Getting to Know the Stars – Barry Zito

In a career of baseball highlights and successes, Barry Zito points to one October night on the mound in St. Louis as his best MLB moment…and for him, it was about redemption.

It was October 19, 2012. Game 5 of the NLCS. The Cardinals were up 3 games to 1 in the series, and looking to clinch the National League title — on their home field — in pursuit of back-to-back World Series titles. The San Francisco Giants were just as determined to reclaim the World Series crown they won in 2010, even if it was going to take winning three straight games against the Cards. Step one was winning Game 5, and they handed the ball to Zito, the 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner.

“This was an opportunity to fully redeem myself following six years of underperforming,” Zito admitted.

After earning the highest MLB contract for a pitcher in history in 2006, Zito — now a Music City songwriter and Nashville Stars Baseball Advisor — remembers some tough times. “I let my ego get in the way, and my performance showed. That Game 5 was magical. I surrendered to God in that moment. I told myself to be the best I could be and to just enjoy this game.”

His best was pretty darn good. That night, Zito pitched 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball, throwing 115 pitches — 73 for strikes — and gave up only six hits and one intentional walk while striking out six Cards. Three hours and three minutes after Zito’s first pitch, closer Sergio Romo wrapped up the 5-0 shutout. The Giants went back to the Bay area, won two more to make the World Series and then swept the Detroit Tigers for the second of their three titles in five seasons. Zito won Game 1, beating Justin Verlander and giving up only one run in six innings.

“All that postseason, I had memories of my childhood baseball moments, growing up in San Diego and cheering on the Padres,” Zito said. “My dad and I would get there early and stand in the left field section. I just watched the players warm up and I’d say to myself, ‘Hitting fresh pearls for BP every day; that’s it…that’s everything.’ I drew on those memories throughout that October.”

His father was more than Zito’s baseball companion. “Dad was an incredible jazz musician who played for Nat King Cole,” he reflected. “After Cole’s death, he moved to Vegas, and he started managing talent up and down the Strip. He had these chops for management. After we moved to San Diego in the mid ’80s and I showed a love for baseball, he was my backyard catcher. He had no sports experience, but he read books on pitching, he learned the game and we’d go out to the back yard virtually every day for 12 years."

“He held me accountable,” Zito continued. “As long as I had that dream, he held me accountable to that dream. He made sure I did the work. And that made all the difference.”

Zito is looking forward to sharing similar special moments with his sons – three currently, with another on the way – standing in left field and seeing the Nashville Stars play in his new hometown.

“I’m trying to instill that accountability into my own sons, and to do so with the Stars would be special,” Zito enthused. “I love how the Stars’ story ties back to the Negro Leagues, to history. As we continue to wake up to the things we have done, we realize that we can’t go back in time, but we can change our actions today. And I just love that we are honoring those guys here in Nashville.”

He even admitted to another dream he’s rarely shared - being the Stars pitching coach one day. “That would be really cool.”

He’s also celebrating his music. Today, he’s working as a writer/producer in Music City, most recently with Lexi McKenzie, writing, producing and encouraging. “Lexi is a wonderful artist with a powerful message of redemption,” he said. “It’s country music but with a very spiritual message, one I love.”

Baseball memories past with his father. Baseball memories to come with his sons. They are all informed by Zito’s experiences.

“All of the mistakes I made in baseball were as a result of my ego, my need to have validation,” he affirmed. “Those have helped me to be true to my heart in music. They’ve taught me to pour myself into this experience…and when I do that, good things happen.”

Just like they did on a warm October night in St. Louis. It’s everything.