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Carlos Zambrano News & Rumors

Carlos Zambrano to leave his winter team in Venezuela
January 10
Miami Herald
 
"After an up-and-down winter season in the Venezuelan baseball league, Carlos Zambrano will leave his team in the middle of the playoffs on the wishes of Miami Marlins management. Zambrano returned to his home country to play for Los Caribes de Anzoatigui after the Chicago Cubs placed him on the restricted list for walking out on the team during an Aug. 12 game. Theo Epstein, Cubs' president of baseball operations, told Zambrano in November that he could earn his way back onto the roster by throwing well in Venezuela. "El Toro" made five starts for Los Caribes, finishing 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA. He last pitched Dec. 27, giving up one run over 4?1/3 innings."
Time for Big Z to step to plate
January 8
Chicago Tribune
 
"The Marlins re-signed Greg Dobbs on Tuesday, giving him $3million over two years. They agreed to a trade for Carlos Zambrano on Wednesday, and there went Dobbs' at-bats. Dobbs is one of the best pinch hitters going, and it speaks to the Marlins' seriousness about winning that they brought back the 33-year-old third baseman, who spent 2011 with them after being with the Phillies from 2007 to 2010. But I'm seeing 2012 as the year when Ozzie Guillen empowers Zambrano in a way the Cubs never would. The dude really can hit. He's only a career .241 hitter but in a small sample hit .318 last season, including a .389 average and 1.088 OPS from the right side of the plate."
Fire that burns inside Carlos Zambrano must be channeled properly
January 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 columnist Mike Berardino
"Mike Lowell regularly used to slam his batting helmet to the ground on close calls at first base. Josh Beckett fired his glove off the dugout wall plenty of times. Kevin Brown and Alex Fernandez did their share of bat-wielding damage to the clubhouse televisions. I mean, come on, it's not like this Marlins franchise has been populated by Boy Scouts these past two decades. It's not like angry baseball "snaps" haven't been part of the equation during those two championship runs. "Ultracompetitiveness," Marlins baseball czar Larry Beinfest calls it. It's the same sort of thing that makes Brandon Marshall fire a football at the sidelines or sets off Ed Jovanovski until he's barking two inches"
Marlins' manager Guillen 'major force' in Zambrano acqusition
January 6
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"New manager Ozzie Guillen wasn't in the fold long before dropping a note in Larry Beinfest's suggestion box: Get Carlos Zambrano. The club's president of Baseball Operations, Beinfest did just that. Thursday, the Marlins announced the acquisition of Zambrano and cash from the Chicago Cubs for Chris Volstad. Zambrano waived his no-trade clause, as well as the $19.25 million option for 2013 that would have triggered if he finished among the top four in next season's National League Cy Young balloting. Asked multiple times about Zambrano's history of on- and off-field outbursts, Beinfest kept referring to the pitcher's long-standing relationship with Guillen."
Getting rid of Zambrano money well spent
January 6
Chicago Tribune
 columnist David Haugh
"Consider it adding $15 million to the cost of renovation at Wrigley Field. That is the amount Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts invested to keep his clubhouse free from the contamination of Carlos Zambrano. Besides hiring Theo Epstein three months ago, the Cubs won't spend money any smarter this offseason. Not every sports owner is willing to dig so deep to build a new environment. It's easy for a franchise to say it values character but much harder to show it by paying an arrested adolescent like Zambrano a king's ransom to pitch anywhere but here."
Theo: Big Z couldn't regain Cubs players' trust
January 6
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano lost the trust of his teammates after his final meltdown in Atlanta last August, leading baseball president Theo Epstein to bite the bullet and eat most of his $18 million salary in a trade with Miami. "With respect to subsidizing some of Carlos' contract, I think the concept of a sunk cost was something Tom (Ricketts) and I discussed at our very initial meeting," Epstein said. "Tom showed a keen understanding of what that means. For better or worse, if you're stuck paying $18 million for one year of Carlos Zambrano, and there is not a team willing to take him with any dollar relief whatsoever, then you have to decide were we better off with one year of Carlos at the $18"
Theo Epstein was prepared to cut Carlos Zambrano, if necessary
January 6
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Cubs president Theo Epstein said he wasn't trying to make a particular point when he traded Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins for a choirboy this week. "You don't have to be a choirboy to be accepted into the Cubs' clubhouse,'' Epstein said after the trade became official Thursday. But in making what promises to be the signature move of his first winter with the Cubs, Epstein also crafted a poetic ending to Zambrano's story in Chicago, whether he likes it or not. At the very least, the trade for pitcher — and former high school choirboy — Chris Volstad underscores how committed Epstein is to some of the changes he vowed to make when he took over baseball operations in October."
Marlins acquire declining, volatile Cub Zambrano, cash for Volstad
January 5
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"The Marlins have landed the additional starter they sought, and it didn't cost them a big piece off their major league roster or a top prospect. According to multiple sources, the Marlins have agreed to acquire temperamental right-hander Carlos Zambrano and a wheelbarrow full of cash from the Cubs for Palm Beach Gardens native Chris Volstad. The deal is pending approval from the Commissioner's Office since more than $1 million is being exchanged as part of the transaction. The Cubs remain on the hook for all but $2.5 million of the $18 million owed Zambrano, who is entering the final season of a five-year, $91.5 million extension. The Marlins will pay Zambrano, 30, roughly the same salary"
Cubs end Zambrano ordeal with trade
January 5
Chicago Tribune
 
