Come to Think of it...Carlos Zambrano "Masterpiece" a Sign of Things to Come?

They say nothing from nothing leaves nothing. No guts, no glory. No pain, no gain. No shirt, no shoes, no service.

Rarely does nothing feel like something, except in a magical moment that arises out of the ashes of some rough streets in Venezuela. Some played with guns. Fortunately, Carlos played with bats and balls.

And his reward, the ultimate achievement for a starting pitcher, save for a perfect game, was to pitch the Chicago Cubs' first no-hitter in 36 years. And nothing - no hits, no runs, no relief pitchers could ruin this day. Yep, nothing sure was something.

You could see from the beginning that the ball was exploding out of Zambrano's hand. Yet nobody dared to dream that this would be the night that history would be made. Not on a neutral home field. Not playing a team that had won 14 of its last 15 games. Not by a pitcher coming off of shoulder soreness.

Oh, but it was.

Edmund Hillary once said, "It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." His mountain, of course, truly was a mountain, as in Mt. Everest. Zambrano's mountain was actually a dirt mound. But no matter, the idea applies. For he always had the talent, it's just been a matter of harnessing it and channeling his energy in a positive direction.

Emotions may be one of the very things that make us human. However, in Carlos' case, those emotions often got in the way of his achievements. Whether he was breaking bats over his leg, cursing at an umpire, or fighting with a teammate, this 27-year old bundle of talent and nerves often was his own worst enemy.

But not on this night. Keeping his wits about him as some close calls went against him, Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter on a Sunday night in Milwaukee. And the Brewers weren't even there to see it. How strange, how very strange. 

But the Houston Astros certainly were there, though they forgot to bring their bats along for the ride. This was the first home game no-hitter in Astros history, albeit "home" in this case was Miller Park.

A "masterpiece," was how Lou Piniella described the performance.

Cecil Cooper felt differently. Count Houston's manager among those that thought this neutral site arrangement was beyond ridiculous.

"This is not a home game. This is definitely an advantage for the Cubs and that's saying it as mildly as possible," Cooper said. 

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

As the last out was recorded, and Zambrano had faced just one batter over the minimum, my thoughts drifted away to another magical moment that may yet to come. I wondered what that moment might feel like.

"I still can't believe it. It's a great feeling, a feeling that you can't describe." That was Zambrano's reaction to the no-no. But he could just as well be speaking for Cubs fans everywhere when that truly magical moment finally hits after almost 100 years of frustration and folly.

Come to think of it, that would reset the championship clock to zero. And that nothing would indeed be something.