If You Like Richie Sexson Bashing ...

Update: After the YouTube clip went away, here's the Richie Sexson fight video via Red Lasso:



If the goons at MLB make them take it down, you can also find the Richie Sexson fight video here, at the Mariners team site.

From the Rangers broadcasters (paraphrasing):

"If they want to hit someone, they would hit a good hitter - not Sexson, who couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat."

"Gutless 6-foot-7, .200 hitting formerly good player."

"If you want to fight, fight. But throw a helmet at a guy?"

Hey Dude! The Reds Will Be Noisy

FoxSports.com says the Cincinnati Reds could make some noise in '08, though the Cubs and Brewers are "better on paper."

Other teams that could by noisy? The Twins, Rays and Sammy-less Rangers.

Team Leaders In Mitchell Report

Which teams had the most players named in the Mitchell Report? According to ESPN, the Yankees are No. 1!

1. Yankees - 22
2. Orioles - 18
3. Angels - 16
4. Mets - 15
4. Dodgers - 15
4. Rangers - 15

But Roger Clemens, for example, would count against the Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros and Red Sox, if I'm reading this correctly - as the top six here add up to 101, while only 86 players were named.

Sammy Wants $7 Million For '08

And I'd like a pony.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) -Sammy Sosa wants to play in the majors next year, provided a team offers him a contract for at least $7 million. Sosa hit 21 home runs with 92 RBIs this season with Texas. He sat out in 2006, the Rangers gave him a $500,000, one-year contract, and he made $1.35 million more in performance bonuses. "I feel victorious, and I think I proved that I have what it takes to stay in the major leagues,'' he said at a news conference.

Sammy and reality have often been on less than speaking terms. But Sammy should feel like a winner this time. The Rangers, after all, won 75 games this season to finish last in the AL West.

(The Cubs, by the way, shockingly have no interest in Sammy - despite letting Cliff Floyd go today, according to the end of this Trib story.)

Rangers Drop 30 On Orioles

What is the over/under on the number of times the Cowboys put up more points than the Rangers scored in Game 1 of today's doubleheader?

The official Wrigleyville line is opening at 5.5.

Better yet, what is the over/under on how many games will the Ravens defense allow more points than the Orioles allowed?

The official Wrigleyville line is 1.5.

Sosa Hits No. 600

Congratulations, Sammy. You should have done it two seasons ago in a Cubs uniform.

Sammy And His Balls

Speaking of Sammy, there's a chance that he could hit his 600th career home run this week against the Cubs. They have special baseballs and everything to properly track the occasion.

Which raises the question: How much is Sammy's 600th home run ball worth? Considerably less than it would have been if he had hit it two years ago while playing for the Cubs. And considerably less than if he had not been dragged before Congress to not speak English.

What would you pay?

I'll start the bidding at $27.50.

(He's struck out twice tonight...)

Is Sammy Smaller?

Is it me, or does Sammy look tiny tonight? Maybe the white uniforms are slimming. Or is that black? Either way...

Sammy Sosa, Victim

Sammy Sosa reveals in this ESPN.com story that it was a burden being, well, Sammy Sosa.

"I didn't miss the game," Sosa said. "It was like being free for the first time. I had been playing baseball for 17 years, and the pressure was immense without having a vacation for Sammy Sosa."

Sammy Sosa does a good job of using the first person for most of this quote, but Sammy Sosa then brings in this mysterious figure coincidentally named Sammy Sosa at the end. Then again, it could be because Sammy Sosa doesn't speak much English.

Sammy Is Back To Slammin'

Sammy Sosa homered tonight for the first time this season - and as of the sixth inning is batting .286, with four hits and five strikeouts on the year. You can figure out what pace he is on.

Sammy Sosa, Texas Ranger

Sammy makes the 40-man roster, after hitting in all 10 spring training games he's played in.

Rangers: "The Bill Gates Of Baseball"

Sammy Sosa's English seems fine. His logic, however, is a bit goofy:

"I'm happy in my new organization. They gave me an opportunity probably no one else would've given me. This guy (owner Tom Hicks) stepped up to the plate. He took the risk and the chance to give me an opportunity. Now I'm making them look good. I'm looking great. Now they're looking like the Bill Gates of [baseball]."

That would make perfect sense if Gates were running the worst performing company in his division.

Sammy Sosa, Teammate

On hitting his first spring training home run:

"That was huge for me. Everyone wanted me to do that."

(Thanks to A League Of Her Own, for noting such a fine quote...)

