Zito said, "It was fun to pitch here because it was a reminder of good times. For me it's a matter of focusing on what I do, not the results. It was like pitching in Little League again when you don't have to worry about contracts and things."
This is essentially a confession that his ludicrous contract has had him psyched. So he "transcended" this for one game; there's no telling if he'll revert to form in his next start. With him, 55% of baseball is 95% mental.
The hitting stars of last night's game were Lewis, Bowker and Burriss, with 2 hits each. Hooray for the kids.
3 comments:
This is about the third different "attitude adjustment" this flake has made this year. Usually he spouts about being "agressive" which I think just means throwing strikes.
At least he is TRYING and that's cool.
If we can get back a "6-and-3" Kirk Reuter sort of ballplayer for $126 million I'll be happy. I don't care what sort of attitude adjustment is necessary. He's trying, as you say.
With Zito it maybe even for than 95% mental. The primary difference between this start and others was Zito was able to change speeds (how ever minimal), hit locations and managed to stay ahead in the count. He did have a 24 pitch first inning, which was concerning. This was a great step in building his confidence, but lets not lose sight that he was at one of the most pitcher friendly ballpark in the league. The true test will be to see how he carries this into the next start. Lets hope he keeps “trying” by continuing with pitching live batting practice...my question is why did it take so long to start him on this regiment?
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