"Carlos Pena said he wasn't talking about Carlos Zambrano two weeks ago when he said the Cubs needed a ''culture'' change, including improved chemistry.

''I would never single out any one of my teammates because that would defeat the purpose of what I'm trying to say,'' Pena said of comments at the trading deadline that have been widely revisited and reframed in the wake of Zambrano's desertion Friday and his subsequent suspension.

''I'm talking about being united, being together, working for a common goal and being positive and expecting things to happen and really being proud to wear the uniform,'' said Pena, whose two-run homer in the seventh inning Sunday was the go-ahead shot in the Cubs' 6-5 victory over Atlanta. ''That's what I mean by culture.''

Never mind that it still sounds like it could refer to Zambrano's issues; Pena's observations are more about a first-year Cub coming to grips with the enormity of the franchise's heartbreak history.

''Yeah, and that's actually a very heavy burden to carry, one that we need to set down,'' said Pena, who is presumed to be one of the team leaders behind the ''F**k the Goat'' T-shirts the team broke out in June. "