In fact, now that I think about it, I’m sure he was right. There’s a reason this team hasn’t won a World Series in 103 years, and you need look only to the idiocy surrounding the latest Carlos Zambrano “incident” for evidence.
Before we get to Carlos’ latest extremely true and long overdue statements, let’s take a look at his list of past “trangressions.”
1) Punched Michael Barrett in the face FOUR YEARS AGO. Ted Lilly punched his manager in the face almost as recently. Why didn’t the media bring that up over and over?
2) Beat up water cooler in 2009. Uh . . okay.
3) Yelled at Derrek Lee and the rest of his team for playing like a bunch of zombies in 2010. Somehow, this was later changed to “taking a swing at Derrek Lee.” Go back and watch the tape. Never happened.
4) Known to break a bat or two over his knee.
5) Numerous instances of getting mad on the mound and psyching himself out, which have diminished significantly over the last 2 years.
Now, Carlos is once again getting piled on by the Chicago Media (with the notable exception of Bruce Miles), who seemingly lie in wait for Carlos to look at someone side-eyed so they can begin banging the “Trade Z” drum again. What did he do this time? He had the nerve to point out that the 2011 Cubs are worse than terrible, and that a team that was lucky enough to have Ryan Theriot on its roster for 5 years should have known how to get him out.
That’s it.
No, he didn’t throw Carlos Marmol under the bus, he never even mentioned him by name. No, he didn’t rip his teammates, he said “we” throughout the entire statement. He was asked a question and he answered it honestly. More honestly than anyone else in this organization has for the last two seasons. Jim Hendry keeps telling us that this team can compete. Tom Ricketts thinks the only thing wrong with this Cubs team is injuries. Mike Quade evades the question by using stupid nicknames for the players that distract us all from the issue.
There has been one person this season, ONE, who has deigned to tell the truth about this team, and that is Carlos Zambrano. That should be applauded. Because Cubs fans can’t get the truth from their manager, or their GM, or their owner. If they had, Carlos’ statements wouldn’t be such big news. The story here isn’t that Carlos threw his team under the bus, the story is in what stark contrast his statements stand to the company line.
Cubs fans want a leader on this team? Â You jut saw one. Zambrano is more of a leader than anyone else in this organization, and that included the entire front office. And he’s sure as hell been more of a leader than Kerry Wood with his platitudes or Ryan Dempster with his “hey, I’m the funny guy!” schtick. A leader says what needs to be said, even if it’s unpopular. A leader forced people to deal with the hard truths they don’t want to look at. A leader does the right thing even thought it may have less-than-ideal consequences.
The funniest (or saddest, I can’t decide) part of all of this is that he’ll be punished for it. The team’s best pitcher over the course of the last 10 years will be the one to be disciplined for telling the truth, and yet another incompetent, sub-par triple-A reliever will be brought up to take his place. Â Why can’t this team win? Because the Cubs are saddled with a front office that cares more about looking good and selling a fairytale to fans than actually winning ballgames.
Yesterday, Carlos Zambrano pointed out that the Emperor has no clothes. I have no doubt this will get him suspended, at least, or traded, at worst. And I wish him nothing but the best.  Carlos  is a hell of competitor and an elite pitcher who throws his heart and soul into every game. He deserves to go a team that appreciates him and win a World Series.
Godspeed. Big Z.
[img]http://boards.fightingamphibians.org/fg/src/127965728490.gif[/img]
is that Orson Wells?
Indeed.
From Citizen Kane.
The starlet Kane is propping up thanks to his money and power and has an affair with and eventually marries, Susan Alexander, is a lousy singer. At the conclusion of her opera performance, he commences to clap very loudly and then gives her a standing ovation, and then realizes he’s the only person in the theater who’s still applauding.
Now, just replace the names of Kane and Susan with Ricketts/Kenney and Hendry, and you have your love story.
You’ve never seen Citizen Kane??
no.
(i know, i know)
Netflix it. Story’s good and acting’s straight out of the 40′s. A lot of the most impressive stuff in there, however, are cinematography / technical / technique things Welles basically invented (including new types of film cameras and lenses) which were WAY ahead of their time.
No, but I’ve probably seen an Animaniacs parody of it.
^^^^^^^ what he said.
and by he, i mean berselius. bad timing on my part.
Traded “at worst” for us, not him. I don’t think they could find a shittier team to trade him to, because I don’t think there IS a shittier team.
There is, in fact, a shittier team. I played on it. Unfortunately, both Zambrano and I are now over the age limit for said team (I think it was 14-16 years old).
PS. How shitty were we? We had the choice between being the Orioles and the Rays, and chose the Orioles. I could own a jersey with the logo of a team that’s been to a world series in my lifetime, but no-o-o-o-o.
I am prouder than ever to own a Z jersey. I hope he doesn’t get traded, or I might have to get a new one.
Check that. I’ll keep this jersey around for when the Cubs play Z’s new team, and I’ll make sure to be in attendance rooting for Z as hard as I can.
That was really good except for the title of your post. You had to bring up the MB thing.
The biggest difference between MB and Z right now is that MB was a significant part of the problem on a team that actually had a chance to win. Z selflessly blamed himself along with the rest of the team even while he has been one of the players who least deserved to be blamed on a team that has never had a chance to win.
Other than that, much of what you have said echos how I feel.
I think Julie meant was that the last time the media were so determined to ride a player out of town was MB…..
If I’m wrong she’ll set me correct…
It’s funny that so many in the media hate Z and want him to be traded. Why? Wouldn’t that be doing Z a favor by getting him away from this train wreck? If you hate Z, you should probably want him to continue to stay in the hell that is playing for the Cubs.
Nothing to add to that article Julie….You hit the nail, right on the head…I truly believe that the current owners see the Cubs as a cash cow, just like the Tribune did…Why change anything when mediocrity will sell season tickets & keep merchandise flying off the shelves….As much as things change in baseball, some things always will remain the same…
Totally agree……I think the fans are not being fooled any more – they have seen the light, and unless the owners start changing things around they will be losing spectators, no matter what the ‘magic’ of Wrigley is. Z was right on the money, and the media is making him look bad for being honest.
I guess that’s how the Ricket’s made their $$ before: push a product. But baseball is more than a product….
To most of us baseball is a game & not a product…But to the owners & shareholders it is a commodity…Players are graded & traded just like hogs, cattle or oil is traded…Owners speculate on who they would like to acquire & then shop their players around to achieve the results they want…In the end, we all know how seldom that seems to work out for the Cubbies…
Amen Julie!
At least Carlos CARES. He says what no one else has the guts to say. The truth is, this team SUCKS. They’re not just Cubs bad, they’re bad bad.
It’s not even cute anymore. Y’all know as Cubs fans, we deal w/more negative than positive. Typically, once I realize the season is over, I turn my focus to the hot players, or, you know, just watching for the love of the game. But this year? They’ve killed even that for me. It pains me to have to watch them…or follow them….or hear about them. Not even Carlos Pena’s adorable dimples can help now……..
I’m going outside to try to chill out a little. This got me hella wound up.
You fiery redhead, you!!
hear! hear!
You forgot: (LYH)
Loved Dan Dakich’s (@dandakich) tweet from earlier: “Cut ties with Zambrano? U kidding me? Cubs need to find 10 more like him.might have a chance..at least they would resemble a team that cared”
And, Brava, Julie. Brava.