Kuzul

If this is what he truly believes, then it’s no wonder that former Cubs broadcaster and current Sox color man Steve Stone was never hired as a GM.

I understand that Zambrano has not fared well in recent years as a pitcher—starter or reliever.

I also know that Big Z has not lived up to his humongous contract.

But to seriously suggest that the Cubs try and make their former ace a first baseman is about as stupid of an idea as I’ve ever heard.

Look, Zambrano’s reputation as a hitter is vastly overrated. He is a pitcher and even compared with other pitchers the only advantage he has is in the power department. 

In 583 ABs, about a full season for many players, Zambrano has hit 20 home runs.

But the rest of his offensive stats have been offensive.

He has struck out 208 times while drawing only six walks. Yes, you heard that right; no need to adjust your computer screen.

His OBP is just a few percentage points higher than his career batting average of .237.

His OPS is .634, which is not good.

In short, Zambrano is a terrible hitter who swings from his heels and hits more homers than the average pitcher but contributes nothing offensively when he is not hitting home runs.

Not to mention how bad he would be defensively…

Meanwhile, I have to think that Stone was taking a veiled shot at Carlos for his rant against Derrek Lee recently. In other words, if you think you are better than Lee, then show it.

Here is what Stone told WSCR radio:

“He’ll probably hit the ball as far as anybody on the team,” Stone told “The Mully & Hanley Show” on WSCR-AM 670, noting that Zambrano is a switch-hitter with a lifetime .237 average and 20 homers.

With Lee possibly on his way out of town after this season, “It might be time for [Zambrano] to take some ground balls at first base,” Stone said. “If you’re going to get anything out of Zambrano and if you can’t trade him …”

“There are teams that would take Zambrano as the fiery guy, but there are not teams that are going to take the 3-6, 5.65 ERA or whatever…The fact is, Carlos’ stuff is short. It’s been short for a bit.”

It’s true that Zambrano does not have much value as a pitcher, but he would have a lot less value as a hitter Mr. Stone.

Steve is a disgruntled former Cubs employee who likes to take shots at them as often as he can.

Still, he sounded so serious when he suggested this that one can only scratch their head and wonder if the man has lost his mind.

Or if he’s just an arrogant, self-centered a-hole. I vote for the latter.

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In Anaheim, cubs owner Tom Ricketts said he fully supports GM Jim Hendry, though he stopped short of guaranteeing Hendry job security.

According to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat, Ricketts had this to say:

“The fact is right now, Jim is our general manager, I support him, I think he does a great job, and after that we’ll just take it one day at a time,” the chairman said.

“I’m not going to assign blame to anyone or anything,” said Ricketts. “The fact is we came into the season, we had what appeared to be a pretty strong lineup. It hasn’t worked out for whatever reason and it seems like the guys are putting it together now and let’s just keep winning.”

I’ve been writing for awhile now if I ever got the chance to own a major league baseball team, the first thing I would do is to install my own baseball man to lead the franchise.

Look, it’s not as if this ownership jumped up and bit Ricketts in the middle of the night. No, he had plenty of time to think about this and to find a baseball guy whom he trusts to, if not replace the GM, at least evaluate the situation.

Instead, Ricketts kept Crane Kenney on board and allowed Hendry to continue as the highest ranking club executive with any knowledge of baseball.

Hey, I understand the rationale behind not making immediate changes to the front office. But how can you possibly know whether or not Hendry and his crew are doing a good job if you don’t know much about baseball?

And Ricketts has admitted as much. Does he expect Kenney to know? Is he using the won-loss record as proof?

If so, he’s wrong about Kenney and he’s ignoring the record—for it’s awful, especially or a club with as high of a payroll as the Cubs have.

The article goes on to say that the club is looking to shed high salaries (surprise, surprise!) and that Kosuke Fukudome may be the their most tradeable chip.

But I’m wondering how Ricketts will be evaluating Hendry going forward.

You know, I’d like to have confidence in our new owner, but I just don’t understand what he’s using to base his evaluations on, other than his own eyes.

And those are eyes that he readily admits get cloudy when it comes to the finer points of the game we love.

Oh well, I fully expect that Hendry will continue on as GM no matter what happens this season. And no matter, really, since this mess would be difficult to untangle for even the best GM.

At least the Chairman is watching.

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How can a team being run by MLB be allowed to obtain the best pitcher on the market?

Perhaps the answer is when MLB is being run by a commissioner in Bud Selig who is an idiot.

“Everybody knows our situation. When we take on salary, we have to look at that and see if we can justify it within our budget,” team president Nolan Ryan said. “As long as we stay within our budget, we don’t really have restrictions on us to where we can’t do things.”

Even if bankruptcy court allows this, why would MLB allow a team that was so screwed up financially that they had to assume control, to take on additional salary?

“They’ve got the lead in the division and a No. 1 starter,” said an NL assistant general manager. “That’s pretty good for a team in bankruptcy.”

The Texas Rangers are getting the best pitcher in the American League and a proven Yankees-killer, plus, they’ll get two draft picks if Lee doesn’t re-sign with them, and yet the Mariners still have to pay part of his salary to help them win their division.

Now, let’s not discount the value of Justin Smoak, who can be a perennial All-Star first baseman. But aside from Smoak, the Mariners did not get much in return.

The most positive thing about this trade is that Seattle ignored the stupid axiom that you shouldn’t trade within the division.

Still, one has to wonder why a team that is so financially strapped that MLB has to take over gets to acquire the best pitcher on the market.

Maybe it pays to be insolvent.

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Even those who support Cubs GM Jim Hendry, and I am not one of them, point to his record trading for players to help the club.

But Hendry has really not had any experience selling off assets to contending teams for future prospects.

But that is exactly what the Cubs need to do. They must be sellers, as this club is not even remotely in the pennant race and therefore, need to start thinking about next year and beyond.

Look, this is a really bad team. Still, they have pieces that other clubs may want and if so, they need to be willing to admit their position and let go of these assets instead of clinging to the ridiculous hope that they can get back into the race. 

Unfortunately, this is a difficult sell to a manager like Lou Piniella, who may be in his last season as a manager. Likewise, Hendry may have a difficult time explaining to his new bosses how a team with a $140 million payroll can be so bad.

Still, it has to be done.

Potential free agents like Ted Lilly and Derrick Lee should be offered up for prospects.

Likewise, any other veteran player should be made available to contending teams in order to clear salary space and prepare for the future.

In fact, the only players that the Cubs should make difficult to obtain (note that I didn’t say “untouchable”) are Marlin Byrd, Starlin Castro, Andrew Cashner, Carlos Marmol, and Sean Marshall. 

Everyone else needs to go, if possible.

We all know that Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, and Aramis Ramirez are probably untradeable due to huge salaries that do not match their performance.

Still, Hendry can help create some payroll flexibility by moving the pieces that can be moved.

Of course, if I was the owner, Hendry would not be the man to lead the club going forward. But even if Tom Ricketts, who has defended his GM, does replace him, those expensive salaries with no-trade clauses will be a challenge.

Yet that challenge will be lessened if the Cubs are smart about how they proceed this season.

Don’t count on it, Cubs fans.

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It is clear that some baseball players refuse to participate in the Home Run Derby because they are afraid of the negative impact it will have on their swing during the second half of the season.

Clearly, guys like Alex Rodriguez, who are paranoid, and even players who have experienced negative results like David Wright and Bobby Abreu are off-base.

For there is no apparent correlation between participation in MLB’s signature event and future results.

The Hardball Times did a study last July, using projections rather than actual second-half performance as the parameter of the study.

The reason they used projections, as opposed to actual results, is very reasonable.

For one thing, if a player over-performs his true talent level in the first half, he stands a better chance of being selected to the Derby.

Naturally, if he is over-performing, he is likely to face a regression to his true talent level in the second half of the season.

Based on their expected Marcel projections, the Home Run Derby hitters seemed to outperform their preseason Marcels every year except 2008, 2004, and 2002 (though the latter two only showed small differences).

In other words, it doesn’t look like derby participants play any worse in the second half of the season (on the whole). If you’re looking for the results in terms of percentages, 57 percent of derby participants outperform their projections in the second half.

Another theory might be that players who last longer in the Derby or hit more home runs during it are more likely to decline.

Yet the study done by THT says that no matter how long a hitter lasts or how many home runs he hits, there is still no sign of a second-half decline.

So why do some hitters continue to be afraid to participate?

Well, for one thing, because the 50 percent mark often occurs a couple weeks before the All-Star Break, “first half” totals can look inflated if compared directly to “second half” totals.

Also, the 2008 results are recent and fresh in everyone’s memory.

But perhaps the best explanation for why the fear continues is that once players start talking and complaining, it makes other players less likely to want to participate and draws more attention to the situation, creating a snowball effect.

So while the conventional wisdom might support sluggers who refuse to participate in the derby due to fear of negative results, the data simply does not agree.

If only perception wasn’t reality, we might see the A-Rods participating in the Home Run Derby.

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Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long shook his head at the news that Robinson Cano had agreed to take part in Monday’s Home Run Derby in Anaheim.

“I would prefer he’s not involved in it, but that’s not my decision,” Long said, as reported by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.

Now, if this is the showcase event for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, why would anyone associated with the game prefer his player not participate?

It’s because the prevailing wisdom is that it hurts a player’s swing. The negative results can prove costly to the participating player’s team in the long run.

Whether it’s fiction or fact, correlation or coincidence, conventional wisdom does seem to err on the side of having your star player stay far, far away from this event.

Just ask David Wright and Bobby Abreu.

Both players saw their power numbers decline after taking part in the derby. Was it the result of fatigue and/or bad habits resulting from having participated in the event, or something else?

Count Joe Girardi as one who believes in the former rather than the latter.

“I think it’s a lot of swings for a player; physically, I think it’s somewhat of a grind, but it’s an honor to be involved,” Girardi said. “If that in any way would fatigue him, then I would prefer that he didn’t get fatigued.”

Speaking of the Yankees, Alex Rodriguez has indicated that he wouldn’t take part in the derby due to concerns about the negative impact, though not necessarily due to fatigue.

“The effect in the second half might be more mechanics and potentially developing bad habits,” A-Rod said.

Meanwhile, three American League players committed to join Cano in the Home Run Derby on Tuesday: Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, Toronto’s Vernon Wells and Boston’s David Ortiz. 

Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins has declined to participate, though he says it’s just so he can have a day off.

The National League team has commitments from the Brewers’ Corey Hart, who is tied for third in the league with 19 homers, as well as the Cardinals’ Matt Holliday.

Two of the biggest power threats in the NL may not be allowed to participate this year.

Cincinnati’s Joey Votto, the NL home run leader with 21, has not been chosen for the game but could still get in through online fan voting or through player withdrawals.

Defending champion Prince Fielder of the Brewers did not make the NL All-Star Game roster.

So, is there any correlation between the derby and future performance?

The Hardball Times did a study last July, using projections rather than actual second-half performance as the parameter of the study.

Why? If a player over-performs his true talent level in the first half, he stands a better chance of being selected to the Derby. Because he over-performed, though, he’s bound to play worse in the second half.

The bottom line results indicate that, despite conventional wisdom, it doesn’t look like derby participants play any worse during the second half of the season.

Do the players who last longer in the tournament, including the winners, fare any worse for wear?

Nope. No matter how long a hitter lasts or how many home runs he hits, THT still didn’t see any signs of a second-half decline.

Since we all know that perception can be reality, I have an idea.

Since the event is sponsored by State Farm, perhaps an insurance policy protecting players against a second-half power decline would be the incentive some need to participate.

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Don’t be fooled by what some of the Cubs players and management will tell you, the truth is that the majority of the players do not like Carlos Zambrano and wish he was elsewhere.

This is nothing new—Cubs players have long disliked Big Z.

Now, this latest incident where Zambrano stormed into the dugout and seemingly yelled at everybody and anybody hasn’t helped the relationship.

But according to sources within the organization, this is not the first time that the majority of Cubs players have privately wished that he would move on.

The Cubs have been losers for far too long, and frustration is understandable. In fact, I wish more players had the passion and the fire that Zambrano has.

But this is not the way to express yourself. It breaks the team apart, and it ends up being counter-productive.

So now the Cubs decide to send Big Z to an unspecified doctor to treat an unspecified problem?

What about when he turned catcher Michael Barret’s face into a hamburger?

Oh yeah, I forgot: Zambrano was pitching well at the time.

Teams only seem to be concerned about players when they are not performing up to expectations. And there is not doubt that Zambrano has been a disappointment since signing a $91.5 million contract in 2008.

I’m not trying to suggest that this is not Carlos Zambrano’s fault, because it is.

Rather, this is to let Cubs fans know that this specific incident is not the first time that Zambrano has rubbed his teammates the wrong way.

Now, you may reply that perhaps that is because the team has always had players who are not winners.

But when a player, especially a pitcher, tries to assert himself, he had better be a shining example of excellence.

But the last time I checked, Zambrano’s ERA was 5.66.

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Sources within the Chicago White Sox organization, on the condition of anonymity, have indicated that GM Kenny Williams is talking to the Milwaukee Brewers about a blockbuster trade that would send powerful first baseman Prince Fielder to the Sox.

In exchange, the Sox would send a package of young players. While Williams has not publicly acknowledged interest in Fielder (that would be tampering anyway), he did have this to say to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin:

“Well, if there’s an opportunity to win a World Series, you got to do what you got to do sometimes—within reason,” Williams said. “But it’s got to be, you have to have a real opportunity. I think we have an opportunity.”

The Sox clearly see themselves as having a chance to contend in the AL Central all season now, and the aggressive Sox GM is willing to trade the future for a shot at winning right now.

It has been widely speculated that the Sox are interested in Adam Dunn, but Fielder would certainly fit the bill very nicely, as the powerful lefty bat they’re craving.

Fielder has a .260/.385/.481/.866 slash, with 17 homers, and just turned 26 in May.

Meanwhile, the Brewers figure to be out of the race this year, and they are privately concerned about Fielder’s salary demands and his weight.

Fielder’s body type isn’t ideal for long-term success, but it certainly isn’t unprecedented to have a fat ballplayer continue to rake into his 30s.

