You know, having been here watching the Rangers as so many big name free agents come through here, the skeptical side of me wonders how much of Barry Zito’s eventual contract will be driven up by the free agent’s token appearance in Texas today.
But then the kid that is still left in me (after contracts, steroids, ticket prices, quarter billion dollar contracts) wakes up and goes “BARRY ZITO IS HERE!“. That pitcher that takes a teddy bear on the road with him is here! Yay!
For some reason, this visit seems promising. Even if we don’t get him, I won’t come away from this one feeling used like I usually feel (Clemens, Johnson) when one of these visitors signs elsewhere.
Most Ranger fans I talk to don’t say Ron Washington was their first choice to be manager in the recent sweepstakes (I certainly didn’t think that – always liked him from afar, but never considered him my manager material). But if it pays off with Zito, then I bet you you’ll see a lot of revised opinions in that regard (mine’s already changed after listening to the man).