How about we send Zito to Fresno?

by Headhunter Rollins on Apr 24, 2008 8:24 AM PDT Comment 31 comments

there are obviously 128 million reasons why the front office would never do this, but haven't we all seen enough? and by "we all" i mean fans, giants personnel, front office staff, and the world at large (except, of course, every other team in the league).

1. does he have options?

2. does anyone in the front office have the cojones to send him there until he works out his problems?

3. if he doesn't have options, is any other team crazy enough to claim him?

isn't it standard fair for teams to send young pitchers to the minors to work out their OBVIOUS problems, even if that pitcher has already pitched in the majors?

wouldn't it be nice to see a young pat misch get a start , or even (gulp) yabu? maybe we could send hennessy back to the rotation?

Zito is freakin 0 and 5 and even if we got 2 wins out of those five with someone else, we'd look a hell of a lot better than we do now

o.k., my Zito rant is over...i don't have a .gif like grant does of the british fop hitting his horse , but i guess if i did i'd insert it here. i'm sorry if it's overkill, just none of my friends are baseball fans and you guys are the only ones who understand my frustration

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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I’m pretty sure Zito has the right to refuse an assignment to Triple-A at this point in his career.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Apr 24, 2008 8:26 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Ya this was mentioned in a previous Zito post. After five years in the league a player can refuse a minor league assignment, is it?

"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Apr 24, 2008 8:31 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

also, look, he’s been bad, but all things considered, a 5.61 ERA after 5 starts isn’t really truly horrible and certainly not bad enough to warrant a demotion/release/head on a platter. His peripherals are, of course, pretty horrible, but whatever.

Yeah, it’s ugly that he’s 0-5, but he’s gotten 0, 0, 2, 1 and 4 runs of support so far in each of his starts. It’d be pretty hard for anyone to be something other than 0-5 or 1-4 with that.

I’m frustrated too but all these angry Zito posts are getting out of hand, IMO.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Apr 24, 2008 8:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m frustrated too but all these angry Zito posts are getting out of hand, IMO.

If it’s bugging you now, you’re going to go crazy later. Zito is never going to be able to “adjust” to his new pitching style unless he can improve his command, which he’s never been able to do.

To sum things up: Things are going to get worse. Most likely.

~~Optimism!~~

http://www.baycityball.com

by xanthan on Apr 24, 2008 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know, it’s just… do we really need three “I HATE YOU BARRY ZITO AND I WANT YOU TO DIE” fanposts in the last two days?

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.

by jponry on Apr 24, 2008 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

People are pissed off

The anger may be misplaced, but it’s understandable. It’s like the guy is stealing money at this point.

And I disagree that he isn’t really truly horrible. I’m not pissed off enough to start a new FANPOST[TM] about it, but neither do I begrudge anyone starting their own.

Billy Hayes: Nine more big-league plate appearances than you.

by delorean on Apr 24, 2008 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is the new “We need A-ROD” repeating thread.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Apr 24, 2008 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Say What?!?

A-rod Large

Adoptive papa to Omar...so basically I'm screwed.

by PacBellBoozer on Apr 24, 2008 11:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Needs an updating

Should read something to the effect of, SF sez: We hates Zito!

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Apr 25, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

If it were any other pitcher, I doubt the reaction would be as bad. On a team with an actual offense, Zito probably would’ve won a few games already.

SAVE_US.RAY
Get yer Nattowear

by Natto on Apr 24, 2008 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

if it were any other city, they would have boo’ed him out of town already…..

by slojoe on Apr 25, 2008 6:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's time for The Albatross to straighten up and fly right

In recent comments GM Brian Sabean has mentioned that Zito needs to improve his control and that Zito knows that. Zito’s next start is Sunday at home vs the Reds. After that game he should skip a start work on the side with his mental and command issues and then start about 10 days later

by wilriv21 on Apr 24, 2008 9:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd agree, Wil...

..if I thought Zito’s problems were mechanical, and could be worked on while throwing on the side (a la Matt Cain last year). As Xanthan pointed out above, Zito’s problem seems to be that he hasn’t learned how to pitch at a lower velocity. Greg Maddux has been doing it for years; so it is possible, but not too many pitchers figure that out. It will be….interesting…to see if Barry can do so. He’s smart enough, and level-headed enough.

That being said, I was against his signing – at any sort of league-average price, much less the multiple truckfuls of gold bars he got. His multi-year decline seemed pretty obvious to me (he was actually worse the year he won the Cy Young than his previous year). The value of a “proven innings-eater” I find to be much lower than others, apparently.

