To close things out, Pat and Corey look at the players on the ballot for the 2012 Hall of Fame and what their chances are for getting in eventually.

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Zambrano apparently told club staff that he was retiring after the ejection. Sadly, two hours later, Zambrano’s agent made it clear that his client was not going to retire; instead, the Cubs put Zambrano on the disqualified list for 30 days.

Cubs general manager, Jim Hendry, said that it was the harshest punishment without actually releasing Zambrano. My question is: Why didn’t Hendry release Zambrano?

Zambrano has a history of being a loud-mouth, arrogant, and I’d say a very narcissistic player who has had some good years but who will no doubt be remembered as an overrated baseball player. It’s not that this day comes as a surprise to any Cubs fan. Zambrano had been trekking on a slow but sure mental downfall. It amazes me how an orphan-adopting and church-building person off the field can be become such a menace on the field.

There are a handful of players in every major league sport that act like this, but they still somehow get jobs from teams. The Cubs are one of these teams. In addition to Zambrano, they signed Milton Bradley, a player known to almost always start controversy, after he had a few good years. We all know how that ended.

What these guys (and most players who fall into this category) have in common is talent plus one or a few good seasons, and because of this teams are willing to take the risk.

I always found that to be disgusting.

Does anyone or any team in sports have dignity anymore? I can understand that teams want to win, but thinking these players will change usually causes more problems than anything. Thinking guys like this can help solve the team’s problems long-term is really asinine.

I totally believe in giving people second chances, but there comes a point where you must draw a line.

You would think the Cubs are already embarrassed enough to have not won a World Series in 103 years that they would think twice before signing players who have a knack of embarrassing the teams they play for. While Zambrano started off very strong in his early seasons, he slowly progressed into a completely unstable baseball player. This incident was nothing new. Things like this have been happening for a few years now, and it’s finally coming back to bite the Cubs in the ass.

It’s time release Zambrano and eat his $19 million salary. It could be the beginning of a much-needed clean-up, one that is imperative if the Cubs ever want to win a World Series again.

In Zambrano’s exit, and juxtaposed against the disappointment of the Wood-Prior-Zambrano trio, I find yet another way to appreciate their underappreciated contemporary: Mark Buehrle.

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For those who would rather read than listen, here is the transcript:

As Carlos Zambrano Exits, Ol’ Reliable Mark Buehrle Stands Alone in Chicago

Last night, Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano did something that is starting to become such a Chicago Cubs thing to do: he walked out on his teammates.

Like Sammy Sosa before him, Zambrano has gone from a beloved Cubs superstar to an overpaid, underachieving, volatile pariah. And like Sosa, Big Z hasn’t been able to stand the heat…so he showed himself out of the kitchen.

When I heard about Zambrano’s selfish, impetuous act, two thoughts immediately flashed into my mind:

One, this probably, mercifully, signals the end of one of the most star-crossed and disappointing pitching phenom trios in baseball history.

And two, I somehow found a new way to appreciate Mark Buehrle.

Let’s deal with number one first.

In 2003, the trio of Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Zambrano went a combined 45-28 in 94 starts with an average ERA+ of 151.3 and more than a strikeout per inning. They were, simply put, the most fearsome trio of pitchers in Major League Baseball. Prior and Zambrano were both 22. Wood was 26. Finally, there was realistic hope for broken curses on North Side.

I don’t need to rehash the excruciating details of what happened to this trio in the seasons that ensued after Steve Bartman’s unfortunate rise to infamy. Simply put, it would not be an overstatement to call the fall of Wood and Prior one of the more extreme examples of unfulfilled potential in my lifetime as a baseball fan.

Big Z, on the other hand, stayed physically healthy and became the Cubs’ ace. From 2004-2007 he finished in the top 5 of the Cy Young voting three times. He’s won a total of 125 games while never making fewer than 28 starts in a season before last year. He was, I think, one of the 10 or 15 best pitchers of the aughts when you look at his entire body of work.

And Wood and Prior were both considered better than Zambrano. Can you imagine the Cubs’ pitching staff had those two been able to mature into grizzled 200+ inning machines like Zambrano? As a White Sox fan and lifelong Cubs hater, I shudder to think about such a reality.

The problem with Zambrano is that while he stayed physically healthy, his emotional health seemed to deteriorate by the season. Miscast as a #1 starter, the man to whom all pressure goes on a pitching staff, Zambrano routinely melted down. As his meltdowns increased, so too did his ability to confidently and competently take the ball every fifth day for his Cubs.

Zambrano finished fifth in the Cy Young voting in 2007. He made 34 starts. Over the next three seasons Zambrano would start 30, 28, and 20 games. This year he has started 24, but with a career-worst 4.82 ERA. Zambrano has never finished a full season with an ERA over 3.95.

