Big Z Now Not Playing in WBC! (Confirmed, but Venezuela still thinks Big Z is playing))

by nji232 on Feb 24, 2009 12:32 PM CST Comment 84 comments

This very disturbing report from bleachernation.com. Saying that Big Z was cleared by the Cubs medical staff and will indeed be the ace of the Venezuelan WBC staff.

This is nothing short of a disaster in my opinion. Big Z already has injury concerns both from last season and going into this year. He needs to be in camp with his team working with team doctors.

My opinion about the WBC doesn't need to be repeated, if this report is true I hope Big Z can come back unharmed. Nothing good can come from this experience, hopefully Venezuela gets eliminated early on and Zambrano is back to playing for the team that actually pays his salary.

I'll add the link to the official roster here

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Ugh!

Very disappointing if this turns out to be true. What happened to the whole Lasik thing?

"Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living." ~Alvin Dark

by DamonBerryhillsMitt on Feb 24, 2009 12:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nothing in the mainstream news

And since the story is dated yesterday, I’m doubting it.

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Feb 24, 2009 12:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Is SI not mainstream media?

www.talkingchicagobaseball.blogspot.com

by nji232 on Feb 24, 2009 12:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Here's the link to the actual SI story

Disappointing if true.

Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.

by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Feb 24, 2009 12:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Whoops

Link didn’t show up.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/02/23/wbc.venezuela.ap/index.html

Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.

by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Feb 24, 2009 1:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't see this confirmed anywhere else as of now.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 24, 2009 1:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I guess that's what I meant

I glossed over SI because the original link went to a blog that I’m not familiar with.

I’ve read nothing in the Trib, Sun Times or Daily Herald.

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Feb 24, 2009 1:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nothing on cubs.com, either.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 24, 2009 2:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Weird

This wasn’t on the Score or WGN are they sure about this?

Barbara V. October 14, 1941 - December 19, 2008. A great lady who was a friend to all and like a second mom to her children's friends (she was my best friend's mom)

by cubstoseriesby100 on Feb 24, 2009 1:07 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

This doesn't make sense

What?!?

I read the SI report…and it’s weird how it’s just kind of slipped in. Something is definitely fishy about this.

by mykalmorgan on Feb 24, 2009 1:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

SI is a reliable source

I guess this kind of slipped under the radar but they wouldn’t have published it unless they had it confirmed.

Maybe because he was “cleared” by the Cubs, doesn’t necessarily mean he will play. The wording of the article suggests he will.

This definitely worries me. He had problems at the end of last year……

Greg Maddux could put a baseball through a Life Saver if you asked him. ~ Joe Morgan

by Sioux City Cubs Fan on Feb 24, 2009 1:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe this explains why Big Z was so irritable the other day.

Perhaps he was locked in a power struggle with Cubs brass over his desire to pitch in the WBC and now he’s won out. In any case, if it’s true, I am not pleased. (And I know that really matters to Carlos.)

"You've got to earn winning your division. We won more games than anybody in the National League last year, and we're going to have a target on our back, so we've got to be ready.'' - Lou Piniella, 2/17/09

by dat cubfan daver on Feb 24, 2009 1:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That was the day Marmol started talking about dropping out

Z might have felt added pressure to join the Venezuela team since Marmol was backing out. He might have believed the Cubs were pressuring Marmol not to play, and was upset about that, leading to his own demand to be cleared.

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by zambranofan on Feb 24, 2009 7:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I assume you know that

Marmol would have played for the Dominican Team…

"When two Whales Fight, many Shrimp Die" - Korean Proverb

by TheRiot Police on Feb 24, 2009 9:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Found a Cuban newspaper ...

that has a report that was posted less than an hour ago that I put in a Spanish to English translator. Here is the key sentence:

The rotation of pitchers will be headed by Félix Hernández, Assembling Galarraga and Carlos Silva as openers and the possibility of including Carlos “The Bull” Zambrano of passing to the second phase of the tournament

So what do we learn from this? For one, that “Armando” must mean “Assembling” in Spanish. :)

Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.

by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Feb 24, 2009 1:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe he'll be on the roster...

but not used until the second round (if at all).

