Sosa Has Arrived in Rangers Camp

[Butterscup1679666578]

According to an article in the Sun-Times, Sosa called the Cubs first when he decided to make a comeback.

 

Link.

 

After a two-hit, three-catch game Friday, Sosa said he wanted to return to Chicago when he decided to come back this year from a year off from baseball and called the Cubs.

 

''But they say no, they was OK,'' he said. ''I pretty much have an opportunity with Chicago -- I mean, Texas -- and they are the one that step up to the plate, and they are the one that look like genius now.''

 

That would've been awesome.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Wojciechowski has a nice article up on ESPN.com about Sammy.

 

Link.

 

The 38-year-old Sosa last played in a big league game on Aug. 25, 2005 (he struck out swinging in his final at-bat). Through Thursday, he's hitting .467 and leads the team in spring training dingers, slugging percentage and total bases, while new Rangers manager Ron Washington is all but waving pompoms from the dugout.

 

"I want to see a lot of kissing," Washington said.

 

 

"I'm hungry," he said in the Rangers clubhouse, the smell of wintergreen tobacco dip on his breath. "I was beat up mentally before. Now I'm in a position where I know I feel great, where I feel I can compete again. When I left this game for a year, I left it out of frustration, you know what I mean? And everything went out, and now I'm back and I'm fresh physically, have a fresh mind. I'm still a rookie."

 

Sosa has been a model citizen, though the no-nonsense Jaramillo, who goes way back with Sosa, had to remind Sammy to pick up his own baseballs after a recent session in the batting cage. It seems like a small thing, but other Rangers were watching to see how Sosa would react. Old Sammy might have ignored the request. New Sammy happily picked up the baseballs.

[sethuel1]

From the Onion:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b58/sethuel1/sosa.jpg

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

According to the Dallas Morning News, Sosa has a clause in his contract that requires the Rangers to add him to the roster by Thursday. With his early performance, this is all but assured to happen.

 

Link.

 

they aren't added to the roster by Thursday, OF Sammy Sosa and INF Jerry Hairston Jr. can exercise "out clauses" in their respective contracts and become free agents. The Rangers could ask both players to extend their auditions and put off a decision until later in camp.

[CubColtPacer]

According to the Dallas Morning News, Sosa has a clause in his contract that requires the Rangers to add him to the roster by Thursday. With his early performance, this is all but assured to happen.

 

Link.

 

they aren't added to the roster by Thursday, OF Sammy Sosa and INF Jerry Hairston Jr. can exercise "out clauses" in their respective contracts and become free agents. The Rangers could ask both players to extend their auditions and put off a decision until later in camp.

 

That was a smart move by the two of them-if they get off to hot starts, they get added quickly before they have a chance to cool off. If they don't get off to a hot start, they would have the rest of camp to impress the staff. I think you're right that I bet the Rangers add Sosa now instead of letting him be a free agent with the way he's hit so far.

[Chris]

Only hitting .476? Come on, Sammy.

[The Voice of Reason]

From the early paper edition of the Sunday Chicago Tribune (not on the net yet):

 

"This Guy (owner Tom Hicks) stepped up to the plate. Now I'm making them look good. I'm looking great. Now they're looking like the Bill Gates of baseball."

- Sammy quoted at Friday's games against the Cubs

 

Love him or hate him, there's one thing everyone can agree about Sammy - There's no "I" in Sammy as he's all about the team.

 

Never miss an opportunity to bash him, do you?

 

RTG,

 

Juiced or not, Sammy Sosa was one of the greatest individual baseball players of all time. However, his antics eventually wore a lot of down us down. I just prefer players like Ryne Sandberg who was IMO 100% correct in his HOF speech.

 

...and like Grace, 100% jealous of the attention Sosa got.

 

 

I really don't think Ryno or Grace would be jealous of the attention Sammy got today from Barry Rozner.

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/rozner.asp?id=291118

 

So as the media meets Sosa this spring, he is the con man of old, Smiling Sammy with a grin and a giggle for anyone carrying a pen or a microphone.

 

He’s no longer the frigid, corked-up monster who turned the media against him and disappeared from view like a shrunken Mr. Potter, angry and crabby and without a friend in the world.

 

But the old caricature has returned and Sosa has regained his voice this spring, miraculously indeed after forgetting how to speak the language in front of Congress two years ago tomorrow.

 

And because he wants something from those who approach him, he is Shammy again, the one who smiles and shakes hands, charming and disarming.

