Former Cubs outfielder, and Ivy League graduate (Penn), Doug Glanville is now living in Chicago and doing some writing for the New York Times and ESPN, in addition to a recent book about his experiences in the game.
↵Today, he wrote this ESPN.com column about the Cubs and Carlos Zambrano; his analysis is cogent and incisive:
↵↵↵I can’t remember when an organization said, “Now sit in timeout until you learned your lesson.” At least not to someone making that kind of coin. The dunce caps were almost exclusively reserved for journeymen outfielders who didn’t run out infield grounders or hustle on balls hit into the left-field corner. Not for a class of players that used to be “The Untouchables.”
↵We will see what Zambrano will say in the coming days. I imagine his response will be issued from the website I want to form, www.imsorry.com — “downloaded canned apologies written by my agent.” But maybe I am being too cynical.
↵If there’s a silver lining for Zambrano, it’s that by refusing to turn the other cheek, the Cubs are giving him the time and opportunity to think about his actions, formulate a response and work to change his situation. He may come to realize that no matter how much you make, what you have done before, how frustrated you are and how bad you want to change, your career is fragile and an apology is probably worth keeping the bridge to the Cubs intact because in a few years, all bridges may lead to nowhere.
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Glanville is spot-on. Z said he had changed before the latest outburst, but that turned out to be not true. If he says so again, he had better mean it, because he is clearly out of last chances.