OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – You bet, Barry Zito is accepting his assignment to Triple-A Nashville.
The 36-year-old lefty didn’t work his way back from a year out of baseball only to stop his comeback bid now just because he didn’t make the Oakland Athletics’ opening-day roster.
The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner was reassigned to minor league camp Saturday and said after the A’s final exhibition game he would head to Nashville – he’s never been – with his wife and young son.
“Yeah, I’m going to take it,” said Zito, sporting a T-shirt that read “Be Your Self.” ”I’m going to just continue to go have some fun pitching. That’s been my goal all along.”
He had already texted a few music buddies and looks forward to returning to the A’s if he can. Zito pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning Saturday in Oakland’s 2-1 loss to San Francisco, where he got a $126 million, seven-year contract before the 2007 season to leave his original A’s club.