Zambrano is a switch-hitter and has a career .244 batting average with 23 home runs, 69 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .396. The 23 home runs are the most ever by a Cubs pitcher. He also tied with Ferguson Jenkins for the club record for home runs by a pitcher in a single season, hitting six in 2006. Zambrano has been called on to pinch hit 20 times in his career and has won a Silver Slugger Award three times for his hitting.
Zambrano was the only National League pitcher to have won at least 13 games in each year from 2003–08. In 2006, he became the first player from Venezuela to lead the National League in wins.
Pitching style
Zambrano is noted for his vibrant personality on the mound. He allows his emotions to be evident, always indicating whether he is happy with his performance or not. He is known for having meltdowns both on the field and in the dugout. Zambrano's pitches match this nature, as every pitch in his repertoire has significant movement. His pitches come out of a slinging, three-quarter to low-three-quarter delivery. His main pitch is a hard, moving two-seam fastball that clocks at around 88–91 mph and a four-seam fastball that can reach 94 mph, but usually settles around 89 or 91 mph.[citation needed] He also has a heavy sinker that he throws with a split grip, a pitch that hitters often beat into the ground – an advantage considering Wrigley Field's tall, thick grass.He always makes sure to mix in plenty of sharp-breaking sliders and split-finger fastballs to keep hitters from sitting on his fastball. In addition, Carlos has also developed a changeup that he throws mostly to left-handed batters. His main weakness is a lack of pinpoint control, leading to a tendency to surrender walks. Nevertheless, Zambrano seems to be hurt less by walks than many pitchers, since batters hit many more ground balls than fly balls against him. This can be attributed to the sinking movement of his fastball.
Professional career
Zambrano was called up to the Cubs and pitched in his first game on August 20, 2001, starting against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field in the second game of a double header. Zambrano started the game well, retiring the first nine of the first ten batters faced. He ran into difficulties in the fourth inning, and was removed before getting any outs in the fifth. He was charged with seven earned runs, walked four batters, and threw just 74 pitches.
One month later, on September 20, Zambrano gained his first big-league victory by finishing out the fifth inning against the Houston Astros. Zambrano pitched just two-thirds of an inning in relief of Juan Cruz, and was just 20 years old.[5] Zambrano did not have any additional starts in the season, and the Cubs finished in third place with an 88-74 record.
Zambrano started the 2002 season with the AAA Iowa Cubs, but was quickly called up to the big leagues where he was dispatched to the bullpen and pitched in sixteen games during the first three months of the season. On July 1, 2002, Zambrano started against the Florida Marlins, taking a struggling Jason Bere's spot in the rotation. Zambrano logged sixteen starts for the Cubs, recording four wins and eight losses. At times he showed immense potential, including eight innings of shutout ball against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 4.[6] Zambrano did struggle with control, logging 63 walks in just over a hundred innings of work. The Cubs posted a disappointing 67-95 record for the season, finishing in fifth place.
2003 season
Zambrano maintained his position in the Cubs starting rotation in 2003 and started 32 games with a 3.11 ERA and 13 wins in the fourth spot in the rotation, behind Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Matt Clement. The Cubs won the National League Central division, and were one win away from going to the World Series before being defeated by the Florida Marlins. The following year, Zambrano improved his statistics by lowering his ERA to 2.75 and increasing his strikeout total to 188. His record was the best on the Cubs staff that year, compiling a 16-8 record
On August 22, 2003, Zambrano started against Curt Schilling and the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Schilling pitched a strong game and recorded 14 strikeouts, it was Zambrano that received the attention as he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Zambrano got the first two batters out before Shea Hillenbrand broke up the no-hitter with an infield single down the third-base line. The play was very close at first, with TV replays indicating that the call may have been blown by first base umpire Bill Miller. Zambrano retired the next three batters (which would have been the final three outs) before giving up two more hits in the game. The previous no-hitter for the Cubs was thrown in 1972 by Milt Pappas.
