MIAMI — Tiger Woods at some point, Carlos Zambrano the following?
‘‘Why not?’’ the burly former Cubs right-hander stated as he mingled Monday with gamers and employees on the sphere at Marlins Park earlier than the crew’s recreation in opposition to the Marlins. ‘‘Bartolo [Colon] pitched until he was 45. I’m 37.’’
Of course, Colon by no means beat up his catcher, by no means went after his first baseman within the dugout and by no means ‘‘retired’’ in the course of a recreation after getting ejected for drilling Chipper Jones with a pitch.
And Colon by no means went seven seasons between major-league pitches.
Ben Zobrist chats with former pitcher Carlos Zambrano earlier than the Cubs’ recreation Monday in Miami. Gordon Wittenmyer/Sun-Times
But as usually as previous pals discovered him on the sphere for hugs and jokes about whether or not he might pitch Monday, Zambrano had an air of seriousness behind his smiles whereas he watched the Cubs take batting apply.
Maybe as a result of he already has a job enjoying baseball once more.
Zambrano hesitated at first, then confirmed the e-mail from the impartial Chicago Dogs, who’re primarily based in Rosemont, welcoming him to the 2019 crew.
One day after Woods pulled off maybe the best comeback in golf on the Masters, Zambrano landed a contract to pitch within the United States for the primary time since 2013. He will journey to Chicago to take a bodily May 2.
And one 12 months after a halfhearted comeback try in Mexico, he additionally guarantees this: He is making a critical effort this time round to see whether or not he could make it again as a reliever.
‘‘Now I want to play,’’ he stated. ‘‘Now I want to see what happens.’’
Why now? Why in any respect?
Zambrano actually considers it a message from God.
It began just a few years in the past at a Christian youth convention in his native Venezuela.
‘‘I went to that conference, and something happened to me and changed my life,’’ he stated. ‘‘I had an encounter with God. I used to believe in God. And now I’m dedicated.’’
Then within the span of some months in 2017 and into final 12 months, he stated 4 pastors from 4 church buildings in numerous components of the world informed him independently: ‘‘God wants you to go back to baseball.’’
By the time the third one stated it, he wept.
‘‘It’s exhausting for me to cry, however a tear got here down,’’ he stated.
He pitched in Mexico final 12 months, however he stated the hassle was extra about ‘‘obedience to God’’ than private conviction or ardour.
Now he’s all-in, particularly after his fastball went from a Mexican League-best 89 mph final 12 months to 94 mph throughout winter ball in Venezuela.
‘‘I want to see if I can throw 95 again,’’ he stated.
Zambrano, who will flip 38 in June, can be one of many best tales in sports activities if he pulls this off. He threw his final major-league pitch on Sept. 21, 2012.
He was the very best and most polarizing pitcher for supervisor Lou Piniella’s playoff groups with the Cubs in 2007-08. But his annual meltdowns finally overshadowed his achievements till he was suspended in 2011 for abandoning the crew after his ejection in Atlanta in certainly one of Jim Hendry’s ultimate strikes as basic supervisor.
A number of months later, he was dumped in a commerce to the Marlins in certainly one of Theo Epstein’s first strikes because the Cubs’ president.
Zambrano makes no daring assertions now. Major-league groups are lukewarm at finest relating to his comeback effort, and Zambrano stated he’s too previous to check out.
The best-case state of affairs?
‘‘I don’t know what God will do,’’ he stated.
Is it loopy to suppose he might return to the majors as a reliever? No extra loopy than Jonny Venters getting back from a number of Tommy John surgical procedures to pitch final 12 months for the primary time in six seasons, he suggests.
‘‘And Tiger Woods,’’ he stated.
‘‘What happened with me was for a purpose. God can convert the most evil guy into the most dedicated man in a ministry. I’m not saying I’m excellent now. I feel I can deal with myself.’’