Q&A With USC Athletics Hall of Famer Barry Zito
May 17, 2018 | Baseball, Trojan Athletic Fund, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
On Saturday, May 19, 18 Trojans will be inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame. USC baseball alum Barry Zito, an All-American pitcher who went on to win a World Series with the San Francisco Giants, is one member of that deserving group.
We sat down with Zito to discuss his time at USC and his life ever since.
Q: What was your journey to USC?
A: It was definitely a journey. No one wanted me out of high school, except for the fact that I had a big curveball. When I got to USC, it felt like I made it to the big leagues. They were just coming off their College World Series win and the players were great.
Zito was not a highly touted prospect coming out of University High School in San Diego. After being drafted in the 59th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners, he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara before moving on to Pierce College. At Pierce, Zito was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round. Convinced he could be a first round pick, Zito bet on himself and left Pierce to attend USC. Zito became the Trojans' ace, was named first team All-American, and was drafted ninth overall in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft.
Q: During your one year on the team, which teammates were really integral in your development?
A: Again, the players on that team were great. It's hard to single out guys like that, but Jason Lane really helped me along. He was obviously such a standout player, but just a great dude... Rik Currier too. He wasn't a big talker, he just worked hard and did his job. They both opened my eyes to the fact that you don't have to be stuck on yourself the way current players are with pimping home runs and everything. They don't know the impact they had on me.
Q: How did playing for a big time program like USC and playing for a legendary manager like Mike Gillespie help prepare you for the show?
A: He was such a character…He'd call you out in front of everyone…and toed the line between comedy and serious. You never knew if he was joking or not…it's good to have a healthy fear of your manager. Our pitching coach, John Savage, was really the head coach of the pitchers. The combination of Gillespie and Savage, the way Savage would prepare us and Gilly would prepare us by going over scouting reports…they expected greatness…I have to give all the credit to SC, the program, the competition. Going from the Pac-10 to the Cal League, it was the same level of competition.
Q: Is there one moment that really sticks out in your mind when reminiscing about playing here?
A: Pitching in the snow against Washington State in Pullman. It was freezing and Eric Munson, my catcher, broke his thumb on my fastball. He was expecting a curve. I was scared because I thought I had jeopardized his future.
The injury did not affect Munson's professional future, as he was drafted with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, six picks before Zito.
Q: Was there ever a point in your career where you felt unstoppable?
A: There was a year and a half, in late 2001 and 2002, when there was that flow…I was in the zone…I wasn't going out trying to be a great performer, I was just going out competing. When it's that pure, magic can happen.
Q: Was playing in the Major Leagues everything you had dreamed of?
A: At first it was magical. Walking out on that field, the playing surface was mind blowing. It was perfect. You have to remember how magical that felt. At the end of the day, it's a business. I just had my head down and worked hard.
Zito had an illustrious playing career, playing eight seasons for the Oakland Athletics and seven for the San Francisco Giants. Over those 15 seasons, Zito made three all-star teams, won the 2001 American League Cy Young Award, and was a key contributor for the Giants during their World Series Championship run in 2012.
As a player, Zito would always bring his guitar with him on the road to break up the monotonous travel. Once he retired, he began to focus on his passion for music. Zito now writes and performs his own music, spending time in Nashville, Tennessee spreading his love for composition.
Q: Is music an interest you've had your entire life? How are you exploring that passion now?
A: I started playing guitar when I was 21… I knew I needed something to keep me sane during the rigorous travel. It was a huge escape for me, a necessary part of my life. I was counting down the years until I could go all-in on music…I just try to write honestly, from the heart. It's normally about something I'm going through or have gone through. Sometimes, you feel something and you want to have other people feel what you're feeling.
Q: What does this honor, being inducted into the USC Hall of Fame, mean to you?
A: It's such an honor that I'm going to be woven into the fabric of USC Athletics. I really only spent one semester here, but I'll always feel like I'm a Trojan and a part of the Trojan family.
