Carlos Zambrano

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Zambrano is known as one of the best hitting pitchers of recent times. He was a switch-hitter with a career .238 batting average with 24 home runs, 71 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .396. The 24 home runs are the most ever by a Cubs pitcher. He also tied with Ferguson Jenkins for the club record for home runs by a pitcher in a single season, hitting six in 2006. Zambrano was called on to pinch hit 20 times in his career and won three Silver Slugger Awards for his hitting. Zambrano was the only National League pitcher to win at least 13 games in each year from 2003 to 2008. In 2006, he became the first player from Venezuela to lead the National League in wins.

In Their Own Story

On August 22, 2003, Zambrano took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Curt Schilling and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He had retired nine of the first ten batters faced before running into trouble in the fourth, yet still managed to keep the game scoreless through seven frames. The no-hitter ended when Shea Hillenbrand hit an infield single down the third-base line; the play was so close that TV replays indicated umpire Bill Miller might have missed the call. Zambrano retired the next three batters, who would have been the final outs, before allowing two more hits to end his bid. Earlier in his career, on September 4, 2002, he showed immense potential by pitching eight innings of shutout ball against the Milwaukee Brewers, though control issues plagued him that season with 63 walks in just over a hundred innings.

Reader's Guide

After being used in both starting and relief duties, he enjoyed his first full season as a starter in 2003, finishing with a 13–11 record, 168 strikeouts and a 3.11 ERA. In 2004, Zambrano led his team in ERA (2.75, fourth in the league), won 16 games (tied with teammate Greg Maddux), collected 188 strikeouts, and led the league in hit batsmen (20). He was also selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career. With injuries to key starters, and Zambrano's improving game, Zambrano was named the opening day starter for the Cubs in 2005.

Did You Know?

• Zambrano took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on August 22, 2003, against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
• He was the only National League pitcher to win at least 13 games each year from 2003 to 2008.
• Zambrano hit six home runs in 2006, tying Ferguson Jenkins for the Cubs single-season record for a pitcher.