Not same, old treatment of Zambrano

Cubs manager Mike Quade wasn’t playing an April Fool’s joke Monday.

On April 1, Ryan Dempster really will be the starting pitcher when the Cubs open their season in Wrigley Field against the Pirates.

In a way this was Quade sending Big Z to his room without dessert.

Not in so many words, of course. No manager should treat any major-leaguer like a spoiled little kid.

Instead, Quade explained to the media that he was matching up his pitching rotation to the early opposition, leaving Zambrano to pitch Game 2.

Even if Quade wasn’t sending Zambrano a message, hopefully the pitcher will understand that he no longer has all his old privileges.

Intentional or otherwise, Quade’s decision serves as a purpose pitch delivered by a man entering his first full season as a big-league manager.

The Cubs made a few interesting moves during the off-season, including trading for pitcher Matt Garza, signing first baseman Carlos Pena and bringing back pitcher Kerry Wood.

The best move, it says here, was keeping Zambrano. Nobody the Cubs could have acquired to replace him in the rotation would have his potential for this season.

It’s well documented that Zambrano has a temper harmful to the performance of both him and his team.

Since Zambrano’s most recent implosion last season, however, he received counseling and returned to go 8-0 in his last 11 appearances.

Zambrano’s tantrums positioned him as the Cubs’ problem child, yet previous managers were reluctant to deal with him.

Now that Quade has started to, the Cubs should benefit from any progress Big Z the pitcher makes as Carlos the person.

Zambrano had to be drawn back onto Planet Wrigley instead of being allowed to spin out of control in his own universe.

Big Z needs to be impressed with the concept that the Cubs aren’t his team, that they are the team’s team and that nobody on the team is above or apart from the team.

If Zambrano’s past managers — Don Baylor, Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella — did try to manage him, neither their efforts nor Big Z’s growth were evident.

My suggestion a couple of years ago was to move Zambrano from his locker in the near corner of Wrigley Field’s home clubhouse.

Symbolically as well as geographically, Big Z has been as far away from the manager’s office as possible and also far from the Cubs’ other prominent pitchers.

Quade still could relocate Zambrano. He can try to make him think that he can be a leader if he lockers in the middle of the room, perhaps next to Wood or between Dempster and Garza.

It’s more difficult for a player to show up teammates in a game if the next day he must show up and dress next to them.

No, I don’t expect to arrive at Wrigley Field the first week of the season and see Zambrano anywhere but in front of his customary Locker 1.

But Quade did boldly inform Zambrano, the Cubs’ starting starter in the last six openers, that his streak is over.

Quade also facilitated the bonding process a bit by bringing his three top starters into his office together to tell them his decision.

Congratulations to Mike Quade for having the nerve to indicate to Carlos Zambrano that this manager isn’t joking around with him.

mimrem@dailyherald.com