Bruce Bochy and Peter Magowan have a big problem.
Barry Zito.
Today, Mr. Zito lost his 6th consecutive start, and is 0-6 for the season. Mr. Magowan spent a total of $126 million signing Mr. Zito as a free-agent for the 2007 season, and has lived to regret it. Although Mr. Magowan’s grandfather was the Merrill in Merrill-Lynch, he doesn't have $126 million to squander.
Though the fans are going nuts on local talk radio, none of his teammates or media people are feeling any schadenfreude at Mr. Zito’s expense, even though Mr. Zito engaged the Anti-Christ as his agent, and signed the infamous $126 million contract.
In 2007, the first year of his Giants contract, Mr. Zito posted a disappointing 11-13 record with a 4.53 ERA on on a lackluster team burdened by the festering cancer known as Barry Bonds. But Mr. Zito impressed in other ways. While Bonds sat like a Cheshire Cat on his steroids-saturated ass on his La-z-boy recliner, sullenly glaring at the media circus swelling around him from the San Francisco Chronicle exposé, Mr. Zito smiled and answered every question about the expectations and disappointments of the season.
It’s hard to root against a guy who donates for every strike-out he tallies to a fund supporting injured American troops while they recover in military and civilian hospitals. How can you hate a fellow who rides public transit to the ball park each day?
Mr. Zito says his troubles all come from being unable to put the ball where the catcher sets a target. An old scout once told me that a pitcher who is “wild in the strike zone” is a lot more dangerous for a team than one who can’t find it all. Missing by inches in the strike zone doesn't turn into walks, they turn into extra base hits.
Should his woes extend through this season, Mr. Zito does have an out, which can be described in two words:
Rick Ankiel.
Mr. Ankiel began a promising career as a starting pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals. He threw an amazing curve ball which had batters flailing wildly after the bottom dropped out of it in the strike zone. But in his second year he developed wildness, culminating in a nightmare outing in Game One of the 2000 National League Divison Series against the Atlanta Braves. Mr. Ankiel threw FIVE wild pitches in one inning.
From there it got worse. His rebuilding effort was hampered by injury and later surgery that cost him a full season. Finally, in 2005 he announced he was giving up pitching and was going to try to make it back to the major leagues as an outfielder.
Although highly unusual, this move certainly makes sense. A Major League starting pitcher was often the best player on his Little League, high school, and college teams, many times doubling as a position player between starts. The greatest player who ever set foot on a baseball diamond, Babe Ruth, began his career as an outstanding pitcher whose records stood until the dawning of the 21st Century, before switching to the outfield.
Mr. Ankiel made his way back through the Cardinals organization until he returned to the Cards in August 2007. Now the starting center fielder, Mr. Ankiel bats second in the line-up.
Note to Barry Zito: Don’t forget Rick Ankiel.
[Updated: 7 May 2008: Barry Zito was demoted to the bullpen for 10 days, missing two starts. He'll return to the pitcher’s mound today. Also included footage of Mr. Ankiel in center making great plays. I guess he can pinpoint throws now.].
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