Sosa On the Way Out, too?
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Dec 15, 2004 9:35PM
Yesterday brought one of this town's slugger's departure, and it looks like another may soon be packing his bags... if they're not already packed. A Sun-Times article mentioned that groundwork for the Cubs to trade Sammy Sosa appear to have been laid during the recently concluded winter meetings and that a trade may be completed within the next week to 10 day. The Cubs are desperate to move Sosa, whose relationship with manager Dusty Baker is strained beyond repair. While it's looking like it'll cost the Cubs more to move him than they initially thought, the $10 million worth of his salary they'll likely have to pick up will be worth it.
Chris DeLuca places some of the blame for the rift on Baker:
Sosa looks like the villain, but Baker deserves plenty of the blame. Not once since that final game has Baker -- the purported players' manager -- spoken with Sosa. When Sosa spouted off to a Dominican newspaper in October over his unhappiness about being dropped in the lineup, why didn't someone from the Cubs -- Baker, namely -- fly down and speak with Sosa in person?
Chicagoist really thinks that Sosa is the only villain here. He has proven that he's a selfish player who cares first and foremost about himself. A player shouldn't just eave the park as the final game of the season is starting! Screw some nagging injuries -- the season's over and he's got the whole off-season to rest. Grab a bat and give the fans what they want.
His pouting to the Dominican media was uncalled for, especially since he supposedly called Baker and made the offer to move down in the lineup. No matter who initiated the move, he was in a slump and clearly needed to be moved down in the lineup. Past success doesn't win games and if he was truly committed to the team's winning then that should have been the only consideration.
Of course, the reason for Sosa's precipitious decline is very likely related to the changes in MLB's policies towards 'roids. Notice how Sosa's skin cleared up? Notice how he doesn't seem to have the same pop in his bat anymore? Notice the seemingly minor muscle injuries (caused by sneezing!?!) that held him out of games? The fact is, Sosa is a primadonna player on the decline who believe he's entitled to special treatment. And such attitude infects a whole clubhouse. Is it any wonder that a team who made the playoffs the year before and added Greg Maddus and Nomar Garciaparra to the team came up short this season?
The Cubs can only hope to move Sosa sooner rather than later, because there are a number of options to replace him and improve the team, whether they make a serious run at Carlos Beltran or a certain former South Side right fielder whose final days with his club were about as cordial as Sosa's.