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Zito is latest big-bucks pitching bust

Submitted by SHNS on Thu, 04/24/2008 - 13:36

It's getting difficult to call struggling Giants lefty Barry Zito anything but a colossal bust. Even the most strident Zito defender's patience was pushed to the breaking point Tuesday, when he was staked to a 3-0 lead against 2006 N.L. Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb after 1-1/2 innings at Arizona but gave it all back by the fourth. Zito, who was 102-63 in seven seasons with the Oakland A's, is 0-5 this season with a 5.61 ERA and 11-18 in 38 starts with San Francisco since signing a seven-year, $126 million contract in December 2006. His performance makes us recall five of the more ignominious pitching signings in recent years -- a list on which Zito is zooming toward the top.KEVIN BROWN-- Contract: Seven years, $105 million.-- Signed with: Los Angeles Dodgers before 1999 season.-- Career record before: 139-99.-- Career record after: 72-45.Comment: Brown wasn't bad with Los Angeles. He just couldn't stay healthy enough to justify the then-record contract for a pitcher and was dealt to the Yankees, for whom he went 14-13, after the 2003 season.DARREN DREIFORT-- Contract: Five years, $55 million.-- Signed with: Los Angeles Dodgers before 2001 season.-- Career record before: 39-44.-- Career record after: 9-15.Comment: Agent Scott Boras somehow convinced the Dodgers the right-hander was worth it, but Dreifort's career was cut short by arm trouble. The Dodgers essentially paid him $6.1 million per victory.MIKE HAMPTON-- Contract: Eight years, $120 million.-- Signed with: Colorado before 2001 season.-- Career record before: 85-53.-- Career record after: 53-48.Comment: The Rockies got out from under Hampton's contract after two seasons, trading him to Atlanta, where he had decent 2003 and '04 seasons. But an elbow injury has sidelined him since 2005.CHAN HO PARK-- Contract: Five years, $65 million.-- Signed with: Texas before 2002 season.-- Career record before: 80-54.-- Career record after: 33-34.Comment: Another Boras special, this paper tiger turned injury-prone after his big payday, never winning more than 12 games during his contract. Now 34, he's back with the Dodgers, with whom he made his name.CARL PAVANO-- Contract: Four years, $39.95 million.-- Signed with: New York Yankees before 2005 season.-- Career record before: 57-58.-- Career record after: 5-6.Comment: The Yankees, their judgment perhaps blurred by Pavano's 1.00 ERA against them in the 2003 World Series and his 18-8 record in '04 with Florida, haven't exactly gotten a return on their investment.(Contact Ahmed V. Ortiz at aortiz@sacbee.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)