And now, apparently, Zambrano’s career is done. Surely it’s done on the North Side.

With it, gone also are the final vestiges of that once-heralded trio of pitching phenoms that was going to overcome baseball history, billy goats, and Bartman to deliver glory to the partisans of Wrigley. Two thirds of the trio succumbed to injury of the body; one third fell to a failure of the mind.

And then there is Mark Buehrle.

Concurrently with Wood, Zambrano, and Prior pitching their first full seasons in the big leagues (1998, 2002, and 2003, respectively), the team on the south side of the city was breaking in a young, unheralded, soft-tossing lefty who had been a 38^th round draft pick. Mark Buehrle unexpectedly went 16-8 with a 3.29 ERA and a league-leading 1.066 WHIP during his first full season in 2001, but then proceeded to pitch progressively worse in 2002 and 2003.

By the time Buehrle posted an underwhelming 14-14 won-loss record in 2003, with a 4.14 ERA, he had become completely lost in the Chicago pitching shuffle due to the exploits of the aforementioned Wrigleyville Trio.

But just as the tide turned in 2003 for the Cubs’ young pitchers, so too did it turn for Buehrle. He lowered his ERA and went 16-10 in 2004 before having his career year in 2005. Buehrle went 16-8 with a 3.12 ERA while leading the league in innings pitched for the second straight year. It was his lone top-5 finish in the Cy Young voting.

Oh, and powered by pitching, the White Sox won the World Series, the first in the city of Chicago in over 200 combined seasons of baseball.

Since then, Buehrle has just kept on motoring. He had a down year in 2006 while dealing with the fatigue of the deep playoff run, but he has compensated for any inflated ERAs with his reliability. Since 2001 through this season, a span of 11 seasons, Buehrle has never won fewer than 10 games and never pitched fewer than 200 innings, which he is on pace to do again this year. He has pitched a perfect game, a no-hitter, won two gold gloves, set the MLB record for consecutive batters retired at 45, and is currently in the midst of a team-record streak of consecutive starts allowing 3 or fewer earned runs.  He is also the only player in MLB history to start and save consecutive World Series games.

This year, at the age of 32, Buehrle is having one of his best seasons at a time when his team has needed him the most. The White Sox entered this season proclaiming to be all-in. Unfortunately, many of the White Sox high-priced players have floundered. Not Buehrle. His current ERA of 3.06 would be his career best, as would his .667 winning percentage. Because of Mark Buehrle, the White Sox still have life in the AL Central. Without him? I shudder to consider.

I’ve long thought and argued that Mark Buehrle is one of the most underrated and underappreciated baseball players of the current era. Sure, I’m biased, but the list of accomplishments I’ve spouted off during this quickcast speaks for itself.

What’s ironic is that Buehrle has had such a spectacularly steady career on the south side after starting out in the shadows of burgeoning dominance on the north side. But what makes baseball such a great and fascinating game is that in every respect it is a marathon, not a sprint.

At bats can be marathons. Games can be marathons. Series can be marathons. And certainly seasons and careers are marathons. The second you think you have baseball figured out, the game is quick to flip your expectations 180 degrees.

In the case of Prior and Wood, this expectation flip was tragic in the sports sense of the word. In the case of Zambrano, the expectation flip was perhaps inevitable. And in the case of Buehrle, the expectation flip has been relatively anonymous and nondescript.

The best way I can sum it up is this: way back in 2003, Mark Buehrle was unquestionably the tortoise in the race to Windy City pitching immortality. One by one, the much-heralded hares that toed the rubber in Wrigley have fallen by the way side; and just like in the old children’s tale we all know so well, the tortoise has unexpectedly won the race.

I feel bad for Cubs fans today, looking back on what could have been and what ended up being. And such an ugly, ignominious ending; but one that is perhaps appropriate all things considered. As a baseball fan, I would have liked to have seen the greatness that Wood, Prior, and Zambrano would have produced together, even if the Cubs hater in me would have loathed it.

Regardless, I’m just happy that of the four young pitchers who started their big league careers in Chicago back at the turn of the century, the White Sox were the ones who got Mark Buehrle, because he has ended up having the best career of them all. That would have sounded crazy to say at the time, but it’s unquestionable now.

As Rangers manager Ron Washington might say, that’s the way baseball go.

Fellow White Sox fans, today is a good day to stop and appreciate what we’ve had and what we still have in Mark Buehrle. Consistency, reliability, and stability are three of the most underrated traits in a baseball player. Just ask a Cubs fan.

Especially on this day, I’m sure they would agree.

