Where's Sammy?

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jan 20, 2005 9:00PM

A week after their South Side rivals held theirs, the Cubs kick off their convention this weekend. Held at the Hilton downtown, the Cubs Convention will feature over 60 current and former players, broadcasters, coaches and management, as well as "autograph and photo sessions, question-and-answer seminars, baseball clinics, hard to find Cubs paraphernalia and much more."

Sure to be the hottest seller at the convention, the Cubs will follow the White Sox's lead and will also be unveiling rubber wristbands for charity. Selling for $2, the blue bracelets feature the Cubs logo along with the word "Believe."

If the Cubs were smart, they'd have printed a roster with names and numbers of the players on the wristbands. People could have some trouble this season identifying the players since the Cubs announced they will be dropping the names from the backs of their jerseys.

Noticably absent from the list of attendees is Sammy Sosa. The Cubs captain remains at home in the Dominican Republic. Which is too bad for Cubs manager Dusty Baker, who there will be a lot of questions concerning his relationship with the Cubs slugger. Sosa, who skipped the season's final game, has been chastized in the media and by fans for his selfish behavior. Sosa also blasted Baker in an interview for dropping him in the batting order and the way he dealt with the situation. Seems like Baker had been hoping that Cubs GM Jim Hendry would trade Sosa and he wouldn't have to deal with the mess. But as the winter drags on and Sosa remains a Cub, it's looking like Baker and Sosa are going to have to have a nice, long chat to clear the air. But it looks like that'll have to wait until Spring Training begins next month.

Photo via ChicagoCubs.com