Carlos Zambrano could be back with the Cubs by the middle of this week. (Chris Sweda/Tribune)
Carlos Zambrano will be placed on the restricted list, undergo a treatment program and will not return to the team until after the All-Star break, the Cubs said Monday.
In the aftermath of Zambrano's dugout tirade Friday, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry spoke Monday to representatives from Major League Baseball and the players union, as well as to the pitcher and his agent, Barry Praver.
Zambrano's indefinite suspension will be limited to three games and end Tuesday, when he will be placed on the restricted list. He will receive full pay and benefits while on the restricted list, though he was not paid for the three days he was suspended.
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"We've obviously had a lot of transgressions in the past with Carlos," Hendry said. "So I think we all agree it's time he got help and then maybe address the apologies later."
Hendry added Zambrano will not "formally travel with the team before the (All-Star) break. "
"Hopefully he goes and gets the help he needs and can rectify some of his actions with his teammates and be able to move forward after the break," Hendry said.
"We all make mistakes," Hendry said. "He's probably made a few more in the last couple years than we'd like. I'm sure he feels remorseful. ... You're hopeful that maybe once and for all he can put some of the problems he's had with teammates and in other areas, and move on."
Hendry said he had "a nice conversation" Monday with Zambrano and that the pitcher understood the situation and, along with his agent, agreed to the conditions of his return to the team.
Hendry declined to confirm that Zambrano was dealing with anger-management issues, though obviously his anger issues precipitated the move to suspend him in the first place.
"He will be evaluated and then directed on areas to address," Hendry said. "He will be required by the agreement from MLB and the players association to follow the directions of the doctors to a tee.
"It's an unfortunate situation; his actions certainly were inappropriate," Hendry said of Zambrano's tirade following the first inning of Friday's Cubs-Sox game, after which he was suspended indefinitely.
Reliever Jeff Stevens will rejoin the team Wednesday to fill Zambrano's roster spot.
Milton Bradley received a 15-game suspension last September for ripping the organization to the Daily Herald, getting into a shouting match with former hitting coach Von Joshua and refusing to pinch-hit in a game in St. Louis. But the Cubs gave Bradley 15 games because they didn't want him around the rest of the season, and that was how many games were left.
The Cubs wanted to put Zambrano on the restricted list to get him help, but also so they could call someone up from the minors to replace him. Zambrano will undergo a treatment program in New York with two doctors mutually agreed upon by the union and MLB.
"He certainly understands the situation and he and his representative (Barry Praver) obviously signed off," Hendry said.
There were no "snags" over the agreement between the Cubs and the players union, Hendry added.
"The goal from both sides was the same," he said. "Let's get Carlos some help over some issues that have popped up a lot more over the last couple years than they did earlier in his career, and let's see if we can get him back on track. Obviously, he's the key component in all of it."
The announcement was made after manager Lou Piniella met with the media, so he had no immediate comment. The clubhouse was closed after Hendry spoke to the players.
Beforehand, none of the Cubs players admitted to speaking with Zambrano.
"He made a mistake, but he's still my friend," Carlos Marmol said.
Alfonso Soriano tried to call Zambrano on Sunday night, but said his phone was off and he didn't leave a message.
"I hope he feels better and hope to see him soon and hear him explain what happened on Friday," Soriano said. "I want to talk to him because we're friends. No matter what happened Friday, he's still my friend. I've got to talk to him and see what he was thinking about, why he did that... I'd like to hear him explain it to me."
Cubs announcer Ron Santo said: "He can't take it out on his teammates, He can't do what he did. That is unbelievable. He has anger-management (issues). He's really a great guy. Everybody says that, but it's a tough situation. I think he's lost some confidence in himself, and 2-3 years ago he was intimidating. But now, he's out there, he doesn't have that presence, he doesn't have that confidence. That's what he's got to get back."
Derrek Lee has declined to talk about the incident, though obviously Zambrano will have to personally apologize to Lee if he intends on getting absolution from the rest of the team. Ironically, it was Lee who defended Zambrano in September of 2007 when Cubs fans booed Big Z for ignoring a stop sign and getting thrown out at home, and again when he was pulled from the game against the Dodgers after a poor outing.
Lee said that day that Cubs' fans should cut Zambrano some slack.
"I'm not a big fan of the booing at home," Lee said. "Maybe if it's a lack of effort, but 'Z' has been so big for this organization and gives everything he has out there, so I have a hard time with the booing."
There wasn't any noticeable ill will between Zambrano and Lee. The two were yukking it up in the Cubs' clubhouse in Seattle on Thursday, along with Randy Wells, before the finale of the Cubs-Mariners series.
Zambrano was in a good mood then. Asked about the 2008 All-Star Game T-shirt he was wearing, he said with a grin: "Yeah, that's when I used to be good."
But after leaving the hallway, Zambrano came back a minute later and added: "But, like Arnold Schwarzenegger said: 'I'll be back.'"
