Zambrano Wants Opening Day Start

Carlos Zambrano liked the way he felt Saturday against the Brewers, despite giving up a couple of runs in his short outing and committing a throwing error.  “‘I feel I’m sharp, and better than the first outing,” said Zambrano, who incidentally has jettisoned the porny moustache he arrived at camp with (thank goodness).  The race for opening day starter is between Z and Ryan Dempster, and it’s a race Zambrano, who has been the opening day starter four straight seasons – one shy of the Cubs’ record – takes seriously:

"I care. When you retire and you go home and your grandkids ask you what you did, your family [can] feel proud of you because you were the only one in Cubs’ history to make six, seven Opening Day starts, or you go to the Hall of Fame. For your own records, it’s good."

Dear Carlos:  If you want to secure your place in Cubs history, try pitching better at the end of the season.  No one will care how many opening day starts you had – they will only care about how many post-season games you won.  A few World Series wins mixed in there would be nice as well.