Two-Start Pitchers

Must Starts:

Jhoulys Chacin, Colorado Rockies

Chacin has surpassed Ubaldo as the Rockies ace this year.  He has been unreal in his last 4 starts going at least six innings with no more than one run.

Zack Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers

Greinke has been unlucky this year but has still provided great strikeout numbers.  Other than one poor start with the wind blowing out at Wrigley, Greinke has made 5 quality starts in his last 6 games.

Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies

Lee gets Boston’s juggernaut lineup in his first start, but owners should not worry.  The lefty is an elite talent who has hit his stride in a big way in his last few starts.

Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks

Kennedy has flown under the radar this season, but has still provided owners with great numbers.  This week, he gets two struggling offenses in Cleveland and Oakland, so look for him to continue his run of success.

Other Must Starts: CJ Wilson, Texas Rangers; Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox; Erik Bedard, Seattle Mariners; Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays

Take a Chance:

Brandon Beachy, Atlanta Braves

Beachy was absolutely phenomenal in his return from the DL this week, striking out 11 in just 6 innings.  However, this was not his first great pitching performance this season.  This week, he has one start in Seattle and one at home against the Orioles.  Beachy owns a 3.22 ERA overall and can provide solid strikeout totals.  Another reason to believe in Beachy is that he owns a 1.45 ERA against non-NL East opponents.

Spot Start Options

Jason Vargas, Seattle Mariners

Vargas was masterful against the Phillies at home last week and for most of the year has been solid.  This week, he gets the punchless San Diego offense at home.  Two of his last three home starts have been complete game shutouts.  The Padres provide less offensive firepower than the struggling Phillies and Rays, whom he already shut out, so give him a chance.

Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs

There are rumors that Big Z may finally be getting his head straight, which is dangerous for opponents.  Long overcome by emotional outbursts, Zambrano has settled in for his last two starts with consecutive starts of at least 7 innings and three or fewer runs.  This week, Zambrano gets the Giants at Wrigley, where he owns a sub-4.00 ERA.  To top it off, he owns a 2.38 career ERA against the Giants, including a 1.64 mark last season.

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* – Zack Greinke photo credit: Morry Gash — Associated Press via Madison.com

I don’t know if any of you have watched the Cubs lately, but if you have, it’s hard not to agree with Zambrano’s assessment.

The Cubs will most likely suspend Zambrano, but I don’t see anything wrong with Zambrano’s words. If anything, his words are the truth, and being a good teammate is like being a good friend: telling the truth, though it may induce anger and defensiveness at first, will prove helpful in the long run.

Zambrano hasn’t exactly been a ‘lights-out’ pitcher in his career in Chicago, and he isn’t really the sanest man or perhaps even the right person to be calling out his team when he’s part of the problem as well, but at least he’s onto something.

Despite the dead-on assessment by Zambrano, I highly doubt the ownership and management of the Cubs will do anything. In fact, Tom Ricketts still has his head in the clouds. When asked what was wrong with his team last weekend, Ricketts answered “Nothing. Just a lot of injuries.”

Really? Just injuries? Claiming that injuries is the reason your team has sucked is a major cop-out in any sport. The problem with Jim Hendry’s and Tom Rickett’s team isn’t the injuries, but that the injuries have shown the blatant problems with the Cubs: their minor league teams. Good teams scout and develop players who can become every day starters and fill injury voids while developing, but Hendry has failed to grasp this concept.

Almost every player brought up could be summed up in one word: inadequate.

But Hendry and Ricketts are still acting like crazed, balls-to-the-wall fanboys. Ricketts is playing the fans as fools, and for once in my short life Cubs fans seem to be having enough.

The Cubs have been averaging around 40,000 people per game since 2006, but this season’s average has dipped to 34,818, 10th in the MLB. Cubs fans are finally asking for a winning team, or at least some sign of progress before they pay for overpriced tickets to see a losing team that 11 games out of first place.

My dad always told me that if the Cubs fans stopped going to the games and demanded a better team, maybe management would get off their butts and do something; but apparently even when the fans stop showing up the organization still lives in denial.

Mark my words: as long as Jim Hendry and the delusional management of the Cubs still have their jobs, the Cubs will never win a World Series.

Details here.

But there just no magic to be found.

The Cubs have been in a slump, and their ongoing inconsistency is coming home to roost at Wrigley.

The Cubs have failed this entire season to create any type of a significant winning streak. In his per-game WGN radio interview, Manger Mike Quade cited a multitude of reasons as to why the team has failed to deliver solid performances consistently. The Cubs are currently being plagued by players (seven) on the DL, bad pitching, and mediocre defense.

Chicago has made several changes along the way, including sending Tyler Colvin down to the Minors, (though he rejoined the team on May 31st during the Cubs-Astros game). They also added a new hard charger, Tony Campana, to the rotation.