"Out till after All-Star Break"?
"Till"? Is there a garden involved? Could you have mean "'til', as in "until".
Nice journalism.
Garry Wilbur - I don't think money on Bradley was wasted - the Cubs have Carlos Silva & $9 million in the bank.
Fire Hendry!! He's a "WUSS"!! While your at it, fire Selig and his PC enforcer Bob "Lost my pair somewhere" Watson, too!!
Anger Management???? What a bunch of crap! Some elitist academic telling you to calm down, and act "appropriately" as if they are so enlightened they can decide what that is!!
I'D PROBABLY KNOCK THEM ON THEIR A__ FOR THEIR CONDESCENDING ATTITUDE!
I have to get over this addiction to torture and find me a team run by men and playing men on the field!!
rdog
Get rid of this BUM. I also blame the organization for his out bursts. Never once in the past did the cubs upper management take control and fine him for his actions. Playing baseball is a job, players need to behave ie no guns in locker rooms, no fighting animals, no roids, no DUIs, and so forth. Children will always look up to professional athletes. The pros we have now looked up to others when they were younger; why now would it be different.
lets just rebuild. lose Z, Soriano, Ramirez, Fukudome, most bullpen pitchers and rebuild off of guys like Colvin, Castro, Wells and all the other guys they have now or in the system with promising pitchers. the cubs have the 3rd highest payroll in the MLB behind the Yankees and Red Sox. with no promise of even coming close to a Series? cmon management lose those players and Lou and start over.
Well said spectablesurfer..and plus he's passed his prime and a total nutjob. Make him do the Cub's laundry and Wrigley's landscaping and clean-up for the rest of his contract.
Any Cub fan who decides on spending money on this disgraceful organization should get their heads checked for a mental imbalance
First he gets into it with Michael Barrett in the dugout then he goes ballistic on a Gatorade machine and now this, how much more of this do we have to deal with? Enough is enough.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
ELECTRO SHOCK THERAPY? He may just be alergic to the "C" on his uniform....it does cause unexplained tightness in the throat!!
The Cubs need to get rid of Zambrano permanently, he's becoming nothing but a cancer to this team and he is clearly not the same pitcher he used to be and now he's showing he has problems. Cure these problems first.
Moe!...Larry!....THE CHEESE!!!
Somebody in the 1st row must've been wearing Wild Hyacinth
Carlos Zambrano, regardless of his performance in the last 2-2 1/2 seasons, is statistically one of the 12 best pitchers in MLB over the last 7 seasons. I believe his emotional problems are at the heart of his recent ineffectiveness and the emotional problems snowballed with his lack of success. He needs to get his issues put at the forefront where they can be looked at and worked on. The Cubs are on the hook for a LOT of salary... in the big picture, they'd be better off paying him to NOT pitch for as long as it takes--even until the end of the season--for him to hopefully get himself in a better place. Carlos Zambrano working with a psychiatric team and a physical trainer might be better for the team in 2011 than having Zambrano continue to get nailed on the mound and in the public eye. The Cubs would be LUCKY to have another team take on even 50% of his salary, which would be an unacceptable loss of payroll. And he is not Milton Bradley... he is not a clubhouse cancer. Zambrano is a very talented guy that loses his cool and gets in the grill of others that may (or may not) be failing to do their job for the team (like Barrett's atrocious defense in 2007); conversely, Bradley has broad ego-related issues that made him disliked by teammates as far back as his high school team. There's no comparison beyond both needing counseling.
I just heard that he is being treated for "koro".
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/9/16/81843/6555
How about paying for treatment for all CUBS fans who have stuck by this mess of a team? It's a waste of money and merely symbolic to send Zambrano for anger management treatment. It will last only until the next blow up. This guy is pure poison to the CUBS and should have been traded a few years back. Mental control is a huge part of pitching and Carlita has none and no amount of counseling will change that. Shop him around and attempt to talk him into rewriting the no-trade clause in his contract. These things are never impossible just challenging to pull off. He's got to go sooner rather than later lest we experience Zambrano hell for the next 5 years or however long his current contract lasts. This team doesn't need any distraction like this to suck any more.
The doctors will find the Big Zzzzzz suffers from the 'ME in TEAM' disease in combination with too much 'drinky, drinky' and male PMS that most 'overinflated' salaried players suffer from these days
Santo is no one to talk! That jerk went off on a teammate after a game for dropping a ball and called him out publicly. What nerve!
Sid, you said that the Cubs were going to become the Pittsburgh Pirates of the midwest...isn't Pittsburgh in the midwest? Anyway the Pirates have won a title or two in the last 102 years so, I would think that no team would want to become the Cubs of whatever region they come from.
Psychos should be kept away from others. He should be banned from MLB.
