February 02, 2005
Like it or not
Whether you like it or not, it is now official, "[Chicago] sends [Sammy] Sosa and his 574 homers to Baltimore for Jerry Hairston and two minor leaguers, infielder Mike Fontenot and pitcher Dave Crouthers. [He] is expected to play right field with Jay Gibbons moving to first base and Palmeiro becoming the primary designated hitter. "
I am very disappointed to see Jerry Hairston leave, but I know he is a Chicago boy at heart so I am happy for him. There are mixed feelings about Sosa in my Oriole heart. I have my doubts about his defensive skills and wonder if we have ended up with another aging DH. These types of players certainly add pop to the line-up, but do they really help the club overall? It is very interesting to make history with two 500+ sluggers in the same lineup everyday, let alone on the same team as Sosa joins Rafael Palmeiro.
As an eternal optimist, I have hope for the 2005 season and what this addition means for that. Now keep the pitchers focused, pick-up a decent 2nd catcher to give Javy some rest and lets get ready to play some ball!
Update:
So I heard Sammy on WBAL, while driving home from work. He was on Hot Stove baseball and quite frankly I liked what I heard. This a player that really seems to play the game with a lot of heart and passion for the game. That was one of my concerns about him and one of the things I loved about Hairston. So I'm feeling better about this deal, his excitement for the game and as Sosa said, "fighting" the Spankees & the BoSox!