Up to him to set 'Z' tone
Zambrano to start playoff opener, but Cubs don't know opponent yet
CINCINNATI -- Carlos Zambrano sounded half-baked at the time. Now he prefers to think of himself as half-right.
''So far, one of the two goals that I have this year is in [sight],'' said Zambrano, who in March guaranteed a Cy Young Award and a World Series championship. ''I think my English was a little misunderstood. What I was trying to say was I will try to do the best to win the Cy Young, and we will try to do the best to win the World Series.''
''So far, one of the two goals that I have this year is in [sight],'' said Zambrano, who in March guaranteed a Cy Young Award and a World Series championship. ''I think my English was a little misunderstood. What I was trying to say was I will try to do the best to win the Cy Young, and we will try to do the best to win the World Series.''
Guarantee, try our best, whatever. Nothing's lost in this translation: The guy who won't win the Cy Young Award is the one who will have the most say about whether that World Series thing works out.
AP
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Guarantee, try our best, whatever. Nothing's lost in this translation: The guy who won't win the Cy Young Award is the one who will have the most say about whether that World Series thing works out.
And Zambrano (18-13), who's scheduled to start Game 1 of the playoffs Wednesday, is well aware of what's at stake as he tries to do what Kerry Wood and Mark Prior before him -- and Fergie Jenkins and Bill Hands before them -- could not.
''I've been thinking about that since I've been in this organization,'' Zambrano said the day after pitching the Cubs into the postseason for the first time since 2003. ''I always say to myself, 'There's many people that have worn this uniform and did not make the playoffs' -- people like Ernie Banks and Billy Williams, the great ballplayers who have been in this organization. And now we have the chance to win everything here. If we do win everything, this will be special for the city of Chicago.''
But as he steps into the spotlight on the biggest stage of his life -- going from a valuable middle-of-the-rotation starter to the $91.5 million ace in four years -- he brings as many questions as answers to the 99th October since the Cubs' last championship.
From a jittery Opening Day loss to an emotional meltdown June 1 in which he punched out his catcher, Zambrano was one of the biggest reasons the Cubs fell nine games below .500 two months into the season. But he went 9-2 with a 1.41ERA in June and July to lead the Cubs back into contention.
Then contract talks reopened, culminating with his new deal Aug.17, and he was winless in August and rocky through most of September.
How will he respond to the biggest start of his life Wednesday? Or a potentially bigger one if the series comes down to a decisive, loser-out Game 5?
''His last two games have been really, really good,'' manager Lou Piniella said, referring to scoreless outings last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Friday against the Cincinnati Reds. ''And that's got to buoy his confidence. He's won 18 games, the most he's ever won in the big leagues in a season, and he's throwing the ball well. And he likes pitching on his five days. He's our ace. We'll go with him [in] Game 1 and go with [Ted] Lilly [in] Game 2, and we'll see what happens.''
Said Zambrano: ''I will do the same thing I've been doing my last two starts, which is be aggressive, but at the same time be calm and just make my pitches.''
And while he said he welcomes the challenge of being the Cubs' Game 1 starter, he downplayed the ace label.
''I don't think about being an ace, being the main guy,'' he said. ''Everybody who will be on the playoff roster will be the main guy. I can go out there and throw seven innings, but [Alfonso] Soriano can hit two homers, and he will be the ace of that day. The next day Lilly can throw a shutout for nine innings, and he will be the main guy. It's about teamwork. That's the key.''
But Zambrano is standing by the World Series guarantee -- or at least the intent.
''It's still in [sight],'' he said. ''So we want to do everything possible to make this dream come true.''
MAGIC NUMBER: 11
11 more wins for cubs' first world series title since 1908