Carlos Zambrano is a major league pitcher that can have a great night occasionally. Like on September 14th, 2008 when he no-hit the Houston Astros up in the Brewer’s Miller Park. As Hurricane Ike blasted the Texas coastline, Zambrano blasted the strike zone. Other than a walk to Michael Bourn in the 4th and hitting Hunter Pence in the 5th, Zambrano was perfect on that given night. But this kind of night has been the exception for Carlos as opposed to the norm, and that’s been the case all along. He’s had some decent seasons in his time, the high-water mark an 18-win 2007… but every Opening Day that Zambrano’s pitched has caused me to question his status as the staff’s ace, he’s just too inconsistent, in more ways than one, to do well by that mantle.
Plus it also comes down to leadership doesn’t it? And it’s safe to say that calling out your teammates, publicly in the dugout over bullshit accusations no less, wouldn’t be anyone’s example of good leadership. Carlos did just that again this afternoon, for the umpteenth time, and it grows more and more troubling. The primary target of his wrath this time was 3-time Gold Glove 1st Baseman Derrek Lee. On a Juan Pierre at bat in the 1st inning, Lee was playing off the line as the book on Pierre has him a pull hitter. Pierre hits an uncharacteristic skipping grounder right over the first base bag for an rbi single to right… Evidently Carlos felt that this opened the flood gates on a 4-run 1st inning as evidenced by the profanity laced tirade Zambrano shot into Lee’s face after the inning concluded (flying spit included). Forget the 392-foot 3-run homer he gave up to Carlos Quentin later in the inning… it was obviously all Derrek Lee’s fault for not making a play that no one else would have made anyway.
So I’m watching this with my just turned 7 year old son who has also just blossomed into a full-on hardcore baseball fan… names, numbers, batting averages, homeruns, triples… he’s tracking it all, watching it all, absorbing it all… and there goes Carlos, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning… No son, you never want to act that way towards your teammates… that’s major bad sportsmanship sho’nuff… the problem for Carlos was that his Mommy and Daddy didn’t teach him how to behave properly in the sandbox… they didn’t teach him how to properly focus his anger on the job at hand… but no need to worry, I promise you won’t make it out of childhood before learning these very same lessons from me… There’s more to that role model stuff than I previously thought.
And where’s the gratitude? Carlos Zambrano is making around 19 million dollars here in 2010. As a result of this matter he’s been suspended for the remainder of the games leading up to the all-star break, at which point the season is effectively half over. Using 9.5 million dollars as what Carlos “earned” from the Cubs in the first half… his line up to this point would be 55 innings pitched ($172,000 per inning), striking out 53 batters (that’s $179,245 each) or winning 3 games (3.1 million each)… however you’d choose to evaluate it.
That’s just ridiculous. To get paid so much, for playing a game no less, then producing so little and still feeling as though you have the right to act like the petulant sandbox bully you’ll always be deep down inside Carlos. If I was Tom Ricketts it might be time to part ways with you my man… perhaps Seattle would be willing to help us out on this one as well… that way you and Milton Bradley could use the same shrink which might bring a volume discount… and to Michael Barrett, wherever you are these days… I’m starting to understand your side of things now brother… and I miss your bat… Zambrano for Barrett straight up?
