Chicago Cubs legend Carlos Zambrano is looking to make the move into coaching. That’s according to his most recent boss, Chicago Dogs Owner Shawn Hunter. Big Z could also likely be honored with his very own Dogs bobblehead next season, said the owner of the American Association ballclub.
Zambrano announced his retirement for the first time in September of 2014, but would later go on to pitch for Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League in July of 2018. He went 2-1 with a 5.18 ERA, before getting released after about a month with the club.
In April of 2019, he joined the Dogs, an independent professional baseball organization, where he went 4–1 with a 5.16 ERA. More importantly, he was a tremendously positive presence in the clubhouse and a big draw for the Rosemont, IL based franchise then in just its second season of operation.
“He came out and had a big impact on our young roster, especially the pitching staff,” Hunter exclusively told the Stick to Everything podcast.
“Carlos was a great teammate, and a gentleman, and he now wants to get into coaching- that’s why he retired again. And I got a feeling we’ll celebrate his time with the Dogs, maybe in 2021 with a bobblehead; at a minimum that seems appropriate.”
Hunter also related a story of a Dogs player who, while driving El Toro to a game, told Zambrano that his father once took him to see him pitch for the Cubs when he was just 10 years old. It’s safe to say that when Carlos Zambrano does establish himself in the coaching ranks, he’ll likely have a somewhat fiery leadership style.
Anyone who was familiar with the Venezuelan during the course of his playing career remembers quite well the emotional manner in which he approached the game. Carlos Zambrano led the National League in wins in 2006, and won three Silver Sluggers awards during his time with the Cubs (2001-2011).
He also made three All-Star appearances, while becoming the only National League pitcher to win at least 13 games every year from 2003 to 2008.
Perhaps Carlos Zambrano is best remembered however, for authoring the first neutral site no-hitter in Major League history. It came on Sept 14, 2008 at Miller Park in Milwaukee. The Cubs were originally slated to face the Houston Astros at their ballpark that night, but the game has to be moved due to damage sustained from Hurricane Ike.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for Chicago Tribune.com, on Twitter and his cat on Instagram.