 

In the fairy tale he wants told, you are supposed to forget that he grew by 50 pounds in two years in the late ’90s, that he got caught corking, bolted on the Cubs and then lied about it, helped get five managers fired, “testified’’ about steroids, and shriveled like a prune when MLB finally bent to drug testing.

[David]

Rozner is a hack.

[Soul]

Shammy? Helped get 5 managers fired?

 

Christ, what did Sosa do to Rozner? Kill his kids?

 

 

Give me a freaking break.

[rocket]

the anti-sammy sentiment in the media and often on this board is ridiculous

[USSoccer]

Unless it's Greg Maddux related, Rozner has no time for it.

 

Honestly, he's such a terrible writer/journalist. His bias just jumps out and trout slaps you.

[Chris]

I couldn't care less about what some media people say about Sosa. One article among the thousands of writers hardly builds the case against him.

 

Shriveled? Sammy is still a pretty big guy.

[Soul]

I couldn't care less about what some media people say about Sosa. One article among the thousands of writers hardly builds the case against him.

 

Shriveled? Sammy is still a pretty big guy.

 

I know. I watched Sammy the entire time. He looked like he lost a few pounds later on, but shriveled? That's just a blatant lie.

 

If it was just Rozner, I'd slough it off. But the media hatred in general for Sosa is just too much. Yeah, so the guy wouldn't give him an interview after he tried to crucify him. I wouldn't have either. What a joke these guys are.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

the anti-sammy sentiment in the media and often on this board is ridiculous

 

agreed

[Mizzou]

Damn, Rozner is a bitter guy.

[Chris]

Someone recently told me that they could no longer wear their Sosa Cubs jersey.

 

My response: Why not?

[C.C.]

I'm pulling for Sammy this year. I hope he does well....

[Wheelimus]

Someone recently told me that they could no longer wear their Sosa Cubs jersey.

 

My response: Why not?

 

Ask them what size it is, 2X or more and I'll buy. :lol:

[Knightlife_in_Lubbock]

Someone recently told me that they could no longer wear their Sosa Cubs jersey.

 

My response: Why not?

 

Ask them what size it is, 2X or more and I'll buy. :lol:

 

 

That was going to be my response. :lol:

[David]

Unless it's Greg Maddux related, Rozner has no time for it.

 

Honestly, he's such a terrible writer/journalist. His bias just jumps out and trout slaps you.

 

Or Mark Grace.

 

Otherwise, agreed, entirely.

[Larry Horse]

Someone recently told me that they could no longer wear their Sosa Cubs jersey.

 

My response: Why not?

 

He's a self-centered cheater? Other than that, I could see no reason.

[Larry Horse]

Wojciechowski has a nice article up on ESPN.com about Sammy.

 

Link.

 

The 38-year-old Sosa last played in a big league game on Aug. 25, 2005 (he struck out swinging in his final at-bat). Through Thursday, he's hitting .467 and leads the team in spring training dingers, slugging percentage and total bases, while new Rangers manager Ron Washington is all but waving pompoms from the dugout.

 

"I want to see a lot of kissing," Washington said.

 

 

"I'm hungry," he said in the Rangers clubhouse, the smell of wintergreen tobacco dip on his breath. "I was beat up mentally before. Now I'm in a position where I know I feel great, where I feel I can compete again. When I left this game for a year, I left it out of frustration, you know what I mean? And everything went out, and now I'm back and I'm fresh physically, have a fresh mind. I'm still a rookie."

 

Sosa has been a model citizen, though the no-nonsense Jaramillo, who goes way back with Sosa, had to remind Sammy to pick up his own baseballs after a recent session in the batting cage. It seems like a small thing, but other Rangers were watching to see how Sosa would react. Old Sammy might have ignored the request. New Sammy happily picked up the baseballs.

 

Count the number of times the word I or a variation is used.

 

How about a quote that contains "grateful", "thankful" or something like that? Or would that be below the great one?

 

I think the unending myopic Sammy love on this board is "ridiculous".

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Almost as bad as the constant need to criticize him.

[Larry Horse]

Almost as bad as the constant need to criticize him.

 

There's two sides to the coin. Not every Cub fan has some sort of undying respect and love for Sammy.

[David]

OMG HE USED THE WORD 'I' LIKE A MILLION TIMES IN THAT QUOTE!!! HE'S NOT A TEAM PLAYERRRR!!!!

 

 

Please. It's nonsense.