Zambrano serves beat writers, fails to understand pitching.

[seanimal]

I can't find any quotes yet, but in the locker room postgame interview, Zambrano dressed down the reporters somewhat for calling him injured, saying that he feels good.

 

He then went on to say that (paraphrasing) he wasn't paid to get a low ERA, but to 'win games'.

 

Dear Carlos Zambrano,

 

Winning baseball games largely relies on starting pitching preventing the opposing team from scoring runs. You haven't done this so well, and this is why you only have 5 wins.

 

Sincerely,

Sean

 

Discuss.

[Mizzou]

Well, he's right. He is paid to win baseball games.

[seanimal]

Well, he's right. He is paid to win baseball games.

 

I think he's paid to give his team a chance to win ballgames, and allowing as few runs as possible is inherent in this effort. Zambrano hasn't been doing this well.

[SouthSideRyan]

I could care less if Zambrano knows whether wins are a good way to measure pitchers. It isn't going to change the way he pitches at all.

[Soriano12]

Well, he's right. He is paid to win baseball games.

 

He's paid to pitch to the best of his ability.

[Soul]

I couldn't care less if Z dresses down a few reporters and engages in semantics that a few fans don't like.

[Roast]

I could care less if Zambrano knows whether wins are a good way to measure pitchers. It isn't going to change the way he pitches at all.

 

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner.

[Texasflood]

Be that as it may, I'm still not impressed. Call it arm angle, speculate all you want about a possible injury causing the alleged drop down to cover up the mysterious injury, he's not the same pitcher. His velocity is way down, which wouldn't concern me if he were a control pitcher. He's not. Even the impressive movement on his pitches has seemed to diminsh since the beginning of this season.

 

Combine this with his obvious immaturity and he's costing himselves millions on the free agent market. Blame Dustry all you want, Lou let him throw 125 pitches today and leave with the bases loaded. Yes, I'm fully aware of the bullpen situation.

[chuckywang]

A starting pitcher can only control half of his Win statistic. His offense controls the other half.

[CoolHandLuke]

A starting pitcher can only control half of his Win statistic. His offense controls the other half.

 

What about the portion that the bullpen controls?

[B]

Zambrano also wanted to make sure everyone knows not only is his arm slot fine, but so is his arm. After the game, he decided to ask reporters the questions.

 

"How many wins do I have? Five," Zambrano said. "How many wins does the leader have? [Jason Marquis has five]. I read something the other day that said I may be hurt. I don't know why you put that in the paper."

 

It was a rumor floating around. He squashed it.

 

"They pay me to win -- don't worry about my ERA," said Zambrano, whose ERA now is 5.24. Last year, he was 3-3 at the end of May.

 

"My ERA will come down," he said. "They don't pay me to have a good ERA. They pay me to win a ballgame. I'm not hurt. I feel good. No pain. I'm throwing 90, 92 [mph]. You can win in the big leagues with that."

[FergieJ31]

I could care less if Zambrano knows whether wins are a good way to measure pitchers. It isn't going to change the way he pitches at all.

 

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner.

 

Nope this is the winner:

 

I couldn't care less if Z dresses down a few reporters and engages in semantics that a few fans don't like.

 

Even got the "couldn't care less" part right.

[seanimal]

I couldn't care less if Z dresses down a few reporters and engages in semantics that a few fans don't like.

 

It's not that I don't like it, it's wrong. If you're going to approach it from a pitcher's mindset, yes, their job is to 'win', which means that they allow fewer runs than their opponent. However, a pitcher can have a really great start and not get a win. Conversely, a pitcher can have a really crappy start and get a win. It all boils down to run support on a particular day/night. Zambrano would have a lot more 'wins' if he were allowing less runs, as represented in his ERA.

[SouthSideRyan]

I could care less if Zambrano knows whether wins are a good way to measure pitchers. It isn't going to change the way he pitches at all.

 

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner.

 

Nope this is the winner:

 

I couldn't care less if Z dresses down a few reporters and engages in semantics that a few fans don't like.

 

Even got the "couldn't care less" part right.

 

 

dammit.

[Fred Hornkohl]

I could care less if Zambrano knows whether wins are a good way to measure pitchers. It isn't going to change the way he pitches at all.

 

Ding Ding Ding we have a winner.

 

Nope this is the winner:

 

I couldn't care less if Z dresses down a few reporters and engages in semantics that a few fans don't like.

 

Even got the "couldn't care less" part right.

 

 

dammit.

 

Damn it.

[Exile on Waveland]

A starting pitcher can only control half of his Win statistic. His offense controls the other half.

 

What about the portion that the bullpen controls?

