Known as a superstar pitcher who won the Cy Young Award in 2002, Barry Zito pursued a secondary career in country music after he retired from baseball in 2015. He released his debut EP of original material, the mellow and burnished No Secrets, in 2017. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Barry Zito relocated to San Diego, California with his family so he could pursue a career in baseball. This paid off, with Zito becoming a star pitcher at UC Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Pierce College. He went pro in 1999, when he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics. Over the next seven seasons he stayed with the A's, having a career-making year in 2002 that led to him winning the Cy Young Award. He signed with the San Francisco Giants in 2007 and stayed with them through 2013, finishing off his professional career in 2015 back with the Oakland A's. During his time as a pro player, Zito entertained himself by playing guitar. In 2002, his sister Sally asked him to play in her band during the off season, and by the end of the decade he started writing his own material. Once he retired from baseball, he decided to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter. His debut EP, No Secrets, appeared in January 2017; it hit number 39 on Billboard's Country Album Sales chart and 15 on the Americana/Folk Album Sales chart. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine