Maybe he's smarter than I think.

Carlos Zambrano has the arm that it takes to be a good baseball pitcher. But he hasn't got the head. The mind. He's a dumbbell. Doesn't get his head into the game. That's very frustrating for a Cubs fan like me. Because if Zambrano developed his mind, and controlled his temper, he'd be one of the best pitchers in baseball. And just what the Cubs need. But Zambrano's natural talent, a gifted arm, keeps going to waste. The Cubs have a team psychiatrist. And he might help get Zambrano's head straight. That is, if Zambrano weren't so dumb. So stubborn. A good pitcher tries to fool hitters. With his mind. Makes a hitter out-guess what he's gonna throw. He outfinesses the hitter. He's crafty. Varies his pitches. Changes speed. All sorts of tricks. Zambrano, on the other hand, is too predictable. Too stupid. And not only that, he often loses his cool. If Cubs players make errors behind him, Zambrano gets upset. He's been known to take a bat to a water cooler in the Cubs dugout. Yes, to throw a tantrum. Anyway, Zambrano is the highest paid pitcher on the Cubs roster. Something like $18 million a season. Not bad. So maybe I've misjudged Zambrano. He's smarter than I think. He's tricked the Cubs management into paying him more than he's worth. --Jim Broede