It's a big week for Metallica, who will follow their Revolver Golden Gods honor Thursday night (May 2) with a little love from their hometown San Francisco Giants on Friday (May 3). The band members will get to throw out the first pitch before Friday's game and perform the National Anthem for the audience, but even before the fun on the field, the group connected with one of their favorite Giants players.

Pitcher Barry Zito was recently invited out to Metallica's headquarters, where he was given a tour of the facilities, took a few family photos and at the end of things was provided the opportunity to jam with Metallica in the studio on one of his favorite songs.

Zito chose 'Fade to Black,' which he had been practicing prior to his visit with the band. "That'd be fun to try that one just because it's so nostalgic for me," says Zito in a video of the visit produced for Major League Baseball. Music is nothing new for the pitcher, who was born into a family that included a musical arranger for Nat King Cole and a member of a '50s singing group.

The video compares the stories of Metallica and Zito and it finds the band truly touched to see how their music has been embraced by the sports community over the years.

"When you music is played and it moves people or it changes their mood and brings them together, there's no better feeling," explained frontman James Hetfield. "I never would have thought our music would have been inspiring the local team in a World Series, let alone tons of people around the world being inspired by it. We're truly blessed with that."

Zito holds his own as members of the band gather round him for an all-out jam. After an exchange of shirts and some photos, drummer Lars Ulrich concludes, "Sorry Giants, we may keep him."

Watch Footage of Barry Zito's Jam Session With Metallica

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