Sports Radio Service


		Walking out was Sammy's swan song By Amaury Pi Gonzalez February 7, 2005
	Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa looks at his bat during the sixth against the Cincinnati Reds in this Sept. 29, 2004, in Chicago. Sosa was once as popular a fixture at Wrigley Field as the ivy-covered brick walls and the ancient scoreboard hanging over the center field bleachers. Now he's on his way out of Chicago. A trade to the Baltimore Orioles for Jerry Hairston and two prospects is expected to reach Commissioner Bud Selig's desk Monday for approval. (AP Photo/ Nam Y. Huh)
	The only reason Sammy Sosa is leaving Chicago and the Cubs is because he had a falling out with manager Dusty Baker. I know Dusty a little bit, both as a player and a manager - Baker has a big heart, but he's an honest, straight-forward person and he doesn't like people playing games, going around his back, and saying things. Since Sosa left the regular-season finale early without Dusty's permission, it was the final straw. I do not blame Dusty. Sosa might be a Hall of Fame player, but he has changed quite a bit. Sosa used to be a very affable, friendly person to everybody in the media since 1998 when he had the great home run derby with Mark McGwire. I think it went to Sosa's head a little bit. Dusty went to the Cubs owners and said, "it's either him or me." In this case, Baker is the exception -usually the manager goes and you keep a star player - but Dusty probably had such a good case, the Cubs had no choice but to trade Sammy Sosa. This is going to be interesting because now Sosa joins a very powerful Orioles lineup with Rafael Palmiero, Miguel Tejada, Javier Lopez, Melvin Mora, and a bunch of Latino brothers. The Orioles are going to benefit from the trade. Sammy Sosa is closer now to heading for Baltimore. There are no secrets and it's too bad Sammy's ego is getting so big. He's not a team, just one player, and as great as he is, baseball is still a team sport and you need nine guys on the field. Sosa might be worth four or five of those nine, but I don't think so. Amuary Pi Gonzalez is the play by play announcer for the Giants and Mariners Spanish broadcasts. Amuary is also a co-host on Sportstalk on KVVN 1430 San Jose and KLIB 1110 Sacramento.