As far as knowledgable baseball sources go, Chris DeLuca fits right in somewhere between a seven-year-old girl who wonders how many “points” the Cubs have and a syphillitic elephant, so when even he figures out that Sammy Sosa’s days are literally numbered, it’s time to take notice.
In today’s Sun-Times, DeLuca predicts Sosa will be traded within seven to 10 days. We’re still trying to find the hat that DeLuca pulled those numbers out of, but it’s encouraging, nonetheless.
It’s sad that it has come to this. Sammy should have owned Chicago until his retirement, but it’s not to be. At the very least, he’s got one more year, and the Cubs seem pretty intent on making it one year less than that.
There are plenty of Sosa trade rumors. Some too good to be true, like the long since dead Derrek Lee and Sammy to Colorado for Todd Helton trade. Some make sense, but probably won’t happen like Andruw Jones for Sammy. The Braves would save money by dealing Andruw with three years left, but can you imagine Bobby Cox and Sammy hanging out? I can’t either, buddy.
The most realistic is still the Mets. They’re not going to get Manny Ramirez, and they’ve already lost Richie Sexson (to Seattle) and probably Carlos Delgado (to Baltimore or Seattle), and Moises Alou wants to play in either San Francisco or Houston. The Cubs, according to both Newsday and now DeLuca are willing to pay as much as $10 million of Sammy’s $21.5 million tag for 2005 ($17 million salary, $4.5 buyout of his trade kicker–and even that still has to be negotiated with the MLBPA). So the Mets would be getting Sammy for basically nothing. They owe Cliff Floyd $13 million over the next two years. Granted, in order to get Sammy to waive his trade option they’ll have to give him some cash, but it’s a sweet deal–provided Sammy can still actually play.
Kansas City is interested, but only if they can find a taker for Mike Sweeney and only if the Cubs will pay some of Sammy’s freight. Baltimore will be a player if they don’t get Delgado, and maybe even if they do. So it’s going to happen. Right?
DeLuca has some valid points about how all signs point to Sammy’s departure. Dusty Baker can’t even discuss Sammy without his eyes rolling back in his head. On ESPN last night Ryan Dempster was quoted as saying that Sammy “ought to have the C ripped off his sleeve” for walking out on the team. And Hendry seemed giddy that six teams talked to him about Sosa deals at the winter meetings.
If this is the end, it’s not a glorious one for Sammy. He’s been a great player for longer than anybody ever thought he would be. But he was coddled and spoiled during the Larry Himes years, Ed Lynch was clueless as how to handle him and Hendry inherited this mess.
The Red Sox did the same thing with Pedro Martinez. You make special rules for one player and accomodate his every whim and wonder why you end up with a spoiled brat?
Ken Rosenthal wrote yesterday that JD Drew is his bet to sign with the Cubs. If the Cubs don’t land Carlos Beltran, I’d almost bet the farm on Drew signing with them. Both have Scott Boras for an agent, and there’s no way Boras will let Drew sign before Beltran. Here’s why. Beltran’s going to break the bank, but at least one team (the Cubs or Yankees) will be standing there with a big bag of cash for Carlos, but not sign him. Boras knows that drives Drew’s price up. Not to Beltranland, but into a very nice suburb of it.
Is Drew really a hideous injury risk? Since coming to the bigs to stay in 2000 he’s missed significant time twice. In 2001, he broke his hand when David Wells hit him with a pitch. In 2003 he had to have a mass removed from one of his feet that was causing his chronic plantar fascitis. Where he gets his rep from is the 2003 season when The Genius couldn’t figure out why JD couldn’t play with a “sore foot” and called him out about it. It led Cardinals’ GM Walt Jocketty to realize that JD was as good as gone when free agency called his offseason, so he traded him to Atlanta where JD promptly played in 145 games and hit 31 homers with a .434 on base average.
Every player’s an injury risk. JD’s probably no more than an average one.
———
The Giants signed Matt Matheny on Tuesday. Why they felt the need to give a career .239 hitter is beyond me. But what’s really shocking is that they released AJ Pierzynski yesterday. What, you can’t trade him? Sure, AJ Eyechart is a pain in the ass for opponent’s for teammates, for everybody. But he’s a lefty hitting catcher with a career average of .294 and who drove in 77 runs last year. He can’t be untradeable, can he?
Granted, the Giants have ten days to work out a trade before he goes through waivers, but why paint yourself into that corner? The White Sox and Cardinals could certainly use a real catcher. Though, you just know that The Genius thinks he’s going to turn Yorvit Torrealba into Pudge Rodriguez.
——–
The Sporting News released it’s all-overrated team and they made Brian Urlacher the poster boy for it. That’s just so wrong, and so ignorant for so many reasons. They claim to have interviewed eight scouts and two TV analysts to determine who should be on the team. My question would be, have any of those 10 actually seen Urlacher play?
They slammed him because apparently he needs big defensive tackles to keep blockers off him. What, and Ray Lewis doesn’t? Ray Lewis didn’t have Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa in front of him on the Super Bowl Ravens?
Urlacher gets slammed for not playing a conventional middle linebacker. He’s a huge safety who plays in the middle. He kills screen passes and sweeps. He’s a threat to blitz from any angle at any time. He’s the best in the league at faking a blitz and still being able to get into his coverage zone.
