Farewell-to-arms matchup thrills longtime friends
Barry Zito and Tim Hudson were giddy Friday about facing each other Saturday, an amazing full-circle moment for their long, distinguished big-league careers.
They’ll be focused once the game begins, though, with Hudson going for the Giants and Zito for the A’s, two-thirds of Oakland’s sensational Big Three of the early 2000s opposing each other for the first time.
“I’m going to appreciate everything leading up to the game, and the fact we’re going to be on the same field together is really, really cool. But obviously, when it comes time to cross the lines, it’s all business,” Hudson said. “We can have fun before and after, and I’m sure we will, but we don’t have many more of these games, we have to go out and take it serious and put on a good show for our fans and teammates.”
Hudson, 40, has announced he is retiring after the season; Zito, 37, already had thought his baseball career was done when Triple-A Nash
ville’s season ended. He will be making his first start for the A’s since 2006 and his first big-league start since 2013 after taking last year off.
“It’s kind of funny, we both started within a year of each other in the big leagues, and we’re both kind of at the tail end here, and it’s happening at the same time against each other, and in the bay,” Zito said. “All those things — it’s crazy how they line up, you know?”
“I don’t think we could have written a better script,” Hudson said. “Me, personally, at the end of my career, and Barry — we had some of our best years here in Oakland wearing the yellow and green. I’m really going to enjoy it. When I heard it was going to happen, it really made me smile, for Barry as well.”
Zito is astonished to find himself studying Giants hitters two weeks after thinking his baseball career was done.
“Buster Posey — that guy can hit! The scouting report says so,” Zito said of his former catcher with the Giants. “I’ve never looked at his scouting report before.”
There were many chuckles during Friday’s news conference. Asked if the two had heard from any former A’s teammates about the matchup, Hudson said third baseman Eric Chavez had texted to say he was going to come out of retirement to face both of them. “Man, I don’t think I’ve gotten him out yet, so I hope he” doesn’t, Hudson said with a laugh.
Zito fought simply to resume his season at Nashville, nearly shut down with a shoulder injury. His ability to come back and throw one inning at Omaha led to this opportunity when the A’s had more injuries to the pitching staff.
“I’m so grateful I get to end everything on a Bay Area note,” Zito said. “To come back and get a start here in Oakland, it’s like icing times 100, it’s so awesome.”
Another man who won’t have trouble appreciating the moment Saturday is A’s manager Bob Melvin, who is so delighted with the matchup, he’d like to take part and have Giants manager Bruce Bochy join him.
“Bochy and I should probably catch the first few innings, based on our experience,” Melvin said.
The Coliseum will be sold out, and tickets are a tough get even on the secondary market.
“I hope the reception is good for both of us,” Hudson said. “Some of my best memories in baseball are here in Oakland, and obviously Barry pitched for both teams.
“For me, I feel like it’s like a celebration for both of our careers and we played for both teams. Something that’s very cool, very unique — something that just don’t happen.”
“I’m really going to enjoy it. When I heard it was going to happen, it really made me smile, for Barry as well.”
Tim Hudson, Giants pitcher