Sosa Moves Down

Not many people will give credit to Sosa for moving down in the order. Infact most will probably ignore it and still say Sosa is a selfish bastard.

"I was a little bit upset [Tuesday night]," Baker said. "I had a few drinks. When I got back to my room, my wife said Sammy had called three times. So I called him and he answered the phone immediately. He just told me that he thought it was better for the team and the way he is going to drop himself down in the order.

"I told him I had been thinking about it for a while. He said he wanted to help us get to the playoffs and the World Series."

"I have been thinking about this for a week. And [Tuesday night] I made it official," Sosa said. "I'm doing what is best for the team. I don't mind doing it. I will hit fifth the rest of the year, whatever they want."

Does that sound like a man thinking of only himself? Does that sound like a man that intentionally wants to hurt the team? I rag on Baker alot but this is one part of his style I respect with regards to Sosa.

"Sometimes both sides feel better when someone comes forward, versus you mandating that particular move," Baker said of the lineup shift. "Somebody asked me back in Chicago if I ever had a player ask me to move him down in the order. I said no. And this is the first time. It was a good, noble move. A good team move."

When people were flat out demanding Sosa to move down was just plain wrong. With a player of Sosa's caliber the decision needs to come from him. He has earned that right. Some people don't think so.

And Sosa isn't as dumb as most people make him out to be....

"I am not going to get the team to the playoffs by myself," Sosa said. "Everybody is together. If I could do it by myself, then I would have done it when I hit 60-something home runs. It's not like that anymore. What we need now is for everybody to get back together. If I don't do it today, somebody will pick me up."

He knows he isnt the 60 HR hitter anymore, and he knows other people on this team need to step it up also. Alou batted #4 and is in just as bad a slump as Sosa with a .220 BA and .250 OBP in August. Where are the demands for him to retire? Where are the demands he get bumped down in the order? Where is the outrage? A bit hypocritical on some people's part.