Around the Majors: Sosa's considering retirement

[baseball-encyclopedia]

1) According to ESPNdeportes.com, Sammy Sosa is considering retiring instead of accepting the Nationals offer.

YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
2003   34   25  .358  .553  .911  .631   6.80  .279  40  103    0  137  Cubs         
2004   35    5  .332  .517  .849  .529   5.93  .253  35   80    0  126  Cubs         
2005   36  -15  .295  .376  .671  .359   3.34  .221  14   45    1  102  Orioles      
CAR        338  .345  .537  .882  .606   6.44  .274 588 1575  234 2240 
LG AVG       0  .339  .422  .761  .500   5.04  .269 250 1093  171 
POS AVG    152  .348  .459  .807  .549   5.67  .276 325 1273  215

2) The Reds signed free agent 1B Scott Hatteberg to a 1 year, $750,000 contract.

YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
2003   33   -2  .342  .383  .725  .489   4.57  .253  12   61    0  147  A's          
2004   34    8  .367  .420  .787  .544   5.73  .284  15   82    0  152  A's          
2005   35  -19  .334  .343  .677  .354   3.63  .256   7   59    0  134  A's          
CAR         -5  .356  .403  .758  .493   5.05  .268  83  422    1 1023 
LG AVG       0  .337  .430  .767  .500   5.08  .269 108  454   58 
POS AVG      1  .339  .435  .774  .499   5.11  .264 123  490   19

3) Free agent P Shingo Takatsu returned to Japan and signed with the Yakult Swallows.

YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
2004 35   18   2.31   59   0   62.1   50  7.22  9.10   6   4  19   8   2  White Sox    
2005 36   -3   5.20   40   0   36.1   38  9.41 14.86   2   2   8   2   2  White Sox/Mets
CAREER    15   3.38   99   0   98.2   88  8.03 11.22   8   6  27  10   4 
LG AVG     0   4.53            98.2   70  6.37 12.97   6   6

4) According to the LA Times, the Angels have raised their offer to free agent P Jeff Weaver to 1 year plus 2 option years.

5) According to NY Newsday, the Orioles, Red Sox and Reds are interested in free agent RF Richard Hidalgo.

6) Today's birthdays--

SAL BANDO, AGE: 62
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1969   25   53  .400  .484  .885  .736   7.21  .281  31  113    1  162  A's          
1970   26   28  .407  .430  .837  .655   6.18  .263  20   75    6  155  A's          
1973   29   51  .375  .498  .873  .751   6.75  .287  29   98    4  162  A's          
CAR        212  .352  .408  .760  .597   5.09  .254 242 1039   75 2019 
LG AVG       0  .325  .380  .705  .500   4.23  .257 163  805  125 
POS AVG     -6  .324  .383  .706  .490   4.21  .254 178  838   92 

BILL BRADLEY, 1878-1954
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1902   24   42  .375  .515  .890  .695   8.16  .340  11   77   11  137  Indians      
1903   25   41  .348  .496  .844  .715   7.05  .313   6   68   21  136  Indians      
1904   26   23  .334  .409  .743  .632   5.40  .300   6   83   23  154  Indians      
CAR         63  .320  .376  .696  .545   4.76  .274  34  540  175 1387 
LG AVG       0  .319  .343  .662  .500   4.48  .262  24  549  200 
POS AVG    -49  .308  .337  .645  .472   4.18  .258  21  542  188 

FRITZ BUELOW, 1876-1933
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1901   25  -25  .269  .316  .585  .198   2.86  .225   2   29    2   70  Tigers       
1904   28  -23  .204  .176  .380  .125   1.35  .141   0   10    4   84  Tigers/Indians
1905   29  -19  .201  .212  .413  .155   1.54  .174   1   18    7   74  Indians      
CAR       -106  .239  .252  .490  .207   2.21  .192   6  112   20  430 
LG AVG       0  .320  .350  .670  .500   4.65  .265   7  160   54 
POS AVG    -57  .286  .301  .587  .358   3.33  .235   4  143   26 

