Same Old Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I've had quite enough of Carlos Zambrano's temper tantrums and antics on the field and in the dugout. I can't even imagine how Cubs fans are reacting to a player that they are supposed to root for every five days.

There's a difference between being fired up while showing emotions during a game and being crazier than Turkmenbashi. I've seen Mark Buehrle give up seven runs in the first inning and I never saw him chew out Paul Konerko for not doing enough to make a play. I actually thought that Zambrano got out of the first inning with minimal damage done. When he slammed his foot onto first base for the final out, I thought that it was a statement that he wasn't going to give up any more runs. Boy, was I wrong!
I can't be sure what exactly was said, but I assume it involved a lot of swearing since Sportscenter's coverage included a rapidly appearing and disappearing blur circle over the mouths of Carlos Zambrano and Derrek Lee.
It's one thing to vent and be upset that you gave up four runs in an inning. I can't think of a pitcher that wouldn't be the teeniest bit upset about that. The one thing you don't do is take it out on your teammates. Of all the unwritten rules of baseball, that is numero uno.

Carlos Zambrano may have passion and fire, but since he can't control the aim of that anger, it becomes a weakness. He may be a different cat off the field, as Ozzie Guillen claims, but on the field, when losing, Zambrano is nothing but a well paid selfish baby.

This latest outburst is that absolute last thing the Cubs needed right now. The indefinite suspension of Z puts the Cubs roster at 24, since they cannot replace a suspended player. It also taxes further a bullpen, who just came off a 13 inning game and could have used the rest, instead of coming in at the beginning of the second inning. The Cubs could pay Carlos $45 million to simply go away or the Cubs can pray that Zambrano waives his full no trade clause. I don't see either being an easy option.

Zambrano becomes the second player in two years to be suspended by the Cubs organization. They had to go that route with Milton Bradley last year and now Carlos Zambrano. Why do the Cubs go after these head cases? Why do they give out ridiculously high contracts for players who fall well short of expectations? Every club has had a few of these, but the Cubs seem to seek these out more than the majority of teams out there.

When Zambrano got the $91.5 million dollar extension in August 2007, I thought it was a big mistake. When Z is in the right frame of mind, he can be lights out and the best pitcher in baseball. Take his 2008 no-hitter. That was a thing of beauty. It seems like it's been all downhill since that point. When Carlos is not in the right frame of mind, he can be a club cancer poisoning every player on the Cubs.

Yesterday's meltdown overshadowed a 149 pitch no-hitter by Edwin Jackson and stole the limelight of the White Sox, who won their tenth game in a row, the best streak for the Pale Hose since I was a fetus, in May 1976.

It will be interesting to see just what the Cubs do with Carlos Zambrano. Everything negative gets magnified when a team is losing. This outburst didn't need that sort of fuel. It was already a raging fire, out of control.