2004 season
On May 7, Zambrano had another fantastic start, throwing a two-hitter against the Colorado Rockies. Zambrano retired the first 14 batters he faced until giving up a single to Matt Holliday. Only 97 pitches were required on the afternoon for the victory, with Colorado managing to hit just four of them out of the infield on a breezy, cold day at Wrigley. Zambrano continued his brilliance in his next start against the Dodgers, stringing together an additional eight innings without giving up an earned run.
Zambrano at Coors Field in 2004.
Through his first fourteen starts of the season, Zambrano had posted an 8-2 record, with quality starts in twelve of the games. His early season performance also earned him his first trip to the All-Star game where he pitched one inning in relief.
Some of his most memorable starts have been against the rival St. Louis Cardinals. The first was on May 2 when he threw seven shutout innings, and Zambrano registered 12 strikeouts before being lifted in the 8th inning for a pinch hitter. The Cubs eventually lost 1-0.
2005 season
With injuries to key starters, and Zambrano's improving game, Zambrano began the new season as the opening day starter for the Cubs. Zambrano was cautious about the opportunity, but was less cautious about arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Dale Scott after being pulled in the fifth inning and earning an ejection. Two starts later, Zambrano gave up one hit but left in the eighth inning after throwing 111 pitches. He had cramps at the beginning of the game that concerned some Cubs fans still wondering about the other starters.
Continuing to build on the rivalry with the Cardinals, Zambrano turned in good performances once again in '05. The first was on April 20, facing Jeff Suppan in St. Louis. Zambrano gained the victory pitching within one out of a complete game and had his first career triple. He returned to St. Louis again on July 22 to face ace Chris Carpenter. Zambrano turned in another excellent performance, striking out 12 and giving up only three hits over nine complete innings.[19] St. Louis picked up the victory in extra innings on a David Eckstein squeeze play. The Cardinals made the trip to Chicago on August 12, starting Jason Marquis against Zambrano. Once again Zambrano gained the victory, this time pitching six shutout innings before leaving with tightness in his back A final start against the rivals was completed on September 18 as a rematch with Carpenter, with similar results as Zambrano pitched a complete game, giving up two earned runs and gaining the victory, his third of the season against the Cardinals. The final results for the four games - three victories, no defeats, four earned runs, and averaging over eight innings a start.
Zambrano had a strange injury surface early in the season that was first diagnosed as "tennis elbow" but was later traced to his use of the internet to stay in contact with relatives in Venezuela.
2006 season
For the second consecutive season, Zambrano was the Cubs opening day starter, and with similar results from the previous year. Zambrano was wild, giving up five walks, and five earned runs without getting through the fifth inning. The Cubs did score runs posting 16 in the victory.
After a poor opening game, the Cubs did not give Zambrano much offensive support in his next six starts, providing less than two runs a game. This led to Zambrano going winless until May 10 even though he pitched four quality starts in his first seven. On June 5 Zambrano made another bid for a no-hitter against the Astros in Houston. Zambrano had a perfect game go one out into the eighth inning before Preston Wilson hit a single.
“ I made one mistake today and I did pay for it. It cost me the no-no. ”
In addition to an excellent pitching performance, Zambrano hit a three-run home run in the second inning, his first of the season.
Zambrano went to his second All-Star Game during the 2006 season. He was slated to pitch two innings in the game, however, he had to sit out the game after suffering a minor injury when he was accidentally hit by White Sox third base coach Joey Cora's fungo bat during pre-game warmups. Zambrano peaked during the month of July, posting a perfect 6-0 record for the month, the first time a Cubs pitcher had recorded as many victories since 1979 when Rick Reuschel recorded seven in a month. He also was a star at the plate, hitting two home runs during the six games. Included in the month was a two-hit, ten strikeout, eight inning, 123 pitch performance against the Astros. Zambrano finished out the month with a 6-3 victory over the arch-rival Cardinals, where he bested Chris Carpenter. While the Cubs were far out of contention for a playoff spot, Zambrano continued with a positive attitude. Zambrano was rewarded with his second National League Pitcher of the Month award for his July efforts.
2007 season
Based on his tenure with the MLB, Zambrano was eligible for arbitration at the end of the 2007 season. Originally, Zambrano indicated he needed to have a new contract signed before the start of the season, but it appeared that a deal was almost in place, so his agent extended the deadline to go into the season. The contract was close to being done, but then the sale of the team was announced, and all talks were put on hold. Zambrano ultimately signed a five-year, US$ 91.5 million dollar contract on August 17, 2007.