Official rosters of up to 28 players will be announced at 5 PM CT.

by mykalmorgan on Feb 24, 2009 1:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Has this been confirmed, or is it speculation only?

Nothing about this has been reported on 670 the Score

"I like coconuts, you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun" Widespread Panic

by Cubbie-Tim on Feb 24, 2009 1:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Read the comments, find your answer

We are going off a report on SI.com titled: “Venezuela a favorite to win WBC”

Quotes from the report:

Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs will stand in for Santana on the mound while sluggers Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers will lead Venezuela’s offense, according to the line-up released on Monday by Edwin Zerpa, president of the Venezuelan Baseball Federation.

Zambrano was not originally expected to join the line-up, but the Cubs decided to clear him.

by mykalmorgan on Feb 24, 2009 1:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I did read the comments

and I was curious if this was confirmed anywhere else, seeing as that would be big news and cubs.com if no one else would want to break it before SI IMO.

"I like coconuts, you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun" Widespread Panic

by Cubbie-Tim on Feb 24, 2009 1:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Good for him

he’s a baseball player, and he wants to play.

"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella

by drewishdrewid on Feb 24, 2009 2:02 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Is this really that big a deal?

what……….he MIGHT start 3 games?? I’m sure that they’re not going to send him out there for 120 pitches each time. The guy like to compete………let him play. Doubtful the Cubs staff would clear him if there were any concerns about him………..I think people are getting a little too excited here

by plenz on Feb 24, 2009 2:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure it's a big deal either, but...

Jake Peavy posted sub 3.00 ERAs in the two years before and after pitching in the WBC. 2006 ERA? 4.09. He started two games in the WBC that year.

Bartolo Colon hasn’t had 100 IP in a season since 2005, the year before he started three games in the WBC.

Brad Lidge had a terrible year the next year.

I’m not stupid; I know that these may just be coincidences and there are a lot of other factors involved in each situation. Most players were not discernibly negatively affected by participating (Johan Santana won the Cy Young in 2006), but when discussing a player who has a history of strange injuries/erratic performance there is cause for concern.

Big Z didn’t drink enough water!

He was on his computer so much late at night that he was sore! (talking to family…)

It’s not so much the event that concerns me, more that I can just see myself reading about how this was the reason for a bad year. I just don’t want to look back and say “if he’d stayed out of that tournament, this could’ve been the year!” That could just be the optimistic Cubs fan in me, though :-)

by mykalmorgan on Feb 24, 2009 3:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope not

If you had to choose just one characteristic that would get you through life, choose a sense of humor.

by Clutche on Feb 24, 2009 3:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Who is the brain surgeon

that schedules the WBC at the same time clubs are in spring training? It reminds me of our local high school baseball coach who has half of his squad for the first day of baseball practice because the good athletes are also on the basketball team and they unfortunately made the playoffs. Except these guys are…um, professional baseball players and should be with their team. Aren’t there a few winter months they could pick to play the WBC and not interfere with ST?

by 100yearitch on Feb 24, 2009 3:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

this

I agree with.

"That’s the great thing about baseball, you never know what’s going to happen till you get the final out." — Lou Piniella

by drewishdrewid on Feb 24, 2009 3:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That brain surgeon is Bud Selig

And by brain surgeon you mean mindless idiot. What else to you expect out of him?

www.talkingchicagobaseball.blogspot.com

by nji232 on Feb 24, 2009 3:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

by 100yearitch on Feb 24, 2009 4:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That brainless surgeon is Bud Selig

"I like coconuts, you can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun" Widespread Panic

by Cubbie-Tim on Feb 24, 2009 6:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Selig

Why wouldn’t Selig completely mess this up? He’s already bastardized the playoffs by including the wild card, made a mockery of the All-Star game and looked both ways on the steroid issue…all the while the money kept rolling in. He’s a fool…plain and simple.

Who needs a stinkin' tag line? What are they for anyway?

by krummy12 on Feb 24, 2009 7:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Not that I want to defend him, but

as you say, the money kept rolling in. He’s done a lot of things that we all believe were terrible decisions. But until the bottom line is impacted, it’s not going to change.

by chitownhawkeye on Feb 24, 2009 8:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What may end up happening

is that concern over the WBC play may cause Lou to be more conservative the rest of the season. We have the pitching depth to get through the season – it’s the shape of Carlos in October that will count. This may end up being better for the Cubs – because Piniella is a lot more likely to ignore pitch counts than the WBC.

