A’s pitcher Barry Zito to start Saturday vs. Tim Hudson, Giants

Barry Zito, recently called up from Triple-A Nashville, is quite possibly making his final career start this Saturday against his former team and crosstown rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

A’s manager Bob Melvin and general manager Billy Beane discussed a potential start with Zito earlier in the week before announcing the decision on Tuesday. “To get him out here one more time in our ballpark, against the Giants, with our fan base, their fan base and Tim Hudson on the mound – it’s going to be a very exciting day”. The threesome will throw out ceremonial first pitches, and be the subject of a 15-minute video tribute, before Sunday’s A’s-Giants game. “I came to peace with the fact that Omaha was my last start”. I definitely didn’t think this was going to happen.

“I can’t be a fan that day, ‘ he said”. I got to still be a player. “But it’s going to be a really good experience, regardless of what happens”. He spent most of August on the disabled list in Nashville, returning in time to throw one relief inning September 6.

“We had a baseball piñata in there, and a champagne shower”, Zito said. It’s really cool. It’s something I’m looking forward to. “This is icing. This is all bonus, triple-bonus situation right now, so I’m enjoying it”. But he threw a 70-pitch bullpen session Tuesday. I think if you talk to anybody about any of those teams, not just me and Mulder and Zito but our pitching staff from top to bottom was always the foundation of why a lot of those teams were successful.

“We’ll have him out there as long as we think he can handle it”, said Melvin.

Oakland plans to honor its former “Big Three” trio of Hudson, Zito and Mark Mulder in a pregame ceremony Saturday. Mulder retired in 2010 – and had a comeback attempt in 2014 derailed by injury – while Hudson, 40, intends to retire after this season. Hudson and Zito were of course teammates on the A’s from 2000-04. Zito got the call and headed back to the city where he made his baseball name.

“I thought they were the best three in the business at the time”, said Washington, back for a second stint with the club this year.

It is going down as the final start in the career of the 37-year-old Zito, although he said he hasn’t 100 percent closed the door on pitching in 2016.

It will come Saturday in the Coliseum.

“It definitely was fun to watch Huddy go out and Mulder go out and do their thing, ” Zito said.