I don’t hate Zito, and I certainly don’t want him to die. I dislike Sabean’s move to acquire him, and he gets most of the blame. Unfortunately, given his salary, Zito will not be treated the way he should be. And even though the Giants aren’t going anywhere this year and his losses don’t really hurt us, I’d prefer we give those innings to other pitchers (Lowry when he comes back, or Pat Misch even). At least each loss improves our 2009 draft position.

Your 2011 SF Giants: the 2008 Augusta Greenjackets!

by Lyle on Apr 24, 2008 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

For sure at the very least frustration has set in so the mental part of the game is also relevant. Got a couple of off days coming up so SF should take advantage of the opportunity. Give him a break and hopefully he returns improved. Believe it is worth a try.

by wilriv21 on Apr 24, 2008 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

“Zito’s problem seems to be that he hasn’t learned how to pitch at a lower velocity. Greg Maddux has been doing it for years; so it is possible, but not too many pitchers figure that out.”

I agree with this statement in regards to Zito, but I think it’s a little misleading to say Maddux “learned” to pitch at a lower velocity. I think Maddux still pitches the way he always has, the only difference being he’s not quite as effective as when he threw harder. Remember, other than his first couple years with the Cubs, Maddux has always had plus-plus command, and plus-plus movement. When he also had above-average velocity, he put up ridiculous numbers - ERA’s under 2.00, etc. - but even since his velocity has declined, he still can fall back on great pitch movement and pitch location to get outs.

Zito, on the other hand, has never had much command, and even the Giants acknowledge his pitches have lost movement. This leaves him no secondary “skill” to fall back on now that his stuff’s not there anymore. Maybe a pitcher who’s never had great command can learn it later in their career after their stuff diminishes, but I can’t think of anybody off the top of my head, and the odds would appear to be quite long.

"I been waitin' a long time for this! I been waitin' since the f**kin' amateurs!" --WILL "THE THRILL" CLARK

by Josh from Hollywood on Apr 24, 2008 6:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No secondary "skill"

Rick Ankiel learned a secondary skill. Perhaps Zito is destined to become a power-hitting outfielder?

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Apr 25, 2008 9:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe

the Giants’ can hire Frank Tannana as a special advisor to get B-Zit on the straight and narrow.

by tyrannoman on Apr 25, 2008 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You misread me Josh

I didn’t say Maddux “learned to pitch” at a lower velocity. I said that Zito had not yet “learned to do so,” and that Maddux currently pitches at a “lower” velocity. No intention to imply where Maddux might be on the “learning curve” – only that he pitches currently at a lower velocity than most, and yet is successful.

Your 2011 SF Giants: the 2008 Augusta Greenjackets!

by Lyle on Apr 28, 2008 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Grizzlies called...

...they said “no thanks, we’re hoping to actually win this year.”

2008: My previous assessment may have been overly optimistic.

by EliminateMe on Apr 24, 2008 6:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

didnt they already beat Zito, too? maybe Zito can lose a game at all levels of baseball this year

by slojoe on Apr 24, 2008 6:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Barry bashing

I’m with you. He’s too smart, likable and competitive to give up on just because we were stupid enough to give him that contract. He has a shot at becoming another Kirk Reuter and Kirk was a plus for quite a few years. He’s not really blocking anyone this year. I don’t think Misch or Palmer would be much better. When the time comes that Mad Bum, the Alderman, Sosa or someone else is really knocking on the door, maybe he will have righted himself enough for us to palm off a portion of the contract on someone else while we open the promotion door for one of our own. But this isn’t the year to worry about that. The guy who seems most ready for a shot at this point is Hinshaw, who is definitely not a starter.

by NearestNorwich on Apr 24, 2008 6:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

clarification

This was supposed to post as a reply to Jponry.

by NearestNorwich on Apr 24, 2008 6:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

worst FA signing of all time?

you guys must have covered this on another post, but this has the potential to be the worst
FA deal of all time unless i’m mis-remembering things….what other deal was worse, Russ Ortiz? or maybe some Yankee deal…

by slojoe on Apr 24, 2008 7:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Mike Hampton.

Proud adoptive parent of Tim Alderson.

by Anticon23 on Apr 24, 2008 8:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, forgot about him

says he got 8 years for $121 went 53-48 so far on that contract… i didnt even realize he was still pitching….

i still think zeets can edge him out for the worst….

by slojoe on Apr 24, 2008 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

As I noted...

...in the last thread about Hampton, his was a contract so bad that it screwed three separate franchises. The Rockies, Marlins, and Braves each ended up paying him tens of millions of dollars for essentially nothing.

And parenthetically, let me note that searching the post-upgrade MCC is every kind of FAIL. Even Google is not indexing it properly; a Google search for “hampton scratched site:mccoveychronicles.com” fails to turn up the fanpost linked above.

2008: My previous assessment may have been overly optimistic.

by EliminateMe on Apr 25, 2008 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs