Zito Wins, Twenty-Three and Some YouTube

Don't have much time today to write an extensive piece (sorry...I'm human, not Woody Paige), so I just wanted to write a quick post about a few thoughts.


Zito Beats Rockies, Improves to 4-0, and is Slowly Gaining Back Fans (though he shouldn't have lost them in the first place).

Just imagine an alternate universe where Barry Zito did not get that seven-year, $126 million contact in 2007. Just imagine that he was only paid say...$80 million. Just imagine that Peter Magowan and Brian Sabean didn't panic because they thought Zito was going to command a TON on the open market. When you think about that, Zito is a pretty likable guy, in fact more than likable. He's funny, he's a solid clubhouse guy, he is consistent, he stays healthy. What more do you want in a pitcher? So he doesn't have a 90-plus fastball. That's why he has his curve (and change, which is working well now because his fastball is actually touching in the 85-88 MPH range now).

And yet, everybody has hated Zito for the past three years. Everybody says "Get Zito off our team!" though in reality, he hasn't really been the problem. The problem is Sabean. The problem is the offense. The problem is a beer that costs nine bucks at the Doggie Diner at AT&T Park (and a Bud Light mind you). Not Zito. I mean, he organized Guitar Hero contests in the locker room after Barry Bonds left. Did Russ Ortiz do that stuff? I didn't think so.

Let's show some Zito love, and let's do it while we can. You know he's not going to have that great of a month again this year (I point to the .209 BABIP; no way it's going to be that low by the end of the year).


Twenty-Three Years Old

Shoot. I turn twenty-three today, that weird stage where you're past the "Let's rock it!" days of twenty-one and the "Wow I'm getting older than I thought" days of twenty-five. In consolation, today is also Wes Anderson's 41st birthday. The bad part of that coincidence? I've never seen any Wes Anderson movies (though I do want to).


Tony Batista Does Something Other Than Strikeout

Yes, Tony Batista was terrible. A guy with a career BB/K ratio of 0.36 and a wOBA of .320 certainly won't be knocking on the Baseball Writers of America's door for a Hall of Fame nomination anytime soon. That being said, Batista happened to be good for some things:

1.) Dingers (221 to be exact!)
2.) Fun defense (if 2.6 RF/G at third is fun).
3.) Scaring small Japanese men (second only to Bob Sapp).

Don't get the third? See it for yourself.