Ex-Cub Zambrano returns with ‘good memories’
Carlos Zambrano was all over Wrigley Field before Tuesday night’s game.
The Miami Marlins pitcher, and former Cub, ran through his afternoon conditioning drills in near-100-degree heat before heading through the Cubs’ dugout to the weight room for more work.
After that, he found a seat amid a few dozen media members in the visitors dugout.
“I feel like the president right now,” Zambrano said. “No, seriously, I feel good. Good to be back in Chicago. It’s weird to come over on the other side, but baseball is like that. It’s a business.”
The Cubs played the Marlins in Miami in April, but this was Zambrano’s first visit to Wrigley Field since he was traded Jan. 5 for pitcher Chris Volstad.
After meeting with reporters for about 15 minutes, he signed autographs for many Cubs fans.
“Good memories,” he said. “I still love these fans. Once again, I apologize for any inconvenience and anything that I did. The only thing I wanted to do was win. I really apologize to the Cub fans and the people here who treated me good. They deserve an apology.”
Zambrano was a big-leaguer with the Cubs from 2001 through last year. The last couple of years were rough, with Zambrano being suspended by the team in 2010 and last year.
It was anger management in 2010, and last year the Cubs sent Zambrano home after he walked out on the team after being ejected from an August start in Atlanta.
There have been no problems in Miami.
“Carlos has been one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with,” said Mark Buehrle, a former White Sox pitcher. “For all the stuff that you’ve read and seen and obviously we had some stuff on TV, you know, leaving the team.
“We kind of had an open mind when he came into spring training. Obviously that’s all the reports. I haven’t seen it firsthand, and he’s been awesome.”
Zambrano is 5-7 with a 4.22 ERA. He won Monday night as Miami beat Washington 5-3.
“Happy? Happy?” he said about his performance this year. “No. If you take away the games against Colorado and the two (bad) games against Tampa Bay, it would be much better. I have to get back on track and help this team in the second half.
“Happy? Happy? No. This team pays me to win. The same thing when I was with the Cubs, they paid me to win, and I only have 5 wins.”
However, Zambrano seemed to want no part of pitching against the Cubs this series.
“To be honest, I didn’t want to pitch here,” he said. “Not this year. I just don’t want to pitch here this year. The time will come that I can come back.”
Zambrano also said things are good between him and his former teammates.
“There is no hard feelings, believe me,” he said. “The problem was not with the Cubs. The problem was Carlos Zambrano. That’s why Carlos Zambrano now is with the Miami Marlins. If you have to blame somebody, you blame it on me.
“Things didn’t work out the last two years because of me. I am responsible for my acts.”