Paper-thin window for Z

Zambrano wants to be a long-term Cub, but with Trib ownership in flux, his chances of staying in Chicago get slimmer by the day

Did you really think the Tribune Co., locked in an 0-for-26 World Series slump, suddenly would serve Cubdom well in its final season of baseball ownership? The Tribune sports section was openly rooting for it the other morning, slapping a management-friendly headline atop a balanced article about the end of the Tribsters' sorry reign: ''Tribune years could finish with a bang.''

A bang? Only if the Trib shoots itself in the rear end, as usual.

It should surprise no one that some sectors of Wall Street are skeptical of the conglomerate's sale plans, joining legions of Cubs fans who grew to distrust the Tribsters through the years. A Lehman Brothers analyst, Craig Huber, estimates merely a 50-50 chance at best that the proposed sale of Tribune Co. to Sam Zell will close as scheduled. And if the deal falls through, Huber says Tribune stock might plummet to crisis levels: a shocking $4 or $5 a share.

So anyone who believes the Cubs sale will be finalized before a deadline far more important than any other -- mid-November, when Carlos Zambrano hits the free-agent market -- also believes in Milli Vanilli and the power of Ronnie Woo Woo. Barring some sort of backroom extension deal that seems impossible under the complex circumstances, you can start sending your gratitudes and goodbyes to Zambrano, who has every right to thumb his nose in disgust at the corporate b.s. and sign with the highest bidder. It would be a lousy way for the Tribsters to end their ownership run but certainly fitting, recalling their lame signature moment of letting Greg Maddux flee to Atlanta in 1992. Imagine having this inscripted on your baseball tombstone:

''TRIBUNE CO. 1981-2007. Never won a National League pennant, suffered 18 losing seasons, lost 90 or more games seven times, sold a playoff ticket to Steve Bartman and inherited four of the most gifted arms known to pitching -- Greg Maddux, Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano -- yet never began to reap the entirety of their services.''

Now, add a tragicomic postscript: ''Tried to sell the club but couldn't get that right, either, allowing franchise pitcher to sign with Mets.''

It's disturbing enough that the Tribsters, who withdrew an April extension offer to Zambrano when he was ready to sign, would allow one of baseball's premier pitchers to leave without a fight. But the ramifications of Zell limbo and its impact on Zambrano aren't limited to the future. He is the most critical factor in what now is a three-team race in the toilet-paper-soft NL Central, a rotation weapon unmatched by the fading Brewers and surging Cardinals. But what good is Zambrano if his mind isn't right? We thought his early-season troubles were mostly related to his issues with catcher Michael Barrett, whose departure coincided with Big Z's two-month surge of stunning dominance. Turns out he has other problems, too, based on a stretch over his last three starts in which he: (1) had to leave a game early because he cramped up, strangely admitting he doesn't like to consume water and other fluids on Chicago summer afternoons; and (2) gave up 13 runs and 21 hits in his next two outings, including a Tuesday loss to Cincinnati in which he yielded six runs and 13 hits without a strikeout.

Not to go Dr. Phil on you, but it's safe to assume Zambrano is bothered by the continuing contract drama. His agent, Barry Praver, maintains his client is focused on the playoff race and has an even equilibrium, but to the contrary, Carlos is an extremely emotional guy who in recent days has violently whipped down a helmet and broken a bat over his leg. Yes, we can surmise he's ticked off about some loose ends in his life, including his team's struggles.

''I was upset to myself,'' he said of the helmet bashing, performed after he grounded out Tuesday. ''Things happen. I don't like the way things happen.''

Just two weekends ago, when the New York media were in town and prying about his possible interest in the Mets and Yankees, Zambrano urged the Cubs to sign him immediately. He repeated his season-long refrain that he loves the city and fans, telling reporters, ''I'm ready to sign. My hand is ready to sign a contract. It's in their hands. I just need to pitch and do my job.'' He was realistic enough to understand that 4½ months have passed since the five-year, $72 million offer was withdrawn. Financially, that could be the best thing that ever happened to him, with his status as an elite pitching free agent positioning him for a possible $100 million-plus payday.

But for the first time, he also acknowledged his days in Wrigley Field could be numbered and that he might be forced to pursue a new uniform. ''Anything is possible,'' Zambrano said that day. ''This is a business. If they don't sign me, I'll see what's out on the market.'' Of course, that set off a fan frenzy in New York. When he mentioned he liked San Diego, a buzz began in that city. A story in Dallas said the Texas Rangers are very interested. And Zambrano has made it clear he'd like to play on the South Side for his fellow Venezuelan, Ozzie Guillen, which would make for legendary seventh-inning mound visits but likely is a concept beyond the White Sox's financial boundaries.

The Zambrano we've seen in August is nothing like the Zambrano who went 9-2 with a 1.41 ERA over 11 starts. He is reverting back to the spring Zambrano who seemed distracted and mad at the world. ''Sometimes you don't have your best stuff,'' he rationalized after his latest failure. ''Sometimes you go out and try to do too much. That's part of the game. You learn from the bad games, keep your head up.''

The situation is more complicated than that. He has lost his command of the strike zone, causing him to lose his poise. Without it, the Cubs have no chance to reach the playoffs. Wednesday night, he denied having arm pain or velocity issues. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt, recalling how the same questions were asked in May before his blurry June and July.

But even if he doesn't reclaim his dominance Sunday against the Cardinals, and even if he scuffles with his stuff and his psyche the rest of the season, none of us should blame Carlos Zambrano. The pen is in the hand of the Tribsters. And like most of their ink, they've only managed to stain themselves.