The Cubs Chronicle

Paul Sullivan directly confirms what has been obvious from the Chicago media coverage of Sammy Sosa for a few years now, in a story in Saturday’s Chicago Tribune (“Sosa’s ‘04 collapse biggest of them all,” 10/9/2004):

Dealing with Sammy Sosa has been an unenviable task for managers, teammates, reporters, media relations personnel and even parking lot attendants at Wrigley Field, at least the ones who refused to go fill his car up with gas when directed.

Over the last several years, Sosa’s rise to larger-than-life status has turned him into one of the most difficult athletes anyone should have to deal with. This is the same guy who in that glorious 1998 season came across as one of the most accommodating, media-friendly superstars in sports.

What happened?

Only Sosa knows the answer. But there’s little doubt he has burned his bridges in Chicago—with the team’s front office, with Cubs fans and with the local media. Sosa’s churlish attitude this year made him persona non grata with the Cubs’ media-relations department, the same people who helped build his image in ‘98 and covered for him during the corked-bat episode last year.

I’m surprised it’s come to this. It shouldn’t have, and I wish it hadn’t.