In A Must Win Game, Give Me Carlos Zambrano In Chicago.....

As a die hard White Sox fan I've always respected the way Mark Buehrle has gone about his business.  Also from a far I know of Jake Peavy but do not have enough of a feel for Peavy yet as far as go to starting pitcher in the American League.  Carlos Zambrano has something that both of those two do not have and in a must win game it's so needed.  Carlos Zambrano has a killer instinct to succeed like none other in Chicago.
 
When you look at the career stats of each of these three pitchers there are a lot of similarities and you could say one trumps another on a variety of different statistical categories.  Mark Buehrle has a world series title and Jake Peavy has a Cy Young, but neither of those two pitchers have faced the pressure to perform on a daily basis like Carlos Zambrano.
 
Playing for the Chicago Cubs is like playing for the New York Yankees.  You are expected to win the world series every season.  No matter the talent surrounding you on the mound, if you do not reach the pinnacle of the sport it's a disappointing season.   
 
Can you really say that about laid-back San Diego and the living in the past south side of this town?   
 
Understand that after the 2005 season the feel was not one of "let's win another one", it was more "I can die happy now."  The pressure to win was released and gone because the south side had their title in the minds of White Sox fans.  White Sox fans continue to celebrate that title as if they won it yesterday....don't' believe me?
 
Why do the White Sox continue to have the billboard facing I-90/94 reading "Chicago White Sox....2005 World Series Champions"?
 
White Sox fans continue to reference every single team since 2005 to that championship team.  I wish White Sox fans would stop living in the past because it's getting pretty embarrassing.  You think San Diego Padre fans celebrate that 1998 National League pennant?
 
Carlos Zambrano has 102 years of losing weighing on his shoulders as the ace of the Chicago Cubs.  He may be a little moody, a little crazy, a little nuts but if I had to go into a must win game I need someone that overpowers and dominates the competition.  Carlos Zambrano thrives on the big game and the tight situations, and in the clutch he is a gamer.
 
Looking at the clutch stats on baseball-reference.com of Carlos Zambrano, the closer the game, the more dominant he is.  When the game is within four runs (either way, winning or losing), opponents only hit .228 against Big Z.  As the game gets closer, statistically Zambrano gets tougher to hit as the opponents batting average continues to drop to .202 when it's a one run game.  Those numbers are lower than both Cy Young Award winner Peavy and World Series winner Mark Buehrle.  Overall, opponents have the least success at the plate against Carlos Zambrano.
 
I know the win total may not be there and people could say he is extremely overpaid, but entering the prime years of his career I would much rather have Big Z and his potential to dominate hitters over both Peavy and Buehrle.
 
Now the bar is open...pull up a stool.
 
-RoCk
 
Rock Mamola is the Associate Producer of The Mully And Hanley Morning Show and co-host of The Joe O And Rock Show on WSCR 670AM The Score.
 
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