Posts Tagged ‘cubs’
The Carlos Zambrano saga in Chicago has come to an end.
The Chicago Cubs have reportedly traded the talented yet volatile pitcher to the Miami Marlins for starter Chris Volstad.
This move should come as no surprise to those faithful to the Windy City’s north-side team, as the pitcher has struggled in every area except alienating himself from his club, his teammates and their fans. In recent years, not only has his play declined significantly (his ERA was an abysmal 4.89 last season); but his behavior has made him a cancer to the organization. Whether it be fights with teammates, or ill-advised comments in the media; the 3-time all-star has found himself at the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. The last straw seemed to be last seasons’ melt down in Atlanta. It was at this time where he left the stadium early, saying he was finished with the team. Although his suspension for his actions was lifted in September, he never pitched for the Cubs again.
We are right in the middle of an exciting World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers with their 2 aces matching up against each other tonight. But that’s not all that’s happening in the baseball world.
In a time that is supposed to be reserved for the two teams that are still actually playing, many other names are popping up in the headlines. Today. the Philadelphia Phillies declined their options on pitchers Brad Lidge and Roy Oswald, adding marquee names to a thin pitching market. Prince Fielder all but said goodbye to the Brewers in a press conference following their NLCS series loss. People can’t help but speculate about C.C. Sabathia and the uncertainty surrounding the Yankees pitching staff.
But the teams grabbing the most headlines are the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. In a move that has long been speculated, former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein left the Bosox for the Chicago Cubs. If you are questioning why the youngest GM in baseball history would leave his hometown team for the lowly Cubs, there are plenty of reasons.
Albert Pujols, a gold-glove winning first baseman, started yesterday on the opposite side of the diamond. With sinkerballer Jake Westbrook on the mound and excellent play from Lance Berkman, Pujols volunteered to start at third. While this isn’t exactly new territory for Pujols, it is something that he has not done since 2002 (save a brief 2 inning appearance). A lot of the reason behind keeping him on the right side of the diamond has been his troublesome elbow on his throwing arm, that has required 2 surgeries. Pujols performed decently, throwing out base-runners, and reported no ill-effects.
But one has to question why Manager Tony La Russa made the move. Sure there were some theoretical defensive benefits. Pujols even volunteered for the move saying: “it’s nothing new. Whatever the team needs.” But is what the team needs to move their cornerstone and gold -glove winner? Is what the team needs to risk injury and potentially their season? I would emphatically say no. Pujols, above any other player in the league, needs to be shown every amount of respect possible. He may be the best hitter of this generation. He is also one of the best fielders at first in the league.