Barry Zito had returned home from a minor league season ready to turn his attention from baseball to his other love, music, perhaps for good.
Now, he will make one more start from a big league mound while opposing close friend and former teammate Tim Hudson.
The baseball-crazed Bay Area is getting its Hudson v Zito matchup on Saturday as so many hoped. And it could be the last hurrah for the two former Oakland Athletics pitchers.
This is a bright spot for the A’s in their final homestand of the year, which began with an 8-6 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
Zito, who spent the entire season with Triple-A Nashville before his call-up last week, might be able to throw around 50 pitches in his first – and, perhaps, last – major league start this year. Or ever.
“It’s icing,” the 37-year-old Zito said Tuesday after a throwing session and visit to the training room. “I came to peace with the fact that Omaha was my last start. I had an inning on the Sunday game. Monday was our last game. The team threw me a little party, we had a baseball pinata in there, because I was thinking this probably would be it. I never came out officially (to retire) and obviously still kind of seeing what happens. I was hanging out at home. I definitely didn’t think this was going to happen. This is all bonus, like triple-bonus situation right now.”
A’s manager Bob Melvin told Zito on Tuesday that he would start against Hudson and the San Francisco Giants for Saturday afternoon’s game at the Coliseum. Melvin and general manager Billy Beane had discussed the possibility with Zito already.
“How many different reasons can you think of? Our fans, first and foremost ... it will be a terrific day, with Hudson pitching on the other side,” Melvin said. “Really and truly he deserves it, based on what he did this year in Triple-A, what he’s meant to this organisation. To get him out one more time in our ballpark against the Giants with our fan base, their fan base and Tim Hudson on the mound, it’s going to be a very exciting day.”
It will be the left-hander’s first big league start since September 29, 2013, when he wrapped up a $126 million (Dh463m), seven-year contract with the Giants. He took 2014 off to build himself for a comeback attempt.
Zito will say hello to his former manager, Bruce Bochy, and the team on Friday.
“I’ll be their mortal enemy on Saturday and then I’ll probably be their friend again on Sunday,” Zito said.
“It’s going to be a really great experience regardless of what happens, being out there part of Huddy’s last few weeks,” said Zito, the 2002 AL Cy Young award winner with the A’s. “It’s going to be awesome. I think the fans deserve something like that, some closure from those early years, all that fun we had.”
Oakland plan to honour their former “Big Three” trio of Hudson, Zito and Mark Mulder in a pre-game ceremony Sunday, when they will throw out the ceremonial first pitches as a group. Three sellouts are expected for the weekend series.
“It’s definitely going to be rowdy out here,” Zito said. “I can’t be a fan that day, I’ve got to still be a player.”
The 40-year-old Hudson plans to retire after the season, and Zito might join him in calling it a career.
They both cherish the way the “Big Three” dominated beginning in 2000, making up one of baseball’s best 1-2-3 starting trios for the A’s teams about which “Moneyball” would be based.
“When you’re in the middle of something you usually don’t know how special it is until you’re away from it to reflect,” Zito said. “It definitely was special. To have three homegrown guys it’s pretty rare.”
A’s third base coach Ron Washington will cherish the memories dating back more than a decade.
“I thought they were the best three in the business at the time,” said Washington, back for a second stint with the club this year. “You couldn’t imagine the things that they would say when they came off the field, ‘Just get me one run and I’ll make it stand up,’ and they’d make it stand up. ‘Get me two runs and I’ll make it stand up,’ and they would make it stand up. I think they fed off each other. Huddy was the smallest of the three and he was a tough character.
“I remember one time Mark Mulder throwing a fireworks night game and he did it in an hour and something, and the fans had to sit in the stands ‘til dark and I was at home eating. That’s how good they were. Barry Zito had this changeup and this breaking ball that would fall off the table. More than anything they were fierce competitors.”
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 299hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 420Nm at 2,750rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 12.4L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh157,395 (XLS); Dh199,395 (Limited)
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
List of UAE medal winners
Gold
Faisal Al Ketbi (Open weight and 94kg)
Talib Al Kirbi (69kg)
Omar Al Fadhli (56kg)
Silver
Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Khalfan Belhol (85kg)
Zayed Al Mansoori (62kg)
Mouza Al Shamsi (49kg women)
Bronze
Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi (Open and +94kg)
Saood Al Hammadi (77kg)
Said Al Mazroui (62kg)
Obaid Al Nuaimi (56kg)
Bashayer Al Matrooshi (62kg women)
Reem Abdulkareem (45kg women)
Biog
Age: 50
Known as the UAE’s strongest man
Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”
Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry
Favourite car: Any classic car
Favourite superhero: The Hulk original
Everybody Loves Touda
Director: Nabil Ayouch
Starring: Nisrin Erradi, Joud Chamihy, Jalila Talemsi
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
GOODBYE JULIA
Director: Mohamed Kordofani
Starring: Siran Riak, Eiman Yousif, Nazar Goma
Rating: 5/5
Jurassic Park
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough
Rating: 5/5
THE SWIMMERS
Director: Sally El-Hosaini
Stars: Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Ahmed Malek and Ali Suliman
Rating: 4/5
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now