Imagine rooting against your employer after they paid you $18.5 million.
That's the story Barry Zito is telling.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle, Zito revealed in a new memoir that he rooted against the Giants in the 2010 World Series because they left him off the playoff roster.
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“It was really hard to admit," Zito told The Chronicle's Ann Killion.
Zito was in his fourth season with the Giants, and things weren't going well. At that point, he had a 40-57 record and 4.45 ERA in 133 appearances for Bruce Bochy.
So despite his high salary, the Giants made the tough decision not to use Zito against the Braves, Phillies or Rangers.
For someone in the middle of a seven-year, $126 million contract, the snub stung, causing him to root for the Giants to lose the Fall Classic.
San Francisco Giants
“I rooted against the team because my ego was in full control and if we lost then I could get out of there,” Zito said. “It would a) prove they couldn’t do it without me, and b) take me out of the situation because I was so miserable coming to the field every day. I was so deep in shame. I wanted out of that situation so bad.”
As you know by now, the Giants went on to beat the Rangers in five games to capture their first World Series since moving to San Francisco in 1958, and the franchise's first since 1954.
But this story had a happy ending. The Giants didn't get rid of Zito, and he played a big part in their march to the 2012 World Series title.
With the Giants down three-games-to-one to the Cardinals in the NLCS, Zito saved their season by tossing 7 2/3 shutout innings in St. Louis. San Francisco would go on to win the next two games at home and advance to face the Tigers in the World Series.
[RELATED: Zito reveals he almost retired before 2012]
Bochy gave the ball to Zito in Game 1 against Detroit and the lefty allowed just one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. San Francisco would win the first game and go on to sweep the Tigers.
In the end, Zito is in possession of two World Series rings. One he never wanted and another that the Giants wouldn't have gotten without him.