After his last start of the 2006 season where the Cubs dropped to 30 games below .500, Zambrano identified the need for quality pitching to be added before the next season.[32] The Cubs management added Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis in the off-season as part of a $300 million spending spree. After the acquisitions, Zambrano speculated on the fortunes for the 2007 season, declaring that he was to win the Cy Young Award and the Cubs would win the World Series.
Rothschild and turned in a stellar performance in New York yielding only one run while providing eight strong innings.
“ The best I felt as far as command and throwing the ball anywhere. I’ve been working in the bullpen with Larry. Hopefully, this can be the start of a good streak. ”
In his next start, Zambrano faced the cross-town rival White Sox at Wrigley. Zambrano did not get much support as Alfonso Soriano misplayed a foul ball in the second inning, extending the inning by an out which cost two runs, and Neal Cotts in the bullpen gave up a grand-slam in the seventh inning with two outs which charged back three addition runs. The official statistics looked poor as he was charged with seven earned runs, however it wasn't as poor of an outing as the box score recorded.
Zambrano continued to improve his performance in his following performance in Los Angeles against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He indicated his control issues were improving, and got ahead of hitters early in the count.
“ I was feeling good. I was able to throw strikes and that was the key. I threw a lot of first-pitch strikes and that helped me a lot. When you make your pitches and attack the strike zone, you're going to win games. ”
On June 1, 2007, Michael Barrett and Cubs pitcher Zambrano got into an altercation in the Cubs dugout. The dispute stemmed from a passed ball and errant throw (on the same play) by Barrett in the previous half inning that allowed a run to score and contributed to the unraveling of Zambrano who ended up allowing six earned runs on thirteen hits in five innings. Shortly after the controversy, he went on to win his next two starts. Zambrano came close to pitching a no hitter on June 16. However, he fell short of his goal in the eighth inning, when an infield single broke up the no-hitter. Zambrano would later lose the game 1-0 on a solo home run by the Padres' Russell Branyan.
2008 season
Zambrano started the 2008 season by compiling a 12-4 record with a 2.76 ERA through July 27. At the plate, he had a batting average of .354 thru September 14. Zambrano also had a four-hit game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 23, making him the first Cubs pitcher since Lew Burdette in 1964 to accomplish this feat. On June 21, the Cubs placed Zambrano on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to June 19), because of a right shoulder strain. In his return off the DL on July 4, Zambrano pitched six shutout innings and recorded the victory in the Cubs' 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. On July 7, Zambrano was one of seven Chicago Cubs players announced as participants of the 2008 MLB All-Star Game. On July 19 he set the club record for home runs by a pitcher, when he hit a seventh inning homer in Houston off Wandy Rodriguez. On August 26, Zambrano set two records for hitting proficiency by a pitcher. His fourth-inning RBI single gave him a 13-start hitting streak, breaking Johnny Sain's record of 12, and also marked the 8th straight start in which he had an RBI, breaking the record of 7 set by Wes Ferrell.[47] (Note, however, that the hitting streak was not accrued over 13 consecutive starts, as the designated hitter rule was in effect in an interleague game during the streak.) Both streaks would end in his next start.
2009 season
On May 27, 2009, Zambrano was ejected in the seventh inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after an argument with umpire Mark Carlson on a call of safe at home plate. He then threw a ball into left field, tossed his glove, and then proceeded to hit a Gatorade dispenser in the dugout with a baseball bat. Zambrano was ultimately suspended for six games and fined $3,000 by Major League Baseball. Zambrano ran into trouble again when he missed the team's flight to Atlanta, Georgia. The issue was resolved internally, within the Cubs organization. During his next start, Zambrano struck-out seven batters, and hit the game winning home run en route to his 100th career win. After the game, reporters began to inquire if Zambrano could possibly win 300 games during his career. He replied that he tentatively plans to retire when his contract with the Cubs expires, claiming, "I want to help this team and do everything possible to win with this team. After five years, or four years, or whatever it is, that's it. I just don't want to play. I want to stay at home and see my daughters grow up and be with my family more.
