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Posted on 01/29/2005 4:09:46 AM PST by IndyTiger
Sammy Sosa is close to taking his home run hop all the way to Baltimore.
The Chicago Cubs are just a few steps away from trading the unhappy slugger to the Orioles, several high-ranking baseball officials told The Associated Press.
Medical tests and approval from commissioner Bud Selig and the players' association remain unresolved, the officials said Friday night, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Cubs would pay a substantial part of Sosa's $17 million salary this season, the executives said. In exchange, Chicago would receive second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. and at least two prospects.
Sosa has 574 homers, seventh on the career list, and his home run race with Mark McGwire in 1998 made him one of the game's most popular players. With an infectious smile and the hops and heart taps, he became Chicago's favorite athlete after Michael Jordan retired. In all those dark years when the Cubs struggled, Sosa and his jaw-dropping homers often were the lone bright spots.
But Sosa's relations with the Cubs — and the fans — soured in recent years. Hampered by injuries, he's batted just .266 the last two seasons and his homer totals dropped. Last season, Sosa batted only .253 — his lowest average since 1997 — and had 35 homers and 80 RBIs in 126 games, ending his run of 100-RBI seasons at nine.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
Is he taking his corked bats?
Keep him. We need pitching, not cork.
Ted Kennedy's favorite ball player, Sammy Soosa.
I'm sick of the O's shooting for marquee players past their prime. I loved the Tejada signing, and thought it signaled a new approach. Sure, Sosa will add some pop to the lineup, but without a legitimate number one starter, we're still a third place team at best. I'm confident that once he is a Cub, Hairston will become an All Star.
Thr Cubs strategy over the last 40 years,: Get a player, allow him to grow into a star, trade for crap.
They, their agents and lawyers, and pandering, greedy, amoral owners ruined professional sports for me a decade ago.
Leni
I agree this sucks for the O's. Who cares how much salary the Cubs pickup?
This just reinforces that Angelos and gang could care less about competing (getting quality pitching) and just want "names" to fill the stadium.
Baseball sucks...needs a salary cap and I won't be watching until the playoffs start.
you read/posted...
Maybe the Cub's guy behind the trade just wants to be President some day. Trade Sammy Sosa...end up in the White House. You laugh, but it worked for George W Bush...
:o)
I'm expecting them to make a run at Steve Carlton any time now.
Hey, Leni . . . you're gonna have to ship me some of the Go-Go Juice you drink in the morning. This is the second thread in a row I've read where you're making a lotta sense . . . and in my part of the world it ain't even eight o'clock yet!
I'm scraping the crust outta my eyes, gargling the frogs outta my throat, fighting off my kidney-busting mutt, and you hit the ground running. Do me a favor . . . Mix me up a gallon of the Sauce and send it to me via Fed-Ex. I'll wait.
I've never seen a city turn on someone as quickly as Chicago has turned on Sammy Sosa. Unbelievable!
I think Miami turned on Ricky Williams a whole lot quicker, but with ample justification.
South of Madison Street, Sammy Sosa goes by the name of Frank Thomas.
when he left the stadium to skip the game on fan appreciation day, the tide turned quickly.
As a long time Cubs fan, I can tell you that the turn against Sammy is more than justified. This guy walked out on his entire team the final game of last year. Prior to that? The corked bat incident. We don't need primadonnas on the North side. We need a world series ring.
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