Chicago Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, Former Ace, is Now a Disgrace

Carlos Zambrano, once thought of as the ace of the Chicago Cubs rotation, has instead turned into a disgrace, following his latest tirade. Friday, June 25^th , Zambrano stormed into the dugout, and unleashed on his teammates, accusing them of not trying hard enough on the field. After a four run first, the pitcher yelled that his teammates did not dive for balls during the inning. At the end of the outburst, Zambrano was told to go home by manager, Lou Piniella. The troubled pitcher is currently suspended, and a timetable hasn't been set for his return.

This isn't the first time Zambrano has been in trouble during his career. He was suspended last year for losing it during a game against the Pirates , and his fight with then teammate, Michael Barrett, was well publicized. It's clear Zambrano is an emotional player, but it's unfortunate he has yet learned how to control his emotions during a game.

In 2007, the Cubs gave Zambrano a 5 year extension worth $91 million. At the time, Chicago envisioned the right hander being their ace for years to come. The years following the extension, the pitcher won 14 games in 2008, placing him 3^rd on the team for wins, and 9 in 2009, tying him for last.

Zambrano's frustration in understandable if he truly believes his teammates aren't trying their best on the field. However, there's a time, place, and way to voice your complaints. The former ace should realize he's not criticized on the field, for the walks, hits, or homeruns he lets up.

The Cubs now have another problem on their hands, a heavily paid, disruptive player. Chicago is once again underperforming, and Zambrano's antics are the last thing they need. It's conceivable Zambrano has played his last game as a Cub. Chicago may try to trade the pitcher, if they can find a partner. Their cross town rivals, the White Sox may provide a perfect home. Ozzie Guillen, and Carlos Zambrano together, cue the music, "bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?"

Sources:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/2009-pitching.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHC/2008-pitching.shtml
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2978642
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-070601cubsgamer,0,1493423.story
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/06/25/zambrano.suspended.ap/index.html
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4213321