"The only logical conclusion to Carlos Zambrano's long-and-stormy pitching career with the Cubs will be the same as Ozzie Guillen's long-and-stormy managerial career with the White Sox: They both had to leave town to join one team — the Marlins. Guillen left just after season's end and Zambrano will be joining him later this week, after the Cubs agreed to assume $15 million of his $18 million contract in a trade that should be announced soon."
Cubs trade Carlos Zambrano to Marlins for Chris Volstad
January 5
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"The Cubs finally found a taker for one-time ace Carlos Zambrano, shipping him to the Miami Marlins for veteran right-hander Chris Volstad, a major-league source confirmed. "It's done," the source texted the Sun-Times. The Cubs reportedly will eat $15 million of the $18 million due Zambrano in 2012. Zambrano was the longest-tenured current Cub, making his debut on Aug. 20, 2001. He last pitched for the Cubs on Aug. 12, 2011, when he was ejected from a start against the Braves. He left Turner Field in Atlanta during the game, leading to a suspension that lasted until Sept. 11. Still, he did not pitch again for the Cubs. Zambrano, 30, went 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA in 24 starts last season."
Hot stove about to get red hot
December 17
Foxsports.com
 
"Marlon Byrd, CF: There hasn't been much trade buzz surrounding Byrd, which is hard to figure. Byrd is entering the last year of his contract, and prospect Brett Jackson should be ready to start in center field for the Cubs in 2013. The Nationals, looking far and wide for an everyday center fielder, could be a fit; Washington has good organizational pitching depth, which is precisely what the Cubs need. The Marlins are an intriguing possibility, if they trade Hanley Ramirez and move Emilio Bonifacio to third base. The Reds, Giants, Cardinals and Mariners could upgrade in center field this offseason. Matt Garza, RHP: Few available pitchers can match Garza's track record in the American"
Ozzie Guillen's non-denial denial links Marlins and Carlos Zambrano
December 8
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Ozzie Guillen won't say who bet against it, but the new Miami Marlins manager said he recently bet someone that his buddy Carlos Zambrano will win more than 14 games — for the Cubs — in 2012. In fact, he denied recruiting the Cubs' on-double-secret-probation pitcher or having designs on Big Z being part of the rapid arms buildup going on in Miami. But when a skeptic told Guillen it was more likely Zambrano wins 15 games for the Marlins in 2012, Guillen smiled and said, "I'd take that.''"
Zambrano convinced he'll remain a Cub
December 6
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano has told friends that after meeting with Cubs President Theo Epstein a few weeks ago in Chicago, he's convinced he will be able to remain a Cub in 2012. "All the things he wanted to see gone are now gone," said one friend, referring to former general manager Jim Hendry and pitching coach Mark Riggins. "He likes Theo and is looking forward to proving himself next year." Whether that can happen remains to be seen. Zambrano still has to convince Epstein he's serious about making amends to his teammates for walking out on them during a game in Atlanta on Aug. 12, leading to his suspension. While Hendry and Riggins may be gone, many in the front office remain, and they're"
Big Z expected to return to mound Saturday
November 22
MLB.com
 
"Carlos Zambrano, who needed 10 stitches to fix a cut after he was hit in the face by a line drive, was expected to pitch again on Saturday in Venezuela. Zambrano was examined Monday, and a spokesman for his Caribes club said the team may have a better idea Tuesday if the right-hander will be available, according to reports. The Cubs pitcher had his best outing in Venezuela on Friday, giving up one unearned run on two hits and two walks over five innings for Caribes, but had to leave the game after he was hit by Ezequiel Carrera's liner."
Zambrano receives 16 stitches after being hit in face by liner
November 20
Chicago Tribune
 
"Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano was recovering Saturday after being hit in the face with a line drive during Friday night's start for Caribes de Anzoategui in the Venezuelan Winter League. Zambrano was removed from the game after the liner hit him below the right bottom lip in the fifth inning. A source said Zambrano received 16 stitches to close the wound at a local hospital. "He's a bull," Caribes general manager Sam Moscatel said. "He's OK. We spoke (Friday) night after he had the surgery, and he said he wants to make his next start on Friday.""
Epstein on Wood: 'We want him back'
November 19
Chicago Tribune
 
"Cubs baseball president Theo Epstein confirmed Friday the process of re-signing Kerry Wood has begun. Epstein met with Wood for a casual get-together last week on Wood's home turf in Lincoln Park. Wood made sure Epstein felt right at home, choosing a bar that caters to Boston sports fans. "I'll leave the details confidential," Epstein said. "But Kerry Wood is a very important part of the Chicago Cubs and we want him back. "He makes us a better team because of what he brings to the bullpen, and he makes us a better organization because of what he brings to the clubhouse, his leadership." Epstein isn't quite as sure about moving forward with Carlos Zambrano, though he also met with him last"
Cubs boss Epstein, Zambrano meet
November 15
Chicago Tribune
 
"He has become the Cub with nine lives. After a Monday afternoon meeting with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, Carlos Zambrano will "have the right to earn his way back to being a Cub." That's what Epstein said as he arrived late Monday night at the general managers meetings here, putting any trade talk for Zambrano on hold after having lunch with Zambrano, agent Barry Praver and Cubs farm director Oneri Fleita."
Carlos Zambrano goes six innings in second VWL outing
November 13
Hardball Talk
 
"Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano surrendered two runs over 2 2/3 innings in his Venezuelan Winter League debut earlier this week. On Saturday afternoon, he made his second VWL appearance. Rafael Rojas of Viva Colorado has the goods. Big Z allowed five hits and three earned runs over six innings, issuing two walks while striking out five."
Zambrano shows signs of rust in winter league outing
November 7
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano made his first start in nearly three months on Sunday in the Venezuelan Winter League, allowing two runs on four hits over 22/3 innings, including a home run to Cubs teammate Bryan LaHair. Zambrano was making his debut for Los Caribes de Anzoátegui, his first start in nine years in his home country. Because he's returning after a long layoff, Zambrano was limited to three innings of work by his pitching coach, Mike Alvarez. Zambrano showed a few signs of rust, committing a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, walking two men and hitting a batter. He struck out three of the 14 men he faced and threw 60 pitches."
Cubs pleased Zambrano will pitch in Venezuela
November 4
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano's decision to pitch in the Venezuelan winter league has the complete backing of Cubs' management, despite the risk of injury. "I actually think it's a good thing, under the circumstances," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said. "He probably needs the innings, and it could be good for his state of mind to get out there and perform.""
Zambrano to pitch in Venezuelan Winter League
October 31
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano returns to the mound for the first time in nearly three months Sunday, auditioning for his next boss. Whether that's Cubs President Theo Epstein, Florida manager Ozzie Guillen or someone else is yet to be determined. Zambrano officially signed a contract Saturday to pitch for Los Caribes de Anzoátegui in the Venezuelan Winter League, and he'll start Sunday in Valencia, Venezuela, facing Navegantes del Magallanes."
Epstein must make Zambrano decision
October 28
Chicago Tribune
 
"After a long lull, another chapter of the Carlos Zambrano saga will be written over the next few months as the Cubs' new management decides what to do with the recidivist offender. Zambrano has been suspended, placed on the restricted list, sent to anger management, suspended again and placed on the disqualified list, all in a span of about 14 months. The Cubs were so anxious to get him out of the clubhouse they let him take an extended paid vacation in the final weeks of the 2011 season rather than take him back into the clubhouse at the tail end of a losing season."
Report: Ozzie Guillen, Carlos Zambrano talking about uniting
October 3
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Carlos Zambrano, the pending ex-Cub pitcher, and Ozzie Guillen, the freshly ex-White Sox manager, recently talked by phone about fulfilling widespread speculation about Zambrano pitching for the Miami Marlins and their new manager, according to a report in Venezuelan publication El Nacional. Guillen told the Sun-Times on the day he was named Marlins manager last week that he had talked with front-office officials about some potentially available players from Chicago, presumably including Zambrano, a longtime family friend of the Guillens."
Ozzie talks to Zambrano about move to Marlins
October 2
MLB.com
 
"When Ozzie Guillen was hired to manage the Marlins last Wednesday, he said he heard about a half-dozen players wanted to join him in Miami. Apparently, Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano is one of them. Guillen and Zambrano are close friends, who remain in constant contact with each other. According to the Venezuelan-based El Nacional, Guillen recently spoke by phone to Zambrano about becoming a Marlin. Zambrano is signed for $18 million with the Cubs in 2012, and he has a vesting option of $19.25 million for '13, if he finishes in the top four in the 2012 Cy Young voting. So, if the Marlins are to obtain Zambrano, they would have to trade for him."
Zambrano puts River Forest home on market
October 1
Chicago Tribune
 
"Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, whose future with the team is in doubt after the Cubs suspended him in August for the rest of the season, has placed one of his two Chicago-area homes on the market for $969,000. Zambrano, 30, owns homes in River Forest and Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. He recently listed the River Forest house, which was built in 1999. He bought the six-bedroom, nearly 4,000-square-foot house in 2006 for $1.199 million. It has four baths, a loft, a finished lower level with a large recreation room, a three-car garage and a sunken great room with a wall of windows and vaulted ceiling. Zambrano lived in the home for a year and a half but decided he wanted to live"
Could Ramirez and Zambrano be Miami-bound?
September 28
Chicago Tribune
 
"With former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen headed to the Marlins, speculation that Carlos Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez soon will follow already has begun. Whether it's all a pipe dream remains to be seen, but Ramirez noted before Tuesday night's 6-2 win over the Padres that the Marlins are in need of a third baseman. "I know Ozzie because of baseball, but we don't have any kind of special relationship," he said. "I haven't heard from anybody. … (It's) just speculation. "We'll see more when I become a free agent. They don't have a third baseman and they are going to have money, so they could be one of the teams interested in my service. But I don't know anything now.""
Guillen's departure could also lead Zambrano to Marlins
September 27
Chicago Tribune
 
"The Cubs reached the 90-loss mark for the sixth time in the last 15 seasons on Monday after a 2-0 loss to the Padres. Casey Coleman pitched well before tiring in the two-run sixth after tripling in the top of the inning. But the Cubs were held to two hits on the night by Mat Latos and the Padres bullpen. "It's been a long year and I got a little winded after that," Coleman said. Coleman finished with a 3-9 record and a 6.40 earned-run average, calling the year a "learning experience.""
Zambrano to sit for rest of season
September 2
Chicago Tribune
 
"The Cubs announced Friday that Carlos Zambrano will not return to the team this season but will be paid for the remainder of September when his stint on the disqualified list ends on Sept. 12."
Ricketts backs Zambrano suspension
August 20
Chicago Tribune
 
"The dismissal of general manager Jim Hendry changes nothing in the ongoing Cubs vs. Carlos Zambrano-Players Association mess. Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said Friday that he backed Hendry's decision to place Zambrano on the disqualified list, the legality of which the union is challenging via a grievance. "Obviously, that was Jim's decision but we were in close communication throughout," Ricketts said of the move that followed Zambrano's on-field blowup in Atlanta and subsequent threat to retire. "And I think he handled it properly. "It's a really unfortunate situation. … Suffice it to say I 100 percent support Jim and our decision … and I feel really strongly that behavior was"
MLBPA files grievance on behalf of Zambrano
August 19
MLB.com
 
"The Major League Baseball Players Association has filed a grievance on behalf of Carlos Zambrano, who was placed on the disqualified list after he cleaned out his locker and left Turner Field following a bad outing for the Cubs. Zambrano served up five home runs to the Braves last Friday, then threw inside twice to Chipper Jones and was ejected from the game with one out in the fifth inning. He subsequently packed his gear, told team officials he was retiring, and left the ballpark before the game was over. The Cubs placed Zambrano on the disqualified list on Saturday, which forbids him from being around the team for 30 days. He also will not be paid during that period. However, the MLBPA"
Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs: What went wrong?
August 18
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"A few years ago, when Kerry Wood and Mark Prior were considered the Cubs' aces, St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols used to tell people the pitcher he feared most on the staff was Carlos Zambrano. In 2006, with Wood and Prior hurt, Zambrano led the National League with 16 victories and had a strong case for the Cy Young Award. He was a 25-year-old kid with temper problems who sometimes showed up teammates, but those emotions also made him one of the fiercest — and often dominating — competitors in the game. ''The same thing that made him great — that makes him great — is the emotion he pitches with,'' Wood said. ''But it's a double-edged sword.'' And it has cut such a wide swath since"
Zambrano doesn't understand harsh penalty
August 16
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano went on the offensive Monday, filing a grievance through the players union for his 30-day stint on the disqualified list and telling Comcast SportsNet he doesn't "understand" general manager Jim Hendry's harsh disciplinary action. "He's always been good to me, but this one, it makes me sad," he told CSN's David Kaplan on "Chicago Tribune Live." Zambrano insisted he was not serious when he told clubhouse personnel and trainers Friday that he would retire, and that he fully intended to return on Saturday, only to be informed by his agent not to show up. He also said he wasn't trying to throw at the Braves' Chipper Jones in the incident that led to his ejection, and that he"
Carlos Zambrano expresses undying love for Cubs, remorse for antics
August 16
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"As TV talking heads discussed the subject in the background, one Cub walked through the clubhouse Sunday in Atlanta, playfully saying, ''Where in the world is Carlos Zambrano?'' On Monday, we got an answer: He's on an image-fixing publicity tour of handpicked media outlets — by some accounts against the advice of his agent — expressing undying love for the Cubs and remorse for bailing on his team Friday night. Whether the scheme helps ­improve his image with another club, it's lost on this one. Too many incidents and too many apologies that were eventually rendered empty by subsequent actions have left Zambrano without a locker in the clubhouse, despite another $18 million year left on his"
Pena: Z wasn't target of 'culture' observation
August 15
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"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"
Before Zambrano left, Soriano told him what he did was wrong
August 15
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"As baseball's legal process takes over in the Carlos Zambrano saga Monday, the overriding question still unanswered since Friday is what the guy was thinking when he packed up and left during the game — what made him tell clubhouse personnel he was retiring? Those closest to him among staff and teammates say he has not returned calls or texts since the incident. His agent, Barry Praver, is in full damage-control mode, handpicking media perceived as sympathetic to deliver the Zambrano camp's spin, even changing details as new facts are discovered and reported. Praver, who told ESPN a formal players-union grievance will be filed Monday to fight Zambrano's 30-day suspension without pay, has"
Exit Zambrano, enter complete culture change for Cubs?
August 15
Chicago Tribune
 columnist David Haugh
"Whenever the Cubs reflect on the 2011 season, this weekend will go down as the most promising. And it has little to do with taking two out of three from the Braves. The Cubs picked up something greater in Atlanta than just a couple of games in the win column. They gained opportunity. Nearly two years after Chairman Tom Ricketts officially purchased the Cubs, the chance to begin a complete culture change finally arrived. That never could happen with Carlos Zambrano in a Cubs uniform. The size of Zambrano's contract limited payroll flexibility; the depth of his mood swings contaminated clubhouse camaraderie. He was like a modern-day goat, the symbol of underachievement. Too many people in"
Cubs dispute report about Zambrano exit
August 15
Chicago Tribune
 
"The Cubs denied an ESPN report that quoted Carlos Zambrano's agent as saying the pitcher returned to Turner Field with his belongings a couple hours after saying he was retiring and bolting the park during Friday night's game. Many of the players were watching the report on the clubhouse TV Sunday morning, laughing at the idea of Zambrano returning after leaving in a huff. Zambrano did have his belongings returned, but the Cubs stuck the duffle bag in an adjoining room and left the locker empty. Randy Wells moved his guitar and some clothes into the empty locker on Sunday. While Zambrano is gone, the battle between him and the club continues. Zambrano's agent will file a grievance on"
Carlos Zambrano's situation affects Randy Wells' status
August 14
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Randy Wells peered into the empty locker next to his and looked back up in surprise. ''Man, I didn't even notice anything,'' said the Cubs pitcher who had a locker next to Carlos Zambrano's on this trip. ''I was pitching today, and nobody told me anything.'' Potential Emmy nominations aside, Wells' continued efforts to regain form — and status in the Cubs' starting rotation — gained significance with the events Zambrano set in motion Friday night. Wells pitched five good-enough innings before stumbling in the sixth to earn his third win in five starts Saturday, beating the Atlanta Braves 8-4. And with the Cubs potentially down to only Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster locked into next year's"
Dempster: Carlos Zambrano's 'made his bed'
August 14
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Wherever the Cubs and Carlos Zambrano go from here, Z-weary players left in the wake of his latest me-first moment seem fine with making sure it's in different directions. Even before Randy Wells and the bullpen pitched the Cubs to an 8-4 victory Saturday night over the Atlanta Braves, the positive vibe in the clubhouse was apparent on the day the club put Zambrano on baseball's disqualified list. ''I think the guys in here are pretty upbeat today,'' pitcher Ryan Dempster said. ''He's made his bed; he's got to sleep in it. For us, we'll just go out there and give our best tonight and move forward. The faster you move forward, the faster things get better.'' Assuming the Cubs follow through"
Ozzie Guillen: Carlos Zambrano is 'embarrassed'
August 14
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"The latest transgression by Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano "is a very bad and very sad situation,'' White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Saturday. "I can talk from both ways, as a manager and his friend," Guillen said. "It's tough on how a manager would handle that because he's very intense about respect, loyalty. On the other side, this kid has a lot of pride. This kid's embarrassed. This kid wants to be good, and I think he feels like he's not doing his job.'' Venezuelans Guillen and Zambrano are close, and Guillen said the Cubs pitcher talked to his wife briefly Friday night after his unannounced departure from a game in Atlanta after being ejected. Guillen said he didn't speak to"
Carlos Zambrano timeline
August 14
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano's tirades were so entertaining that after one memorable incident, serial trouble-maker Milton Bradley marveled: "It was on a Bradley level." With Zambrano's Cubs career hanging in the balance, here are some of the best and worst of his antics: July 2004: Screams at Cardinals outfielder Jim Edmonds as he rounds bases after home run onto Sheffield Avenue, then ejected for hitting Edmonds a second time. Zambrano: "I don't have to apologize to anybody. This is not a baby's game. This is a man's game." April 2005: Taunts plate umpire Dale Scott after being ejected from Opening Day start in Arizona. Zambrano: "At that moment, you want to kill the umpire." June 2007: Dugout fight"
Guillen says Zambrano 'embarrassed'
August 14
Chicago Tribune
 
"Calling Carlos Zambrano a "great friend," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen admitted "it got to the point that enough is enough" and that "he should feel embarrassed, should regret what he said or what he did." "Very bad and very sad situation," Guillen said of the Cubs' pitcher's latest antics that landed him on the disqualified list Saturday. "I can talk both ways, as a manager (and) as his friend. It's tough situation with how the manager's going to handle that because he's very intense about respect (and) loyalty. "On the other side of the problem, this kid (Zambrano) has a lot of pride. This kid's embarrassed. This kid wants to be good, he wants his team to be good. And I think he feels"
Banished: Zambrano on disqualified list
August 14
Chicago Tribune
 
"Nearly four years ago, former Cubs manager Lou Piniella explained why he didn't want Carlos Zambrano to curtail his antics. "I like an emotional pitcher," Piniella said. "I like some emotional players on my team. Why not? You can't have 25 Stepford wives. What you want is basically a combination of different personalities on a team, and that's what makes it a team." Now, after a decade of excusing Zambrano's actions as a byproduct of his intense "emotions," the Cubs seemed to acknowledge Saturday they never will be a true team with him on it. The club placed Zambrano on the 30-day disqualified list for bolting the team during Friday's game. He will go without pay and will not be allowed to"
Retirement talk nothing new for Zambrano
August 13
Chicago Tribune
 columnist Paul Sullivan
"Carlos Zambrano said late during the 2009 season that he would retire if he had the same kind of season again. "Look, this is the only season I haven't won 16 or 18 or 14 games," he told the Tribune. "If it happens again next season, two seasons in a row, I'll quit. Believe me, I'll quit. I just have to put this behind me." No one expected Zambrano to quit in two seasons, not with millions of dollars on the table. But Zambrano walked out on his team after Friday night's 10-4 loss and told some friends he was "retiring," and now the Cubs are wondering if he actually will carry through with his threat. "It's shocking," catcher Geovany Soto said. Zambrano's agent, Barry Praver, did not return"
Zambrano 'retires' after dismal 10-4 loss
August 13
Chicago Tribune
 
"Carlos Zambrano cleaned out his locker and told friends he was retiring Friday night after serving up five home runs and getting ejected in a 10-4 loss to the Braves. Whether or not he will pitch again remains to be seen, though even if he does decide to apologize, his days as a Cub are probably over. "He didn't have it tonight," manager Mike Quade said. "I'm really disappointed. His locker is empty. I don't know where he's at. He walked out on 24 guys that are battling their (butts) off for him. I don't know where he's gone or what he's doing. I heard he has retired, or talking about retiring. "I can't have a guy walking out on 24 guys, that's for damn sure." General manager Jim Hendry"
Carlos Zambrano walks out on Cubs, said to be mulling retirement
August 13
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Carlos Zambrano has left the building. Whether he returns — and whether he ever pitches in a Cubs uniform again — was a matter of anger, dismay and conjecture after the enigmatic pitcher packed up his belongings in the visiting clubhouse during Friday night's game and left Turner Field. By the time the media were allowed into the clubhouse, not even the nameplate above his locker remained, and Zambrano was said to have told clubhouse personnel he intends to retire. ''He walked out on 24 guys that are battling their ass off for him,'' Cubs manager Mike Quade said after the 10-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves that included five home runs off Zambrano and his ejection. ''I don't know where he's"
Carlos Zambrano helps Cubs run win streak to 7
August 7
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Tony Campana can have all the inside-the-park home runs he wants. Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano still likes the mammoth kind that travel deep into the bleachers, like the one he crushed in the third inning Saturday off Cincinnati Reds starter Johnny Cueto. ''I'm not Campana,'' Zambrano said. ''I'm a big man. Big men are supposed to hit with authority. I'll leave inside the park to Campana.'' Given the last week for the Cubs, it's best not to change a thing. With an 11-4 victory over the stumbling Reds, the Cubs not only stretched their winning streak to seven, they did it by chasing the National League's ERA leader. Cueto (7-5) entered the game with a 1.72 ERA and had allowed only three"
Zambrano tees off on Reds' Cueto
August 7
Chicago Tribune
 
"On Friday morning, Carlos Zambrano walked into the Wrigley Field batting cage to face Chicago Bandits pitcher Monica Abbott. He couldn't get a hit. One day later, he slugged a massive home run against the Reds' Johnny Cueto, who entered the game with a 1.74 ERA. "That's why I'm a baseball player, not a softball player," Zambrano said. "I want a rematch." Zambrano's homer in an 11-4 victory went well up into the right-field bleachers, a typical swing-from-the-heels shot for him. "I'm not Tony Campana, you know," he said with a laugh. "Big men are supposed to hit the ball with authority. Inside-the-park (homers), I'll leave to Campana.""
Zambrano beats Pirates, confident he can finish strong
August 2
Chicago Tribune
 
"It was one year ago this week that Carlos Zambrano returned from the restricted list, where he underwent a month of anger management counseling for his shouting match with Derrek Lee in the dugout at U.S. Cellular Field. Zambrano returned to the rotation on Aug. 9, and went 8-0 with a 1.41 earned-run average down the stretch, the third-best ERA in baseball behind Felix Hernandez and Roy Oswalt. After Monday's 5-3 win over the Pirates, Zambrano said a rerun of the last two months of 2010 is possible. "Yeah," he said. "Personally I feel like I've been throwing the ball good. Today I wasn't feeling like my arm slot was there. It was up and down, up and down, but the ball was moving hard and"