It’s so easy to get disappointed with athletes and forget they are human beings too.

Being brought up in the four-paper, 24-hour sports radio environment of New York I have often fallen into the trap of disliking players … often on the New York Mets … for underachieving.

There are plenty of players who underachieve though, and it DOESN’T make them bad people.

San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito is a good example of someone paid tons of money, over $100 million on one contract. to pitch well.

Although he starred with the Oakland A’s for several seasons,  Zito has been mostly disappointing in his other Bay Area stint.

Not as a person, however, as a recent piece on The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants, revealed.

Zito is still a stand-up guy who will interact with fans and offers genuine compassion and love to his ailing father, Nick, a former composer/arranger who worked with Nat King Cole.

Barry Zito also formed a charity Strikeouts for Troops which provides money to hospitals for soldiers wounded during war operations.

Kudos again to Showtime for digging below the surface on this terrific series.

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For more sports of the day check out: http://www.heapsgoodstuff.com/unbearlievable-bears-linebacker-superb-in-opener/