Sammy Sosa, Predicting Big Things

Sammy Sosa, who seems to have learned to speak English in the last two years, says:

"I'm a little older. It doesn't mean I can't hit you 30 or 40 home runs," he said. "What's the deal? You think I'm dead?"

I will definitely be taking the under on "30 or 40 home runs."

Sosa Contest Time

Sammy says he won't disappoint the Rangers.

Which leads to the question: What are their expectations for Mr. Sosa in 2007? They've signed him to a $500,000 minor league contract, so clearly they are taking the Mark Prior route - anything they get is good.

Which leads to Wrigleyville's new contest:

1. Will Sammy Sosa be on the Opening Day roster?

2. If so, how many games will he play?

3. And how many home runs will he hit?

As always, the winner will be arbitrarily decided by Wrigleyville23 management.

(And, yes, this is not actually Cubs-related, but Cliff Floyd is signed, the mediocre pitchers are signed and the convention is over, so now we're waiting for pitchers and catchers to report.)

Sosa Ready For Rookie League

A Wrigleyille23 Exclusive!

SURPRISE, Arizona, August 22, 2007 – Sammy Sosa will report to the ASL Rangers, the Rookie League team for the Texas Rangers, in time for Wednesday’s game after being sent down from Class A Spokane.

With the demotion, Sosa now has played this year for every one of the Rangers’ minor league affiliates, putting together a combined .231 batting average with eight home runs and 27 RBIs. The Rangers still hope to call him up when they expand the major league roster on September 1.

Demoting Sosa to rookie ball is a far cry from what the Rangers had hoped for when they signed Sosa to a $500,000 contract in late January. It is a deal that included substantial incentives – though none for playing at every level of the Rangers’ farm system.

This is what Rangers manager Ron Washington said at the time of the signing: “I’d love to have him hit fifth behind Mark Teixeira if he shows he can hit Major League pitching. … He’s looking for an opportunity to get back in the game. There are no promises – he has to perform. If he does do that, we’ll be happy to have him here. If he doesn’t, then we’ll have to make a decision.”

Unfortunately, the Rangers were forced to make decisions every step of the way – and none of them good.

Sosa, 47, started the year at AAA Oklahoma before struggles at the plate and frequent disputes with teammates over clubhouse music led to the Rangers sending him to AA Frisco Roughriders in Frisco, Texas. Sosa homered in his first at-bat in Frisco, but quickly regained form and was send to “find his swing” with the Class A Bakersfield Blaze.

His swing was not in Bakersfield, nor was it in Clinton, Iowa, or Spokane. So, Sosa gets his last chance in rookie ball.

“We know what he can do, and we really think he can help us down the stretch,” said Washington, who is hoping Sosa can help the Rangers avoid losing 110 games with a strong September. “We like to bring players up and give them a look in September, and Sammy is one of those guys we’ll be taking a long, hard look at this year.”

Sammy Sosa, Minor Leaguer

The Texas Rangers will announce the Sosa signing tomorrow, it was announced today.

Sosa Update

The Rangers are nearing a deal with Sammy Sosa.

Sammy Sosa, No. 5 Hitter?

The Texas Rangers are so impressed with what they saw from Sammy Sosa that manager Ron Washington mused about batting him fifth in the lineup.

Impressive, but they worked him out at their indoor batting cages.

Maybe that’s like the indoor driving nets at golf stores, where they take you back to that back room with three $500 drivers and you just pound the hell out of the range ball into that little net. Every ball hits the net within the same two-foot window because it hasn’t had time to slice, and you’re convinced this magic club with the Fred Flintstone head is going to have you sitting in the middle of the fairway, 300 yards out. Every time.

By the time he left the Cubs (early), Sosa was sliding. Quickly. His average, on-base percentage and home run totals had dropped three years in a row, by a total of 75 points, 105 points and 29 home runs, (dis)respectively. And then he laid an egg in Baltimore the next year, with the numbers falling frighteningly low.

One Ranger fan is rightfully worried.

Plus, wouldn’t your No. 5 hitter be getting better than a $500,000 minor league contract?

Rangers Offer Contract To Sammy

ESPNdeportes.com (who knew?) reports that the Rangers have offered Sammy Sosa a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. Details were not disclosed.

A source, however, told el lider mundial de deportes that the contract would be heavy with incentives.

If he's going to make it anywhere, Texas could be the spot. Kenny Lofton, Nelson Cruz and Brad Wilkerson are scheduled to be the Rangers' starting outfielders. Frank Catalanotto is the DH. Plus, the pitching stinks, so why not? Sign him up.

Buena suerte, Sammy.