"Let Zambrano start taking ground balls at first base."



Wowzer.

there goes stone again, ripping all things cub.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

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I would like him to address the fact that in nearly every interview, from players all the way up to hendry, the general consensus is that this team "just needs to get hot". Its plenty hot outside, they need to get better.

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

"It's so crazy it just might work" /Isaiah

Idk bout letting him take ground balls at 1st base, but Stoney did have a point saying Z has lost some of his stuff.

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It seems like Z takes about 5 or 6 servings of NO Explode before he pitches. He looks paranoid, really sweaty, and generally uncomfortable out there. What he should be doing is hitting up Soto for a few puffs off of his favorite supplement.

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

fangraphs has fastball speed for all pitchers for the past five years or so. Big Z's fastball is average at best.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

His fastball asset was never really the speed but the movement. His two seamer crawls in on Righties and his his 4 seamer crawls in on lefties and when they're moving they're moving.
His late movement is whats missing, the velocity isn't really the issue.
When he gets pised he just runs up there and starts chucking instead of pitching, and that's when it all goes to hell.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Does anyone think the Cubs would have suspended him if he were 8-2 with a 3.23 ERA? It isn't the first time he's acted like this. He punched Barrett in the face and Barrett was made out to be the bad guy because Zambrano was "Cy Young" back then and Barrett was just a less than good catcher. So now you're shocked that he acted like an asshole in the dugout? The Cubs have a lot bigger problems than Carlos Zambrano.

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Don't take it personally.

Yes.


Barrett was crappy, the Cubs had a better player in the pipeline.


This is true. But Z is still a problem that needs to be dealt with. There is no reconciliation with Zambrano. He's said several times he's going to grow up. Remember his promise before this season, he didn't want to explain his blowups to his daughter or some damn thing? He CANNOT control himself. he will get mad and pissy even and even if he DOES control his outward expressions of anger, he's still going to be all pissed and start chucking instead of pitching.
If I'm the opposing teams manager, and we're playing Z, I say send your first hitter up there and have him wink, smile at Z, shake his finger at him, something, ANYTHING, that could piss him off and you've got yourself a BP pitcher to hit against.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Everything coming from the Cubs definitely suggests you're right about that.

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Don't take it personally.

all this speaks to is an organizational fault. They coddled Sosa for years....coddling Zambrano,...attempted to coddle Bradley. The Cubs have brought this on themselves. Which, IMO....only speaks louder as to the gaffe Ricketts made by not clearing house. This should tell you that the organization needs a new M.O. and under new leadership.

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Correct. This isn't a newsflash is it?

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I agree with this. A 96 mph fastball with that much movement is deadly. Z really does have some of the best stuff in the league but he is the biggest psych this town has ever seen as far sports go. I dont ever think those loose screws in his head will ever be tightened up and it's a shame cause he had massive potential

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"You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution."

Quick, someone inform bigfan!

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

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I dont think it matters anymore.

I think his arm is done, or at the very least, on the way down. He used to always have a stretch mid year with like 3 runs given up in 6 starts. And his pitches were flyin around so much he and the catcher had no clue where they were going, but it sure as hell wasnt being hit.

Havent seen that guy since 07.

When did he sign that deal again?

Ron Ron can't even hold up Zambranos meds. Z talks and yells at himself on the mound, yells at players he thinks take their time getting to base after a walk, yells at teammates, breaks bats and gatorade machines, and has no problem wrecking his teammates. Artest is a Psychiatrist compared to Z

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"You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution."

I also agree. His 2-seamer was at it's best when he was throwing it at 92 or 93 because it had movement all over the plate. He'd try to throw that same 2-seamer in the upper 90s and it would get rocked because the pitch was flat. Darko is right. It has a lot to do with the late movement and a little to do with velocity.

OK. so when he was good he threw 92-93. now he sucks and throws 90-91. maybe velocity doesn't have anything to do with it. i doubt it though.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I don't think that a 1 mph difference makes a difference. Look you can be like Cashner and go up there and chuck 99MPH fastballs and Professional MLB hitters will crush them because they're straight as an arrow, equal and opposite reaction and all that just makes a 99 MPH pitch leave the bat even faster than a 92 mph pitch.
No no, few pitchers really do blow fastballs by pro hitters. The asset is the movement. At least for Z because he's not placing em like Maddog did.
Now, again, I really believe that his problem comes from chucking.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

well, it's a 2 mph difference. BUT he should still be able to get people out with that. also, fangraphs shows he used to throw fastballs about 70% of the time, now its below 60%. not sure why, but this may be a clue to fixing him.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Seriously dude, you might be right, I might be right but really I think the real problem is between his ears.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

probably a combination of all three.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Whether it's 93 or 99, if it's flat, it's going 450 into the outfield bleachers. Jamie Moyer throws a fastball at 83, but it has enough movement to fool hitters. Then he can throw is changeup at 70 and be effective.

I agree though is primary problem for Z is between the ears. Always has been.

Wow, he's that old already?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Why the hell did I laugh at that?

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"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Yeah, his age doubles every year he continues to pitch. When he finally retires, he'll return to his actual age. Very Benjamin Button-like.