Fortunately, we are over behind the First Base Coach probably, to zoom in on this live baseball action like this. The other 1/3 of the card leads you back to home plate, where the baseball is going to end up here shortly. This is such a nice sunny day on the foggy Bay that Zito's face is still nicely lit up even fully in the shadow of his cap. Perhaps that works so well on this card that it kind of leads Topps to think that can work on other cards when there isn't enough sunlight to pull that off as well as it is done here.
One odd starring element in the image is the pin-striping on the uniform, which eventually somewhat roller-coasts the viewer right down to the high sock (team color, too), and straight off this here Sea Turtle baseball card.
Uniform Hero? An affirmative there, cap'n. Zito wore #75 for every year of his career except his rookie season.
This is actually a 'sunset' card so it is not too surprising to find it correlated with the uni # here on this checklist spot. It is not, however, a true final card as Topps would issue 2 more inserts featuring Zito in 2014, one of which simply uses the #75 on his uniform back rather than his face in the photo.
This is actually a 'sunset' card so it is not too surprising to find it correlated with the uni # here on this checklist spot. It is not, however, a true final card as Topps would issue 2 more inserts featuring Zito in 2014, one of which simply uses the #75 on his uniform back rather than his face in the photo.
Where’d the egg hatch? Zito was actually drafted 3 times, by the Mariners in the 59th round (only 40 rounds in the 2010s) in 1996, then again in 1998 by the Rangers in the 3rd round after 2 years of junior college in 1998.
Ultimately Zito signed with the Oakland A's after they made him the 9th pick in 1999.
Ultimately Zito signed with the Oakland A's after they made him the 9th pick in 1999.
How about the migrations? Zito's career arc from there surely illustrates that the Athletics were on the upswing, as they never traded him while holding his first contract. However the realities of baseball in Oakland are illustrated by their not re-signing him after that contract ended in 2006, upon which he signed just across The Bay - the San Francisco Bay.
Don’t flip over real Turtles.
And that's how you baseball card, folks. I like how the only 2 League Leader in Italics nicely yin-yang themselves illustrating life as a Major League Starting Pitcher. If Games Started separate from Games (as in Appeared In) could somehow fit on a card back, Zito would have four more bits of red ink here.
Though this is Barry Zito's final regular checklist spot in a Topps Baseball set, this card is not the more robust, but more rarely issued, type of Sunset Card which includes all final MLB stats.
Can the Turtle Catch the Rabbit?
CAREER CHASE: With 160 wins, Zito is 351 away from Cy Young's all-time record of 511.
On one of the inserts Topps issued for Zito in 2014, one of his career milestone marks listed by specific date is one for his 150th Win, which kind of illustrates how other-planet the Cy Young record really is.
Zito would pitch his final full regular season in the year of the Sea Turtle cards; a final attempt at a comeback back on the other side of The Bay in Oakland, in 2015, did not result in any baseball cards. It did however result in a tribute type start late in the season, his final in the Majors, vs. old team-mate Tim Hudson, which these days would probably have resulted in a Topps Now card, or 10, with relic and signature versions, etc., etc.
Barry Zito finished his career with 165 Wins.
On one of the inserts Topps issued for Zito in 2014, one of his career milestone marks listed by specific date is one for his 150th Win, which kind of illustrates how other-planet the Cy Young record really is.
Zito would pitch his final full regular season in the year of the Sea Turtle cards; a final attempt at a comeback back on the other side of The Bay in Oakland, in 2015, did not result in any baseball cards. It did however result in a tribute type start late in the season, his final in the Majors, vs. old team-mate Tim Hudson, which these days would probably have resulted in a Topps Now card, or 10, with relic and signature versions, etc., etc.
Barry Zito finished his career with 165 Wins.
Subspecies? Given his popularity in a general sense, it is not surprising to find this card on the Opening Day checklist, but meanwhile over at Topps Chrome, there isn't as much room for sentimental old favorite Veterans when brand new (will play 5 MLB games) Rookies have to be introduced to us all, so this card does not appear there. There are no photo variant versions.
Bling That Shell There must be something in my mind that connects the Giants and the Emerald parallel, something jolly and green, or maybe something connects Giants starting pitchers in the early 10s and the color green, like the way Zito was card #420, once upon a time, cuz here is the 3rd Emerald Giant in this project:
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