Carlos Zambrano and Cubs - What do the "Players" want to happen next?
The Chicago Cubs have moved to place troubled pitcher Carlos Zambrano on their player "disqualified list." This means that Zambrano must stay away from the team and will not be paid for 30 days.
As has been widely reported, Zambrano unraveled on the mound and threw at Chipper Jones. Zambrano then was ejected from the game, cleaned out his locker and left the stadium without permission. Not surprisingly the team described Zambrano's conduct as "intolerable."
Now, we know how these things work in baseball. The team takes disciplinary action and the "players" file a grievance before the ink is dry But what if the "players" think the team was right in its action?
The Cubs' Alfonso Soriano described the $91 million pitcher as "mentally weak." Ryan Dempster said that Zambrano has made his bed and he would probably never pitch for the Cubs again. Other Cubs felt that Zambrano had quit on them.
The question for the Players' Association is whether it defends Zambrano or looks at the whole situation and agrees that the team and its players were right? Zambrano quit on his team, will his Union quit on him?
My name is Christopher Fusco. I am the managing partner of Callahan & Fusco, LLC with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.