Across the Windy City, Carlos Zambrano was a ticking time bomb. At any given moment, the former Chicago Cubs pitcher could explode with a temper tantrum and was liable to start fights with teammates.
Now, the volatile personalities are uniting in Miami. The Cubs reportedly traded Zambrano to the Marlins in exchange for right-hander Chris Volstad and cash on Thursday, a move that gives the Marlins’ clubhouse more reality show intrigue.
Despite the baggage that Zambrano brings, the ex-Chicago linchpin could benefit from his new alliance with Guillen. Reports say the Venezuelan natives texted daily during the winter meetings and have a tight-knit friendship.
But Zambrano’s list of controversies is certainly a long one. In 2007, he was involved in a dugout altercation with catcher Michael Barrett. Two years later, he shouted at an umpire and proceeded to toss his glove and slam a Gatorade dispenser with a bat after he was ejected.
The next season Zambrano unleashed his frustrations on teammate Derrek Lee during a game, which caused the Cubs to suspend him indefinitely. Upon his return, he was thrust into the bullpen as punishment.
The climax came in August of last season when Zambrano yielded five homers in Atlanta, was ejected, cleaned out his locker and told the team he was retiring. While he ultimately changed his mind, he was suspended for the remainder of the year.
Frankly, it takes a firecracker to get through to one. If there’s one person that can understand and properly address Zambrano’s mood swings, it’s Guillen. That’s why Miami president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest took the gamble in the first place.
“Carlos has some history of outward behavior on and off the field … a lot of it comes from competitive fire,’ Beinfest told reporters on Thursday. “We went with Ozzie on this one. Bottom line was Ozzie felt really, really confident about this deal.”
Maybe all Zambrano needs is a fresh start. After all, through 11 seasons, he has recorded a career 125-81 record with a lifetime 3.60 ERA and 1,542 strikeouts, so he’s armed with the skillset to win. Just ask his new teammate Logan Morrison.
“Has a .607 career winning [percentage] & a 3.60 [ERA]. Winners welcome!” Morrison tweeted on Thursday.
That other hothead — Guillen — is a winner himself. Under his leadership, the White Sox clinched the 2005 World Series championship, proving he has what it takes to win despite his zany antics.
So ultimately, the union of Guillen and Zambrano could either be madness or a match made in Heaven. The latter appears likely.
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