Even though the Cubs have shown some talent this year, they struggled during the Astros series – a team they should be able to beat. The Cubs grabbed a lead over the Astros on yesterday, only to see it thrown away in the 9th inning as Carlos Marmol gave up multiple runs as Houston tied the game and then went onto to win. During the post-game, it was apparent that Mike Quade was disappointed, but he stood behind Carlos Marmol by stating “No one feels worst the Mar.”

And then there’s “The Big Z”, Carlos Zambrano. The same Big-Z who is famous for the famous “Zambrano Melt Down”, an incident that got Zambrano some time off and assigned to anger management. After his return to the Cubs, he was dubbed the “New and Improved Zambrano”.

However, during the CubsaAstros game, Big Z just couldn’t take the pressure anymore.

After striking out in the 5th inning, he broke a bat over his leg. In a post game interview, Z’s anger was anything but managed, as he put down Mike Quade. He glared at a reporter who dared ask him a question about what Mike Quade thought about his breaking a bat. Big-Z then asked the reporter if he was trying to start something between he and Quade, but then Z alluded to not caring what Mike Quade thought. He also went on to remind the reporters that he was a real man and that the could come watch him work and see how strong his legs were.

It’s too bad that Zambrano can’t bat with his legs; he might not have struck out then.

Well, we’re 17 games in and the Cubs’ bullpen has a dismal 2-8 and a combined 7.51 ERA, if you include Carlos Zambrano.

How much confidence does Lou have now? I wouldn’t say he has much.

The organization doesn’t even have much confidence in their #1 starter. Paying $18 million dollars for a setup man is just plain ridiculous, and I am sure Zambrano is laughing all the way to the bank.

The decision to move Zambrano to the 8th inning setup role was not a strategic move but a desperate one. It’s merely a move to make room for Ted Lily. Carlos Silva has surprised everyone, and is actually pitching very well, as well as Tom Gorzelanny.

The fact Piniella had confidence in his bullpen seemed ridiculous to me, even at the moment he said it, and now it seems like I, as well as everybody else, was right in saying we were skeptical. When your bullpen has eight out of your ten losses, and one of them has allowed 11 runs in 3.1 innings,  you know something just isn’t right.

So the Cubs start another year exactly were I thought they would be, 4th place in a mediocre division, with really no good sign of solving any of the bullpen woes. I think the Cubs are going to keep Zambrano in the bullpen for awhile while Lily gets back to his starting role, or at least until they can find a team that would make a trade for him.

Getting rid of Zambrano would be like throwing dead wood off a sinking boat. It’ll help the Cubs get back on the right track of not dealing with mediocrity from such a high paid player. But it was the Cubs’ fault in the first place to sign so many “proven” players to high contracts, only to see them dramatically under-perform.

Or is the Cubs’ curse to blame. Not a chance. Sure, 100+ years of not winning a World Series seems unlikley, but when organizations make bad choices, it’s no surprise that the outcome isn’t as they had hoped.

Curse or no curse, the Cubs should have never been content with their bullpen staff.

Baseball officially started Sunday night with Boston and New York, but most teams and their fans, baseball starts today. This is true for the Chicago “lovable losers” Cubs as they play the Atlanta Braves this afternoon in Atlanta.

It’s now been 102 years since a World Series victory for the Cubs, the longest drought in professional sports history, but will this finally be the year that changes? Maybe, maybe not. The key for the Cubs is to take one game at a time.

Sure, you can make the argument the Cubs have some overrated and overpaid players, but what you can’t deny is, with everyone on the team clicking, they can be a dominant force.

The Cubs and the Braves square off 4:10 pm est. Probable starters include Carlos Zambrano for the Cubs and Derek Lowe for the Braves. The Cubs have put both Angel Guzman and Ted Lily on the 15-day disabled list. Their roster includes 12 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders and five outfielders. Prospect Tyler Colvin made the opening day team, but how long will he last?

He’s considered the Cubs most valuable prospect as he tries to stop the recent outfielder woes the Cubs have had with their prospects in recent years.

The question for the Cubs this year, since their no longer the favorites in the division, is will Zambrano finally shape up to be the first-string starter they are paying him to be? It’s the most important issue for the Cubs, and without consistent pitching, the Cubs will go nowhere.

Only so much can be predicted. Now it’s time to sit back and relax watch some baseball. If it’s not this year, Cubs’ fans, there’s always next year.

Spring training has just begun, and it’s time for another chance for the “lovable losers” to make another run at ending their 100+ year World Series drought. But is this really the year for the Cubs to end that drought?

If you look at the Cubs’ players you see a lot of high class names: Derek Lee, Alfonsio Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, and Aramis Ramirez. The problem is all these guys, with the exception of Ramirez, have not fulfilled the expectations that the fans and general managers originally had for them.

