Today the San Francisco Giants play a doubleheader against the Cubs in Chicago. The opponents are irrelevant. The real story is about the guy standing on the mound in each game.
Pitcher #1 is Ryan Vogelsong, 33. He originally signed with the Giants in 2000 and was quickly shuffled off to Pittsburgh in 2001. He played with the Pirates until 2006, then ended up playing pro ball in Japan.
Possible All-American?
In 2011 Vogelsong kicked around the minor leagues and ended up back with Giants. And what an amazing reunion it has been!
Currently Vogelsong is the best pitcher on the team. Sportswriter Ann Killion said today that Vogie has gone from “flameout to ace.” He goes out there and gets the job done. The fans love him! And couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
In an interview on KNBR radio. Vogie told the story about getting “the call”—while playing for the Giants’ minor league team—to high-tail it to SF.
He took a cab from the airport to AT&T Park and was refused entrance to the clubhouse. The security guy eyed his “Fresno Grizzlies” duffel bag and said, “Wait here.”
Finally Vogie was allowed in. The rest is history. The radio host asked Vogie if he minded waiting in the cab. He said he was so thrilled to be back playing for his favorite team again after ten years, he would have waited a lot longer. He didn’t even mind that the cabbie kept the meter running!
After one stellar pitching performance, the SF Giants fans gave Vogie a standing ovation as he left the field. Later he said it was the greatest moment of his life.
Pitcher #2 is another 33-year-old—Barry Zito—a household name in Northern California. He played for the Oakland A’s from 2000-06, winning a Cy Young in 2002.
Uummm. Barry Zito contemplates Tree Pose. Love the puka shell necklace!
In 2007 he signed a lucrative seven-year deal with the SF Giants for $126 million dollars. That’s a whopping $18 million per year. And even more sensational considering that Zito’s stats went downhill the minute he got the big fat paycheck—making him the highest-paid, most under-performing player in Major League Baseball.
Last year Zito won nine games. That did help the Giants win the division. By the end of the season, he was not pitching well enough to make the play-off roster. He did not pitch once in the World Series. But he did earn more than the combined salaries of the other four starting pitchers.
What happened to Zito’s performance level? I think it was affected by the ridiculous amount of money he was being paid. Had it been Barry Bonds and NOT Barry Zito, the money would not have mattered one bit.
But Zito is a different kind of person. He’s a likable guy—not an egotistical womanizing teammate-repelling dishonest blowhard like the other Barry. He’s a surfer/guitar playing/Zen/yoga quirky kind of guy. One nickname: Planet Zito. He believes that a “greater force in the universe” helps him. I bet he reads Yeats.
I don’t think Zito’s paycheck squares with his internal values. Would he rather have more wins and less money? Of course. (Cautionary tale: Beware of greedy agents!) I think Zito suffers from the psychic side of sports—how your head messes with your abilities to perform.
Zito needs to spend some of the money on a sports psychologist. To reconcile with himself. (With his money, he could afford Dr. Phil!) Or give some of the money back?
Zito was injured in April. That’s when Vogelsong got the call to replace him. I don’t know what the dollar value of Vogie’s contract is, but the minimum MLB salary is around $450K.
Vogie’s presence has been invaluable. He has injected hope into a team that can’t hit! Yet still wins.
Why is Vogie doing so well and Zito is not? Vogie has nothing to prove. Zito has everything. Vogie has no reputation to uphold. Zito has to justify a king’s ransom.
One guy is relaxed and having fun. The other guy is a nervous wreck.
I wish them BOTH well.
Game #1 is about to start. May the best team win—as long as it’s the Giants. 
Play ball!
*+*+*+*+*
UPDATE:
The Giants won Game 1. Vogie pitched 5 decent innings.
The Giants won Game 2. Zito pitched 7 really good innings. (About time?)
Barry Zito made more money pitching that one game than Vogie will make the entire season.
UPDATE 7/12/11:
Ryan Vogelsong made the All Stars Team. Zito was not considered.
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