Athletes - Barry Zito

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	Athletes - Barry Zito

Barry William Zito (born May 13, 1978, Las Vegas, Nevada) is a pitcher with the Oakland Athletics baseball club.

Career history

Barry attended University High School in San Diego, a Catholic school, where he began surfing. He would go on to attend the University of California at Santa Barbara and, subsequently, become the 1998 NCAA baseball champion at USC.

In 2002, he won the Cy Young Award for outstanding pitcher in the American League, narrowly defeating Pedro Martinez in the voting. He was named to the American League All-Star Team in 2002 and 2003. He is a durable pitcher, starting 34 or more games in each of his five full major league seasons, leading the league in games started three times.

Zito is entering the last year of his contract in 2006. If the Athletics are unable to re-sign him, he is expected to be one of the most sought-after pitchers on the free agent market, barring an injury or a significant dropoff in performance.

Pitching style

A left hander, Zito throws an 89-90 mph four-seam fastball, a changeup and an excellent curveball (whose nicknames include "Captain Hook", "Rip-Curl", and "Bert") that has drawn comparisons to those of Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. In mid-2004, Zito started throwing a two-seam fastball, and in 2005, he added a strong slider, or "slurve," to his pitch arsenal.

Personal life

Zito — whose hobbies include yoga, rock guitar and surfing — is known for his idiosyncrasies. His personality has made him a media favorite. He once made it a practice to buy his own autographed baseball cards on eBay; when asked why he bought them at auction for high prices rather than acquiring unsigned cards and signing them himself, Zito replied, "Because they're authenticated." In addition, Zito carries satin pillows on the road, collects stuffed animals, and burns incense to relax. Many Oakland fans first became aware of Zito when, early in his carrer, he dyed his hair blue. He has since earned the nickname "Planet Zito."

Zito created the charity Strikeouts for Troops, to which he donates $100 for every strikeout he throws. The charity benefits hospitals for soldiers wounded in military operations.

Zito is the nephew of television actor Patrick Duffy. He once made an appearance in a JAG episode. In 2004, he dated Alyssa Milano.

Statistics

When Zito won the Cy Young in 2002, he went 23-5 with a 2.75 ERA, and 182 strikeouts.
In 2005, Zito had a streak of 14 consecutive starts and 20 out of 21 in which he gave up fewer hits than innings pitched.
Entering the 2006 season, Zito had only recorded one hit and 13 strikeouts in 26 career at-bats in interleague play.

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Athletes - Barry Zito

Career history

Pitching style

Personal life

Statistics

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