On Big Z, man love, and fisticuffs: A four day-old commentary

Tomorrow night in the Cubs-Brewers, Carlos Zambrano will take the mound for the first time since he slapped around his catcher Michael Barrett last Friday. I only point this out fact because it offers some semblence of timeliness to excuse this post being four days late. But if calling the start a "watershed moment for the Chicago Cubs" can boost the relevence, I will term this game a Watershed Moment for the Chicago Cubs.

Anyway, I'm not so much interested in tomorrow night's game or even Z's performance as I am interested in the subject of fighting teammates. If you share the opinion of Gene Wojciechowski, you may believe that the Zambrano-Barrett slapfight spelled the unequivocal demise of the Chcago Cubs organization. Per usual, I'd advise you to share the opinion of almost anyone but Gene Wojciechowski--ideallly me.

See, I'm fairly convinced that abscence of fighting players on a team is more concerning than their presence. The peaceful team is the complacent team, as far as I'm concerned, and the lovey-dovey team is insustainable.

Compared to hockey or basketball or soccer, I realize that baseball is not as "true" a "team" sport. That perpetual codependence simply doesn't exist, and a player could excel in a vacuum where he's entirely indifferent to his team's fortunes or affairs. However, Zambrano and Barrett comprise a battery--the element on a baseball team that most belies this truth. So it makes sense that their relationship is a complex and emotional one.

I think the problem fans have with feuding teammates is born of their own work experience and work situations. They realize how damaging open feuds can be in their own work environment, so when they see Michael Barrett get his lip split, they swoon in horror.

But here's the thing. Your work is not playing baseball. Your office is not the Chicago Cubs clubhouse. Athletes' work demands are almost nothing like the most of ours--no matter how many times your bosses say, "The ball's in their court," or, "He knocked it out of the park," or, "We need a new gameplan," or...

The point is, fans should not have to be reminded of this. I think fans get pulled into these workplace analogies by all the sports-themed corporate speak and Mike Ditka motivational seminars that they begin to believe them. The parallels are, in my opinion, extremely limited, and in this case, nearly inapplicable.

The glaring difference in this case is the role of emotion. In professional sports, emotion is an indespensible tool, not some weird inconvenience that makes you cranky at 2:30 everyday. Zambrano and Barrett can't deal with emotion like most of us can at work. There's no quick hand of solitaire or five-minute stroll to the popcorn stand. There's only constant and highly visible success and failures. Most of us don't face that.

And the more one man's purpose is tied to another man, the more emotional that relationship must become. Pitching is Z's purpose. Z's catcher is a part of that. So it's so surprise that if he were to fight with anyone, it would be Barrett. For Cubs fans, the fight shouldn't be a warning sign. It should serve proof that the relationship is strong and that both men care deeply about what they do for a living.

Is throwing punches the best way to deal with this level of conflict? Well, if you're a teacher and a colleague disagrees with your curriculum, then no. But if you're a professional athlete and your only obligations are to your teammates, then yes. Cubs fans can start worrying once Zambrano and Barrett wage their feuds with the subtle. In the meantime, be happy that they're throwing punches instead.

The day after the fight saw Zambrano apologetic and Barrett forgiving. There was no prolonged psychological rift. There was no kiss-and-make-up buddy-buddy routine. Barrett didn't just say that he and Z could "work past it" or "still play togther" or "resolve differences." He said he loves him. And he said it about the man that punched him in the mouth one day before.

Of course, love between teammates is tenuous because it has to be. If it becomes warm and unconditional, it's at the expense of that necessary tension among a team. Unconditional denies the reality that the good vibe can and will fall apart eventually. It precludes two guys from coming to blows when the situation calls for it.

I have no idea what the fight will mean--if anything--to the rest of Z's season. Do I think it was the magic bullet that makes him dominant again? Unlikely. Do I think that it'ill change his outlook on the game or his team? It really shouldn't. Do I think that it forged a deeper rapport between Barrett and Z that will make the battery more effective? They've played together since '04, so they've probably long hit that ceiling.

Hell, I don't even know if Barrett will catch for Z anymore, since there had been talk even before the fight that Henry Blanco would become Z's personal catcher. If I were the type of blogger that informs people, I might be able to tell you that. Sorry, though, I only do wild conjecture. And that wild conjecture says more athletes should do like Z and Barrett.