Sports
LeBrun: Panthers' Bill Zito on his path from Brewers bat boy to one of the NHL's most successful execs
Bill Zito has come a long way since his days as bat boy for the Milwaukee Brewers.
From a World Series appearance as a teenage bat boy to the Stanley Cup Final as an NHL general manager, it’s a life lived indeed.
The Florida Panthers took a chance on Zito in September 2020, handing him his first NHL GM job after the former player agent turned AGM with the Columbus Blue Jackets took several swings at GM jobs elsewhere.
Zito interviewed for GM openings with the Buffalo Sabres (Jason Botterill was hired), Minnesota Wild (Paul Fenton was hired), Wild again (Bill Guerin got it), Carolina Hurricanes (owner Tom Dundon ended up not hiring a GM after interviewing several candidates, naming team president Don Waddell GM instead), Philadelphia Flyers (Chuck Fletcher got it), Edmonton Oilers (Ken Holland got it) and New Jersey Devils (where ownership interviewed several people, including Zito, before ultimately promoting interim GM Tom Fitzgerald to the full-time job).
All of which to say, Zito hasn’t taken the easy road to where he is today. He’s had to be patient. For starters, he took a risk leaving his player agency business. Acme World Sports, a firm he established in 1995, had represented the likes of Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask, John Madden, Kimmo Timonen and Brian Rafalski. He jumped into a whole new world as AGM of the Blue Jackets in 2013.
So when the Panthers announced this week that they had signed Zito to a multiyear extension (his previous deal was expiring after next season) plus promoted him to the title of president of hockey operations, one had to sit back and consider the path traveled.
“You feel very fortunate, blessed and humbled,” were Zito’s first words when we connected over the phone Monday night. “I feel so grateful to the Violas (the owners of the team) for the opportunity.
“And for the opportunity to be part of something. You know, we’ve been fortunate enough to have the chance to get a real good bunch of people together here who are like-minded. To be able to be part of it is a privilege.”
It’s been quite a journey. One still missing a Stanley Cup, but Zito’s built a team in Florida that can take swings at it not just this year but for multiple years.
“One of the blessings here is the core group,” Zito said. “They’re not just good players, they’re great people.
“And the group of people that I get to work with every day, and learn from and interact with and get challenged by, it’s so extraordinary.”
Team USA Olympic GM Bill Guerin has gotten to know Zito well, and they now will work together as part of the country’s management group for 4 Nations and the Olympics.
“Honestly I love Billy,” Guerin said Tuesday. “No. 1, as a person, him and I have become closer over the past 10 years or so when we were both assistant GMs. He’s one of the smartest people I know. He thinks differently. I really respect that. He thinks out of the box, he’s aggressive.
“There’s always something going on upstairs. I just think the world of him.”
The Panthers have just four players left on their NHL roster from when Zito was named GM on Sept. 2, 2020: captain Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sergei Bobrovsky and Eetu Luostarinen. The first three are big-time, key veterans to be sure.
Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad have been part of the Panthers’ core since before Bill Zito arrived as GM. (James Guillory / USA Today)
Zito makes a point to tip the hat to former Panthers GM Dale Tallon for leaving behind a strong core and good assets to inherit.
“I showed up to some pretty good players here,” Zito said. “A little bit of a testament to Dale, right?”
But Zito has been as aggressive as any GM in the league in adding to his core, trading for the likes of Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Montour. There was also his low-key signing of Carter Verhaeghe, his waiver claim of Gustav Forsling, etc.
“Billy has done an outstanding job reshaping the Panthers,” Waddell said Tuesday.
“Going back to his days as an agent, I have always found Bill to be a creative, out-of-the-box thinker,” Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois said. “It served him well then and it continued to serve him well once he got into team management. He has proven himself to be a thoughtful and bold GM, and his leadership has contributed to the Panthers becoming a top team in the League since his hiring.”
Some first-time GMs sit on their hands too much, reluctant to get beat in a trade. That was not Zito.
Not every first-time GM gets to their second contract. That’s just a fact of life in the fast lane. And some of those first-time GMs never get another shot.
One thing I’ve heard repeatedly over the years from veteran GMs is how, over time, they have to learn to delegate more. When one becomes GM, you realize your butt is on the line with every decision. The buck stops with you. That’s an overwhelming feeling and often what you see with first-time GMs is that they feel the need to check in on every single facet every single day. GMs have to learn to grow into a place where they know they have people taking care of certain things and must learn to let go a little.
To this, Zito took a deep breath before answering.
“Everything you said is accurate and spot on,” he said. “It’s a little different for me because I did have a sports agency, so running a business is something I had experience with.”
“With the knowledge of the interaction you just referenced and my own personal experience, I still don’t get it right,” he added with a laugh. “It’s still hard to delegate. I struggle.”
Bill Zito and Panthers coach Paul Maurice address the media before the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. (Lucas Peltier / USA Today)
Zito can laugh at himself about it because he hopes it’s something he will get better at over time. But it all comes from a place of caring so much about every little detail in the day-to-day operation of the hockey side of the franchise.
He truly lives and dies with every win or loss.
In the meantime, Zito has tried to absorb as much knowledge as possible from people around the league.
He points to a Board of Governors call during the pandemic when Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs made a comment to the group at large that really stuck with him.
“He said, ‘Somebody smart once told me no one ever listens themselves into trouble,’” Zito said. “I thought that was real interesting. I know I need to do a better job of it. And I think probably everybody could.”
Right now, it’s all about the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Panthers are hoping for another deep run.
The offseason will be busy as always, Reinhart is a pending unrestricted free agent having a career season. One of the things I found interesting a couple of weeks ago talking to Reinhart about his impending contract decision, is that he mentioned his comfort level with Zito as a factor as to why he’s not stressed out about not having signed an extension yet.
