Should Sammy's number be retired?

[erik316wttn]

No!

 

1. Walking out on your team.

2. Corked Bat.

3. Steroids (will eventually come out)

 

Not what I would call "respect for the game" ...

 

Ok, its been proven a corked bat hurts it. And come on, for years and years we saw how far Sammy hit them. Cork, if it worked, would give warning track hitters power to hit it into the 2nd or 3rd row, not warning track onto Waveland Avenue.

 

Frorgive any lapses in logic or spelling errors I'm drunksw.

[CheeseHead Cubs Fan]

No!

 

1. Walking out on your team.

2. Corked Bat.

3. Steroids (will eventually come out)

 

Not what I would call "respect for the game" ...

 

Ok, its been proven a corked bat hurts it. And come on, for years and years we saw how far Sammy hit them. Cork, if it worked, would give warning track hitters power to hit it into the 2nd or 3rd row, not warning track onto Waveland Avenue.

 

Believe me, I would have loved for Sammy to keep hitting them. Heck, I still wish he was a Cub at times. I miss him sprinting out to right field. I just don't believe the Cubs org. will retire a number forever in light of what happend at the tail end of his career.

 

Just think of the 4 that are already retired, they still actively participate in Cubs events, always around the team and really show love for the Cubbies. Sammy, I doubt will do that. However if he does and the Cubs retire it...more power to him!

[erik316wttn]

No!

 

1. Walking out on your team.

2. Corked Bat.

3. Steroids (will eventually come out)

 

Not what I would call "respect for the game" ...

 

Ok, its been proven a corked bat hurts it. And come on, for years and years we saw how far Sammy hit them. Cork, if it worked, would give warning track hitters power to hit it into the 2nd or 3rd row, not warning track onto Waveland Avenue.

 

Believe me, I would have loved for Sammy to keep hitting them. Heck, I still wish he was a Cub at times. I miss him sprinting out to right field. I just don't believe the Cubs org. will retire a number forever in light of what happend at the tail end of his career.

 

Just think of the 4 that are already retired, they still actively participate in Cubs events, always around the team and really show love for the Cubbies. Sammy, I doubt will do that. However if he does and the Cubs retire it...more power to him!

 

I think the Cubs have enough class to bury the hatchet. Especially if we have a new management team here 6 years or so down the road.

 

Loook at how classy we were when DK died. Not that Sammy has died and I'm not comparing a walkout to a tragedy, but I'm just bringing that up as an example of the Cubs having class.

[CheeseHead Cubs Fan]

Well, as stated before, I don't believe it will be retired anytime soon. I would enjoy seeing it but just don't see Sammy helping his cause in anyway.

I hope I'm wrong!

[jyoung55]

No!

 

1. Walking out on your team.

2. Corked Bat.

3. Steroids (will eventually come out)

 

Not what I would call "respect for the game" ...

 

1. Whomever remembers this in 5 years instead of the sheer joy you felt seeing the hop when he hit 61 and 62 or the tingles you felt when he hit the camera booth in CF in game 2 of the NLCS is a cold and heartless person.

 

2. Who cares, there have been MUCH worse things that have been forgiven by fans.

 

3. I am glad you are clairvoiant, now who will win the Super Bowl, I need some money.

[Chris]

<---------------Also surprised that this is a discussion.

[sweetpeteman]

<---------------Also surprised that this is a discussion.

 

ditto

[Crash]

Depends on if he is ever proven to have used steriods (I think he has but there is no concrete proof). If he never gets caught up in a steroid scandal I think eventually they will retire his number, if nothing else so they can get publicity for it. But if they ever prove he used performance enhancers then I doubt he gets the number retired.

[Exile on Waveland]

Absolutely. This is a no-brainer.

[Derwood]

It will be interesting. The Cubs are probably the stingiest team with retiring numbers. I mean, 120 years and just 4 retired numbers? Three of which were from the same era? One of which isn't Fergie Jenkins?

 

I agree that there are points given for continued involvement with the team. I mean, if Santo wasn't a radio announcer all this time, do you really think he'd be up there? Frankly, I don't think he would be up there now if it wasn't for his health. I believe the Cubs would have waited until/if he was inducted into the HoF before retiring his jersey if they thought he'd live 40 more years.

[cubs22]

His number in my mind should be retired. When i was growing up all I knew was Sammy Sosa and the Cubs. He was the man and still today he is the man. Wouldnt it be awesome to have him sprint out to right field on the day of his retirement.

[Fred Hornkohl]

It will be interesting. The Cubs are probably the stingiest team with retiring numbers. I mean, 120 years and just 4 retired numbers?

 

Not to be overly picky here.... but the CUBS (Colts, Orphans, White Stockings) are in their 130th season in the National League, but they've only had player numbers on their uniforms for 75 years now.

[cbbryan]

Time heals all wounds.

 

Maybe, but until we win a World Series, I'm still mad at Alex Gonzalez bobbling that double play ball.

 

I'm still upset that Baker didn't go out and round-up the troops after the Bartman play. I still can't fathom why he didn't go out and talk to everyone.

[Bote McBoteface]

Time heals all wounds.

 

Maybe, but until we win a World Series, I'm still mad at Alex Gonzalez bobbling that double play ball.

 

I'm still upset that Baker didn't go out and round-up the troops after the Bartman play. I still can't fathom why he didn't go out and talk to everyone.