2010 season
Zambrano's opening day start was his sixth consecutive one, a Cubs record. However, he gave up eight runs in one and one third innings, including a 3-run home run to Jason Heyward in his first career at-bat. He was charged with the loss as the Cubs lost the game, 16-5. Zambrano bounced back in his next start against the Cincinnati Reds, however. Zambrano pitched 7 strong innings, giving up three earned runs, six hits, and striking out nine batters en route to his first victory of the season. On April 21, 2010, The Cubs moved Zambrano to the bullpen. On May 30, 2010, the Cubs decided to move Zambrano back to the rotation. He made his first start on June 4 against the Astros. In his first four starts after returning to the rotation, Zambrano was 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA.
On June 25, 2010, Zambrano had a meltdown against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, giving up four runs in the first inning. He then proceeded to mount a furious tirade in the Cubs dugout. Cameras showed Zambrano appearing to yell at Derrek Lee, whom the pitcher apparently blamed for failing to field a sharply-hit ball off the bat of Juan Pierre, resulting in a lead-off double. The Cubs coaching staff had to separate the two players and manager Lou Piniella opted not to send Zambrano back to the mound in the second inning. Cubs GM Jim Hendry suspended Zambrano indefinitely for his behavior in the game. The next day Lou Piniella announced that when Zambrano returned, he would be moved back to the bullpen. It was later confirmed that Zambrano would undergo anger management before returning to the Cubs. The Cubs then returned Zambrano to the rotation for the second time where he has not given up more than two runs in any start since his return from the bullpen on August 9. Over that time, he's allowed only 11 total runs (9 earned) in 50 innings, and he's pulled his ERA down to 3.75. On August 30, 2010 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Zambrano improved to 3-0 since his return to the pitching rotation, striking out seven. Additionally, he recorded his 21st career home run with a two run shot, increasing his club record for home runs by a pitcher. On September 15 at Busch Stadium, he once again faced Cardinal's ace Chris Carpenter and out-dueled him throwing 104 pitches over six innings giving up just 2 runs 1 earned.
2011 season
Carlos Zambrano lost the role as the Chicago Cubs opening day starter to Ryan Dempster, but did record a quality start in his first outing as the Cubs number 2 starter going 6-plus innings and giving up three runs. He also experienced some cramps in this game, which led to a premature exit even though he had thrown 99 pitches. In his 4th start of the year, Zambrano dueled the San Diego Padres Tim Stauffer and pitched 8 scoreless innings at Wrigley Field. He displayed better than average control, giving up just one walk and striking out 10 with 3 hits. He received a no-decision for his efforts as the Cubs were unable to score while he was on the mound. The Cubs eventually won the game in the 10th inning on Tyler Colvin's game-winning single. Zambrano's 10-game overall win streak came to an end on Sunday, April 24 after a rough first inning against the Dodgers lead to 5 runs. Zambrano finished the game, giving up 6 runs on 8 hits in just 5 innings - his shortest outing of the season. Zambrano faced the Dodgers again on May 4, this time at Dodger Stadium. He pitched well; going 8 innings, allowing one run on 5 hits, and receiving the win. On the heels of a road win against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Zambrano's road winning streak stood at 10. Another win against the Los Angeles Dodgers extended the streak to 11, but Zambrano was tagged for a loss against the Cincinnati Reds on May 16. On August 6, 2011, again against the Reds, Zambrano hit his 23rd career home run, making him tied for ninth on the list of MLB's all-time leading home run-hitting pitchers.
On August 12, 2011, Zambrano gave up five homeruns to the Atlanta Braves. In frustration, he aggressively threw two inside pitches at Braves third baseman Chipper Jones; he was subsequently ejected from the game by home plate umpire Tim Timmons. Zambrano then cleaned out his locker from the visitors' clubhouse and told team personnel he was retiring. On August 13, the Cubs placed Zambrano on the 30-day disqualified list, preventing him from performing any activity with the club, as well as having his pay suspended, for a period of 30 days.
No comments:
Post a Comment