Zambrano

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=116414:date=Oct 6 2010, 01:30 PM:name=BT)-->QUOTE (BT @ Oct 6 2010, 01:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=116407:date=Oct 6 2010, 01:17 PM:name=jstraw)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (jstraw @ Oct 6 2010, 01:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=116380:date=Oct 6 2010, 11:30 AM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Oct 6 2010, 11:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=116323:date=Oct 6 2010, 07:06 AM:name=veryzer)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (veryzer @ Oct 6 2010, 07:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=116248:date=Oct 5 2010, 12:58 PM:name=leonardsipes)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (leonardsipes @ Oct 5 2010, 12:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=116183:date=Oct 4 2010, 05:04 PM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Oct 4 2010, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Question - why do we consider the Z to the pen move a "demotion"? Because he was pitching badly? That's not really the MAIN reason he was moved to the pen. Lilly was coming back and all the other starters were pitching well. If Gorzelanny - who had an ERA around 2 at the time - had been moved to the pen, would that have been a "demotion"? Of course not. It would have been a move that had to be made because there wasn't a spot for Lilly.

I pretty much think the same is true of Z. He wasn't demoted. He was chosen. It just happened to be the wrong choice (I thought it should have been Wells, but whateves).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

When the move was made, I posted my support. The Cubs needed a set up man and had one extra starter. Four guys who's stock in trade was being decent over six innings, and Zambrano they guy who it seemed most likely could be dominant over 1 inning. It turned out to be a stupid move. One would hope, the people running the team were smarter than me, but I was in no position to complain.

Then, when Zambrano was at his low, Hendry said that they did not just move him to the bullpen because of his bad start, but based on his last 40 games. It pissed me off, that they put so much thought into what was a very bad decision. They really thought Zambrano was the worst of the 5. They really thought it was smart to demote the pitcher who they had the most money invested in, with the most fragile ego and who deserved to be treated with the most respect.

It was a very stupid move. It was sold as not a demotion, that Z was on board, and the best solution to solidify the bullpen. Even if all that was true, I think it would have turned out to be the wrong decision. Then when everthing goes to hell, Hendry basicly says, "see I demoted the right one."
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Best post in the thread.
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OK, I'll try this again.

If this is the best post in the thread, if the Zambrano "demotion" (and I pretty much agree with Ace on this one, but I can only fight one battle at a time) was so stupid, it should be very very easy for someone on this board to explain to me what the negative ramifications were. If it is as universally stupid as everyone says, please, someone, explain to me the downside. How was the team hurt? How was Zambrano hurt (besides his feelings I guess). What would have been better (other than theoretically Zambrano's stats) if they had chosen someone else? I'm not asking why you would have done something different, but what was the negative fallout of this move? I can think of a few good things that happened because of it, but no one seems to be able to answer what the downside was.
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No one seems to be? For the second time I ask...how many starts did this cost Z? And when he did finally start again, was he where he'd have been if he'd been allowed to work through it...or was he behind where his form should/would have been?

This doesn't even seem complicated to me.
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I'm not sure what you are trying to argue here. Are you arguing that Zambrano's personal stats would have been better if they had left him in the rotation? If that IS what you are arguing, then again, this is countered by the fact that the guys left in the rotation pitched well. From the Cubs standpoint, it doesn't matter if they were getting a QS from Zambrano or from Gorz. If that isn't what you are arguing, what is your point?
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Wasn't this around the time Wells was showing how shitty he was in daytime starts with a hangover? Wasn't this around the time Silva began to return to form? Not only would Z have been in the rotation, someone that maybe should have been out of it, would have been. I don't know if I have the patience to figure out if the Silva/Gorz/Wells starts during Z's absence from the rotation were all quality starts. You're implying they were. That seems counter to my recollection.