Barry Zito

Barry Zito ( ())

Barry Zito

For Barry Zito, being the highest paid pitcher in the MLB didn't come easy. It took countless hours of throwing practicing and watching himself on film. Always being a bigger kid ever since he was young, he had an advantage over some of the other players. Ever since he was born he has had a love for the sport. That love drove him to work hard every day of his life to get him where he is today. Being a kid not having much was rough on Barry. That is a big reason why he's where he's at today. Determination and hard work kept him going throughout his whole life to fulfill his dreams of playing in the MLB. When Barry was three years old he received his first baseball bat. Ever since then he could not live without baseball. After moving to San Diego and starting a new life he went to high school and made the baseball team as a freshman. He set CIF records with strikeouts , wins and ERA. Barry then went to a small community college, and after two years transferred to USC. There, he was setting records again in the Pac 10. Barry was drafted with the ninth overall pick by the Oakland Athletics in 1999. After a half of year in the farm system, Barry was called up to the big leagues. He pitched in the playoffs both years and won at least one game in each year. In 2001 Barry started off horribly. But after turning it around he turned that season into a magical season. Having over 20 wins, one of the lowest ERA's and over 180 strikeouts, he earned the Cy Young award. When his time was over with the A's in 2006 , he was traded to the San Francisco Giants as the highest paid pitcher in the league. A hero must posses character and show that he has done good for somebody else or for a community and Barry has both of those, starting foundations and doing charitable work. Zito has shown character and hard work and proves that he is a hero.

Barry Zito (http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/ZtDzEsxq1hR/Texas+Rangers+v+San+Francisco+Giants/XunBSsuUTe6/Barry+Zito ())

A hard worker, nothing in life was handed to Barry. He grew up with nothing and had to work his tail off for everything that he has today. From high school, to college, to the MLB, he had to work as hard as he could to get there. Entering the draft, he was a highly regarded prospect at USC. Getting drafted by the Oakland Athletics, he had to work his way up the farm system until he made his debut in 1999. After a couple of up and down years he finally had a great season in 2001, having the best record in the league and winning the NL Cy Young honors. After getting traded to the San Francisco Giants and playing there for a few years, he finally achieved his lifelong dream of getting a World Series win in 2010. Zito worked hard his whole life to get to that moment and it was all worth it. Barry knew what it was like to grow up with nothing and feel what some of the kids have to go through. He felt like the best way to help them was to give back to them as much as he can. He donates time and money to local homeless shelters and charities.  "The pitcher for the San Francisco Giants also does work for his community". Barry believes that everybody gets a chance in life and shouldn't be left out just because they don't have as much as somebody else, and has a better shot at a better life. Some people think that way but Barry has been in the same situation as some of these kids and feels the hardships they have to go through. Barry does most of his charity work back home in San Diego though. He feels at home and that's where he belongs.

()

"The San Diego native goes back home to donate and contribute to the community in every way he can." San Diego has a lot of charities, events, and other foundations that benefit the less fortunate. Barry has something to do with most of the big charitable work in San Diego. Weather its for a foundation that he started or for somebody else, he tries to do as much as he can for them. Zito has started a very significant foundation that benefits all of the troops and has participated in other events for other athletes and celebrities. Barry has started lots of foundations and has come to have a lot of followers. A lot of it started from his excellence in baseball. Starting at a young age he started to work hard with the very little that he had and made the best of it. Barry, from a young age loved baseball and his hardships and his continuing to not have anything lasted to the time they moved to Southern California.

"Barry had to deal with this from the time he was born to the time he moved to San Diego freshman year in high school". Growing up was hard for Barry, but with him and his family moving to San Diego, he started to excel in baseball even more and had an all around better life. Zito grew up with nothing, which means he had to work three times harder to get the life that he has now, being the highest paid pitcher in all of Major League Baseball. Baseball is what kept him motivated in life. For playing the sport, for school, and for anything else that he could use it for. Baseball was more than just a game to Barry. It was more like his life and it was his fallback for all of the problems that he had, he would rely on baseball to get him out of it. Barry Zito is a giver. He gives to everybody and never asks for anything in return. Whether its for the troops, a charitable organization or for anything that has to do with the poor, he does it out of the kindness of his heart. Barry started a foundation that benefits the Military called "Strikeouts for troops."

"Strikeouts for troops is a national nonprofit organization founded by Barry Zito". Barry went to start his own website for the organization so that he could get as many people out to the event on the ship as possible. The Strikeouts for Troops night is a night for the troops to have a good night and enjoy their time. They can also have a chance to talk to Barry and other athletes and celebrities. The Strikeouts for Troops night is a night for the troops to have a good night and enjoy their time. They can also have a chance to talk to Barry and other athletes and celebrities. Its mission is dedicated to giving back to our military heroes while providing the comforts of home. Zito felt like the troops should feel at home, even when there across the country and he thought this organization would help. Barry feels like what he does is very small in this world, but what the Military does is way bigger. So another way to show his appreciation, for every strikeout that he records, he donates 400 dollars to the organization which goes straight to the troops. For as long as he can remember, baseball has been Barry's life. He treats the sport well and doesn't take it for granted. He gives back to the community and is humbled, and blessed for everything he has. The way he treats baseball and the way he was raised by his parents is really shown in the locker room and is notices by all of his teammates. Barry works hard on and off the field which shows that he doesn't take breaks, he has all of the charecteristics of a hero and role model and should be viewed as one. Barrys life wasn't easy but he overcame it. He wanted something so he worked hard for it and wasn't going to take no for an aswer. That attitude has gotten him to where he is today. Hard work defines Barry. He works hard in everything he does so that he can get the best out of himself and others so that they strive for more. Barry inspires me and others by showing us that nothing is given to us and it must be earned. We have to work hard every second of our life today to get to where we want to be tomorrow. He inspires us to want to do better and be a better person, and that is what makes him a hero. Barry didn't have flashy things growing up. Just a baseball and a red plastic bat. But that made him who he is today. A loving a hard working man who was willing to do anything for somebody else , and whatever it takes to get to his dream of pitching in the MLB."