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OK, I'll take Pitcher One.
Carlos Zambrano recently got named Pitcher of the Month for July*. He once promised he'd win a Cy Young, and his 5-1/1.38 July has launched him into this year's race. Since June 6, he is 9-2 with a 1.41 ERA and 77 strikeouts.
Here is his ranking in the triple-crown categories:
Wins: 1 (14)
ERA: 14 (3.47)
SO: 128 (5)
Plus:
IP: 6 (150.1)
The Cy Young race is still largely a two-man game between Peavey and Penny, but he's just now entering the picture and there's a lot of ball to be played. At any rate, this is the kind of walk year that agents dream of. His is Barry Praver and you'd expect that the asking price wiill be upwards of 20 milion (thank you, Roger Clemens). You'd expect that, except he's Carlos Zambrano, knucklehead-quoting Carlos Zambrano, and the other day, this same pitcher who earlier said he wouldn't negotiate during the season, let this one drop:
"Yes, I could do pretty good as a free agent," Zambrano said. "But I have to think as a Cubbie now ... and I'd sign for less. A lot, lot less." How'd you like to be Barry Praver waking up in the morning and seeing that back page on your table?
But he's Z, and while he's an agent's nightmare, he's a sportswriter's dream. This same guy predicted the Cub's would win the World Series. He recently reiterated that.
"I still feel that way. This is our year. Our century. We can do it." What Venezuelan planet is he from?
Anyhow, the Cubs have had trouble most teams have trying to get consistency out of the back end of their rotation. Pinella likes his pen, particularly with Kerry Wood coming back, and may lean more on his horse CZ down the stretch to allow him to go to the pen earlier in the backenders' starts.
Everything is hard with this guy -- a two-seamer and four-seamer both in the mid-nineties, plus a heavy sinker that peeps beat into the ground. The way to beat him is obviously to get into his crazy head, so maybe the key is for Reyes and Castillo to beat some hard ones into the ground but make hay from them, and screw with him on the basepaths. And if they can't pull that off, they may have to just look forward to getting the Cubs the next day as they tip their caps to one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Meantime, they can enjoy some knucklehead quotes as only Carlos can deliver.
"Any time I can do something for myself --- pitching, running, fielding, kicking the ball, whatever --- it's good for me. I have to be able to use what God gave me and use the ability." Let's hope God lets him kick a few this afternoon.
* Other pitchers receiving votes this month: Tim Lincecum (4-0, 1.62 ERA, 39 SO); Ted Lilly (5-1, 2.52 ERA, 24 SO); aron Cook (4-1, 2.68 ERA, 21 SO); Chad Cordero (9 SV, 1.29 ERA, 8 SO); and Billy Wagner (8 SV, 0.00 ERA).
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