Perhaps the most shocking part about Carlos Zambrano’s move to the bullpen was the fact that no local cats were eaten, and no underpants were worn on any heads. In sum, Zambrano didn’t go crazy. In fact, Zambrano has been downright cool about the whole thing, and has really stepped up to help out the team.
But that doesn’t mean he’s thrilled about it.
Carlos Zambrano talked late this afternoon for the first time since he made his 2010 bullpen debut Saturday in Milwaukee. Although he said he feels good and will do anything for the team, he said he still thinks of himself as a starting pitcher.
“I’m not ‘happy’ happy about this decision, but I feel good,” he said. “I feel good to help my team and to do everything to help us solve whatever the problem is.”
The “problem” was the Cubs’ late-inning bullpen situation. The Cubs brass, including GM Jim Hendry and manager Lou Piniella are putting no timetable on Big Z’s time in the pen, but Z reiterated that he believes the move is temporary.
“Yeah,” he said. “That was what Lou said. That is what we agreed. They are looking for a setup man. This is what they told me. I don’t think I will be too long in this role. I will be there to when they need me.” DailyHerald.com Blogs.
Always a good strategy to announce to the rest of the league that your bullpen “fix” is just temporary while you scour for another reliever. Why, yes Mr. Colletti, I would like to throw in Josh Vitters.
For what it’s worth, Zambrano’s account of the move stands in contrast to Lou Piniella’s. Lou has said that the move is for an indefinite period of time, likely no shorter than six weeks (short of an acquisition). I guess it depends on each’s definition of “temporary.”