The author of this post is not a certified scout, doctor, agent, statistician, manager, or journalist, nor was he ever a very good player, though he tried very hard to be like Ryne Sandberg and was about as scrappy as it gets (in T-ball). Any opinion expressed above should in no way be confused with fact, truth, or reality and is hereby qualified in the following ways: 1) The author does not know as much about baseball as Lou Piniella. 2) The author does not know as much about baseball as Jim Hendry. 3) The author does not know as much about baseball as either Dusty or Darren Baker.

by DGU on Feb 24, 2009 3:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

And, probably more likely to...

… manage Z better than Dusty did in 2006.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 24, 2009 4:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh yeah -

Piniella is a huge improvement on Dusty, but Lou’s not perfect on this. Sometimes he gets so focused on winning the game in front of him that he loses track of what’s best to win in October, I think. The WBC managers, however, will be under a microscope.

by DGU on Feb 24, 2009 6:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It was looking like the Cubs were going to be conservative with him anyways

As long as the message is passed along to Luis Sojo, I think things will work out.

It seems like the Cubs training staff and management are on the same page, so I’m sure they’ll continue to monitor Zambrano closely to ensure his health come October.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Feb 24, 2009 5:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I have to believe that...

… after the experiences some players had from the last WBC (i.e. having down years), that ALL WBC managers are going to be instructed to be careful with players.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 24, 2009 5:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It's definitely something I think MLB will pass along

because if the trend continues and teams begin to further hold back players, there is no way to ensure the survival of the event (at least with it being played in spring training).

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Feb 24, 2009 5:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

One thing to keep in mind

Is the leader of Venezuela is Hugo Chavez. Carlos might be under tremendous pressure or even threat to play in this.

This is from a friend who’s Venezuelan.

Barbara V. October 14, 1941 - December 19, 2008. A great lady who was a friend to all and like a second mom to her children's friends (she was my best friend's mom)

by cubstoseriesby100 on Feb 24, 2009 3:52 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Oh please.................

that is way far-fetched

If you had to choose just one characteristic that would get you through life, choose a sense of humor.

by Clutche on Feb 24, 2009 4:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Far fetched?

That a world dictator would be so imersed and concerned with a Venezuelan playing American Ball? Not only that but to the point of using threats against him to play for his country of origin? Yeah me thinks Big Z is not that high on the totem pole of Hugo Chavez concerns…nor the WBC for that matter.

"Ask Dad. He'll know. And on the off chance he doesn't, he'll make something up"

by StevenABQ on Feb 24, 2009 5:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

I find it hard to believe that Chavez has anything to do with this situation.

"It's hard to win 97 games, it's hard to win the division. Our attitude is if you get in every year, you get in most of the time, sooner or later you are going to knock that door down." -- Jim Hendry

by EJThunder on Feb 24, 2009 6:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Castro did it for years

Plus, I think iIcan say without getting too political that Chavez isn’t the most rational and tempered world leader around

by TC Cubby on Feb 25, 2009 7:03 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He may have an interest

But I really don’t think — considering the issues going on in his country (for one just a week or so ago him working towards securing indefinate term limits) that the WBC and Zambrano are on his hot list of things to exercise control or threats on. Furthermore, Castro had a long and vested interest in the game of baseball, Chavez from what I understand is far more of a Futbol fan. Anyways in the end not getting political just saying he’s a busy guy.

"Ask Dad. He'll know. And on the off chance he doesn't, he'll make something up"

by StevenABQ on Feb 25, 2009 2:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Really not all that far-fetched

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/13/sports/BBI-Venezuela-WBC.php

"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008

by BeerCub on Feb 24, 2009 7:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh Come on

Chavez is upset that the best Venezuelan players wont be in the WBC , he is not threatening or pressuring anyone besides perhaps Bud.

Slightly OT but one of my favorite Ozzie comments was when he got flack for not going to the White House ceremony honoring the White Sox WS win because he had a previous commitment to be in Venezuela . Ozzie responded to the criticism by saying
“People think I am sleeping with Hugo Chavez” Now that cracked me up.

"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux

by Doggie Stalker on Feb 24, 2009 10:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Zambrano is indeed listed on the final roster

Here

Go Italy and Canada

www.talkingchicagobaseball.blogspot.com

by nji232 on Feb 24, 2009 5:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

At least he'll have Blanco there...

… a catcher who knows him and can handle him.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 24, 2009 5:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

One additional minor edit to the title of this Fanpost:

Perhaps change the question mark to an exclamation point. Seriously.

by dat cubfan daver on Feb 24, 2009 5:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Done.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 24, 2009 5:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Guess he's not getting Lasik

But he’s going to face livelier hitting and I believe this will be helpful for his stuff come April.
However, if he gets rocked, I truly believe he’ll carry that load for a while.

One day I hope to come up with something worthy of this space.

by chilango2 on Feb 24, 2009 6:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

This is disturbing

The World is Gonna End!

He wont even pitch ten innings, come on, dont over react.

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Feb 24, 2009 6:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Amen

Funny how nobody is in a tizzy over Theodore Roosevelt Lilly being in the U.S. roster.

One day I hope to come up with something worthy of this space.

by chilango2 on Feb 24, 2009 6:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I trust Lilly more than I trust Carlos...

Lilly knows how much he means to the team. Not to say that Carlos doesn’t but I feel more confident that Lilly will know how far to push the envelope.

Carlos’s competitiveness might get in the way of him knowing when to tone it down a notch while playing for his country.

"It's hard to win 97 games, it's hard to win the division. Our attitude is if you get in every year, you get in most of the time, sooner or later you are going to knock that door down." -- Jim Hendry

by EJThunder on Feb 24, 2009 7:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I suppose

But its not likely he pitches even 10-12 innings-The Cubs should be able to withhold him though, I might be mistaken, but I thought if a player was on the DL in the preceding year his team could prevent him from participating.

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Feb 24, 2009 7:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This is nonsense

Lilly could get hurt in the WBC just as easily as a Canadian, South African or Venezuelan.

But then, he could just as easily get hurt in Mesa or Las Vegas or New Yankee Stadium,

"Who's Bob Brenly? The guy that used to be the manager for Arizona?" ~ Alfonso Guilleard Soriano

by JohnM on Feb 25, 2009 3:40 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Feb 25, 2009 4:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Lilly could get hurt

but frankly if I were an opposing team catcher and Lilly gets on base I would be VERY, VERY nervous. Word of advice
GIVE HIM THE PLATE.

"I daydream just like everybody else, I just do it with my body facing the field, so everybody thinks I'm paying attention."- Greg Maddux

by Doggie Stalker on Feb 25, 2009 9:37 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

This just in - Cubs forced to play 81 games on the road. I am not pleased.

sorry – just wanted to get on the sarcasm bandwagon…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Feb 24, 2009 7:33 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Funny, Roger Clemens didn't know they had road games anymore

www.talkingchicagobaseball.blogspot.com

by nji232 on Feb 24, 2009 7:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I blame Bud Selig.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Feb 25, 2009 8:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Good for Carlos.

As i read the comments, i realize alot of you do not understand and perhaps will never understand what this means for Carlos and all the other players representing their country. As far as Chavez, i understand where he is coming from. I’d be pissed too if we went to the 2010 world cup without messi or mascherano( yes, i am from argentina) because their respective clubs wont give them up.

by xene on Feb 24, 2009 8:48 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I also would like to add that it probably sucks

for the venezuelans knowing that their are probably 1!!! pitcher (Santana) away from having a good chance to win the tournament.

by xene on Feb 24, 2009 8:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How can you compare the World Cup to this?

The World Cup is something that has been around forever, and is more important than the individual league championships. The WBC was invented 3 years ago and not one player participating in it could possibly think winning the WBC is better or more important than winning the World Series.

www.talkingchicagobaseball.blogspot.com

by nji232 on Feb 24, 2009 9:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Plus

Plus, the World Cup is so much more important globally.

