Watching him go about his business today, I'm going to stick up for my favorite pitcher of all-time and boldly predict 15+ wins and a sub-3.50 ERA with a nice K-rate akin to last year... that's right, we're turning back the clock to 2006, except his whip is gonna be around 1.25 or even lower.

This very could be the year that he makes a Jon Leiberesque run to 20 wins on a go-nowhere team. If you play fantasy baseball, you can get him for a song in rounds ~13-16, depending on how savvy your competition is. I'd advise you to do so.

Much like Chuckles got a no-hitter in 2008, he's bound to have a crazy good run-at-20-wins year, and I'm thinking that THIS IS THE YEAR, CUB FAITHFUL!!!!@ IT'S GONNA HAPPEN!

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This is the first game I've gotten to watch this spring and Z looks good so far though I haven't been paying full attention and don't know if he has a gigantic pitch count going. If Fuk had a better throw to the plate that could have been an out instead of the lone run against him.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

would not be surprised to see big z go 212 innings 3.19 era 18 wins 10 loss as a team cubs are 81 wins

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Shark has a 3rd career option working as one of the actors at the Treasure Island Hotel in Vegas.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Disclaimer: I listen to Boers and Bernstein so I must publically shame myself by saying OBVIOUSLY SPRING TRAINING DOESN'T MATTER. WATCHING PLAYERS PLAY IN GAMES BEFORE THE MAGICAL SEASON STARTS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DOING THE EXACT SAME THING WEEKS LATER.

but yeah, the pitch counts haven't gotten out of control lately... the one run he gave up was a fluke, in that he tried a 3-2 backdoor breaking ball and missed by ~4 inches... then with aaron miles up he was just seeing what he had. not to mention, the run came in the 5th when he was exclusively working out of the stretch in order to get some practice in for that.

Zambrano is relatively insane... and that has it's downsides and upsides... with little to no pressure on the cubs, let alone him, this year, being the #2 starter on a team that nobody expects/demands to go anywhere, and with a REAL MANAGER like quade, I'm predicting we'll see his best year since 2006.

think about it... what have the 2007-2010 seasons had in common? expectations. lou showed up in 07 they started winning and zambrano HAD TO BE THE GUY. 2008, they were a 97 win team and he was their #1 starter. 09? they were expected to be 2008 redeux and he was the #1 starter. 10? well 09 was a fluke we're all in we're gonna do this listen we've still got lou and he came here to win, period.... #1 starter.

just watch... it's coming. the guy is too big too strong too fast and too good. did anyone see his standup double today? he singlehandedly started a rally to tie the game so he didn't leave with a loss... that's my chuckles!

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I hope you are right as I have always liked Big Z. But I see no reason to believe it will be anything different than business as usual for him.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."