they were scary good I remember when it came down was Barry Zito gonna sign with the Mets or Giants when he choose the Giants I was mad because he was one of my favorite pitches in the game and especially if they had him with the Mets rotation
Amazing content, only note was that Cabrera was AL MVP in 2012, Verlander was 2011
At that point, Verlander was the MVP. Cabrera hadn’t been named MVP yet. That happens after the World Series.
Seeing that Posey injury is still brutal all these years later. That 2011 team was their best team of that run and had a great chance for a repeat until the Posey injury
One of the greatest 12-6 curveballs ever.
Was it 12-6? To me it looked 11-5 angle 📐
What a great comment and thank you for the laugh. That 12 to 6 curve is so rare to see used as very few pitchers are able to create enough speed difference without it looking like a batting practice pitch. You'll see mostly left-handers use it outside of maybe Clayton Kershaw on the right-handed side.
Now if you move your fingers slightly over you can have 11 to 5 or even 10 to 4 but it won't drop as much and to get the angle on it the pitch has to be thrown harder which makes it flatten out a bit. Past that point it almost becomes a sweeper but it gets hammered by staying in the strike zone too long.
Watch Clayton Kershaw throw one though and it's a joy.
@@GaryBowen00a just as good option to witness a true 12-6 curve is just watching videos of Wainwright’s Curve.
Thank you.
Hav always been a fan of Bàrry Zito. I felt reðeemed in 2014 when he kicked off the Giants sweep in the Series
Zito - a great redemption story. A bad contract to an aging/declining talent... but came thru in 2012. Not my favorite Giant by any detect, and admittedly in my youth I throw vitriol good was. Everything happens for a reason! Life lessons are everywhere... congrats, Zito
This was an excellent script, sir, and I'm a new follower!
My dad said it I think the best way possible. For as much as Barry Zito struggled during his time in SF, you pay players in the hopes to win a championship, and he did exactly that. Dude will always be remembered fondly by my dad and I.
Zito was my favorite pitcher back in 2002 when I fell in love with the game at the age of 13. This was a fun look back.
Barry's curveball ALWAYS left in my awe. That thing was absolutely incredible.
Great vid. Loved the guy. Hated the contract. Came thru when it mattered most
#RallyZito
Big Three Mulder, Hudson, Zito, was such a bittersweet era. They couldn't make it to the WS because the A's lacked offense built for the playoffs. Their Moneyball approach has proven effective for the regular season only.
I still have my Barry Zito tie that the A's gave away on a Father's Day at their stadium.
I never laughed harder at a baseball moment than Zito hitting an RBI single off Verlander in the World Series. It still makes me smile thinking about it.
Man, how well I remember that absolutely monstrous curve. Loved when the As came to MN in the early 00s...the pitching, my god.
Another awesome video! Would like to suggest a look at Kevin Millar, Edgar Martinez or Ron Mahay at some point, all three had interesting career arcs.
Millar would be interesting, went from being an undrafted free agent and becoming a replacement player during the 1994 strike (and thus not being able to join the MLBPA) to having a solid career and even winning a World Series with the Red Sox.
I used to watch Barry Zito when I was a kid at the Oakland Coliseum. He was one of the best pitchers in the early 2000's and no one talked about him. He was so underrated.
Great job on making this video. Barry Zito really was an enigma of some sort and you were able to make sense of this. Well done !!
I always liked Barry Zito. He was a lefty, like me, and he had a curveball I could only dream of being able to throw. He had ups and downs, but overall was a great pitcher who deserved all the success he got. Glad he got to redeem himself in 2012. And to beat Verlander (who I've always seen as somewhat arrogant) was a treat. Just like when Lackey beat him in the 2013 ALCS 1-0.
This is great :) I like the way you presented your story of him, the way it flows and the questions it asks and answers. Very impressive!
And, thank you very much. Barry Zito is one of my favorite players, and his story is one of my favorites to tell :) I am now a new subscriber :)
I remember it like it was yesterday, opening day 2007... I was in high school and decided to leave early to watch the game at home. Skipped school just to watch Zito get shelled, a precursor to what his career would be like in SF outside of his 2012 performance against the Cardinals.
This video made me happy. Zito was part of the time when I really fell in love with baseball
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
amazing video
Great video brother I loved that big 3 even as a yankee fan those A’s teams were fun
His 2017 EP is really fantastic. Better musician then player tbh
Contractually Barry was a bust in SF, but any Giants fan would admire him solely off that 2012 redemption run. Winning heals lol
still one of my fav pitchers
As a Tigers fan, that 2012 series definitely brings back some painful memories. That said, I can appreciate the comeback it was for Zito. He owned that postseason.
Oh hellz ya. Loved Barry back in the day
I feel like Edgar Martinez would be a great video considering how he was signed
Barry had a very 'baseball" career. Highs, lows. and incredible moments.
A’s legend
Great vid man
Great video! Zito is a legend
Another great video !
I pitched with Zito at LA Pierce Community College. Dude was pretty cool. If ny memory serves me right, he carried his guitar around more than his glove.
As a giants fan watching Barry go from zero to hero was amazing 🥹
His 2012 first half of the regular was so good he had 10 wins. He did a lot for the Giants vs the Reds in the playoffs. They were 1 game away from elimination. The 2012 World Series game was epic!
