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“The Cy Young’s not going to get me any more wins, it’s just going to get people to talk like I should get more wins,” he said, adding, “When you really start to dominate is when you get humbled by the game and basically get your butt handed to you.”

Zito was more right then than his pitching has been since. After his 23-5 season in 2002, Zito has been good but not great; and the gargantuan seven-year, $126 million contract he signed before last season advertises more what he isn’t than what he is. He pitched well in an exhibition game Friday for the San Francisco Giants, but Zito’s ghastly spring training has left Giants fans thinking that although one Barry (Bonds) is gone, their other Barry is missing.

“Whatever people think they’re going to think — I still have to go forward with what I’m doing,” said Zito, a left-hander who will turn 30 in May. “Obviously I care about the fans and what the fans think and those things, but I can’t take that out to the mound with me.”

Zito entered Friday’s start with one of the most shocking pitching lines of the spring: a 14.92 earned run average, 21 hits, 10 walks and not one strikeout in 12 2/3 innings, covering 67 batters. Some of that derived from his tinkering with his windup; it began to click Friday with excellent results. He finally struck out a batter — actually four — and crisply held an imposing White Sox lineup to two hits in five and two-thirds shutout innings, deflating his E.R.A. to 10.31.