Carlos Zambrano has officially come back to the Cubs, and because the team hasn’t traded Ted Lilly yet (the clock is ticking, Jim), they had to make a corresponding roster move.
That move was the release of one Robert Howry. And there was much rejoicing.
Howry, who turns 37 on Aug. 4, was 1-3 with a 7.71 ERA in 38 games and scuffled in July, posting a 12.46 ERA in 10 games. He gave up 12 earned runs on 19 hits over 8 2/3 innings this month.
Howry was released by the D-backs on May 17 and signed with the Cubs on May 21 for his second stint with the team. He also pitched for the Cubs in 2006-08. cubs.com.
Howry is best remembered by Cubs fans for his spectacularly awful 2008 season after solid 2006 and 2007 seasons that we, for some reason, always forget.
He’ll probably resurface somewhere else in the bigs for at least a little while before fading into partial obscurity (revived only when the Cubs give some reliever an audacious, 3-year contract).