 

Well, there's nothing that says the bullpen is required to pitch. While I'm certainly not endorsing complete games every time out, a starter certainly influences how long he pitches by effectiveness and efficiency in pitch count.

[ctcf]

I can't find any quotes yet, but in the locker room postgame interview, Zambrano dressed down the reporters somewhat for calling him injured, saying that he feels good.

 

He then went on to say that (paraphrasing) he wasn't paid to get a low ERA, but to 'win games'.

 

Dear Carlos Zambrano,

 

Winning baseball games largely relies on starting pitching preventing the opposing team from scoring runs. You haven't done this so well, and this is why you only have 5 wins.

 

Sincerely,

Sean

 

Discuss.

 

You actually expected Z to care about stats? LOL

[MPC]

this is the same guy who said the cubs would win 120 games a few years ago. i'm not trusting his knowledge of numbers.

[Bruce Miles]

Players in general look at the game differently from the rest of us. Maddux is a great example. He always said the only stat he cared about was wins. And he's up on such things as WHIP.

I wouldn't describe Carlos as angry yesterday, especially after I explained to him that the whole thing started with the report on hardballtimes.com. In fact, he and I talked about it the other day.

Afterward, he said we were all "friends" again. He's a beaut.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Players in general look at the game differently from the rest of us. Maddux is a great example. He always said the only stat he cared about was wins. And he's up on such things as WHIP.

I wouldn't describe Carlos as angry yesterday, especially after I explained to him that the whole thing started with the report on hardballtimes.com. In fact, he and I talked about it the other day.

Afterward, he said we were all "friends" again. He's a beaut.

 

ask him if he'll be my friend

 

only partially kidding, it's nice to have an "in" like you -- thanks as always

[seanimal]

Players in general look at the game differently from the rest of us. Maddux is a great example. He always said the only stat he cared about was wins. And he's up on such things as WHIP.

I wouldn't describe Carlos as angry yesterday, especially after I explained to him that the whole thing started with the report on hardballtimes.com. In fact, he and I talked about it the other day.

Afterward, he said we were all "friends" again. He's a beaut.

 

Interesting!

 

Just don't tell him about NSBB, I wouldn't want him getting injured posting on here all the time. :wink:

[cheapseats]

Players in general look at the game differently from the rest of us. Maddux is a great example. He always said the only stat he cared about was wins. And he's up on such things as WHIP.

I wouldn't describe Carlos as angry yesterday, especially after I explained to him that the whole thing started with the report on hardballtimes.com. In fact, he and I talked about it the other day.

Afterward, he said we were all "friends" again. He's a beaut.

 

Interesting!

 

Just don't tell him about NSBB, I wouldn't want him getting injured posting on here all the time. :wink:

 

I already know about NSBB. I try to limit my posting here to avoid fatigue to my forearms.

[tfarks]

Oh my, a bunch of stat-geeks on a message board over-analyzing a comment made by Zambrano that pretty much coveys the same message you hear athletes say in team sports, "win games."

 

I'm not insulting you as we all have a little geek in us but keep waiting for Zambrano to say I hope I can lower my WHIP with my next outing.

 

Remember, hes not paid to argue his effectiveness to the media, just to win games.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Oh my, a bunch of stat-geeks on a message board over-analyzing a comment made by Zambrano that pretty much coveys the same message you hear athletes say in team sports, "win games."

 

I'm not insulting you as we all have a little geek in us but keep waiting for Zambrano to say I hope I can lower my WHIP with my next outing.

 

Remember, hes not paid to argue his effectiveness to the media, just to win games.

 

In this case...

 

"a bunch" = 1 person

[seanimal]

Oh my, a bunch of stat-geeks on a message board over-analyzing a comment made by Zambrano that pretty much coveys the same message you hear athletes say in team sports, "win games."

 

I'm not insulting you as we all have a little geek in us but keep waiting for Zambrano to say I hope I can lower my WHIP with my next outing.

 

Remember, hes not paid to argue his effectiveness to the media, just to win games.

 

I understand all of this. My point was that the quote left me thinking that he fails to understand the mechanics of the game and especially his role on the team. ERA is a somewhat flawed stat, however it is a far more accurate indicator as to how well one has pitched than win and loss statistics. FWIW, while he may have two more wins, he also has two more losses than he did at this point last year.

 

Now, that being said, It's clear that Zambrano is in the unenviable position of needing to pitch well both to help his team win but also so he can secure his livelihood. He was simply providing his perspective as to why people shouldn't worry about his performance thus far. It may have come off as overreaction and probably was, but my purpose was to point something out, not to necessarily drag him over the coals or expect him to be a stat guru.