In fact they have been big letdowns, failing to win a playoff game in the last six chances.

So how does it look for this year?

Nothing looks quite that different, so it’s very hard to say this team will make the playoffs, let alone win the World Series.

Chicago Cubs 2010 Pitching Rotation

The pitching staff is more or less the same. Rich Harden is now gone and former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija is looking to take the 5th starting role. Based on what we have seen from Samardzija it doesn’t look like he has the stuff to be a high-caliber pitcher. He has a nice fastball but his off-speed stuff is really lacking.

Carlos Zambrano is already on the decline and gets worse year after year. The guy has a temper and control problem. He’s not going to be that ace you need.

Carlos Silva is just plain bad. His record the last two years is 5-18. He has some serious ERA problems, posting a 6.46 ERA in 28 appearances in 2008. I don’t seem him having the kind of year that can help you win championships.

Ted Lilly is definitely the team’s most consistent pitcher, winning at least 12 games the last three seasons, but how well will he do after recovering from a knee injury?

The only for sure bright spot in the Cubs’ rotation is youngster Randy Wells. Like I said before, Wells is the up-and-coming Cub. He is a great young talent and it will be a disgrace if the Cubs didn’t capitalize on his abilities.

Chicago Cubs 2010 Lineup

The infielders might be the Cubs’ best group of players.

Third basemen Aramis Rameriz is by far the best hitter on the team. He has posted outstanding numbers his whole tenure with the Cubs.

First baseman Derrek Lee has shown he can still be a good hitter, batting .306 with 35 home runs and 111 RBI’s last year. But he is an aging player about to turn 35. Can he still post numbers like that?

Ryan Theriot always starts the season off really well, but cools off towards the middle to the end. He is the most likely pick to start the season off as the lead-off hitter and it suits him really well. As long as he can get on base for the Cubs in the lead-off role, Theriot  can be a really good table setter for the Cubs.

Jeff Baker will most likely get the nod to start second base as he was handed the starting role towards the end of the season last year. He put up some pretty good numbers: a .288 AVG with 4 HR’s and 24 RBI’s in 81 games.

Geovany Soto will get the nod for the Cubs this year at catcher, but he is coming off a sophomore slump in which he only batted .218. Soto admitted he had gained some weight, but he is supposed to lose some of it before the season begins. Soto adds some power to the Cubs’ offense as well as the ability to drive runners in. His bat will be much needed this year if the Cubs want to make the playoffs.

The staring outfielders for the Cubs are a given: Alfonso Soriano will be in left, Marlon Byrd in center, and Kosuke Fukudome in right.

Soriano’s stay in Chicago has been plagued by injuries and missing easy pop flys, leaving him on the bitter side of the fans. His average sunk all the way to .241 last year. His power and run driving ability have been over-shadowed by his high strikeout rate and his failure to produce during the playoffs.

Marlon Bryd is spending his first year wearing a Cubs’ uniform after spending three years with the Texas Rangers. Byrd is an average hitter who had his breakout season last year which landed him a three year contract with the Cubs. He doesn’t bring much power to the plate, but he can drive players, hit for contact, and get to fly balls in center.

Kosuke Fukudome, while not being a total bust, has, like most Cubs’ players, not met to expectations. He hasn’t batted over .260 in his two years in the league, but his defensive skills are better than average, saving some of the pain.

Overall the Cubs don’t have the team, on paper, that can win you a World Series, but you never know what these players will play like. Inconsistency will kill your chances at a division title.

Therefore, I see the Cubs coming in third this year with St. Louis winning the division. Sorry Cubs fans, but you’ll have to wait another year.

**********

* – Carlos Zambrano photo credit: Born Again Cubs Fan

* – Cubs fan doing what Cubs fans are so good at photo credit:Kap’s Corner

In Phil Rogers’ quick-hits column at the Tribune today (via FanNation T&R), he says that “some baseball people” believe that the White Sox and Cubs could be interested in swapping Jake Peavy and Carlos Zambrano.

Before I show you the excerpt, let me give you my unequivocal initial reaction to this White Sox-Cubs trade rumor, from my perspective as a White Sox fan: hell no!

Here is what Rogers has to say:

Some baseball people believe the White Sox could have interest in the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano, possibly even for the newly acquired Jake Peavy. It would be a way for two teams without much money to spend to shake things up, but wouldn’t Peavy have more value than Zambrano at this point?

You’re damn right Jake Peavy has more value than Carlos Zambrano…at least, as far as I’m concerned. 

