Last Call!

You're going to see a lot of play on this quote from Sammy Sosa's agent:

"I think he will be traded, and I think Sammy will be one of the best pickups of the off-season." - Tom Riech

There hasn't been worse spin than this since, "I actually voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it." Sosa is damaged goods in MLB right now, and it's the fault of the Tribune, Dusty Baker and Sammy Sosa. If Sammy runs out to right in April to a resounding boo, you will be able to blame these people in that order.

Sosa bears some responsibility for publicly ripping his manager. By showing the public his disgruntlement (can you be arrested for that?), he lowered his value to other teams.

Baker gets the #2 position for his response to Sosa's rip. The comment about how Baker is "always covering" for Sammy makes it clear that Sammy leaving early is not a one time transgression. Sammy's clearly been a problem for a long time. Anyone following his since Don Baylor challenged Sosa to be a better player knows this is true.

But, the Trib gets the #1 spot for releasing the security tape of Sammy leaving early. While that gambit succeeded in making a trade of Sammy palitable, even requested by sycophantic Cubs' fans, it diminished the diminished slugger in the eyes of 29 MLB GMs.

If the Trib gets stuck with Sosa's $25 million for 2005 it's their own fault.