Sosa's a big Baker backer
BY MIKE KILEY STAFF REPORTER
The Chicago Sun-Times
November 17, 2002
Sammy Sosa is good at sharing. So while critics may predict a Sosa vs. Dusty Baker clash in the making, the Cubs right fielder begs to differ.
"Chicago is going to be Sammy and Dusty's town,'' Sosa said Saturday from Barcelona, Spain. "It won't be Sammy against Dusty or Dusty against Sammy, like some troublemakers are claiming. Getting him is an unbelievably big step for us. He doesn't take any crap from anybody, and I like that. We have a lot in common.''
Baker becomes Sosa's sixth manager with the Cubs in 12 seasons. But Sosa emphasized that Baker is the first of this half-dozen whom he perceives as having the power to get the players he desires, as well as wield influential powers in the front office's decision-making process. Sosa sees Baker on equal footing with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry and team president Andy MacPhail, an important status symbol to the players in the trenches.
"The reason I'm so excited about him is that when he wants the right player for our team, we're going to get the right player,'' Sosa said. "He wants to win so bad. I want to win so bad. Finally, we have a manager who won't take no for an answer. He'll fight for us. Before, we have never had a manager with a lot of power to get the players we needed. Dusty is a guy we have needed for a long time to make a difference.''
Sosa was overjoyed to hear that Baker believes Giants free-agent second baseman Jeff Kent may decide to follow him to the Cubs. Kent would have to move to third because Bobby Hill is a highly regarded youngster at second. But Sosa is openly lobbying Kent to leave Barry Bonds and come play alongside him.
"Kent is the kind of guy we need,'' Sosa said. "I'd be so happy to play with him and work together. We need another right-handed bat, and Kent would give us a real good one. It sounds as if a lot of top guys will want to come with Baker, and I really can't wait to see that happen. It's what we have been missing for a long time.''
Told that Hendry is currently talking to the Florida Marlins about the possibility of a trade for left-handed starter Mike Hampton, Sosa was encouraged by that opportunity to upgrade, too. Although he and the rest of the world will believe that the Cubs are ready to pick up $54.5 million left on Hampton's contract (if Colorado pays $30 million as reported) when that happens and not a moment before.
"Good,'' he said. "If they got the money, get him and let's go. I'll take it. I'd like to see him with us. All I want is a World Series ring. Getting Baker is a start. Now we have to finish the job.''
Sosa also applauded the speculation that former Cub Gary "Sarge'' Matthews probably will be named as Baker's hitting coach.
"That's a good guy right there,'' Sosa said. "He knows what I like. We talked a lot last year when he was Milwaukee's hitting coach. He asked me a lot of questions. He'd be a good fit for this team. Getting great people like that around, we're going to win some games.''
Sosa has been told by the Cubs that he will speak by phone with Baker on Tuesday. Sosa will be visiting Paris at the time, while Baker is at Wrigley Field handling his first news conference in Chicago since being named to the job Friday.
Sosa disagrees with some outsiders' speculation that Baker is going to drop the hammer on him and expect him to turn off his clubhouse music and ask him to become a less noticeable presence in the clubhouse.
"Someone has always had something to say about my music over the years,'' Sosa said. "They're all gone. Come on, it's got nothing to do with nothing. You don't think the Giants had music in their clubhouse? Dusty is going to like my music, and we are going to be just fine together.
"I want the winning attitude in the clubhouse that he is going to bring. We didn't have that last year. There was no enthusiasm. I don't want to blame anyone, but it wasn't there. Dusty will change that. People want to start a whole bunch of crap between Dusty and me before we even get to spring training.
"They are just looking to start something with no reason. People have been trying to sell themselves and whatever they do by using me for years. All of the troublemaking isn't going to work. I want Dusty as much as he wants me. Once we move on to winning, people will stop all the nonsense and have something good to talk about.''
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