Aces
Chapter One
GREEN + GOLD = BLUE
Few things in big-league baseball are more beautiful than Oakland
A's lefty Barry Zito at the top of his game. Granted, the sight
of Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki gliding from first to third on a single to
center is certainly impressive. It's like watching someone running
on one of those moving airport walkways-only much, much
faster and without the wobbling wheeled luggage awkwardly in
tow. Similarly freakish and fascinating is the sight of Angels outfielder
Vladimir Guerrero unleashing the beast that is his right arm.
Let's see ... 385 feet from the right-field corner to home plate? Not
a problem. Here's a laser-guided strike to beat the runner with
enough time for the catcher to brace for the blow that typically
comes when a runner is so comically beaten. Oh, and do you want
it on one hop or a line? Alex Sanchez of the Detroit Tigers can blow
you away, too-with a bunt. It matters not that everyone in the
park knows he's going to drop one down. He drops it down anyway,
and, far more often than not, he drops it where nobody can
possibly stop him from turning it into a single.
As memorable as these moments are, though, they come and go
in a matter of seconds. They are riveting solos ... read full excerpt from Aces: The Last Season on the Mound with the Oakland A's Big Three: Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito ebook
