Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame

After watching his career as a professional baseball player go down in flames, Cy Young Award-winner Barry Zito discovered a real connection with God and a renewed passion for life.

In 2007, pitcher Barry Zito signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. At that time, it was the largest contract ever given to a pitcher. He was at the top of his game, in peak physical condition, and had the kind of financial security most people can only dream of. 

He was also miserable. And it began to show. Zito’s career declined over the next few years until he hit rock bottom—watching from the bench as his team won the World Series in 2010. 

In the months that followed, Zito came face-to-face with the destructiveness of his own ego—his need to be viewed as the best. He also came face-to-face with God and with the truth that he was loved no matter what he achieved. 

In Curveball, Zito shares his story with honesty and transparency. The ups and the downs. The wins and losses. By sharing his experiences as a man who had everything except happiness, Zito offers readers a path through adversity and toward a life defined by true success.

Pitching primarily for the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants throughout his Major League Baseball career, Barry Zito is a Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion. After retiring from baseball, Barry settled in Nashville with his wife, Amber, and their two sons. Already well into his second career as a musician and songwriter, Zito recently released his debut EP, “No Secrets.”

Robert Noland has authored more than seventy-five titles spanning across children, youth, and adult audiences over the past twenty-five years. He is an author, writer, editor, and project manager for Christian publishers, ministries, and faith-based organizations. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife of 30+ years and has two adult sons. Visit robertnoland.com.