Barry Zito announces his retirement
Posted on October 22, 2015
Barry Zito #75 of the Oakland Athletics tips his cap and waves to the crowd after being removed from the game against the San Francisco Giants during the game at O.co Coliseum on Saturday, September 26, 2015 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito announced his retirement from baseball earlier this week when he wrote a thoughtful goodbye for The Players’ Tribune. “I’m retiring today from baseball, but I’ll never be too far away from the game that made me who I am. I am beyond thankful to be at peace with walking away, thanks in large part to my year of renewal in Nashville with the Sounds. My return to Oakland last month was a “cherry on top” moment in my life that my family and I will never forget. I will no doubt be in the stands on both sides of the Bay in years to come,” Zito said.
Zito had an eventful career pitching on both sides of the Bay Area for the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants. There were incredible highs and devastating lows over the course of Zito’s career, and I was there to photograph most of them. Zito made his big league debut on a warm Saturday afternoon against the Anaheim Angels on July 22, 2000 wearing a big #53 on his back (he would later switch to his more familiar #75) and I was there to capture the lefty on Fujichrome. The following day I was back at the Coliseum and there was the very young Zito, sitting in the dugout the day after making his debut, sucking on three Tootsie Pops he had taped together. That was Zito. I was there when he won the 2002 American League Cy Young Award. I was there when he was part of The Big Three, sharing the pitching spotlight with his buddies Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson. Those A’s teams were great, but they could never go far in the post season. The team was slowly torn apart, and by the end of the 2006 season Zito was the last man standing in his free agent walk year. There was no way he was coming back.
There was also no way I ever envisioned Zito crossing the bay to sign the huge seven year contract with the Giants. I was at the press conference that announced his signing with the black and orange. I was there for his first Giants spring training in Scottsdale, and I was there for so many of the highs and lows during his tenure with the club. It was quite the roller coaster ride for Zito and the fans during his years in San Francisco, but Zito always remained a gentleman. He was always the classy, eclectic artist who played guitar and wanted to talk photography. Everyone was thrilled for Zito when he had his fabulous postseason in 2012, saving the Giants season when he tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings in a spectacular 5-0 win in Game 5 of the NLCS (an elimination game) in St. Louis against the Cardinals. He followed that start a week later with a brilliant performance in Game 1 of the World Series when he beat the Detroit Tigers and Justin Verlander 8-3. The Giants went on the sweep the Tigers to claim their second title in three years, a championship they would not have won without Zito. All the talk of the big contract disappeared. It made me happy to photograph an ecstatic Zito spraying his teammates with champagne in the visiting clubhouse after Game 4 in Detroit. All the hard work had paid off. Zito had battled and battled, searched and searched. He had finally found redemption.
Barry Zito #53 of the Oakland Athletics makes his Major League debut during a game against the Anaheim Angels at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on July 22, 2000. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #53 of the Oakland Athletics pitches during a game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California in 2000. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics licks some lollipops during a game against the Anaheim Angels at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on July 23, 2000. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics celebrates in he clubhouse after the A’s clinched the American League Western Division title after a game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California in 2000. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics smiles in the dugout during a game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California in 2001. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics pitches during a game at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on September 2, 2002. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito plays guitar at the Pyramid Brewery in Albany, California on May 24, 2003. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito plays guitar at the Pyramid Brewery in Albany, California on May 24, 2003. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics smiles in the dugout during a game against the Minnesota Twins at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on May 8, 2004. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics pitches during a game against the Kansas City Royals at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California on May 22, 2004. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics works out during spring training at Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona on February 23, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics works out during spring training at Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona on February 24, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics works out during spring training at Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona on February 24, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics talks with team photographer Michael Zagaris during spring training at Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona on February 24, 2005. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Texas Rangers during the game at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California on September 4, 2006. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
New San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito is introduced to the media at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on January 3, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
New San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito is introduced to the media at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA on January 3, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito works out at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 3, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito works out at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 3, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants waits in the on deck circle during the game against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on April 3, 2007. This was Zito’s first start with the Giants. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants plays guitar at a charity jam concert he organized to benefit two non-profits at Ruby Skye nightclub in San Francisco, California on May 24, 2007. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants sits in the dugout during the game against the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park on May 3, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants yells during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California on Saturday, May 30, 2009. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 6-2. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the game at AT&T Park on August 2, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants sits in the dugout during the game against the Houston Astros at AT&T Park on May 16, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Houston Astros during the game at AT&T Park on May 16, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Tim Lincecum #55, Barry Zito #75, and Emmanuel Burriss #2 of the San Francisco Giants watch the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on May 22, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Oakland Athletics during the game at AT&T Park on June 12, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the game at AT&T Park on September 19, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants sits in the dugout during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park on September 19, 2010 in San Francisco, California. Photo by Brad Mangin
Barry Zito and his San Francisco Giants teammates stretch on the field before the game against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park on October 1, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants runs to first base while wearing orange and black striped socks against the San Diego Padres during the game at AT&T Park on October 2, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants stands in the dugout against the St. Louis Cardinals during the game at AT&T Park on April 9, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 and Pitching Coach Dave Righetti #33 of the San Francisco Giants walk to the dugout before Game 1 of the 2012 World Series against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants sits in the dugout during Game 1 of the 2012 World Series against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at AT&T Park, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos)
Barry Zito and Eli Whiteside of the San Francisco Giants celebrate in the clubhouse after defeating the Detroit Tigers to win the 2012 World Series on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants walks off the field during the game against the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the game at AT&T Park on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the game at O.co Coliseum on Saturday, September 26, 2015 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the game at O.co Coliseum on Saturday, September 26, 2015 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Tim Hudson #17 of the San Francisco Giants, Barry Zito #75 of the Oakland Athletics, and former A’s pitcher Mark Mulder stand on the field for a ceremony before the game at O.co Coliseum on Sunday, September 27, 2015 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Barry Zito #75 of the Oakland Athletics stands on the field with his son Marsden Zito and wife Amber Zito before the game against the San Francisco Giants at O.co Coliseum on Sunday, September 27, 2015 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)
Looking back through my archive at all the pictures I have of Zito from 2000 through his last weekend back with the A’s in Oakland last month it is crazy fun to watch him grow up before my eyes. I love being able to document the entire career of a ballplayer like Zito. There is nothing like being there in the beginning to watch a guy learn how to be a big leaguer before he becomes a star. The 15 years I photographed Zito was truly a journey and I am so happy for him that he has found what he is looking for.
I have always rooted for Zito. In 2003 when we all switched to shooting digital he would talk to us photographers along the backstop on days he was not pitching about photography. I was shooting with a Canon 1D at the time and that is the camera he wanted to get, so I hooked him up my my friend and salesman to the pros and stars Jeff Snyder. Jeff took care of Zito and a few weeks later I was behind the backstop during a day game shooting Zito’s buddy Hudson pitching. Zito was checking out my camera settings and he said, “Dude! You’re shooting in RAW!” I stopped, turned around and looked at him like how in the fuck do you know what RAW is? “Hey man, I read the manual,” Zito said. I was blown away. Photographers don’t read the manual, but Zito did. How can you not root for a guy like that?
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