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Article: Early wake-up call for Zambrano: Cubs ace inspired by starting role on Venezuelan team.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- February 27, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Paul Sullivan
Feb. 27--MESA, Ariz. -- Getting off to a good start is imperative for the Cubs this season after two straight years of digging themselves into an early hole.
But if that's going to happen, the ace of the staff, Carlos Zambrano, must come out as strong in April as he was in June last year. Despite a good finish, Zambrano's early-season inconsistency prevented him from taking his game to the next level.
"My problem last year was I wasn't ready at the beginning," Zambrano conceded. "I wasn't prepared for the season. I wasn't ready physically or mentally.
"They told me I'd start [on Opening Day] like a week or 10 ...