But you know why he’s really TSN’s most overrated player? Because they knew it would get everybody’s attention.
It’s the same weird spin that college football lovers put on the BCS debacle. They say, “Well, people are talking about college football/The Sporting News.” Yeah, that’s great. It must be fun to have people talking about what a bunch of complete dumbasses you are.
———-
Phil Rogers knows he doesn’t work in Texas still, right?
Groucho with some true, but very unkind words about Eddy and Tyson. And this, in an article, where the premise is that they’re getting better. But Eddy’s dumb and lazy and Tyson has no basketball skills.
Mariotti puts down the doughnut to say that Notre Dame will never be good again. Whatever.
Maybe they’ll be the Vegas Expos after all.
Ole Miss wants Dennis Erickson? He’s good at two things, cheating and getting DUI’s.
The Wizard of Roz says like it or not, Dusty, Jim Hendry’s grabbed control of your team.
Sports Guy wonders why Pedro had to leave this way.
Peter Gammons is not so polite to Pedro.
Jay Bilas on Rick Majerus’ ESPN departure. Man, some people will do anything to get away from Dick Vitale.
After first trying to negotiate a deal without having to take an MRI, Pedro will now take one. It’s not going to be pretty.
Edgar Renteria could pick his new home today.
Look out! The Cardinals are after Einar Diaz!
America’s finest news source says that Nigeria has been selected to host 2008 Genocides!
You can’t trade me, buddy! I am the Gladiator, buddy. Are you not entertained, buddy?
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=1946823
But how can I leave the World’s Greatest Fans? How?
Hey, Dolan, don’t infer I said Tyson Chandler had no skills. I said he had miserable skills. Gawd, get it right!
Hey, at least you compared him to Dennis Rodman, Groucho.
In the way neither one wants to touch the ball in the fourth quarter unless they’re rebounding it.
The comments are back! Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!!
While not out scaring small children and slightly larger farm animals, I have taken a rumor in yesterday’s Tribune (a Fred Mitchell one, no less) of Farns for Jorge Julio and Jerry Hairston and thrown Sammy into it.
I am genius! Hear me roar.
I miss you guys.
Sniff.
Now that the links are back, the revenues are sure to start rolling in again to the Desipio Empire. So do I start getting pizzas?
My friend Jack would also like to know whether he can start getting his pudding again.
[img]http://waltonfeed.com/self/pic/vanpud.jpg[/img]
Boo!! Boo!!! Boo!!!!!!!!! Dolan, why won’t you show me the pudding, wanker!!??
Baby steps.
Bruuuuuuce!
We are a state of panic!!! One post dude stated polanco-larkin-hudson. That is sucky-hurt-wet dream.
Question: where did you hear that Magglio Ordonez’s surgery wasn’t approved by the AMA and that was why he went to Austria?
Sure, I’d play short if the Cardinals called. Right after Ghostbusters 3.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/cs-041209soxbrite,1,4525758.story?coll=cs-whitesox-headlines
Thanks.
Maybe I can play for shortstop for the Cardinals.
As a long time reader, and infectious diseases doctor, just curious what you meant by "syphilitic elephant". Elephants have the reputation for having good memories, whereas neurosyphillis can cause a dementia where one would forget things. Just wanted to clarify.
Can you imagine me patrolling the ginormous right field in San Francisco? Right center is so deep, I wouldn’t even be able to overthrow the cutoff man.
"Matt Matheny"? That’s it, Dolan.
And now for something completely different. Hmmmmm…. [insert 40 paragraphs of of tranny porn, 40 times]
How does Orlando Cabrerra feel now? Wins a title and jettisoned like one of Charlie Sheen’s hookers.
Renteria signed with us because WE’RE the greatest fans in baseball!
Cabrera is the spread-legged slut, and the Boston Red Sox is the simple-minded prick…
…"Ugh! Unh!"
"splatttt!"
"zzzzzzzzzzipp!"
"Get out!"
I’ll see you next week about your hand problem, Moises.
Pat Matheny?
Oh, who cares. You couldn’t hit water if you fell out of a boat, Mikey.
test
Oh, i thought it was Pat Maweenie
I’m going to miss those showers, Lassie.
Honesty compels me to say that I called Bobby Cox at his house and told him not to allow the trade of Sammy Sosa for Andruw Jones to happen. I told him what a poor influence on the clubhouse Sammy would be and how Sammy often times referred to me in an insulting manner. Here is a transcript of part of that phone call.
Cox: Who is this?
Chip: It’s Chip Caray. Skip’s kid.
Cox: Oh, boy. So you don’t think we should trade for Sammy?
Chip: He’s disruptive and he called me "Caterpillar face."
Cox: Caterpillar face, eh? Look kid. I don’t know you. I like your old man, but only because he’s a mute. This is my offseason, too. If you’ve got a problem with player moves, call Shuerholz for Christ’s sake. I’ve got a wife and grandkids to punch.
Chip, don’t you be calling me this offseason. Don’t give me any of this "Dad, since it was Christmas I thought I’d call and spread holiday cheer" crap.
test
Desipio Readers! I will hit .299 with 30 HR and 100 RBI with the Giants. Barry will provide me with some "flaxseed oil" and I will be the MVP!
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