Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame

by Barry Zito, Robert Noland (With)

Overview

After watching his career as a professional baseball player go down in flames, Cy Young Award-winner Barry Zito discovered a real connection with God and a renewed passion for life.

In 2007, pitcher Barry Zito signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. At that time, it was the largest contract ever given to a pitcher. He was at the top of his game, in peak physical condition, and had the kind of financial security most people can only dream of.

He was also miserable. And it began to show. Zito’s career declined over the next few years until he hit rock bottom—watching from the bench as his team won the World Series in 2010.

In the months that followed, Zito came face-to-face with the destructiveness of his own ego—his need to be viewed as the best. He also came face-to-face with God and with the truth that he was loved no matter what he achieved.

In Curveball, Zito shares his story with honesty and transparency. The ups and the downs. The wins and losses. By sharing his experiences as a man who had everything except happiness, Zito offers readers a path through adversity and toward a life defined by true success.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785227847
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	520,551
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Pitching primarily for the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants throughout his Major League Baseball career, Barry Zito is a Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion. After retiring from baseball, Barry settled in Nashville with his wife, Amber, and their two sons. Already well into his second career as a musician and songwriter, Zito recently released his debut EP, “No Secrets.”

Robert Noland has authored more than seventy-five titles spanning across children, youth, and adult audiences over the past twenty-five years. He is an author, writer, editor, and project manager for Christian publishers, ministries, and faith-based organizations. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife of 30+ years and has two adult sons. Visit robertnoland.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Introduction: Fame, Shame, and the Love of the Game xv

Chapter 1 Half-Italian, All-American 1

Chapter 2 Let the Games Begin 13

Barry's Basics-First Base 27

Chapter 3 The Point of Release Is Everything 31

Chapter 4 Method to the Madness 45

Barry's Basics-Second Base 57

Chapter 5 At Least Now We're in the Building 61

Chapter 6 Ride That Wave 77

Barry's Basics-Third Base 97

Chapter 7 Creating My Own Monster 99

Barry's Basics-Home Plate 113

Chapter 8 Tattoo That Number on Your Forehead 115

Chapter 9 Trying Everything, Getting Nowhere 135

Chapter 10 Nobody's Fault but Mine 157

Chapter 11 But He Was Never There, Until Right Now 173

Chapter 12 Stay on Your Side of the Fence 193

Chapter 13 No Regrets, No What-Ifs 207

Conclusion: The Tale of Two Rings 221

Appendix 1 God's Gift of Mercer 225

Appendix 2 The Gospel According to Barry Zito 229

Appendix 3 Barry Zito Baseball Career Awards and Stats 235

Notes 239

About the Authors 243

Editorial Reviews

06/24/2019

In his revealing debut memoir, former Major League Baseball pitcher Zito explores the work-hard play-hard lifestyle he lived before turning to God. The son of a music talent manager and pastor, Zito struggled with the strictures of home life and became addicted to drugs as a teenager, but he managed to keep himself clean for long stretches and became a star college ball player before being picked in the first round of the 1999 MLB draft. His whirlwind journey through the minor leagues was wrought with late-night partying and drug relapses. Once called to the majors, the partying only increased. After signing a $126-million contract with the San Fransisco Giants, Zito, overwhelmed by the fear of not living up to expectations, fell into a pitching slump. He began reading self-help books and tried various spiritual and mental practices, including hiring a spiritual healer; his fragile state hit a fever pitch when he was removed from his team’s 2010 playoff roster. Relying on the team chaplain and his devout girlfriend for support, Zito decided to convert to Christianity. Quickly, his career improved and he pitched in his first World Series game. Christian readers and baseball fans alike will enjoy this redemptive, detailed account. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly