Zambrano

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=108194:date=Jul 27 2010, 10:18 AM:name=BT)-->QUOTE (BT @ Jul 27 2010, 10:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=108153:date=Jul 27 2010, 09:29 AM:name=Butcher)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Butcher @ Jul 27 2010, 09:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->Let me ask you guys a few questions.

On April 21, who was the worst starter in the Cubs 2010 rotation? Zambrano
On April 21, which starting pitcher had the best shot at shoring up the Cubs 8th inning problems? Zambrano.

Given those 2 facts, you have to come up with a reason NOT to take Zambrano out.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes. On April 21, Zambrano was absolutely the worst starter in the Cubs 2010 rotation. Silva and Gorz's two starts were fucking outstanding. In fact, they deserved the 2-start Cy Young award. They were that good.

I'll set aside Zambrano's emotional volatility for a moment and the reason is simple: you don't make decisions like this based on two starts. You don't give Gorz/Silva/Wells 130 more innings than Zambrano based on two starts. There's your reason.

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->The problem with that line of thinking is that the Cubs DID take his career into account. Not his 2007 season, but his 2009 season.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Other than his IP, his 2009 season was practically identical to his 2007 season. Did they take Gorz and Silva's 2009 seasons into account at all? Or just their first two starts of the 2010 season?
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AGAIN, Gorz and Silva's 2009 don't enter into it. The ONLY reason Z's 2009 enters into it is because that is the ONLY FUCKING REASON to not yank him from the rotation. 2010 stats clearly showed that Z was the worst. According to you guys, his 2009 stats should have convinced Hendry to overlook his bad start to 2010. I am telling you that Hendry DID look at 2009, and clearly he wasn't impressed. YOU might think his 2009 was sunshine and buttercups, but Hendry, Rothschild and Piniella clearly saw something over the last 2 years that led them to believe moving him to the bullpen wasn't only logical, but NECESSARY in hopes of turning Z around. My guess is that his decreasing velocity, which doesn't necessarily show up in the stats, had a lot to do with it.

Also, I'm not sure the "Z was too crazy to take out of the rotation" guys are wrong, but the idea that we need to build our rotation based on not hurting feelings seems like the kind of things a BAD organization would do, not a good one.
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I'd put it terms of pretending your crazy, fragile, $18mil pitcher wasn't going to melt down in the face of what to him was a demotion. Pointing out that he shouldn't be crazy or fragile is kind of pointless.