"Let's face it: Zito is ace in name only"

by Vegas Ace on Oct 11, 2006 9:51 PM PDT Comment 10 comments

Let's face it: Zito is ace in name only
By LOWELL COHN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061011/NEWS/61011011/1055/SPORT10

"...Even though Zito will make a pile of money when he becomes a free agent after this season, he is not an ace. Never will be. He is a No.2 pitcher, maybe a No.3...."

..."After the game, Zito came to an interview room, and he looked stunned. "Stunned" is the only word to describe his blank face. The Tigers had their way with him and he couldn't dispute it, but he couldn't explain it, either.

After giving up a home run in the third inning to No.9 hitter Brandon Inge, he said he began to "nitpick." He said he lost his concentration and his ability to focus on every pitch.

This is the kind of stuff he says every time he loses. The implication is that, if he just reared back and fired, if he let everything hang out, he would have been all right. He tells himself that, but he is wrong.

There is nothing to let hang out in Zito. He is an intellectual pitcher. He over-thinks every situation but he doesn't have the speed or the power to overcome small defects. He definitely is not a hanger-outer.

Which brings us to the big picture. He has meant so much to the A's. But if he walks away after this season, it is no tragedy. The A's need an all-the-time ace, not Zito, who's an ace only now and again."

Contact Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at 521-5486 or lcohn@pressdemocrat.com.

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What I can say?

I agree with Mr. Cohn.

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Oct 11, 2006 9:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

True

But none of this is new. Or especially insightful.

The A's need an all-the-time ace, not Zito, who's an ace only now and again.

Which team in the majors doesn't need an "all-the-time" ace?

On Sunday, Minaya ticked off a list of candidates to join the rotation, and for once this season, none of them was Jose Lima.

by rfloh on Oct 11, 2006 10:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This is true!

I love it when people freak out about Zito though. Because he comes in and pitches an amazing game against one of the best pitchers in the big leagues, outduels him and everyone loves him. We bring up how hes never missed a start since he started playing for the A's. How hes shown leadership and concentration in tough games and has come through, we bring up all things wonderful. Then Z gets shaken up and hes suddenly not ACE material? or better yet we are better of trading him?

Dont get me wrong I am not a big Zito fan, the guy is a good pitcher but Im not exactly selling my first born for a chance to play catch with him. However what I find frustrating is how much as a whole, people flip flop about him. Its a bit ridiculous if you ask me. For example, I love Swisher, the guy cant hit for crap right now, but I still love Swisher. See the thing is moving past judging your favorite players based on a point of too...when you do that you pigeon hole the situation and you miss everything else. Its like some people saying Chavez has been atrocious this season by looking at his record at the plate without realizing how important hes been for us at third.

Zito may not have been stellar in game one but he has brought a lot more to the A's table than an ERA.

by Amnesiac727 on Oct 11, 2006 10:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, of course, Zito has brought a lot to the A's

team throughout the season and years but the point of the article is that he is no longer a true Ace and yet the A's management insists on treating him like the team Ace by playing him in the #1 slot instead of going with their only Ace = Harden. Using Harden's prior injury as an excuse now to put him in the #3 position doesn't cut it. Either he is healthy enough to start in the series or not. If he is, go with him in the top slot. When he did not get to start in the Twins' series and had plenty of rest, the situation was ideally set up for him to start the Tiger series. Instead the A's management bureaucracy "blinked" and turned overly cautious and bureaucratic at the wrong time in the season. So be it. Let's move and watch the rest of the saga unfold.

by Vegas Ace on Oct 11, 2006 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Harden is the only true Ace on the starting

rotation. The other Ace is the Duke and he could be an Ace starting pitcher next year if the A's management would think outside the box enough to give him the ball at the start of a game instead of underutilizing him in the bullpen. Let's face it, the A's were out pitched, out hit, outplayed and out managed so far by the Tigers. The first and most important managerial decision took place before the start of the series and apparently the decision was delegated to a ten person "think tank" reminiscent of a bank or government bureaucratic process. This kind of decision should be made by one or two persons with baseball sense and the ability to think outside the box and be aggressive. You don't win a short series the way Macha's team has won in the regular season. You win in a short series by taking risks and being aggressive. At this point in season, Harden is well rested and said he was ready to go. Detroit has at least 3 pitchers who can outpitch Zito, Loaiza and/or Haren on any given day so it was important to lead with your one true Ace, Harden, in order to establish momemtum. Now Harden is in the desperation position of being the last real hope of turning the series around instead of being in the Driver's position by starting in the #1 or #2 position in Oakland. They are only a few significant decisions that management can make that will influence the momentum of the series and the A's management displayed their overly cautious nature at the start. It is a fine thing for management to be extra cautious about the players' health during the season but at this stage either a player is ready to play or not. I saw Harden being interviewed near the dugout before Game 1 and he gave all indications of "champing at the bit" to start like a stud Ace pitcher.

by Vegas Ace on Oct 11, 2006 10:28 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs