Maveric
Pro Bowler
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By Bruce Levine
ESPNChicago.com
ATLANTA -- Carlos Zambrano has been placed on the disqualified list and will go 30 days without pay and without contact with his team, the Chicago Cubs announced Saturday.
"His actions last night were totally intolerable," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "This was the most stringent penalty we could enforce without a release."
After giving up five home runs in a 10-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves and getting ejected for throwing at Chipper Jones on Friday, Zambrano cleaned out his locker and told trainers and clubhouse people during the game that he was "retiring."
After speaking with Zambrano's agent, Barry Praver, on Saturday, Hendry said it's his understanding that Zambrano is not retiring at this point.
Hendry also said that while he hasn't heard from the Major League Baseball Players Association, he expects it might file a grievance due to the severity of the punishment.
"His actions last night are very detrimental to his teammates," Hendry said. "There's not much worse than running out on your teammates and announcing your retirement."
Cubs pitching coach Mark Riggins, one of the last team members to speak to Zambrano during an in-game visit to the mound, said he didn't see Zambrano's actions coming.
"It shocked me that happened last night," Riggins said on ESPN 1000's Talkin' Baseball radio show on Saturday. "For a player to leave a team, that's kind of just leaving us out there hanging and it seems like it's about him and it's not about the team.
"You just can't let your emotions get that far. We're professional people. We're supposed to be able to handle this, whatever comes our way. It's just disappointing. And we all get embarrassed and it's how we handle those situations, I think, (that) shows the character we have."
Two former All-Star pitchers also shared strong opinions of Zambrano on Talkin' Baseball.
ESPN baseball analyst and former Cub Rick Sutcliffe believes it's time for the Cubs and Zambrano to part ways.
"This is a proud man, probably too much," Sutcliffe said. "You know that he was embarrassed with what happened. You know that it was the pride that got in the way, that created that situation, but ... enough's enough. The Cubs at this point need to sit down with him and figure out a way to end this relationship because it's not working there."
Sutcliffe added that Zambrano doesn't need to hang it up for good.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he could still be a productive big league pitcher," Sutcliffe said. "He needs to get away from baseball, probably for the rest of this year," Sutcliffe said. "And then possibly come back somewhere else."
Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz said while Zambrano's frustration is understandable, his continued inability to control it is not.
"I don't think anyone could have predicted what he was capable of doing (to) that degree, but every pitcher who goes through something like this has a moment," Smoltz said. "You can always forgive a moment. You can understand a moment. But there's been too many moments for Carlos Zambrano. And I think now something will have to be done if you're the Cubs because you can't afford another moment."
Smoltz noted that Zambrano isn't the only major league player guilty of exhibiting inappropriate behavior.
"If ownership and teams did a better job preparing a professional to be a professional. ... Quit assuming that guys know how to be a professional, and teach them their responsibilities and demand their responsibilities," Smoltz said. "When it's going good, everyone can be a professional and a teammate. When it's not going good, that's when it's hard to do those things. This is not the only team. The Cubs are not the only ones dealing with this."
Zambrano's track record of abnormal behavior is long and well-documented.
He bashed teammates on June 4 in St. Louis, calling them "Triple-A players" after the team lost a 10-inning game on an Albert Pujols walk-off home run. He apologized to the entire team the following day in Cincinnati.
On June 25, 2010, Zambrano had a dugout blowup with then-Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee at US Cellular field. Zambrano was suspended for two days before being placed on baseball's restricted list for six weeks. After he returned to the team on Aug. 8, he went 8-0 in 11 starts. Zambrano also went through eight months of anger-management sessions after the incident with Lee.
Zambrano is 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA in 24 starts for the Cubs this season.
ESPNChicago.com
ATLANTA -- Carlos Zambrano has been placed on the disqualified list and will go 30 days without pay and without contact with his team, the Chicago Cubs announced Saturday.
"His actions last night were totally intolerable," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. "This was the most stringent penalty we could enforce without a release."
After giving up five home runs in a 10-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves and getting ejected for throwing at Chipper Jones on Friday, Zambrano cleaned out his locker and told trainers and clubhouse people during the game that he was "retiring."
After speaking with Zambrano's agent, Barry Praver, on Saturday, Hendry said it's his understanding that Zambrano is not retiring at this point.
Hendry also said that while he hasn't heard from the Major League Baseball Players Association, he expects it might file a grievance due to the severity of the punishment.
"His actions last night are very detrimental to his teammates," Hendry said. "There's not much worse than running out on your teammates and announcing your retirement."
Cubs pitching coach Mark Riggins, one of the last team members to speak to Zambrano during an in-game visit to the mound, said he didn't see Zambrano's actions coming.
"It shocked me that happened last night," Riggins said on ESPN 1000's Talkin' Baseball radio show on Saturday. "For a player to leave a team, that's kind of just leaving us out there hanging and it seems like it's about him and it's not about the team.
"You just can't let your emotions get that far. We're professional people. We're supposed to be able to handle this, whatever comes our way. It's just disappointing. And we all get embarrassed and it's how we handle those situations, I think, (that) shows the character we have."
Two former All-Star pitchers also shared strong opinions of Zambrano on Talkin' Baseball.
ESPN baseball analyst and former Cub Rick Sutcliffe believes it's time for the Cubs and Zambrano to part ways.
"This is a proud man, probably too much," Sutcliffe said. "You know that he was embarrassed with what happened. You know that it was the pride that got in the way, that created that situation, but ... enough's enough. The Cubs at this point need to sit down with him and figure out a way to end this relationship because it's not working there."
Sutcliffe added that Zambrano doesn't need to hang it up for good.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he could still be a productive big league pitcher," Sutcliffe said. "He needs to get away from baseball, probably for the rest of this year," Sutcliffe said. "And then possibly come back somewhere else."
Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz said while Zambrano's frustration is understandable, his continued inability to control it is not.
"I don't think anyone could have predicted what he was capable of doing (to) that degree, but every pitcher who goes through something like this has a moment," Smoltz said. "You can always forgive a moment. You can understand a moment. But there's been too many moments for Carlos Zambrano. And I think now something will have to be done if you're the Cubs because you can't afford another moment."
Smoltz noted that Zambrano isn't the only major league player guilty of exhibiting inappropriate behavior.
"If ownership and teams did a better job preparing a professional to be a professional. ... Quit assuming that guys know how to be a professional, and teach them their responsibilities and demand their responsibilities," Smoltz said. "When it's going good, everyone can be a professional and a teammate. When it's not going good, that's when it's hard to do those things. This is not the only team. The Cubs are not the only ones dealing with this."
Zambrano's track record of abnormal behavior is long and well-documented.
He bashed teammates on June 4 in St. Louis, calling them "Triple-A players" after the team lost a 10-inning game on an Albert Pujols walk-off home run. He apologized to the entire team the following day in Cincinnati.
On June 25, 2010, Zambrano had a dugout blowup with then-Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee at US Cellular field. Zambrano was suspended for two days before being placed on baseball's restricted list for six weeks. After he returned to the team on Aug. 8, he went 8-0 in 11 starts. Zambrano also went through eight months of anger-management sessions after the incident with Lee.
Zambrano is 9-7 with a 4.82 ERA in 24 starts for the Cubs this season.