The USC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this Saturday and will be live streamed here. Click here for more information or call (213) 740-4155 to RSVP!
We sat down with Zito to discuss his time at USC and his life ever since.
Q: What was your journey to USC?
A: It was definitely a journey. No one wanted me out of high school, except for the fact that I had a big curveball. When I got to USC, it felt like I made it to the big leagues. They were just coming off their College World Series win and the players were great.
Zito was not a highly touted prospect coming out of University High School in San Diego. After being drafted in the 59th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Seattle Mariners, he attended the University of California, Santa Barbara before moving on to Pierce College. At Pierce, Zito was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round. Convinced he could be a first round pick, Zito bet on himself and left Pierce to attend USC. Zito became the Trojans' ace, was named first team All-American, and was drafted ninth overall in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft.
Q: During your one year on the team, which teammates were really integral in your development?A: Again, the players on that team were great. It's hard to single out guys like that, but Jason Lane really helped me along. He was obviously such a standout player, but just a great dude... Rik Currier too. He wasn't a big talker, he just worked hard and did his job. They both opened my eyes to the fact that you don't have to be stuck on yourself the way current players are with pimping home runs and everything. They don't know the impact they had on me.
Q: How did playing for a big time program like USC and playing for a legendary manager like Mike Gillespie help prepare you for the show?
A: He was such a character…He'd call you out in front of everyone…and toed the line between comedy and serious. You never knew if he was joking or not…it's good to have a healthy fear of your manager. Our pitching coach, John Savage, was really the head coach of the pitchers. The combination of Gillespie and Savage, the way Savage would prepare us and Gilly would prepare us by going over scouting reports…they expected greatness…I have to give all the credit to SC, the program, the competition. Going from the Pac-10 to the Cal League, it was the same level of competition.
Q: Is there one moment that really sticks out in your mind when reminiscing about playing here?
A: Pitching in the snow against Washington State in Pullman. It was freezing and Eric Munson, my catcher, broke his thumb on my fastball. He was expecting a curve. I was scared because I thought I had jeopardized his future.
The injury did not affect Munson's professional future, as he was drafted with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, six picks before Zito.
Q: Was there ever a point in your career where you felt unstoppable?
A: There was a year and a half, in late 2001 and 2002, when there was that flow…I was in the zone…I wasn't going out trying to be a great performer, I was just going out competing. When it's that pure, magic can happen.
Q: Was playing in the Major Leagues everything you had dreamed of?
A: At first it was magical. Walking out on that field, the playing surface was mind blowing. It was perfect. You have to remember how magical that felt. At the end of the day, it's a business. I just had my head down and worked hard.
Zito had an illustrious playing career, playing eight seasons for the Oakland Athletics and seven for the San Francisco Giants. Over those 15 seasons, Zito made three all-star teams, won the 2001 American League Cy Young Award, and was a key contributor for the Giants during their World Series Championship run in 2012.
As a player, Zito would always bring his guitar with him on the road to break up the monotonous travel. Once he retired, he began to focus on his passion for music. Zito now writes and performs his own music, spending time in Nashville, Tennessee spreading his love for composition.
Q: Is music an interest you've had your entire life? How are you exploring that passion now?
A: I started playing guitar when I was 21… I knew I needed something to keep me sane during the rigorous travel. It was a huge escape for me, a necessary part of my life. I was counting down the years until I could go all-in on music…I just try to write honestly, from the heart. It's normally about something I'm going through or have gone through. Sometimes, you feel something and you want to have other people feel what you're feeling.
Q: What does this honor, being inducted into the USC Hall of Fame, mean to you?
A: It's such an honor that I'm going to be woven into the fabric of USC Athletics. I really only spent one semester here, but I'll always feel like I'm a Trojan and a part of the Trojan family.
The USC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this Saturday and will be live streamed here. Click here for more information or call (213) 740-4155 to RSVP!
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