Take a quick look at their career numbers:

• Carlos Zambrano: 237 GS, 105-67, 3.50 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, .230 BAA, 1.899:1 K/BB ratio
• Jake Peavy: 214 GS, 94-68, 3.28 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, .231 BAA, 3.1:1 K/BB ratio

While their career numbers are not that much different, and while an argument can be made that Peavy’s numbers have been inflated by the home park he’s pitched in his entire career in San Diego, and while Zambrano’s career playoff numbers are actually much better than Peavy’s, there is just something innate about the two pitchers that makes me not hesitate in saying I’d rather have Peavy.

And I promise it has nothing to do with the fact that Peavy has been outstanding in the two starts he’s made for Chicago as the White Sox limp down the stretch in ’09 (2-0, 13 K, 4 BB, 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP).

For whatever reason, I have absolutely no faith in Carlos Zambrano to come through in big spots and consistently take the mound with the right mindset every fifth day. He is far too much of a loose cannon, and too prone to bouts of wildness, to truly be counted on as an ace.

In Mark Buehrle-Jake Peavy-John Danks-Gavin Floyd, the White Sox may well have the best pitching rotation in the American League next year. I’m not saying that subbing Zambrano for Peavy would necessarily change that, but I like the look of it much better with Peavy.

And do we really want loose cannon Ozzie Guillen managing loose cannon Carlos Zambrano? Something about that mixture just seems to combustible to work.

In the end, there is really no clear statistical argument that separates the two, but I still know I’d rather have Peavy on the South Side. What do you think?

**********

* – Jake Peavy photo credit: Charles Rex Arbogast, Associated Press via Chicago Tribune

* – Carlos Zambrano photo credit: Foul Balls

That being said the most recent collapse and downfall of the goat franchise of Major League Baseball begs the question: is it time to let Lou go and move on?

With the exception of the 2009 season, Piniella has led the Cubs to Central Division Titles in both 2007 and 2008.

Piniella’s first year as the Cubs skipper brought the team 85 wins with 77 loses, which is not extremely impressive, but was enough to give the Cubs the Central Division title. The Cubs seemed to have a lot of young talent, and pitching pitching to be a strength as Carlos Zambrano continued to emerge as what seemed to be a superstar in the making.

Fortune would, however, not smile upon the Cubs as they would be swept out of the 2007 playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The season of 2008 was a very exciting year for the Cubs and their fans as it was the 100^th year anniversary of the Cubs last World Series Championship.

The Cubs would achieve the best record in the National League with a record of 97-64, second best in the MLB to only the Angels. This was “their year.”

Once again, through poor hitting and inconsistent pitching, the Cubs were swept out of the first round, this time against Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2009, the Cubs came out to a fast start, taking as much as a 4-game lead in the NL Central just after the All-Star break.

But once again, bad pitching and poor at-bats would become the demise of the Cubbies, this time in the regular season.

The only exciting news to come out of Cubs’ camp in September was the suspension of “Terrel Owens wannabe” Milton Bradley for his remarks against the Cubs and their fans.

As I write this article, I see on ESPN that the St. Louis Cardinals have just secured the NL Central Title with their win tonight, and the Cubs are 8.5 games behind them.

They aren’t even mentioned in the NL Wild Card race.

So what we must ask ourselves is: how successful have the Cubs really been under the direction of Sweet Lou?

Yes, we have two division titles, but not even one appearance in so much as an NLCS, let alone a World Series.

With his original three-year contract coming to a close in just a couple of weeks, but with the Cubs already having picked up his option for 2010, what should the Cubs do? Should they keep or extend Lou, even though the results we have seen over the last three years have fallen short of the goal?

Or, should the Cubs let him go and move on to greener pastures?

Personally, I feel that his time has passed. The fire isn’t in his eyes the way it used to be. The emotion is no longer there.

Yes, the occasional “Lou Rant” shows itself. But seemingly, the days of kicking dirt and spitting and stealing second base are over.

This team needs a face lift. They need pitching, badly. Zambrano is a great #2 or #3 guy, but his inconsistency and poor attitude leads me to believe he is not an Ace.

The good news is, there is a lot of young talent on this Cubs team.  Jake Fox, Tyler Colvin (who has replaced Bradley and done quite well), Jeff Baker, the list goes on.

It’s time for a new look, and a new era.

Lou, I love ya man, but its time for you pack your bags…and while you’re at it, why don’t you take Fukudome, Zambrano, and Bradley with you?

You can follow BigMB on twitter at www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

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* – Lou Piniella sipping champagne photo credit: The Cubs Brickyard

* – Lou Piniella staring photo credit: AP via SI.com

Lou Piniella told reporters to blame him for this dismal season, and while you usually do blame the manager for a bad season, you can hardly blame Lou for the Cubs’ problems this season.

