ADDENDUM: Please note that the lot heading and description for this lot has been updated from the printed catalog. This is Barry Zito’s 1999 game-worn USC uniform. He did not attend USC in 1998.Featured here is Barry Zito's game-worn jersey and pants from his lone college season at USC in which the southpaw with a nasty hook earned First-Team All-America by USA Today Baseball Weekly, Collegiate Baseball, and Baseball America. With a 12–3 record, a 3.28 ERA, and 154 strikeouts in 112 2/3 innings, Zito was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year. Zito began his college career at UCSB where he was a Freshman All-America selection in 1997. To become draft-eligible, he pitched for Los Angeles Pierce College in 1998 as a sophomore, and then transferred to USC for his dominant junior year. He had already been drafted twice before the Oakland A's made him their first round pick in 1999. Combining with Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder to form the most formidable trio of starters in the American League, Zito finished 6th in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2000 going 7-4 with a 2.72 ERA over 14 starts. He went 17-8 with a 3.49 ERA and 205 K's in 2001 and finished 23-5 with a 2.75 ERA in 2002 to win the AL Cy Young. After seven seasons in Oakland, Zito ferried across the bay and signed a 7-year, $126 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. While his better days were clearly behind him, Zito ate up innings posting double-digit wins in his first three seasons and later helping the Giants win two World Series in three years (2010-12). In his first career World Series start in 2012, Zito out-dueled Detroit Tigers' ace Justin Verlander in Game 1, setting the stage for a Giants sweep and their seventh championship in franchise history.
The white polyester shirt has “Trojans” across the front in USC's famed cardinal and gold tackle twill lettering. Zito's No. 34 appears front and back in cardinal tackle twill. The embroidered Victory logo is found on the left sleeve; "Victory Custom Athletic" manufacturer's tag appears on the collar, with small flap tag attached beneath with "44." The jersey shows light wear and is in all respects problem free and unaltered. Zito has added his distinctive black Sharpie autograph on the front of the shirt beneath his No. 34. The matching two-snap and zipper (working) pants, showing quite a bit more game use, have the "Victory" manufacturer's tag on the inside waistband and a flap tag of "34" below. There some handwritten notations in black marker of "25" and "ZB," with the former crossed out, again by hand. The white paint has chipped off most of one of the two snaps and on the second one entirely.
Includes a Letter of Provenance from The Newport Sports Museum.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.