When it comes to making predictions, it’s safe to say the Chicago Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano falls somewhere short of Nostradamus. Or even Carnac the Magnificent.
If you remember, it was last March when Zambrano went where anyone with one foot in reality would fear to tread - predicting a Chicago Cubs World Series championship. But he didn’t stop there. Big Z went further out on that thin limb and claimed he’d be the 2007 recipient of the coveted Cy Young award.
”I believe this year that I will win the Cy Young and will enjoy that,” Zambrano said at the time. “And besides that, we will win the World Series — I guarantee that.”
Well, Carlos. About those predictions…three words: Wrong and wrong.
Now that Chicago Cub fans know their beloved Cubbies will head into year 100 without a World Series title, and the Cy Young award ballots have all been counted and the winner declared, Zambrano can go back to the three P’s he seems to know best - pitching, pouting and punching out teammates.
Not that I didn’t appreciate Zambrano’s bravado last March. For far too many years the Cubs have lived the part of baseball’s “loveable losers.” Chicago Cubs baseball has been too willing to be sheepish about success and too eager to accept failure.
Maybe Zambrano can recruit a few more teammates to embrace “Cub swagger.” And along with Chicago Cubs’ manager Lou Piniella, maybe the two can instill the confidence the Cubs still need at the next level.
In the meantime, a word of advice to Zambrano: Let your talking be done on the field. Even in this day of chest-beating and sound bites, actions still speak louder than a 1,000 words - or a couple of Carlos Zambrano predictions.
Here’s the results of the National League’s 2007 Cy Young Award voting:
| 2007 Cy Young Award Voting | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Points |
| Jake Peavy | San Diego | 32 | 160 | ||
| Brandon Webb | Arizona | 31 | 1 | 94 | |
| Brad Penny | LAD | 14 | 14 | ||
| Aaron Harang | Cincinnati | 1 | 7 | 10 | |
| Carlos Zambrano | Chicago Cubs | 3 | 3 | ||
| Cole Hamels | Philadelphia | 2 | 2 | ||
| John Schmoltz | Atlanta | 2 | 2 | ||
| Jose Valverde | Arizona | 2 | 2 | ||
| Jeff Francis | Colorado | 1 | 1 | ||
Independent Thoughts on Baseball
Americans love baseball like Indians love cricket. They watch baseball pictures and admire their baseball heroes. A baseball match gets thrilling when spectators count baseball scores, have bets and enjoy themselves in baseball euphoric fever.
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