“I think the relationship that we have, me and Billy, me and the organization, it’s all positive, all mutual,” Reinhart said. “I’m very comfortable with it being ongoing. We’ve got bigger things in mind the next couple of months, hopefully. But I’m not losing sleep over it by any means.”
That feeling is mutual.
“I have nothing but respect for Sam and it’ll get done at the right time,” Zito reiterated Monday night.
If Reinhart stays, no doubt it will be for less than what his market demand would be on July 1. But who can blame him if he’s willing to take less?
They’ve built something special in South Florida. And everyone wants a piece of it.
(Top photo of Bill Zito: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Sports
Pirates star pitcher makes unfortunate history after being taken out in middle of perfect game bid
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Jared Jones was flirting with Major League Baseball history on Wednesday night — he got it, but it was not what he originally envisioned.
The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher retired the first 18 batters he faced, but he was taken out in the middle of his perfect game bid after six innings.
Now, the Pirates certainly have their reasons — the 24-year-old Jones hasn’t thrown more than 81 pitches in eight starts since returning May 20 after missing all of last season while undergoing ulnar collateral ligament internal brace surgery on May 21, 2025. He was yanked with 77 pitches and likely would have needed more than 100 pitches to record the 25th perfect game in MLB history.
Jared Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park on July 8, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
However, Jones left the game after getting zero run support, so when the Atlanta Braves tacked on three runs late for a 3-0 victory, Jones instead found himself in the wrong chapter of the history books.
According to Opta Stats, Jones became the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1920) to pitch at least six perfect innings and not record a win.
“It does suck. Something’s cool coming on, but I’m on what? My eighth start off of surgery? I completely understand it, and it is what it is,” Jones told reporters after the game.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones (17) makes his way to the field to warm up before pitching against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
JUSTIN VERLANDER ANNOUNCES HE WILL RETIRE AFTER THIS SEASON: ‘I’VE REALIZED THAT TIME HAS COME’
Jones said he didn’t entertain attempting to complete the perfect game.
“Not with the pitch count,” he said. “Not really ever expecting to go nine right now, so that was never in my head.”
Joey Bart, traded to the Braves from the Pirates on June 18, followed a double by Mike Yastrzemski with a 422-foot, two-run homer to left-center field off a slider from Dennis Santana. Drake Baldwin added an RBI single to center in the ninth for good measure.
It was the second time in less than a week that a pitcher was taken out of the game with a perfect bid through six innings — the Miami Marlins took Eury Perez out after seven innings in which he had 92 pitches. Perez, too, is in the midst of returning from injury and has surprisingly found himself right in the postseason mix.
He was pulled for Lake Bachar to start the eighth, and the Marlins allowed eight runs to the Athletics in the final two innings, but held on to win 9-8.
Jared Jones (17) of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch during a MLB game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 27, 2026, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Pirates are 4.0 games out of the final wild card spot, which is held by the Marlins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON — The Dodgers are scheduled to visit the White House on July 23 to celebrate their latest World Series title.
“President Trump is excited to welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers BACK to the White House to celebrate their World Series championship!,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to The Times.
The date falls on a scheduled off day in the middle of a nine-game East Coast road trip for the Dodgers. The team will play three games in Philadelphia against the Phillies July 20-22 before ending the trip with a three-game series against the New York Mets July 24 to 26.
The visit continues a tradition from the Dodgers’ two previous World Series championships. They were hosted by President Biden in 2021 and President Trump in April 2025.
After the Dodgers claimed their second consecutive World Series title with a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, a visit to the White House was planned, but it wasn’t until Thursday that a date was officially booked and confirmed.
Questions swirled around whether players would decline the visit this year after it did not happen during a scheduled visit to Washington in April.
Kiké Hernández said in 2018 he was unsure he would have gone had the Dodgers won the World Series the previous year. Mookie Betts said he was undecided and needed to talk it over with his family when last year’s visit was announced. After winning his first World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018, Betts skipped their trip to the White House the following year during Trump’s first term.
Both players, along with every returning member of the 2024 team who was with the team during its road trip, participated in the visit. The only notable absence was first baseman Freddie Freeman, who remained in Los Angeles to nurse an ankle injury.
Manager Dave Roberts, who indicated in comments to The Times in 2019 he might not go to the White House if Trump was president, also participated in last year’s ceremony.
Asked at the Dodgers’ fan festival in January about the possibility of returning to the White House, Roberts told The Times’ Bill Shaikin: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.”
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country,” Roberts said. “For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. … For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
Clayton Kershaw, who retired after last season but was on Team USA for this year’s World Baseball Classic, told The Times in the spring that he was aware Dodgers fans are split over whether the team should visit the White House again this year, but he said he is looking forward to it.
“I went when President Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”
Times deputy sports editor Ed Guzman contributed to this report.
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All eyes were on Caitlin Clark on Wednesday night as she made her anticipated return from injury in a road matchup in Los Angeles.
But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent the entire night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s rough return fueled a 106-92 rout.
The superstar never found a groove, looking completely out of sync in her return from a back injury.
STEPHANIE WHITE GIVES CAITLIN CLARK STATUS UPDATE AHEAD OF FEVER-SPARKS, BUT HER NEXT MOVE RAISES QUESTIONS
Caitlin Clark huddles with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of that disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenom to establish a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
MERCURY’S NOW-DELETED SOCIAL MEDIA POST MOCKING CAITLIN CLARK DRAWS SCRUTINY AFTER STAR’S INJURY
Yet while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night over-managing its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder the entire offensive burden.
Mitchell did her part, pouring in 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in primetime action. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA squad.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 victory.
White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.
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After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The Fever dropped to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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