The only problem I have with the job Lou has done this year is his inability to build up chemistry between the players. I don’t see any between the Cubs players. They look like a bunch of strangers out on the field. Without good chemistry between players, teams often lack that go-to spirit that is needed to win ballgames. The locker room just doesn’t seem to be a happy and laid-back locker room, which has hurt the Cubs all season long.

After telling reporters that he thought fans were racist, Milton Bradley has be on a tear. While there might be some racist fans, most of the fans are angry at him because he has failed to meet expectations, not because he is black. And fans should be angry with him. He has failed to meet any expectations. And I mean FAILED. He is batting a dismal .167 with runners in scoring position. That is unacceptable in baseball. If you wan to make fans and managers happy, you need to produce with runners on 2nd and 3rd.

Another problem player is Carlos Zambrano. When he said he wasn’t trying his hardest, I was infuriated. The Cubs pay this guy loads of money and he isn’t even trying? That is the worst possible stunt a baseball player can pull. I would axe him in a minute. No wonder his numbers are bad this year. He wasn’t even trying! I am sorry if I sound harsh, but that is unacceptable for any pro athlete to just give it half-assed effort. You can’t do that to a team that is paying you to be their #1 starter. Just a really dumb thing to do.

Despite these issues, while you can say the Cubs are out of the division race, they still have an outside chance at the Wild Card. The Cubs are a manageable 5.5 games behind Colorado, with three other teams (S.F., Atlanta, Florida) ahead of the Cubs as well. This is their only light at the end of the tunnel. The Cubs have one month to get it in gear and win games.

Though it is perhaps unlikely, 5.5 games is still a manageable number to overcome. We’ve seen it done before during the last month of a baseball season. It’s just a question of how much to do they want it?

1) Yes, I have an agenda. I hate the Chicago Cubs with every fiber of my being.

2) I’m well aware that the Cubs are actually 1/2 game better than the White Sox as I write this. (I’m also aware that the White Sox are 1/2 game closer to first place in their division, so suck it.)

3) I am fully cognizant of the fact that reveling in someone else’s misery is a really lame and pointless exercise that no doubt makes me seem like a jealous twerp with a massive chip on my shoulder.

So be it.

Now that we have that out of the way, it’s time to revel in the continued misery of the underachieving Chicago Cubs and their annoying fans.

Last night when I got home and made my now consistent first move — turning the TV on and immediately changing the channel to the MLB Network — I was met with Matt Dillon look- and sound-alike Greg Amsinger informing us that Cubs pitcher Randy Wells had a no-hitter going through the 6 innings. The Cubs led 3-0 at the time and it looked like they would cruise to a much needed victory over the Braves.

However, Chipper Jones broke up the no-no with two outs in the 7th, and then an inning later – after the Cubs had tacked on two more runs to take a seemingly commanding 5-0 lead — the Braves opened up the floodgates and scored five runs over the next two innings. A few extra innings later Chipper Jones singled home Yunel Escobar for a 6-5 victory.

“With a five-run lead in the eighth inning, it shouldn’t get away,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “We gave that one to them, with a nice little ribbon.”

Indeed they did. And on a night when my own team was shut out at home against a rookie pitcher, the Cubs’ collapse at least provided me with something to smile about last night.

But when I woke up this morning I found out that there was more!

Not only did the Cubs give up a 5-0 lead to the Braves, but they continue to have problems with their big, raging, doofus of an ace Carlos Zambrano. Big Z, as everyone knows, is currently serving a six-game suspension for acting like a spoiled, demonstrative brat last week.

To make matters worse, reports surfaced late last night from the Chicago Tribune that Zambrano also missed the team flight to Atlanta. This morning in the Trib, it was reported that Piniella and Zambrano met to discuss the issue but that no reason was given for Zambrano missing the team flight. As explained by Paul Sullivan, add this to the litany of Zambrano missteps and the Cubs are beginning to grow weary of Zambrano’s petulance and apparent selfishness:

This isn’t the first time Zambrano has ignored team rules, but the Cubs appear to be wearying of his act. He’s expected to be fined for this latest incident and may be asked to apologize to his teammates.

Last Sept. 2, Zambrano left Wrigley Field during the middle of a game after a poor start and didn’t see his teammates fight back in a 9-7, 11-inning loss to Houston. Management reprimanded him afterward and he seemed contrite. Twelve days later he threw a no-hitter against the Astros at Miller Park in Milwaukee, and all was forgiven.

And that last line, of course, is the reason why the Cubs continue to put up with this nonsense from Zambrano.

