Fri, Jul 18 2008
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Published May 11, 2008 12:46 am - If you are C.C. Sabathia or his agent, you’ve got to be really steamed at Barry Zito right now. Andy Call, on Baseball... : Zito’s flop could have impact on C.C.’s deal ANDY CALL Canton Repository If you are C.C. Sabathia or his agent, you’ve got to be really steamed at Barry Zito right now.
Sabathia, the defending American League Cy Young Award winner could be the biggest name among free-agent pitchers this winter. He has already turned down an offer from the Indians reportedly in the neighborhood of four years and $70 million in hopes of an even bigger jackpot down the road. How about five years and $100 million? Perhaps ... or, at least, until Zito started provoking second thoughts in the minds of general managers everywhere. San Francisco signed Zito to a seven-year, $126-million free-agent contract before last season. The Giants still owe him $110 million. Zito is 0-7 with a 6.95 ERA this season. He has given up 46 hits, 17 walks and a .329 opponents’ batting average in 34 innings. The Giants took the left-hander out of the rotation temporarily, from April 27 until Wednesday, to work out some of his kinks. His next scheduled start is Monday. It should be pointed out that San Francisco has scored only nine runs in Zito’s seven starts. His return to the mound Wednesday was encouraging, but still a 3-1 loss at Pittsburgh. San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami said the Giants have to accept that Zito is now “their curse and their reality show.” If teams become more reluctant to offer huge long-term contracts to pitchers because of Zito, Sabathia might feel exactly the same way. Back in the day Long-time Indians fans will look at Zito and Sabathia and quickly think of Wayne Garland. He signed a 10-year, $2.3-million contract with Cleveland prior to the 1977 season — incredible at the time in both length and value. He was 28-48 with the Indians, who put him on waivers in 1981. The average player’s salary in 1977 was $74,000, meaning Garland was paid 3.11 times the average. The average salary in 2006 was $2,699,292. Had Garland been pitching as well and received a comparable offer in the winter of 2006, then, the Indians would have signed him for $8,394,798 per year, or $83,947,981 total. So, in terms of total dollars committed, Garland’s historic contract was small change compared to Zito — and, potentially, Sabathia. Happy to be there Pittsburgh’s Phil Dumatrait earned his first big-league victory Wednesday, at Zito’s expense. 
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