Posts tagged ‘carlos zambrano’

UPDATE: The entire 9/14 game is now available for download on iTunes for $1.99. Thanks to Evan for the tip!

The man has done it. Congratulations, Carlos! What a game. Truly unbelievable, and we had a blast talking about it on Monday’s historic episode of Cubscast (download mp3). In the episode we referenced an interview with former Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas from a few years ago. Check it out (download mp3) if you have a few extra minutes this week.

While the remnants of Hurricane Gustav pummeled Chicago yesterday, an audible sigh of relief was heard from Cubs fans not only here but everywhere. Big Z is going to miss one start. I admit that I’m surprised, and I also admit that I thought he was done for the season. Not that I had let that sink in or anything. Carlos Zambrano simply doesn’t take himself out of games in the 5th inning. That more than the missed MRI appointment on Wednesday freaked me out. Carlos taking himself out still freaks me out, because in my opinion there’s more truth in the few words that he spoke to Larry Rothchild than in the hundreds of words in the Trib story linked above. My worries aren’t unique. After all, if you’re not a Cubs pitcher injury conspiracy theorist, you’re either not a Cubs fan or you’re under the age of 2.

So despite what the men in white coats scrawl on the Tribune Prescription Pad (I mean website), I propose that we (at least in spirit) take Carlos’ obvious arm pain over the word of the doctor on the team’s payroll and just count Big Z out for September. Count him out. Wind him down. Give him a yard and a hammock. Let him take naps in between rounds of kicking soccer balls at passing cars. All figuratively speaking, of course.

This expect-nothing attitude has done a world of good for me when it comes to seeing crappy movies at the theater with my wife. Pluto Nash was a great experience for me. It can work for the Cubs, right?

Because really…what’s the value of 4 starts for Carlos this month? If he gets them (and it sounds like he’s going to), I figure he’ll go an average of 6 innings and will give up on average 3 runs in those 4 starts. It’s not that much different than what Marshall would do if given those 4 starts, which I’d predict to be 5 1/3 innings and roughly 3.5 runs on average. Either way the bullpen is entering the game in the 6th inning most of these games, with either 2 outs or 0 outs, respectively. The personnel in the Cubs bullpen after the call ups this week scream “clean inning” to me more than they do 2-out situations. I’d feel much better giving Angel Guzman, Kevin Hart, Michael Wuertz, Jon Lieber or even Jeff Samardzija the ball to open the 6th instead of in the middle of the inning with a runner or two that Big Z walked on the bases.

So the main difference to me or the “value” in starting Zambrano over Marshall (or others) is that it’s an opportunity for one of the bullpen studs to come in and have a chance to get Carlos out of a jam. After witnessing the ups and downs of this bullpen in ‘08, thought, it’s hard to tell if that value is positive or negative.

Time will tell.

It was announced this weekend that the Chicago Cubs are going to have 7 players represent the National League in this year’s All-Star Game on July 15th. Seven Cubs! By mid-July it’s normally tough to throw a dart and hit 7 of them healthy enough to take the field, let alone represent something that isn’t a pain relief spray or tablet. And while the health thing is debatable on at least one Cubs All-Star, here they are, in all their glory:

Ryan Dempster – SP
Kosuke Fukudome – OF (starter)
Aramis Ramirez – 3B
Alfonso Soriano – OF (starter)
Geovany Soto – C (starter)
Kerry Wood – RP
Carlos Zambrano – SP

Congrats to each of them, and to Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who was directly involved with bringing at least 5 of these players to the Cubs. We don’t often sing his praises, but Hendry has bolstered the club especially in the last 2 years, and has made the Cubs more competitive with his deals each year since he started. Plus, it’s no secret that the day before the 2002 trade of Todd Hundley was one of the darkest days in Cubs history, or what The Rock would call rock bottom. Whenever the Cubs GM retires or moves on, he should be given a room full of plaques for that move. Not to mention any of the other moves that happened in order to bring many of the above players to the North Side.

However, there’s a few duds in every box, so since I had some time I went back and selected a few players that Hendry helped acquire that will represent no one in any All-Star game this year or likely any year. They play the same positions as the talented Cubs players selected by fans, other players, and Rockies coach Clint Hurdle.

Cliff Bartosh – RP
Freddy Bynum – OF (starter)
Todd Dunwoody – OF
Wade Miller – SP (starter)
Josh Paul – C
Neifi Perez – 3B
Les Walrond – SP

Okay, as sad as that list is, I have to admit that I only gained more confidence in Hendry in spending a few minutes looking at the lists of transactions from 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Jim and the Cubs front office drafted both Tim Lincecum and Micah Owings in the late rounds, but they both refused to sign. If they had (especially Lincecum), maybe the Cubs could have sent 8.

Anyway, best of luck to these players at Yankees Stadium (and at the skating rink, respectively) and thanks to Jim Hendry and his staff for working to better this franchise. They unquestionably have done that.

I don’t really have a problem with Paul Sullivan. I think he’s been pretty interesting when I’ve seen him interviewed during games and despite what the Sneetch had to say about him on our last podcast, I don’t think he hates his life. (Or for that matter, his wife, as maybe I misheard Sneetch??) But as we discussed, Sullivan’s recent article about Zambrano is ridiculously biased. So when Lou put together the below image, I had to post it. After all, what’s the point of having a podcast if you can’t stamp “ass” over someone’s bio once in a while?