I think this. There's gotta be a reason that many ex-players aren't openly campaigning for his return. You can't have so many silent people that were on the inside (ownership and FO obviously gone) be this quiet on the Cubs not inviting back their best player of this generation without having a decent reason for doing so. And if there isn't, well god dammit. IMO, it's telling that Kerry (by all accounts, a pretty decent fella) still has some sort of grudge towards Sammy after 10 years, whether it's the cork issue, moping about batting 6th, clubhouse differences, or whatever. I'd like to see Sammy come back eventually, but i'd be really surprised if there wasn't more to the story than we're led to believe. And as mentioned previously, if there isn't, well....sigh. Which ex-players are you expecting to be campaigning for him? Wood is like the only one of any signifigance from Sosa's time that still has anything to do with the team. Just a few off the top of my head that *could* vouch for him: Dusty Baker, lord of the "Players Coach," hasn't said anything. Granted, no one would put much stock into it anyway, but given his players coach mantra and his overall distaste for the Cubs, it's not hard to imagine him criticizing the Cubs for ignoring a Cubs great. Mark Prior, while minimally involved, now has good relations with the organization after a few sour years. Greg Maddux, or Maddox, as earlier mentioned. LaTroy Hawkins But whatever, I'd still wanted to see him back. Just thinking that there's more to it than the one time he walked out on his teammates on the last day of the season and oh his boombox was loud that other time. Prior played with him for 2 years and is unfairly considered a joke by the vast majority of Cubs fans. You dismiss Baker well enough on your own so I have no idea why you even brought him up in the first place. Maddux barely played with him in '92 and then again in 2004. There's really nothing to it beyond the Cubs being stupid and trying to placate the meatballs. 1) Prior came up in May of 2002, so pretty much 3 years. Seemingly enough time. 2) Baker because "but given his players coach mantra and his overall distaste for the Cubs, it's not hard to imagine him criticizing the Cubs for ignoring a Cubs great" 3) Maddux would likely have enough pull to calm down the meatheads even if he only played with Sosa for essentially one year. For the third time, it would have been great to have Sosa back yesterday. And if it's as pathetically simple as cobs being cobs, then well dammit everything. But I find silence from others to be a leading indicator rather than it being just noise and/or coincidence. The one guy who would have the best insight would be Pat Hughes, but he's obviously not going to say anything controversial one way or the other for obvious reasons. Or steve stone