That's shitastic!

by CUBSfaninYANKEEcountry on Feb 24, 2009 10:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

I hate when people compare the two things, because its not even close to the same thing. It takes two years to even qualify for the World Cup.

www.talkingchicagobaseball.blogspot.com

by nji232 on Feb 24, 2009 11:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

And when it first started, the World Series was a crappy exhibition series nobody cared about

"Who's Bob Brenly? The guy that used to be the manager for Arizona?" ~ Alfonso Guilleard Soriano

by JohnM on Feb 25, 2009 3:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

IIRC

Carlos blamed the WBC for his bad April. I guess Zambrano either has a short memory, his ego can’t let him skip it, or he’s looking for a built-in excuse to blow in April. Or D, all of the above.

I think in the end it won’t be a big deal, assuming none of our guys get hurt. However, I think most of us will be biting our nails throughout the WBC, waiting for it to end!

I have nothing funny or creative to write.

by Canadian Cubs Fan on Feb 25, 2009 6:46 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Bruce Miles still not reporting Z in WBC.

He lists Lilly Fukudome and Geo, this morning.

by Rick B on Feb 25, 2009 7:48 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Neither does the Trib or ST

Cubs.com doesn’t, either.

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Feb 25, 2009 8:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What are the rules for an injury replacement?

Could it be that Zambrano was put on the roster just in case he changes his mind and decides to play? And if he doesn’t play, could Venezuela pull him and replace him with another player?

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Feb 25, 2009 8:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Good question

Still, isn’t it odd that we wouldn’t hear mention of that in the CHI papers, either?

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Feb 25, 2009 10:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Very odd.

I just re-checked the Tribune, Daily Herald and Sun-Times online and none of them mention it.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Feb 25, 2009 10:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep, I did the same thing.

It seems like this should be a much bigger story. FWIW, I just asked Bruce Miles about it on his most recent blog post.

Happy ST Opening Day, everyone!

by dat cubfan daver on Feb 25, 2009 11:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nicely done

Double bonus points for getting the Cubs 2009 Annual plug in, as well.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Feb 25, 2009 11:09 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Dang is that guy responsive!

He just posted back, saying he’s in between AZ trips but he’d check into the Big Z situation.

Happy ST Opening Day, everyone!

by dat cubfan daver on Feb 25, 2009 11:17 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Z confirms he's skipping the WBC...

according to cubs.com.

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090225&content_id=3880006&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.

by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Feb 25, 2009 11:23 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Well that appears to be good news

Hopefully there was just some miscommunication between the two camps.

I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am. - Ryne Sandberg

by Trey2317 on Feb 25, 2009 11:34 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

AGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Happy ST Opening Day, everyone!

by dat cubfan daver on Feb 25, 2009 11:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That article...

…also links to the official WBC rosters which, acording to MLB.com, are now set. He remains listed as one of Venezuela’s starting pitchers. Who knows….

"Writing is exciting and baseball is like writing. You can never tell with either how it will go or what you will do." -- Marianne Moore

by duboisdm on Feb 25, 2009 11:40 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice

very smart decision Carlos

www.talkingchicagobaseball.blogspot.com

by nji232 on Feb 25, 2009 11:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well then, let's edit the title of this Fanpost again.

I’d go with:

Big Z Now NOT Playing in WBC! (Confirmed)

Happy ST Opening Day, everyone!

by dat cubfan daver on Feb 25, 2009 12:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

please do so

before two threads show up about Zambrano’s reiternation

#34: You'll be missed!

by Chanman25 on Feb 25, 2009 12:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Too late. There's already a Fanshot.

Happy ST Opening Day, everyone!

by dat cubfan daver on Feb 25, 2009 12:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

haha damn!

see there ya go…

#34: You'll be missed!

by Chanman25 on Feb 25, 2009 12:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

wbc

sounds like a wrestling organization. i think most of our guys have pulled out. i prefer my players to concentrate on getting their work done with the team.no need for this nonsense.the way these modern players get hurt there is no need for playing meaningless games.

by NOMAR on Feb 28, 2009 10:25 AM CST reply actions 0 recs