Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.”  Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots.  She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.

It’s a girl’s day-dream come true; taking a left as you walk into Scottsdale Stadium‘s main entrance, entering a door just across from the Giants gift-shop, going down two flights of stairs, and embarking on a room full of 63 Major League baseball players just ending practice and washing up.

It’s exactly what you’d imagine.

Lockers lining the Clubhouse stocked with bats, balls, and brand new baseball gear.  It was a tough assignment, as I tried to stay focused on my task at hand, but it was admittedly hard to ignore the guys nonchalantly undressing out of the their Spring Training work-out clothes, and into their day-time ensemble.

Among those getting all cleaned up after a sunny Scottsdale morning, was left-handed Giants pitcher, Barry Zito.  He then became my next victim in my “Babes of Baseball” series of articles in lieu of Spring Training.

“Scottsdale is a breath of fresh air.  It’s a nice change from Los Angeles where I live in the off-season,” said Giants pitcher Barry Zito.

The well-known Giant is happy to be back in the Valley of the Sun, and he‘s surely no stranger to Scottsdale.  He’s been with the San Francisco team for four years, and kicked off his career on the Oakland A’s.

“I grew up playing ball,” said Zito.

The 32 year old was born in Sin City, and raised by a show-biz couple who met and married while working for Nat King Cole.

“My mom sang for Nat.  Music was always around; jazz, classical.  It’s still the beat of my heart.”

But at a young age, Zito found another pastime that made his heart skip a beat: baseball.