Being from the bay I got to see both sides of Barry. He was such a unique player and person I'm very glad he got his redemption in 2012
Great content 👍
As a Braves fan i always compare Max Fried to Zito. Probably because they're lefties and have a killer curve
Yay another Historian video
Man that 2012 run was a treat to watch. So many great moments.
Also fun fact: I was at Zito's last game (as mentioned at 22:26). The final score ended up being 14-10, with a game-winning grand slam being hit by Jarrett Parker of all people. Safe to say both Hudson and Zito didn't really have a great game lol
Barry Zito was the heart and soul of those teams. He was the difference.
I like that saying, Zito's career was like his curveball. It hit the plate though and bounced really high at the end.
One of the most underrated career arcs in the modern era.
Excellent job
Great video of Barry zett
Even as a Dodgers fan, I get a little choked up at his redemption arc. Respect.
*cries in Tigers fan*
I want to know who shot the video footage at 14:45. Clearly, they focused on the wall in the background and not the subject.
Didn’t know his upbringing really, a well made video and man his curve was definitely nasty.
Zito gets a free meal and beer in sf for the rest of his life.
I was at the 10 year reunion. It was great.
Zito will always be known as the worst contract turned into the best contract in Giants history. Bonds gave us numbers but zero rings. Zito was our MVP and savior in 2012. As a fan who cares more about titles than records Zito is the better of the Barrys. Loved this but I wish you would have gone into the insane run that Zito went on starting in late August of 2012 through the playoffs. He even started the game that eliminated the Dodgers from the postseason and he tossed a gem. I was at that game and knew he was going to be the silent catalyst to our playoff run. I will never forget watching game 5 against the cardinals. Even though I wasn’t present I stood and applauded when he was taken out of the game. One of the best pitching performances I’ve ever witnessed. Hated him for years but I will always love him. He’s a FOREVER GIANT!
this is a dumb take. sorry.
Kids today will never know the glory of seeing a Barry Zito 12 to 6 hook freeze even the greatest hitters. Those A’s teams are one of the biggest what IFs in baseball history after the 94 Expos and 95-97 Cleveland teams.
Interesting how he tied verlander for most losses that year. A first ballot hof’er.
More proof that a pitcher's record is a reflection of his team moreso than his performance
@@wyssmaster more proof that solely looking at one stat (team stats too) is also not indicative of performance. im glad we're doing away with giving so many cy young votes to >15-win pitchers with >4 ERAs and whatnot
That contract, bad or not, paved the way to that dynasty
How do you get an A’s pitcher to the World Series?
Move him to San Francisco lol
It's so moving how devoted Joe was to his son Barry and his life's purpose.
Holy S that's a young @RBT !!
The 2012 ALCS haunts me as a cards fan forever
21:01 if anyone is wondering who that is sitting next to him, don’t worry he is just some car dealership owner
Zarry Bito
came in from bizarro world to save the day
been a Giants fan since 1987 and one of my all time favorite moments is the slight expression he makes when he notices Cardinals 3B not playing in and he legs out a bunt single
Bunt single rbi
Our dynastic stretch was damn amazing, but you know what they say here. We are an even year team!
Just subbed.
You could’ve named it “Zito to Hero” 😂
@baseballhistorian Do you watch Company Man?
Mulder's fall was far more precipitous and irrecoverable
To quote Gary Radnich "126 million!"
He was just good enough to not be bad.
It’s weird to think that Hudson was probably the most consistent when he left to the braves. When I was a kid I always thought it was zito, mulder, and Hudson in that order
Looking at those 3 pitchers for Oakland I bet the majority of people just looking at them would have guessed that it was the little guy Tim Hudson who was the best , easily having the best career.
One image I have engraved in my head is from watching Zito freeze a hitter with that hanging curveball back in 2002 or 2003. 75mph. Lol
I saw Zito pitch in 2010, when Utley came off DL at CBP. 82-86 fastball.
He played Mitchell in Airbourne.
I always thought he was awesome. His huge curve was the first I ever saw and I was mesmerized by it. I would go out side and try so hard to throw it
In reference to 16:16 “Having placed my full identity into my baseball career for most of my life, only to have it stripped away during the 2010 World Series run is what led me to discover my true identity. Not in a game, but in Jesus Christ.” -Barry Zito in Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame
GO GIANTS!!!!
In the signing with SF they stipulated that Barry had to refrain from surfing.. in contrast when his father negotiated the As deal. It was stipulated that Barry could surf in the off season.. I was Barry's neighbor throughout his As run. He lived right above me in Hollywood during the off season.. point is.. surging is great for your arms..shoulders back muscles Pectorals etc.. this is why his arm didnt have the same Cy Young making magic.. it was lame for the Giants to squash is love of sufing and hos off season conditioning.. paddling a surfboard.... But 126 million reasons to quit surfing.. I am absolutely certain that the team Management's lack of understanding this is why his carrer suffered.. he was the coolest neighbor a person could have.. when he won the Cy Young he drive back to LA the next day. I understandably had to congratulate my neighbor as neighbors always do when their neighbor in an old rent controlled building win the Fkng Cy Young.. the odds of this are so freakishly statistically impossible. It still blows my mind.. talk about a great neighbor.. barry and his sister lived together they played music and made everyone feel the amazing pride that Barry earned .
126 million dollar for a World Series Ring? Bargain. Giants fans love Zito.
Why didn’t you put “Zito to Hero” in the thumbnail?