 

Thats something only a good manager would do. Dusty doesn't bother himself with that stuff.

[ConstableRabbit]

No question.

 

I'd cheer for him if the ceremony was tomorrow.

 

I know Sammy did some bad things, but I also know that many fans were already irritated because he was falling off of his godly pedestal and many were basically waiting to jump on him, including the media and the Cubs org, which made those things even worse. It also came at the end of a frustrating season.

 

But set all of that aside for a minute. Remember that day when Sammy hit the 2 bombs, I think it was 59 and 60... the Trib headline was "He's Got You Babe"...? That's the Sammy I'll remember.

[ConstableRabbit]

How ironic.. that was my 66th post... :D

[burnt out cubbie fan]

It will be interesting. The Cubs are probably the stingiest team with retiring numbers. I mean, 120 years and just 4 retired numbers? Three of which were from the same era? One of which isn't Fergie Jenkins?

 

I agree that there are points given for continued involvement with the team. I mean, if Santo wasn't a radio announcer all this time, do you really think he'd be up there? Frankly, I don't think he would be up there now if it wasn't for his health. I believe the Cubs would have waited until/if he was inducted into the HoF before retiring his jersey if they thought he'd live 40 more years.

They didn't have numbers until the '30s. They were the last team to have them.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Wow.

 

Let's see...after Sandberg retired, the ONLY reason to watch the Cubs most of the time was because of Sammy Sosa.

 

Sammy Sosa (along with Mark McGwire) helped save this game after 1994.

 

He is the reason we went to the games. We WANTED to see Sammy.

 

Before 2003, I considered Sammy to be a very classy player. He loved this city, he loved the fans, he loved the game.

 

Home runs #61 and #62 in 1998.

 

The hop.

 

In 2001 when he hit the home run then carried the flag around the bases, that was awesome.

 

The BOMB he hit in Game 2.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that this man deserves to have his number hang above Wrigley Field forever.

 

Of course, I'm one of the few that always have and always will love Sammy. He and Ryno are the reasons I watched baseball. It was a sad day when we let him go, because even though it needed to be done, it was so sad seeing one of the greatest Chicago figures of all-time being traded. Sammy will forever be a Cub in my mind.

[sandberg23]

I see classy players like Banks, Williams, Santo and Sandberg uni's hanging up and flying at Wrigley and think about the class Sosa showed...I just can't say yes.

 

That's how I feel. I believe if his number is retired, it'll hang on the right field pole, under Sandberg's and I just don't think he deserves the respect and right to have his number hanging under Sandberg's - especially given how each individual went about playing the game.

 

Maybe at the bottom of another pole...but not the one Sandberg's is hanging on.

[Backtobanks]

As long as he isn't proven guilty with steroids, then yes he should have his number retired. Time heals all wounds.....look at Carlton Fisk.

[Larry Horse]

Wow.

 

Let's see...after Sandberg retired, the ONLY reason to watch the Cubs most of the time was because of Sammy Sosa.

 

Of course, I'm one of the few that always have and always will love Sammy. He and Ryno are the reasons I watched baseball.

 

I could never mention Sammy and Ryne in the same breath.

 

One was a self-centered phony, the other one was all class and professionalism.

 

The Sammy dig in Sandbergs' speech made me respect him that much more.

[Tracer Bullet]

Of course it should be retired. Regardless of whether he's proven guilty of taking steroids now. If he tests positive for roids in '05 that doesn't necessarily prove he was on roids while with the Cubs.

 

And frankly, I think he probably was using roids or HGH or something while w/ Chicago. Even so, I still retire his jersey. All those players on roids (and I think there were a lot of them) from the 90s will have their jerseys retired, and the Cubs would be crazy not to retire Sosa's.

 

And for the record - I'm not biased by a love (current or former) for Sosa. I actually never liked Sosa, don't know why. But my favorite sports number has always been 21. So I've been bummed for the last 5 years or so after I realized that no player on my favorite team would ever wear 21 again and every time I go to Wrigley I'll have to see his name and number waving on one of the poles. :( But I don't think you can pretend that the Sosa years never happened - he was the face of the franchise for a long time and deserves to be recognized for it.

[wastra]

I know there's still some bad blood now. So letting it slide for a few years isn't the worst thing that could happen...especially while he's still playing.

 

But once elected (and I don't see how there's any way he ISN'T elected to the HoF), they should welcome him back into the Cubbie fold and retire his number.

 

 

Like him or hate him, he is the most prolific Cub hitter of all time.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Wow.

 

Let's see...after Sandberg retired, the ONLY reason to watch the Cubs most of the time was because of Sammy Sosa.

 

Of course, I'm one of the few that always have and always will love Sammy. He and Ryno are the reasons I watched baseball.

 

I could never mention Sammy and Ryne in the same breath.

 

One was a self-centered phony, the other one was all class and professionalism.

 

The Sammy dig in Sandbergs' speech made me respect him that much more.

 

I'm not comparing the two in terms of class, I'm comparing them both in terms of how exciting they were to watch and how much they loved the game. No matter how you view Sammy, his love for baseball was awesome from about 1997-2002.

[Garwilly]

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

 

 

Opinion polls don't have a wrong answer, but if you say no....I am sorry, you are wrong.