Tracking Carlos Zambrano for a season is like playing “follow the bouncing ball” with one eye closed. It’s easy to see where it starts, but it’s anyone’s guess where it might end up.
The situation was no truer than last week when Zambrano went from pitching the game of his major league career to his worst. All within the span of five days.
This followed nearly a two-week layoff during which he received an anti-inflammatory. And let’s not forget the 15-day stretch in June where Zambrano missed three starts with the same aching shoulder.
Even earlier in this 2008 Chicago Cubs baseball campaign, Zambrano swapped bananas for H2O after an erratic start.
With one regular season start and the playoffs a week away, one of the many questions facing the Cubs as they make a run towards the World Series is “how healthy is Carlos Zambrano?”
Granted last Friday’s surreal showing was shadowed by a death in the Zambrano family, but it’s hard to disregard the month’s prior showings. Prior to the no-hitter, Zambrano recorded a 1-1 record in five starts with an 8.10 ERA.
Hardly the stuff of a staff ace.
Thankfully for the Cubs and Cubdom, Chicago manager Lou Piniella appears to be monitoring the situation - closely. According to Piniella, the rotation for the upcoming playoffs is still up in the air.
”I’m not going to talk about Game 1 or anything until we see everybody pitch, and also until we find out who our opponent is,” said Piniella.
Translation: Zambrano unlikely will be the Game 1 starter or Game 2 for that matter.
If that’s indeed the case, the bigger question remains given Zambrano’s prideful nature is he capable of playing third fiddle in a 25-man band?
Comments 1
He was trying to do too much with regards to his family matters and pitching. He will be fine in Oct.
Like the shirt says CenturyPeat It’s Time
cubs all the way www.centurypeat.com
Posted 24 Sep 2008 at 1:40 am ¶Post a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.