Sammy Sosa Wants to Reconnect with the Cubs and Other Bullets

sammy sosa kissThe Red Sox beat the Rays yesterday, and, in so doing, claimed their ALDS series. They’ll face the winner of the Tigers and A’s Game Five, which was forced by a Tigers win yesterday.

  • The Arizona Fall League got underway yesterday, and five Cubs saw action: Jorge Soler went 1-6 with a double and a couple strikeouts (Byron Buxton also went 1-6), while Kris Bryant had a huge day, going 3-6 with a double. Matt Loosen saw some action in the middle innings, giving up a couple hits and a walk in his two innings of work. He struck out one and gave up two unearned runs. Lendy Castillo threw an inning in which he gave up three hits and allowed three runs to score, though they were all unearned. And then Armando Rivero came in, pitching a scoreless inning and striking out the side (all swinging, and one of ’em was Buxton).
  • Speaking of Soler, and also Albert Almora, Carrie Muskat has a great piece on the duo and their efforts to get back on track post-injury.
  • And speaking of Bryant, Jonathan Mayo says that, with the benefit of hindsight, he now thinks Bryant was the best player in the 2013 draft.
  • Dave Kaplan interviewed Sammy Sosa recently, and aired the interview last night on his radio show. It was the first time Sosa had spoken at length with a member of the Chicago media in five years (according to Kaplan’s intro), and it was a pretty wide-ranging talk. You can listen to it here. Sosa mentioned wanting to reconnect with the Cubs, and acknowledged that some things happened in the latter days of his Cubs career that led to the bad relationship the two sides have now. He added, as Sosa often does, that his numbers are so good that the Cubs can’t not bring him back some day. “The numbers don’t lie.” Although I support getting Sosa back in the fold, even if just in an ambassador role for the young, Latin American players, he’s got to stop pointing to the numbers as the reason. Don’t trade on the numbers, Sammy, which everyone believes are tainted. Trade on the memories. On the emotions. On the fun that fans had when you were playing.
  • I tend to think we’re going to see Sammy Sosa show up at the Cubs Convention one of these years. It could even be a surprise. That would be pretty cool.
  • Former Cubs great Andy Pafko died yesterday at 92.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Rays vs. Blue Jays Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) go on the road at Tropicana Field against the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.The Rays will look to Aaron Civale against the Blue Jays and Chris Bassitt.Rays vs. Blue Jays...

    Marlins vs. Pirates Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

    The Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) play on Friday at LoanDepot park against the Miami Marlins (0-1). The contest begins at 7:10 PM ET.The Marlins will look to Andrew Jacob Puk against the Pirates and Martin Perez.Marlins vs. Pirates Pitcher Matchup and...

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enjoyed a successful 2023 season, capturing their third straight NFC South title and pushing the Detroit Lions in a thrilling Divisional Round matchup. This strong showing translates to a relatively stable roster with few glaring weaknesses...

    NC State vs Marquette Predictions and Odds: March Madness Best Bets

    March Madness matchups bring us a great battle tonight as 11-seed NC State battles 2-seed Marquette. Check out the odds, stats, and more for NC State vs Marquette which tips off at 7:09 pm ET tonight. NC State vs Marquette...

    Best NBA Prop Bets Today – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Today's NBA schedule has 12 quality competitions in store. Among those games is the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Denver Nuggets.NBA prop bets for today's games are available, so if you're interested in placing a bet or building a parlay, you'll...

    Updated Elite 8 Odds: UConn Betting Favorite To Win March Madness

    There were some great performances last night including a 30-point win by the UConn Huskies sending them to the Elite Eight. Are they the betting favorite to win March Madness? What team is sitting on top of the odds to...

    UConn vs. Illinois Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) are 8.5-point favorites to advance to the Final Four when they play the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on...

    Alabama vs. Clemson Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) and No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will both be vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Final Four when they meet on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, tipping off at 8:49...

    How to Watch UConn Huskies vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Live Stream or on TV

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) will take on the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on TBS starting at 6:09 PM ET.UConn won its previous...

    Alabama vs. Clemson: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will take the court for an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup with the No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, airing on TBS beginning at 8:49 PM ET,...

    more cubs news