Carlos Zambrano Done With the Chicago Cubs?

On Twitter: @longisland495 No mo' Z in the Windy? It is no secret to anyone at this point that Carlos Zambrano is a volatile baseball player. At times, he can be one of the best of pitchers. On other occasions, he can be flat out intolerable with both his temper and performance. But what happened in Atlanta seemed to take the cake. Big Z was getting roughed up vs. the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. It seemed like he was being paid extra to give up gopher balls that night. He allowed 6 home runs including 2 to Dan Uggla who was in the midst of a 33 game hitting streak at the time that rose his average into the .220's from below the Mendoza Line. After a while, Zambrano was so frustrated that his actions were felt on the field. When pitching to Chipper Jones, he threw inside on the Atlanta veteran not once but twice. After the second time, home plate umpire Tim Timmons ejected Zambrano from the game. It also sparked other Braves players to clear their bench in defense of their veteran 3B. No Cubs came to Zambrano's defense. Instead, Zambrano went back to his dugout and was seen to be smiling back at the Braves players as he went to his clubhouse. Reportedly, he had left the clubhouse with his locker cleared and said he was planning on retiring. It had been the latest of classic Z meltdowns throughout his career including showdowns in the dugout with teammates Michael Barrett (2007) and Derrek Lee (2010). Both demanded trades after their particular incidents. Both got them. It was suggested that this move by Z could very well have been the last straw for Cubs players. While the Cubs have gone through another disastrous season on the North Side, Z's walkout on the team provided the cherry on top. Zambrano earlier in the year made rather snide comments that already hinted at a trade demand. Of all teams he seemed to be interested in, many claimed that the New York Yankees were at the top of his wish list. Now, recently, Zambrano told local media outlets in Chicago including Comcast SportsNet that his "retirement" claims were merely a kneejerk reaction to him having a rough night on the mound. He says that he wants to return to the team. But, even if he does want to return to the team, he's no longer a Chicago Cub in the minds of his teammates and fans. Fans on the North Side of the Windy City have only put up with his "extracurriculars" on the basis that he pitched like an ace. He hasn't pitched like an ace in 2011. In fact, the Cubs' staff has been one of the worst in baseball which is unusual for Cubbie teams these days. If he were to return, Cubs players would be thinking, "He's returning but it's not as if he's doing it for the team and the organization. He's due to make somewhere around $20 million this year that the organization probably won't eat and that's why he seems to be intent on coming back." But given their performance, the case can be made that several Cubs outside of Starlin Castro are old and overpaid as well. They seem to be a collection of individuals that only seem interested in collecting a big Chicago-sized paycheck. Their play and record seem to indicate that. You have to be at least appreciative of Carlos Zambrano's passion for the game. At least he wants to win. I imagine there are a lot of Cubs fans that wish that other players showed the passion for winning that Z did. But Z always seemed to overdo it and that willingness to win seemed to overstep certain boundaries. When you're in the unique position of not having won a World Series in over 100 years, conventional rules shouldn't apply to you if you have your long-suffering fans in mind. Many fans feel that they don't have them in mind and are calling for the heads of Jim Hendry, Crane Kenny, and Mike Quade. And even new owner Tom Ricketts. It maybe early, but the Tribune now didn't seem so bad...ok that's overdoing it in itself. Leadership is an issue. This is not the same fairweather group of fans that almost wore their team's losing like a badge of honor. They want to win and want to do it now. 2003, 2007, and 2008 woke up their fans and those seasons haven't been reduplicated since '08. The media in Chicago can be just as harsh. Playoffs are out of the question After this, I'd get rid of him and take my chances with what I can acquire/trade for in free agency or call from the farm system. The Z experiment has been an epic fail in the last 3 years. Not to mention the Cubs have the money to offer anything to any free agents... Like say Albert Pujols....or Prince Fielder...??? Maybe. Maybe. Perhaps. And so begins the countdown to "next year". lol :-) Your Opinion...?
Carlos Zambrano Done With the Chicago Cubs?