Allow this post to serve as your reassurance: Carlos Zambrano is not retreating into former bad habits, and there’s no bad blood between Zambrano and Cubs manager Mike Quade.
To what am I referring? When he was yanked last night in the 6th inning after giving up five runs, capped off by a two-run homer, Zambrano stormed off the mound and didn’t wait on the mound for Quade to arrive so that he could give Quade the ball. Oh no! Z being Z! It’s all over!
Relax.
“I didn’t get there quick enough,” Quade later joked with reporters before saying that he didn’t really care. “I should have been there sprinting.”
Quade said that, as long as the pitcher doesn’t just drop the it, he’s fine with however he gets the ball.
For his part, Zambrano was equal parts apologetic and confused.
“I apologized to [Quade],” Zambrano said of the non-incident. “I didn’t realize he wasn’t on the mound. The last thing I want to do is disrespect the manager. I’ve been here 10 years. I’ve never had trouble with any manager, not Dusty [Baker] or Lou [Piniella] or Don Baylor. Q is a great guy. It was my mistake.”
See? No issue. No worries. Well, I mean, no worries other than the five runs he gave up. Carry on.