Cubs' 150th anniversary team has one omission that's impossible to ignore

With the United States enjoying its 250th birthday this year, it also means the Chicago Cubs are taking part in their own festivities for 150 years of existence. Part of that celebration took place on Monday with the reveal of the official 150th anniversary team as voted by the fans. This ceremonial roster consists of 40 players (including three managers) who made their mark as franchise greats throughout their years in the National League. They'll all be recognized during a pre-game ceremony at Wrigley before playing Cincinnati on August 29, with around 20 members expected to attend.

For the most part, the fans got it right in their recognition of the team's all-timers. There was clearly some extra love given to more recent players, like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez, but the choices make sense and reflect the many eras of Cubs baseball. Having only 40 spots creates a natural crunch that's bound to leave off a few of the greatest to ever don the white, blue, and red.

That said, there was one notable omission from the list — Carlos Zambrano. For as defining a player as Big Z was to the Cubs throughout the 2000s into the early 2010s, the right-hander wasn't one of the names selected among the eight starting pitchers. That's admittedly a tough crowd to break into, including the likes of Fergie Jenkins, Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown, and the trio of 2016 aces, among others, but there are numbers, history, and symbolic reasons he deserves to make the cut.

Across 11 years and 1,826 2/3 innings, Zambrano was the epitome of a workhorse for the Cubs with a 3.60 ERA and 3.98 FIP. His individual season accomplishments, however, are what make him shine brightest, though. He has not only three All-Star Game appearances, but also three top-five Cy Young Awards finishes, including in his masterful 2004 season, where he recorded a 2.75 ERA and 3.57 FIP across 209 2/3 innings of work. Like Kerry Wood, who actually made the anniversary roster, he was part of the reason why the team was competitive throughout the 2000s, though he only really had one standout postseason performance in 2007, when, against the Diamondbacks, he cruised through six innings with just one run allowed before Lou Piniella bafflingly pulled him at 85 pitches.

Zambrano still stands out in so many fans' minds both for his energy on the mound and his bat. He was among the best pitchers in Cubs history at the plate, winning three Silver Sluggers at the position, setting a record for most career home runs by a pitcher on the North Side with 24, and tying Jenkins for the most long balls in a single season at 6. He ended his career with a .238/.248/.388 slash line, among the best in an era before Shohei Ohtani and after Babe Ruth.

Easily his most historic accomplishment, however, was his famous 2008 no-hitter against the Houston Astros. Zambrano proved why he was given the then-largest contract for a pitcher in Cubs history at 5 years and $91.5 million when, fresh off losing two starts to shoulder tendinitis, he came out firing heat. Aside from a walk and a hit batter, he was perfect, recording all 27 outs on 110 pitches to post the first neutral-site no-no ever in baseball as the game was played in Milwaukee due to Hurricane Ike. It also broke the team's 36-year streak without a no-hitter.

Carlos Zambrano deserves recognition among the Cubs greats

It's hard to say anybody deserves the bump to accommodate Zambrano, though the most likely would be his rotation mate Wood. Wood certainly has his own share of accomplishments in Chicago, including his famous 20-strikeout game that put him on national radars, but Kid K's stats don't quite match up to everything Big Z did. Zambrano posted far more innings in a Cubs uniform and has the edge in ERA (3.66 to 3.67), ERA+ (120 to 117), walk percentage (10.7% to 11.4%), and more, all while still being a larger-than-life Cubs figure with a legendary temper.

In a list defined by hard decisions, swapping the two might be the call to make. Alternatively, the Cubs could go the slightly easier route and list Wood as a reliever, though that would create another decision of who to leave off from a group of Lee Smith, Ryan Dempster, Rod Beck, Pedro Strop, and Bruce Sutter. The fact that these decisions are difficult at all, though, is just an indication of how many good Cubs players we've been treated to over the years. No list of 40 players will ever completely accurately tell the full story of this organization from start to finish.

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