Um, anyone remember a kid that went by the nickname of “Babe”?

He makes $11M this year and with a strong finish, will likely receive a hefty increase going forward.

But remember, this a guy who hit 50 homers in 2007 and 46 last season. His career OBP is .381, so, like Dunn, he draws walks, but with a few less strikeouts.

Fielder averages 131 Ks per 162 games, while Dunn averages 180. He is also about 4.5 years younger.

So what kind of package will lure the Brewers into moving Fielder to the Sox?

Well, they are reluctant to trade Gordon Beckham, despite his slow start to the season. But that shouldn’t be a deal breaker, as the Brewers have a young shortstop in Alcides Escobar and a second base prospect in Brett Lawrie.

But they are apparently willing to move prospects such as Jordan Danks, Tyler Flowers, Dan Hudson, or Dayan Viciedo.

According to ESPN’s Keith Law, Milwaukee has the 26th ranked farm system, so they need the boost that a trade like this could bring.

In fact, this deal makes so much sense that it could not possibly happen. Or could it?

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

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Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry announced on Monday that pitcher Carlos Zambrano was placed on MLB’s restricted list, and will not rejoin the team until the All-Star break is over.

According to Hendry, the negotiations were very amicable, with both Zambrano’s agent Barry Praver and Hendry working with the player’s union to come to a resolution without rancor.

When Zambrano does return, Hendry indicated that it will be up to Cubs manager Lou Piniella and pitching coach Larry Rothschild when and where Big Z will pitch. Hendry did acknowledge that it would likely be the bullpen.

During Saturday’s game against the cross-town rival White Sox, Zambrano stormed into the dugout shouting at anybody and everybody, with most of his visable anger directed at first baseman Derrek Lee, for failing to dive for a ball hit down the first base line.

The Cubs sent Zambrano home and Hendry immediately suspended him.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, teams cannot indefinitely suspend a player and must come to an agreed-upon resolution, which the parties did on Monday.

Last year’s situation with Milton Bradley was different, because there were only two weeks to go in the season.

Hendry was asked by the media if at any time Zambrano indicated a desire to be traded, and Hendry said that this had not occurred.

The Cubs GM said that he believes Zambrano is remorseful, and that he had talked to some teammates. Earlier in the day, Alfonso Soriano said that Zambrano would need to apologize to the team, but that he had been unable to reach the Cubs right-hander on the phone.

Ryan Dempster has also previously indicated that Zambrano would need to apologize to his teammates.

As part of the deal, Zambrano will receive unspecified help to deal with anger and other issues he is going through.

Zambrano has clashed with teammates in the past, most notable when a fight occurred between he and catcher Michael Barrett in the middle of a 2007 game.

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According to an Associated Press article on espn.com, Cubs skipper Lou Piniella admits to getting “teary-eyed” over his return to Seattle.

But what he should be shedding tears over is the play of his ballclub!

“Lou Piniella heard the roar from the Seattle crowd. He smiled and raised his right arm to wave to the people he helped thrill during the city’s baseball heyday in the 1990s,” the report said.

But look, Lou, it’s no longer the 1990s and you are no longer managing the Mariners.

It’s fine to display emotions, and it’s nice to have fond memories. For, as Bruce Springsteen once sang, “the time slips away and leaves you with nothing mister, but boring stories of glory days.”

“We laughed a lot, and talked about the old times,” Piniella said.

Ah, the good ol’ days. By the way, Lou, you do realize you are managing a team in steep decline, don’t you?

“What the hell do you want me to do about it?” Oh yes, I forgot.

“I have a lot of pleasant memories here,” Lou went to say. Well, I guarantee you that after dropping the first two and having to face King Felix tonight, those memories will not be recent ones.

Not that this is all Lou’s fault, of course. But he’s not blameless in this either. I don’t know about you, but after seeing his act all these years, I’d like to see a little more accountability from the man.

“We’ve done everything humanly possible here.”

Well, then, maybe it’s time for a new voice?

It’s kind of ironic how Lou started playing Tyler Colvin every day following his silly spat with Steve Stone.

Similarly, it wasn’t until after getting tired of hearing how he should move Alfonso Soriano out of the leadoff spot, and continuing to deny it, that he finally did it.

It’s as if he doesn’t try something without it being hammered into his consciousness repeatedly first.

Batting Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez back-to-back in the lineup far too long—refusing to play Mike Fontenot at third instead of Ramirez—letting Colvin rot on the bench—those are things that are humanely possible to change, Lou.

Bad fundamental baseball has to have at least something to do with the manager and his staff, right? At least we used to think so when it was Dusty Baker’s teams kicking the ball around.

Meanwhile, Lou, you can reminisce all you want about the past, but remember one thing.

There’s no crying in baseball.

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