Don’t be fooled by what some of the Cubs players and management will tell you, the truth is that the majority of the players do not like Carlos Zambrano and wish he was elsewhere.
This is nothing new—Cubs players have long disliked Big Z.
Now, this latest incident where Zambrano stormed into the dugout and seemingly yelled at everybody and anybody hasn’t helped the relationship.
But according to sources within the organization, this is not the first time that the majority of Cubs players have privately wished that he would move on.
The Cubs have been losers for far too long, and frustration is understandable. In fact, I wish more players had the passion and the fire that Zambrano has.
But this is not the way to express yourself. It breaks the team apart, and it ends up being counter-productive.
So now the Cubs decide to send Big Z to an unspecified doctor to treat an unspecified problem?
What about when he turned catcher Michael Barret’s face into a hamburger?
Oh yeah, I forgot: Zambrano was pitching well at the time.
Teams only seem to be concerned about players when they are not performing up to expectations. And there is not doubt that Zambrano has been a disappointment since signing a $91.5 million contract in 2008.
I’m not trying to suggest that this is not Carlos Zambrano’s fault, because it is.
Rather, this is to let Cubs fans know that this specific incident is not the first time that Zambrano has rubbed his teammates the wrong way.
Now, you may reply that perhaps that is because the team has always had players who are not winners.
But when a player, especially a pitcher, tries to assert himself, he had better be a shining example of excellence.
But the last time I checked, Zambrano’s ERA was 5.66.
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