SultanOfSwing
10-09-2006, 12:36 PM
I see a lot of love for Zito in the baseball world and especially on this board. It seems everyone wants to sign him as a FA. Some may say we can't afford him but would still love to have him if we could. I just don't get it. Looking at his statistics he seems pretty average.
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
2000 22 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2000.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2000.shtml) 7 4 14 14 1 1 0 0 92.7 64 30 28 6 45 78 2 2 376 2 0 2.72 4.72 174 1.176 RoY-6 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2000.shtml#ALroy)
2001 23 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2001.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2001.shtml) 17 8 35 35 3 2 0 0 214.3 184 92 83 18 80 205 13 6 902 0 1 3.49 4.35 125 1.232 MVP-21 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2001.shtml#ALmvp)
2002 24 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2002.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2002.shtml) 23 5 35 35 1 0 0 0 229.3 182 79 70 24 78 182 9 2 939 2 1 2.75 4.65 169 1.134 MVP-13 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2002.shtml#ALmvp),CYA-1 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2002.shtml#ALcya),AS
2003 25 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2003.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2003.shtml) 14 12 35 35 4 1 0 0 231.7 186 98 85 19 88 146 6 4 957 3 0 3.30 4.26 129 1.183 AS
2004 26 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2004.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2004.shtml) 11 11 34 34 0 0 0 0 213.0 216 116 106 28 81 163 9 4 926 2 1 4.48 4.68 105 1.394
2005 27 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2005.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2005.shtml) 14 13 35 35 0 0 0 0 228.3 185 106 98 26 89 171 13 4 953 0 0 3.86 4.49 116 1.200
2006 28 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2006.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2006.shtml) 16 10 34 34 0 0 0 0 221.0 211 99 94 27 99 151 13 4 945 5 2 3.83 4.42 116 1.403 AS
Compare that to Harang:
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
2002 24 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2002.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2002.shtml) 5 4 16 15 0 0 0 0 78.3 78 44 42 7 45 64 3 1 354 2 0 4.83 4.65 96 1.570
2003 25 TOT 5 6 16 15 0 0 1 0 76.3 89 47 45 11 19 42 1 3 327 0 1 5.31 4.28 81 1.415
OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2003.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2003.shtml) 1 3 7 6 0 0 1 0 30.3 41 19 18 5 9 16 0 0 136 0 1 5.34 4.26 80 1.648
CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2003.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2003.shtml) 4 3 9 9 0 0 0 0 46.0 48 28 27 6 10 26 1 3 191 0 0 5.28 4.29 81 1.261
2004 26 CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2004.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2004.shtml) 10 9 28 28 1 1 0 0 161.0 177 90 87 26 53 125 5 7 711 5 0 4.86 4.01 82 1.429
2005 27 CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2005.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2005.shtml) 11 13 32 32 1 0 0 0 211.7 217 93 90 22 51 163 8 6 887 3 0 3.83 4.44 116 1.266
2006 28 CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2006.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2006.shtml) 16 11 36 35 6 2 0 0 234.3 242 109 98 28 56 216 8 6 993 8 1 3.76 4.81 128 1.272
Zito pitches in pitchers park. He walks more. He gives up just as many HRs. His ERA is higher, his WHIP is higher. He gets better defense. His bullpen is better. He gets better run support. He pitches fewer innings. He hasn't had a CG in 3 years. It just seems to go on and on. The only thing in favor of Zito is that he pitches in the AL; but he pitches in the weakest AL division.
Am I missing something here? What makes Zito so desirable? What makes him worth even close to that money? IMO, throw out 2002 and probably the first 2 years, and Zito is a #2 or #3 starter. Thoughts?...
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
2000 22 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2000.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2000.shtml) 7 4 14 14 1 1 0 0 92.7 64 30 28 6 45 78 2 2 376 2 0 2.72 4.72 174 1.176 RoY-6 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2000.shtml#ALroy)
2001 23 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2001.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2001.shtml) 17 8 35 35 3 2 0 0 214.3 184 92 83 18 80 205 13 6 902 0 1 3.49 4.35 125 1.232 MVP-21 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2001.shtml#ALmvp)
2002 24 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2002.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2002.shtml) 23 5 35 35 1 0 0 0 229.3 182 79 70 24 78 182 9 2 939 2 1 2.75 4.65 169 1.134 MVP-13 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2002.shtml#ALmvp),CYA-1 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_2002.shtml#ALcya),AS
2003 25 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2003.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2003.shtml) 14 12 35 35 4 1 0 0 231.7 186 98 85 19 88 146 6 4 957 3 0 3.30 4.26 129 1.183 AS
2004 26 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2004.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2004.shtml) 11 11 34 34 0 0 0 0 213.0 216 116 106 28 81 163 9 4 926 2 1 4.48 4.68 105 1.394
2005 27 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2005.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2005.shtml) 14 13 35 35 0 0 0 0 228.3 185 106 98 26 89 171 13 4 953 0 0 3.86 4.49 116 1.200
2006 28 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2006.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2006.shtml) 16 10 34 34 0 0 0 0 221.0 211 99 94 27 99 151 13 4 945 5 2 3.83 4.42 116 1.403 AS
Compare that to Harang:
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP IBB BK ERA *lgERA *ERA+ WHIP
+--------------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+------+----+----+----+---+----+----+---+---+-----+---+---+-----+-----+----+-----+
2002 24 OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2002.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2002.shtml) 5 4 16 15 0 0 0 0 78.3 78 44 42 7 45 64 3 1 354 2 0 4.83 4.65 96 1.570
2003 25 TOT 5 6 16 15 0 0 1 0 76.3 89 47 45 11 19 42 1 3 327 0 1 5.31 4.28 81 1.415
OAK (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/2003.shtml) AL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL_2003.shtml) 1 3 7 6 0 0 1 0 30.3 41 19 18 5 9 16 0 0 136 0 1 5.34 4.26 80 1.648
CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2003.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2003.shtml) 4 3 9 9 0 0 0 0 46.0 48 28 27 6 10 26 1 3 191 0 0 5.28 4.29 81 1.261
2004 26 CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2004.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2004.shtml) 10 9 28 28 1 1 0 0 161.0 177 90 87 26 53 125 5 7 711 5 0 4.86 4.01 82 1.429
2005 27 CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2005.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2005.shtml) 11 13 32 32 1 0 0 0 211.7 217 93 90 22 51 163 8 6 887 3 0 3.83 4.44 116 1.266
2006 28 CIN (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CIN/2006.shtml) NL (http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_2006.shtml) 16 11 36 35 6 2 0 0 234.3 242 109 98 28 56 216 8 6 993 8 1 3.76 4.81 128 1.272
Zito pitches in pitchers park. He walks more. He gives up just as many HRs. His ERA is higher, his WHIP is higher. He gets better defense. His bullpen is better. He gets better run support. He pitches fewer innings. He hasn't had a CG in 3 years. It just seems to go on and on. The only thing in favor of Zito is that he pitches in the AL; but he pitches in the weakest AL division.
Am I missing something here? What makes Zito so desirable? What makes him worth even close to that money? IMO, throw out 2002 and probably the first 2 years, and Zito is a #2 or #3 starter. Thoughts?...