Say what you will about him, but no one will dispute that he can be among the top handful of pitchers in baseball when he is focused and throwing the ball at his peak level. However, Carlos Zambrano has a 4.22 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP this season and has won only three games. And since his great four-year stretch from 2003-2006, during which he went 59-32 while never pitching less than 209.2 innings or having an ERA higher than 3.41, Zambrano has not posted an ERA better than 3.91.

The truth of the matter is that if Zambrano is taking the ball and dominating every fifth day, the Cubs have no choice but to put up with his shenanigans. If he is just an average pitcher, then he becomes increasingly detrimental to their chances with every new outburst of controversy he creates.

So, obviously, if I have my druthers, Zambrano will continue to act like a clown, keep pitching like Dave Bush, and the Cubs will stay mired in the middle of the NL Central pack.

Sadly, every story about the Cubs makes national headlines because, for some reason, our nation believes that consistent losing and a tradition of failure somehow warrants love, adoration, and attention. So, for dumbfounded and admittedly jealous White Sox fans like myself, its always nice when that national spotlight shines on the negative.

And come to think of it, with the Cubs, the national spotlight usually shines on something negative. Because, well, they are the Cubs.

What else is there?

I listed out all of the current MLB pitchers that I consider to be aces. Here is the list:

• Roy Halladay
• C.C. Sabathia
• Josh Beckett
• John Smoltz
• Mark Buehrle
• Zack Greinke
• Justin Verlander
• John Lackey
• Cole Hamels
• Johan Santana
• Chris Carpenter
• Yovani Gallardo
• Roy Oswalt
• Carlos Zambrano
• Chad Billingsley
• Jake Peavy
• Brandon Webb
• Tim Lincecum

Of all the guys listed on there, the one that gave me the most trouble was Carlos Zambrano. Certainly he is a talented pitcher and has put up very good statistics over his career. But what made me pause when listing his name was Zambrano’s famous propensity to completely lose his cool, especially in big moments.

Well, the day after I posted the above list, Carlos Zambrano blew another gasket and not only embarrassed himself and his team, he was ejected in a big spot and will probably be suspended. The Cubs were leading 2-1 in the 7th inning at the time, and luckily for Zambrano his teammates bailed him out and held on for the 5-2 win. Still, with the Cubs struggling and their purported ace on the hill, you would like to think he could be counted on to keep his emotions in check and not be removed from the game for such a silly outburst.

Here is the video of the Carlos Zambrano ejection if you have not seen it yet:

While driving in to work today, Tim Kirkjian was on the radio and he was specifically asked if Carlos Zambrano was an ace, if his teammates trusted him. Kirkjian said that he talked to a former Cubs player who said he loved Carlos Zambrano, and obviously thought he was a great pitcher; but, that he would not trust him to control his emotions and put his team in a position to win in Game 7 of a playoff series or any other big game.

I defined an ace very much that way: a guy that the manager, teammates, and fans expects to put his team in a position to win every time he takes the hill, regardless of opponent or circumstance. It looks like I was wrong to include Carlos Zambrano on that list.

In other sports news…

The Memphis basketball program is facing some major trouble regarding possible impropriety in regards to the SAT test of a prominent member of the 2008 National Finalist team. Though his name is not officially included in the NCAA report, all of the speculation is surrounding former Tiger and current Bull Derrick Rose. Looks like John Calipari may have gotten out just in time. I wonder if he knew this was coming down and if that was any motivation to leave?

In other feel-good John Calipari news, his latest phenom recruit John Wall plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of breaking and entering. The charges don’t sound egregious by any means, but made all the more interesting as the stench of Calipari continues to envelop college basketball.

Zoner Sports has decided to make a list of the five coaches most likely to be “Sprewell’d”. Coaches from two of my favorite teams made the list: Lane Kiffin and Ozzie Guillen. And if Bob Knight were still coaching, he might have made the list too. What is it with me being a fan of teams with loose cannon coaches?

I wish I could shoot pool like this kid.

You can feel the court of public opinion starting to trend in Michael Vick’s favor. The latest and greatest to jump on the “give Vick a second chance” bandwagon is JM Van Horn at MoonDog Sports.

While they are waiting, the guys over at WFNY wonder if tonight’s game impacts LeBron’s future in Cleveland. If it does, all I can say is I hope the Cavs win. I do not want to see him playing anywhere else…but this series has definitely proven that he still needs more help. Robert Littal BSO likens the current version of LeBron James to MJ circa 1989. It is an apt comparison.

It’s Thursday and she’s hot, so why not?

The player ratings for the new Madden video game have been released. I wonder what LaDainian Tomlinson will think seeing himself at 94…but former backup Michael Turner at a 95. And does anyone else have a problem with Calvin Johnson being below Anquan Boldin and Roddy White? Those are both great receivers, but I think I’d rather have Johnson.

And that’s a wrap for this morning. Have a great day everyone.