Zito Coming to Giants ... NOT

As Giants fans sit by their KNBR waiting for that Christmas present of a durable, young left handed former Cy Young winner added to their rotation, they should look at what Barry Zito himself is saying. Through all the speculation about whether he could be attracted to the big lights of New York, the big money from Arlington, TX, or the comfort of staying close to his home of the last few years, San Francisco, no one seems to pick up on the clues Barry is throwing our way. He wants to win. He wants to be a champion. With the A's, he reached the post-season 5 times, only recently got to see what it was like to win a series, yet has not sniffed the grand stage of the World Series. This is not something the big money of the Rangers can deliver (ask Alex Rodriguez). After a 50+ year drought, the Giants are less poised for a title run than they've been for close to a decade with their aging re-treads.

Zito will be a Met.

Bagwell Retires

Jeff Bagwell announced today that he will retire, ending his career as he started it: a Houston Astro. Bagwell is a member of a dieing breed in baseball: a star who plays his entire career with one team. Coincidentally, his teammate Craig Biggio is also a member of this club.

You'll hear much more about this phenomena at next years Hall of Fame induction. On the dais will be two of the biggest stars who wore only one name on their chests - Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn.

Bagwell is the active leader in career home runs for a player who's only played for one team (449). With news of his retirement, that distinction falls to Chipper Jones (357). Like Bagwell, Jones also has a star teammate who has only played for one team - Andruw Jones.

Big Mac to go?

Maybe this is what Mark McGwire had in mind when he told the congressional hearing that he wanted to focus on the future. Is the Hall of Fame in Big Mac's future? His name now appears on the ballot along with other

When he retired, McGwire was considered a first-ballot shoo-in. 583 career home runs. The best at-bat/home run ratio in the history of the game (One home run every 10.6 at bats, compared to Babe Ruth's one every 11.8 at bats). Sixty home runs in a season had been a herculean milestone ever since 1927 when Ruth first reached that pinnacle. McGwire averaged over 61 home runs over a four year period (1996-1999). There was no denying his dominance in the power aspect of the game.

Yet his induction speech has been put on hold following the specualtion and allegation of steroid use. From 1993 - 1995, he was plagued by injuries that didn't seem to heal, managed to appear in only about one third of his teams games. He always had the home run swing, as demonstrated by setting a home run record for a rookie in 1987 with 49. But his durability was what kept him from matching that total for the next 8 years. Then, suddenly in 1996 he became an iron man.

What makes McGwire's case tougher this year is that he shares the ballot with legends Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn. Both these giants are examples of the greatness of the game. Both scandal free role models who played their entire careers with one team, demonstrating a hard working diligence and respect for the game. The thought of these ambassadors of baseball sharing the podium with the cloud-covered McGwire could be too much for the voters to take.
Don't detract from these great men's ultimate baseball day with volumes of stories and debate on how to handle the steroid users. Big Mac will have to sit out this year.