Carlos Zambrano Is Cured Of Crazy?

Say it ain't so, Big Z. The days of Carlos Zambrano blowing up at teammates, pucnhing inanimate objects and cursing at clouds may be behind us. At least, according to Zambrano anyway...

Zambrano said Tuesday he completed three months of anger management counseling last October, and that it's no longer an issue with him.

"It's all done," he said with a grin. "I'm cured."

*snip*

And did the counseling work?

"Yes, it did," he said. "That was an experience that I can talk (about) through the years. Maybe in the future I can be a pitching coach and speak to the young kids about what I went through, what happened in my career, things that I experienced."

While this is sad news for bloggers obsessed with lunatics *high fives Canseco poster*, it's easier said than done. After his suspension, anger management and bullpen demotion, Zambrano returned to the Cubs' rotation and pitched 70.1 innings of 1.41 ERA baseball. So sure, he's feeling pretty good about himself right now.

Give it time. As a professional skeptic, I'm not willing to believe he's cured until he pitches a two-inning, eight earned game or gets some bubble gum that doesn't chew right. I'll admit that his reaction to getting his six year opening day starter streak snapped is a positive sign for his mental health. But the crazy usually doesn't lie dormant for long, does it Milton Bradley?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm working on a Bad News Bears style screenplay featuring Zambrano as a pitching coach. The working title is You Call That a Fastball, No Wonder Your Dad Left.

Curveballs for Jobu

Curveballs for Jobu is Offbasepercentage's daily trip around the ballparks.

Today's honorary bat boy is Chuck Carr.

Cubs 3, Cardinals 2. Some crazy person wandered onto the mound at Busch Stadium and got to pitch for Chicago. No one said anything until the sixth inning, when Cubs' manager Lou Piniella came and took the ball and the crazy person left the field. Rumors were swirling that the loony then went into a pet shop and declared himself "finally eligible for one of the upper level kitten cages."

Mariners 9, Indians 3. Josh Bard hit a grand slam on his daughter's fourth birthday, but unfortunately she's not expected to have another birthday until sometime in August, 2011, also the expected date of Seattle's next win.

Rays 7, Orioles 3. Bucky Good Times was rolling along again Saturday, up 3-0 on the AL Wild Card leaders. Then, apparently, Kelly Shoppach happened. Shoppach hit a go-ahead grand slam in the fourth and added a solo home run later in the game to lift Tampa.

Diamondbacks 9, Nationals 2. The series of the year just gets better and better. Saturday, Miguel Montero popped two home runs and Ian Kennedy allowed two runs in seven innings. Meanwhile, the Arizona bullpen threw two scoreless innings in the same game for the first time since 2002.

Twins 2, Athletics 0. Steve Tolleson: 1-for-3, single.