From the Associated Press ;
Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano has been told to cut back on his computer time because the hours he’s spending typing could be contributing to his elbow problems
Zambrano said he had been logging about four hours a day communicating via e-mail with his brother.
“I have to spend one hour and take it easy,” Zambrano said.
Zambrano looked fine Saturday, allowing just one hit in seven innings against the White Sox.
“It’s not carpal tunnel, but if you don’t watch it, who knows what it can lead to? We are trying to alleviate it,” Cubs manger Dusty Baker said.
The Cubs were told after Zambrano had to leave his May 14 start against Washington early with a sore elbow that was the result of a non-pitching condition and activity. So they also told Zambrano to lighten up on his batting practice.
“I feel completely healthy,” Zambrano said.
Most adult males can relate to what Zambrano is going through. The Cubs are obviously aware that Zambrano doesn’t need nearly 4 hours a day to correspond with his “brother”, but if they need a cover story to explain his deviant interest in web sites like this, well, who can blame them?
So, the Cubs presume that the 135 pitch outing that Zambrano had against the Phillies in his previous start before the Nats start had nothing to do with his sore elbow?
Chuck, with all due respect, Dusty Baker takes great care not to burn out his pitchers. It’s all the off-field stuff that wears on them — using elbows while eating cereal, picking up cell phones, or in Carlos’ case, excessive “typing” while visiting web sites. Is he blogging yet?
I can vouch for this. Throwing 130 pitches is a breeze compared to 4 hours online. Not on my arm, however.
Ben- I’m sure that Zambrano would have been left in the Phils game even if his pitch count was approaching 150 as long as he was keeping runs off the board as if the bullpen blew another one and caused the 8th(?)loss in a row and 2nd consectutive swept series, Cubs fans may have just lost it en masse and stormed the playing field. Why dont they just call it for what it was rather than blaming it on tapping a keyboard?
Dusty Baker call it like it is? You mean like when he claimed Sammy Sosa called him three time demanding to be dropped in the order last year? Or that he and Steve Stone had resolved all their problems? Or that the Cubs didn’t choke in September? As Dusty once said when asked to call it like it is, “That just another word for people who don’t have another word.”
Currently, Wrigley Field has an angry Vince Coleman lurking in the tunnels, Dusty’s voo doo blessing of the infield, and the Trib Co. claiming the Midwest’s biggest newspaper and independent TV network can’t get a Cub positive view to the fanbase. I’m just hopiing Mayor Daley comes back for revenge before the All-Star break.