Why would anyone pay to watch these whiny over paid spoiled brats play a game? You would think someone getting paid millions a year could exercise a little self control. When someone gets paid that much, they actually start thinking they are so great that they deserve the money. The delusion of that kind of greatness causes people to act like arrogant spoiled brats. The solution is to just take the money and to consider it a ridiculous joke that anyone would want to pay anyone that kind of money. The moment you start to believe you are actually worth the money, you are in trouble.
I will give anyone the benefit of the doubt, but not this time. Too many mistakes; too many Oh, I am so sorrys; too much waste of time (everyone involved and, talent(of others, namely the players), and treasure (salaries). If he had any level of decency, he would not take any pay and pay for his treatment. If this was the first time offense, maybe I would think differently. Love that union! NOT!!!
He is a disgrace to the uniform and does not deserve to wear it ever again. I do not care how long Hendry has known him.
yes, I agree, he needs help... help out the door permanently. "Guy"s comments are right on the money. There's no fixing this Latin seagull.
Whatever he will be getting treatment for, several weeks is not enough (sex, drugs/alcohol, anger management), so why couldn't they buy some more time, in their attempt to do some kind of deal?
If they are put him on some mood leveling drug, it could be interesting.
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Maybe they should get Jim Hendry some treatment as well
I think they should play him at firstbase.
No really.
I am an expert.
Anger management training for Hispanic macho-man males is like toilet training for seagulls.
The only way this team of chokers gets any better is if they clone Colvin seven more times. Shoot, make it eight as he can probably pitch too.
Time to end the Big Z era with the Cubs. It's one thing to be a good ball player who is a headcase. It's a no brainer on what management should do when you are a bad ball player who is a headcase! He needs help...yeah so does Hugo Chavez...
Once again the writing here is simply terrible. It is amazing to me that someone actually gets a paycheck to churn out stories like this.
He gets paid, what a crock. Let him pay for anger management himself. I can only hope the cubs get rid of him. His act is going old.
WOW! The best the Cubs can do right now is just get rid of Piniella, Hendry for sure, this lunatic Zambrano and that nimrod Ron Santo. Boy, anything that guy says absolutely makes no sense. I heard Santo is a very bitter and angry man and he has no respect of anyone anymore. He's even afraid to show his face in New York. What a total putz!
Way to go BeeKay. Couldn't agree with you more. Santo is a hypocrite. His abrasive personality is the only reason he is being kept out of the hall of fame. And now he blasts Zambozo. Give me a break.
ANNE very mature...what grade are you in? That doesn't even make sense. If you were a Sox fan, you would'nt know that you're supposed to be glad if you weren't one. Idiot
Jim Hendry needs to be a psychiatrist. Last year Milton Bradly,this year Carlos. Poor Lou.
It's ironic to read Santo's remark about not taking your frustration out on your teammates. I stopped rooting for the Cubs when Jack*ss Ron unloaded on Don Young during the 1969 pennant race. Anybody remember that fiasco?
How do you "miss" a guy with a 5.66 ERA; twice as many losses as wins; and who is psychotic? Maybe the Cubs can start winning now. Put him in a cage at the Lincoln Park Zoo.
The saddest Cubs team in recent memory? Really Gary? Can you not remember anything before 2007? Because as bad as this season has been, 2006 was even worse! The Cubs finished with the 3rd worst record in baseball that year and had to write $300 million worth in contracts and bring in a new manager and coaching staff to turn things around. Sure it's been another disappointing season, but to say this year is the saddest Cubs team in recent memory shows you haven't been a Cubs fan for very long, or you're just one of those reactionary dolts who thinks the world is coming to an end with every Cubs loss.
I am still very glad that I am not a sux fan.
This is the saddest Cubs team in recent memory. All that big money going to waste to a head case with the maturity of a 4 year old. I liked medium Z better when he drank coffee before games and started cramping up in the 4th inning. Soriano, Bradley, Baby Huey Zambrano, Fukodome. All money wasted. A bad, and uninspired team. Phooey.
Bring Z back into the rotation and demote Randy "7.92 ERA in the last month" Wells to the bullpen.
How many of us have wanted to do what Z did to the team and call them out for sucking and showing no effort or heart? I am glad Z ripped his teammates because they needed to be ripped.
You cub fans did this to yourself. You praised Zambrano's actions in the past when he acted just like this, even worse at times. Now that he is pitching like the average pitcher that we all knew he really was, you all of the sudden have grown moral's and now think his actions are deplorable. Not even lovable anymore, just losers, including the fans.
The Cubs will have to eat the remaining $35 million+ in guaranteed money on Z's contract to get rid of him. Same for Soriano, but a bigger bill.
I'm interested in finding out about possible wording in his contract related to a "behavior" clause. Something to that affect was mentioned during yesterday's broadcast. I've always liked Zambrano, and am disappointed, to say the least, in what transpired on Friday. But at this point, I think the Cubs would be better to get him off the roster permanently.
Welcome your presence
What a waste of talent. I don't understand how MLB can suspend a starting pitcher for 5 games. Seems pretty pointless other than the effect on his salary.