Lil Bit Special Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3372794&type=story The highest paid pitcher in Major League Baseball is out of a starting job. San Francisco moved $126 million ace Barry Zito into the bullpen on Monday. The move was first reported by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney. Zito, who signed the seven-year deal with the team before last season, is now 0-6 this season with a 7.53 ERA. He was informed of the move in a meeting with manager Bruce Bochy. The Giants acknowledged they were considering sending Zito to the bullpen to work his way out of the slump after he allowed eight runs and seven hits while walking three in only three innings of work in Sunday's 10-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The three-time All-Star and 2002 AL Cy Young winner is only the third pitcher since 1956 to go 0-6 in April, joining Dave Stewart (Texas, 1984) and Mike Maroth (Detroit, 2003). "It's an option, for sure," Bochy said after the game. "We have to do something different, there's no getting around that. We can't keep doing what we are doing. We have to get this guy right." Zito, who finished 11-13 in his first season with San Francisco, said he wanted to remain in the Giants rotation. "I definitely want the ball. I'm not backing down from that," Zito said Sunday. "But they know what's best for the ballclub. It feels [bad] going out here and losing for these guys." The durable Zito has made 247 consecutive starts without missing a turn due to injury, the longest streak in the majors. He made his only big league relief appearance last season. Zito's next turn in the Giants' rotation would have been Saturday in Philadelphia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Troll Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Missed out again, Mets fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Max are you following the progress of Zito closely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vudu Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 What a waste of 126 Mil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=3372794&type=story The highest paid pitcher in Major League Baseball is out of a starting job. San Francisco moved $126 million ace Barry Zito into the bullpen on Monday. They just need Dusty back there to square away the pitching situation - give him this season and next season to totally schwanse the Reds and then he can go back there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackout Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Max are you following the progress of Zito closely? PROGRESS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GimmeShelter Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 Poor Zito was used to pitching in the the AAAA league. Maybe a trade back to the junior circuit will revive his career. Max's thoughts on the subject are welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackout Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 this should be great for his confidence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 this should be great for his confidence Considering that his fastball has dropped in velocity to the low-mid 80's, I'd say his confidence has been shot before this decision was made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 He got paid and that was it. Thats obviously all that mattered to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidhuman Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 At least he isnt Carl Pavano-ing it. He is trying(unsuccessfully), but he is trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 At least he isnt Carl Pavano-ing it. He is trying(unsuccessfully), but he is trying. I'll give you 126 million reasons why that isn't good enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidhuman Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 I'll give you 126 million reasons why that isn't good enough. The Giants are the ones to blame for the 126 million reasons. Other teams were offering a hell of alot less. They wanted him so badly, they offered up that amount. Now his performance isnt worth the 75 million the other teams were offering, but he isnt out there giving excuses or any other BS, he is accepting his fate, and I admire that on a person in this day and age Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbn007 Posted May 1, 2008 Share Posted May 1, 2008 He got paid and that was it. Thats obviously all that mattered to him. More likely, to his agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Bit Special Posted May 7, 2008 Author Share Posted May 7, 2008 Left-hander will start against Pirates on Wednesday http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080506&content_id=2650335&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf PITTSBURGH -- Barry Zito's move to the bullpen proved to be largely uneventful. Next, he and the Giants will learn whether it was effective. On Tuesday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy named Zito to start Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, meaning that the left-hander missed only one start between rotation assignments. The Giants demoted Zito, who's 0-6 with a 7.53 ERA, to the bullpen one day after he allowed eight runs in three innings against Cincinnati on April 27. But after throwing 66 pitches in that game, he wasn't physically able to pitch in relief until this past weekend in Philadelphia, where the opportunity to use the left-hander never presented itself in three one-run decisions. Zito maintained that he accomplished what he wanted -- regaining the assertiveness to improve his pitch location -- by throwing twice in the bullpen. "It has to do with being aggressive in the strike zone," Zito said. "The game's obviously mental and if you're not in an aggressive mind-set, then you're going to nitpick and that's what gets guys in trouble. That's what got me in trouble." Bochy insisted that Zito's idle relief stint wasn't a waste of time. "Because we had a chance to do some stuff on the side," he said. The timing of the announcement was intriguing, since the Giants didn't need to reinsert a fifth starter into the rotation until Saturday. Bochy said that returning Zito to the rotation Wednesday was not intended at the time of the pitcher's demotion. Zito said that he heard hints of this plan Sunday but wasn't officially told until Tuesday. "I think it was good to take a step back and get objective on some things," Zito said. "I'm really excited to get out there and bring those adjustments over here." The switch caused the Giants to shuffle the rest of their rotation slightly, which Bochy favored because he wanted to separate the two hard-throwing right-handers, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. Cain remains scheduled to pitch Thursday, although Pat Misch, originally set to pitch Wednesday, will instead start Friday at home against Philadelphia. Lincecum, initially Friday's starter, will pitch Saturday. Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 He never actually relieved in a game. the Giants do not have much choice with 126 million contract strangling them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted May 7, 2008 Share Posted May 7, 2008 Max are you following the progress of Zito closely? 1. They would have won the World Series if they made the trade that season. 2. It was assumed that a trade would have involved a reasonable contract. No way was he ever worth the money he got. 3. If the Mets picked him up today with their pitching coach, he would be their # 2 starter. Want to talk about Lastings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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