Orioles welcome Sosa after Selig's approval, physical

Sports Illustrated ^ | 02/02/05 | Sports Illustrated

[freedom44]

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Sammy Sosa will be taking aim at American League pitchers and the short left-field wall at Camden Yards this summer.

The trade that sent Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles from the Chicago Cubs was finalized Wednesday after commissioner Bud Selig approved the deal and the slugger passed his physical.

Chicago received second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. and two minor leaguers, second baseman Mike Fontenot and right-handed pitcher Dave Crouthers.

"I had a great time in Chicago," Sosa during a news conference at Camden Yards. "This is my new house, and I love it."

Under terms of the addendum to Sosa's contract that he signed Thursday, the Cubs will pay $16.15 million of the $25 million Sosa was still owed under his $72 million, four-year contract, according to details obtained by The Associated Press.

[ilgipper]

go Cubbies!! Free at last. Thanks for the good times Sammy, but not sorry to see you go.

[glorgau]

Corkie can now set American League strikeout records.

[since1868]

and drug test

[1LongTimeLurker]

This will really help the Orioles address it's biggest problem, the lack of starting pitching.

This was a bad move Hairston is a great player who is finally realizing his potential, he's a great #1 or #2 hitter and coupled with Roberts could have helped the O's have a lot of speed at the top of their lineup (like the Marlins).

[popdonnelly]

I think it's a shame that Sosa will have to finish out his career playing for the dumbest man in professional baseball, Peter Angelos.

[dts32041]

Corkie dissed the cubs go riddance.

[GiveEmDubya]

This will really help the Orioles address it's biggest problem, the lack of starting pitching.

I agree. If they had a decent starter or two, they'd be a contender. Since they don't, I see 80-85 wins. Solid 3rd place. They could be contenders a year or two down the road if they actually get some starting pitching.

[stylin19a]

last years warning track flyouts are going to be homers this year.

Cubs - addition by subtraction....but his & Alou's numbers are going to be hard to replace
thought the Cubs did replace Sosa's strikeout numbers by signing Jeremy Burnitz

[wrathof59]

Now you could start aiming your shots at Baker after you finish in third (if your lucky)

The Chicago Cubs and their fans are the biggest CRYBABIES in professional sports, bar none.

[scars]

I'm from Chicago(suburbs)and I can tell you that people around here are about as split as Republicans and Democrats on this trade. There are the "I love Sammy, the Cubs will never be the same, I won't watch them on TV and I'm thinking about suing the Tribune" crowd and then there's the "He was never worth it, show-boat a$$hole, glad he's gone, it's about time" crowd.
I'm a life-long Cubs fan and I'm somewhere in the middle. I think he isn't worth the money they were paying him, nor the devisiveness he brought among the younger players on the team. Having said this, I thank him for his talented contributions and over-the-top optimism throughout his Cub tenure. I wish him the best and I'm sure he still has some good years in him. I have no doubt that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame some day.
Bottom line, I'm for the trade.

[scars]

I plead ignorance, did we lose Moises?

[wrathof59]

Sosa, with his Cork and steroids, will go into the HOF.

And Roger Maris did not.

[austinmark]

Let's Celebrate !

Time to "UN-CORK" the champagne !

WooHoo !!!

[scars]

Point well taken but look around, there are no more Roger Marises. His time to be honored, unfortunately, has come and gone. It may be because, in his day, there were so many more real baseball players than there are today. We are living in the day of the rich, crybaby athelete.
I won't make any excuses for the asterisk that will follow Sosa into the Hall of Fame because of the corked bat or his crybaby ultimatum in 2002 to make the team better or leave(which turned out to be a paper tiger). I will, however, say that he has the numbers and has always tried to be someone that our kids can look up to and identify with. I just wish him the best because, I think, in whatever way he could, he gave us the best side of him that he could.

[stylin19a]

long time ago. Free agency....he's with the giants.

[kizzdogg]

RJ will probably strike him out 20 times himself.

[soccer_linux_mozilla]

[mikrofon]

The trade that will "Save Sosa Security"...

[big'ol_freeper]

As a Red Sox fan I feel like Tom Dash-hole... I am deeply concerned...then again I'm not. The O's aren't on my radar screen, even though I live in Maryland.