Chicago Sun-Times: Z message is clear: Pitch counts count

Until the fifth inning Friday, the rent-a-shortstop concept sounded tempting. Why not trade pitcher Matt Clement, an impending free agent with tremendous current value, for Boston's Nomar Garciaparra, another free-agent-to-be who might benefit from a change of scenery and bring a monster bat to the Cubs? If the rumor has been the talk of Red Sox Nation, why can't Cubdom fantasize accordingly?

Well, maybe because Carlos Zambrano's finger suddenly was pointing toward Lake Michigan while the rest of his hand was pointing toward Clark Street.

OK, it was just the bizarre byproduct of a forearm cramp, which eventually healed after sufficient gulps of fluids. 'He needed more water, Gatorade, electrolytes," said Dusty Baker, introducing a new word to the Cubs-White Sox rivalry. Still, the sight of Zambrano clutching his arm -- in a season when Mark Prior missed two months and Kerry Wood still hasn't returned after a supposed "short-term" arm injury -- only reminded us that the starting rotation is as fragile as it is gifted. We have absolutely no idea how to chart where this club is headed in the second half, basically because we have no idea how the mother lode will hold up. Clement, so far a picture of good health, clearly isn't an expendable luxury as much as a necessity.

Consider Nomar a No Go.

The good news is that Zambrano recovered from his various problems, including a would-be grand slam by Ross Gload that rightfully was waved off in the first inning, to record his ninth victory in a 6-2 win over the Sox. It should be enough to secure a National League All-Star berth for the brawny right-hander, who is maturing into one of baseball's toughest young pitchers. But there is some troubling news, too. A week after allowing Zambrano to throw 127 pitches in a loss at U.S. Cellular Field, Baker pushed his workhorse to a 123-pitch level before the cramps forced him to leave in the seventh. That's 250 pitches in a week, the sort of load that raised questions about Baker's overuse of Wood and Prior last season and revives the ongoing argument of whether Dusty is burning out his talented studs.

Not one to hang out at blackjack tables in his down time, the Rev. Johnnie B. has spent his entire managerial career gambling on pitch counts. Most of the time, I've defended him, knowing the Cubs had some suspect relief arms last season and are headed down that path again this season. General manager Jim Hendry, who now wonders if Aramis Ramirez's groin strain is an added issue, could use a reliever or two in the trade market. But there are times when Baker has to surrender to bullpen fatigue and ragged performance and take long- term care of his starting pitcher. Friday, I suspect, was one such day. Even Dusty admitted he was concerned when Zambrano's arm dangled in the fifth.

"I wasn't sure. I was just hoping, praying," Baker said. "I said, Lord, please don't let something happen to Big Z.'"

When he touched Zambrano's forearm, it was rock-hard. Baker realized it was just a cramp, had the trainer give fluids and asked him to keep pitching. Hopefully, this decision doesn't come back to haunt Zambrano. There is no way of telling if Baker's casual philosophy about pitch counts has contributed to injuries to Wood and Prior. But it would be nice if he stepped out of the past, refrained from repeated mentions of how Nolan Ryan and Bob Gibson threw 150- pitch games and realized that pitchers, for whatever reason, are more delicate in this era. To my dying day, I will wonder if Wood was burned out in Game 7 of the NL championship series. And, for that matter, if Prior was burned out late in Game 6.

Asked if he pondered removing Zambrano in the fifth, Baker remained steadfast. "No, I wasn't tempted at all," he said. "We were hoping the cramps would go away because our pitching was upside- down. [Jon] Leicester went two days in a row, [Kyle] Farnsworth went three, [Kent] Mercker went two. My only fresh arms were [LaTroy] Hawkins, [Francis] Beltran and [Michael] Wuertz. We were hoping to take Zambrano into the seventh, mix and match, and get to Hawk.

"We knew what it was, a cramp. The area was straight muscle. We protect our guys big-time, believe me."

Part of the issue is that Zambrano, like Wood, is an enabler. He is too competitive to care about pitch counts, and at 6-5 and 245 pounds, he thinks he's durable enough to support the workload. "I feel strong. If I can throw 120, 150 pitches, I will do it," he said in his broken English. "Whatever they need me for, I'll be there."

But when does strength turn into stubborn senselessness? Zambrano says he needs to throw fewer pitches, which would help considerably. "I have to do something to help me throw less pitches. The next time, I have to go out there and throw the ball right down the middle. I'm too behind on the count, the first pitch especially. I have to throw the first pitch always for a strike in my next start."

One pitch thrown down the pipe, to Gload, could have sent Zambrano to his second straight ugly loss. The former Cubs farmhand lifted a ball down the right-field line, mere inches to the right of the foul pole, but first-base umpire Charlie Reliford called it a grand slam. Baker rushed out and pleaded his case. "From our angle, we have a better view than the first-base ump," he said. "I told Charlie that ball was foul. He said, No, Dusty, it was fair. Let me confirm it with my colleagues.'" The colleagues only confirmed that Reliford was wrong and Baker was right. And while Gload followed with a two-run double, it was all the Sox could muster off Zambrano, Beltran and Hawkins.

"Oh, it was the right call," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It's my job to go out and argue, but they made the right call. ... it was foul. This kid pitched better today than he pitched last week. He throws the big strikeout pitch."

The Big Z has another idea how to stay well on the mound and avoid cramping. "I need to drink more water. I have to hydrate my body," he said. "Not only was it in my right arm, it was in my left arm and in my ribs where I had cramps."

If the Wrigley fans hear many more reports like that, they're going to be drinking more than water. Do yourself a favor: Don't watch the pitch-count board. Obviously, the manager doesn't.

Jay Mariotti hosts a sports talk show weekdays on WMVP-AM (1000) from 9-11 a.m. and appears on ESPN's "Around the Horn" at 4 p.m. Send e-mail to inbox@suntimes.com with name, hometown and daytime phone number (letters run Sunday).