MILWAUKEE—Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein met face-to-face with Carlos Zambrano on Monday afternoon and said the starter will get a chance to return to the team in 2012.
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“We met today at his request,” Epstein said. “It went well. He expressed a strong desire to be a Cub (again) and an even stronger desire to have a strong 2012 season. He’s in great shape. He’s working out twice a day, pitching down in Venezuela. I told him that we’d let him earn his right back to being a Cub.
“We said he’d have to work hard and that we aren’t welcoming him back unconditionally. We said he’d have to earn his way back.”
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Epstein said that Zambrano seemed sincere and contrite in the meeting, but he’s taking a wait-and-see approach.
“From what I understand, he’s seemed that way before,” Epstein said. “So this is a trust-but-verify situation.”
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1. Meramec Posted: November 16, 2011 at 07:02 PM (#3994947)Epstein, Billy Beane, Casey Fien and Charlie Sheen
Francona, Rick Wrona, Dale Sveum and baseball games
All we are saying
Is give Z a chance
In that context, it's possible that he has been advised that it's a good idea to go Ronald Reagan here.
Theo could have said "we met with Carlos as he took a break from pitching in Venezuela and our first hope is that he stays safe down in Venezuela where we understand Wilson Ramos is undergoing a horrible ordeal. Carlos has a big, expensive, dollar-packed contract, so we just hope he stays safe down in Venezuela".
D'oh!
Because the media determined sometime in September that the number one priority from the Cubs this offseason was to get rid of Zambrano. It's going to take some work to convince them, and by proxy plenty of fans, why they're not doing that. It's going to take some time to de-program everyone from expecting the team to identify and then banish the annual scapegoat.
As for keeping him, good. There's no reason to give him away and he has negative trade value right now. He's a FA at the end of next season anyway. If it doesn't work out next year, they still get nothing for him in June. And if he actually eats up some innings - with a non-zero chance of actually being good - even better. And even if Theo et all really do want to get rid of him, you don't tell everyone that beforehand. It's something the previous management team never understood.
Which in and of itself is a sea change in the way the Cubs do business.
2011 was by far Zambrano's worst season, and it came under unusual, if not bizarre circumstances. Epstein's choice is either 1) to pay Zambrano $18 million to play for the Cubs, accepting that he will probably not be great, but more likely a serviceable mid-rotation guy, or maybe what he was last year, or 2) pay Zambrano a large portion of $18 million to play for someone else. I think it's worth the risk, and if he plays the role of serviceable mid-rotation guy, he's tradeable.
I don't really see Zambrano's outbursts being such a huge deal.
It's just really nice to have the organization in the hands of adults.
His mistake was hiring Mark Grace as a marriage counselor.
Heh... well... era-adjusted, you're right... Now - we can talk about increasingly crass society and culture, the more omnipresent (and less protective) media, etc -- but I agree wholeheartedly with the comparison.
Gorbachev: "Why does he keep saying that?"
The show was far more popular in Hispanosphere.
@21 I'm so glad you asked! :) Santo:
Was notorious for destroying dugout equipment when he was upset with his performance.
Got into a fair few tussles with teammates.
Went Latrell Sprewell on his manager, attacking and choking him and having to be pulled off by teammates
Made the "heel click" gesture specifically to annoy opponents.
Badmouthed his teammates to the press on a few occasions, including the famous Don Young incident.
Was called "selfish" by a fair number of people who played with him, including Rico Carty, who said the Cubs would never win a division unless they got rid of Santo.
He gets written off as a competitor because he was a beloved announcer and because he's the wrong color to be described as having a "fiery temper."
My Zambrano fandom decreased considerably after witnessing this game from right behind home plate at Veterans Stadium, where he had clearly lost control of his temper, and the game.
Still, I am not seeing a huge problem.
Wait - what?
Leo Durocher, in his autobiography, said it was the angriest he'd ever seen a player but also said it never got physhical [sic]. Santo got upset screaming and yelling - but where'd you here there was an actual attack? Where did you hear Santo choked Durocher?
Leo Durocher, in his autobiography, said it was the angriest he'd ever seen a player but also said it never got physhical [sic]. Santo got upset screaming and yelling - but where'd you here there was an actual attack? Where did you hear Santo choked Durocher?
Also, lot's of people have assaulted or wanted to assault Durocher. I think that's a significant mitigating factor.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-12-04/news/ct-spt-1205-santo-moments--20101203_1_black-cat-episode-santo-clause-cubs
"During a clear-the-air meeting in the Cubs clubhouse in 1971, an enraged Santo began to choke Durocher for claiming the third baseman had demanded that the organization hold a day in his honor."
" 'That's a lie!' Ron screamed, and took a leap across the room at me. I thought he was going to belt me one, that's how mad he was. If he had, there would have been a fight for sure, and I'd have probably been killed. He didn't swing at me, though. He just stood nose to nose with me and kept yelling."
Because of the objective pipe?
Moronic pitchman for a deranged political agenda who had to have his ass wiped by his Treasury Secretary?
Just curious.
Sorry, peon, but you haven't lived until you've gotten your butt wiped with a picture of Salmon P. Chase.
Heck If I knew where Leo was buried I'd dig him up hang him in chains at Wrigley, throw his disinterred body into a pit, and display his severed head on a pole outside Chicago City Hall for decades. (Too English?)
I love a good grave robbing -- Forest Law Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, CA... while you're there, can you tinkle on Telly Savalas' grave? He knows why.
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