HAL CHASE, 1883-1947
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1916   33   37  .363  .459  .822  .718   6.33  .339   4   82   22  142  Reds         
1918   35   10  .339  .417  .756  .633   5.26  .301   2   38    5   74  Reds         
CAR         54  .317  .379  .696  .536   4.61  .288  37  804  330 1697 
LG AVG       0  .320  .336  .656  .500   4.14  .259  26  612  248 
POS AVG     13  .319  .347  .666  .513   4.21  .265  28  706  243 

SCOTT DOHMANN, AGE: 28
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
2004 26    5   4.11   41   0   46     49  9.59 11.74   0   3   0   2   1  Rockies      
2005 27   -4   6.10   32   0   31     35 10.16 15.10   2   1   0   1   2  Rockies      
CAREER     1   4.91   73   0   77     84  9.82 13.09   2   4   0   3   3 
LG AVG     0   4.28            77     57  6.67 12.81   4   4 

EDDIE FOSTER, 1887-1937
YEAR  AGE RCAA   OBA  SLG   OPS   OWP    RC/G  AVG   HR  RBI   SB   G   TEAM
1913   26  -13  .309  .306  .615  .384   3.51  .247   1   41   22  106  Senators     
1919   32  -15  .314  .310  .623  .385   3.56  .264   0   26   20  120  Senators     
1923   36  -13  .241  .200  .441  .109   1.75  .180   0    4    0   27  Browns       
CAR        -64  .329  .326  .655  .461   3.99  .264   6  446  195 1500 
LG AVG       0  .339  .357  .696  .500   4.43  .269  31  600  190 
POS AVG    -71  .328  .339  .667  .457   4.02  .261  24  545  193 

DONNIE MOORE, 1954-89
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
1985 31   25   1.92   65   0  103     72  6.29  9.79   8   8  31  13   3  Angels       
CAREER    29   3.67  416   4  655    416  5.72 12.26  43  40  89  50  33 
LG AVG     0   3.85           655    392  5.39 12.29  37  37 

FRANK WILLIAMS, AGE: 48
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
1986 28   13   1.20   36   0   52.1   33  5.68 10.32   3   1   1   4   0  Giants       
1987 29   23   2.30   85   0  105.2   60  5.11 12.09   4   0   2   3   1  Reds         
CAREER    38   3.00  333   1  471.2  314  5.99 12.69  24  14   8  21  17 
LG AVG     0   3.75           471.2  300  5.73 12.13  26  26 

TODD WILLIAMS, AGE: 35
YEAR AGE RSAA  ERA     G  GS   IP    SO   SO/9 BR/9   W   L   SV  NW  NL  TEAM
2001 30    0   4.70   15   0   15.1   13  7.63 19.37   1   0   0   0   1  Yankees      
2004 33    7   2.87   29   0   31.1   13  3.73 11.49   2   0   0   1   1  Orioles      
2005 34    7   3.30   72   0   76.1   38  4.48 11.91   5   5   1   6   4  Orioles      
CAREER     7   3.90  151   0  161.1   83  4.63 13.39  10   8   1   8  10 
LG AVG     0   4.43           161.1  114  6.34 12.84   9   9

[wilkerson_rulz-06]

Sosa's not going to retire, he only needs 12 homers to reach that oh so important plateau.
I still hope he doesn't sign with us.

[trosmok]

Keeping the records safe

Can't say I'd blame you a bit, wilkerson_rulz, I toyed with the idea of the Cubs signing him to a one or two month deal, so he can reach that double ought milestone wearing northside blue. When I came to my senses, I thought better, and hope the Brewers, Cards or the low power Astros pick him up, just so my Cubs can beat him up. One thing is nearly certain, he won't strike out 403 more times in his career, leaving the lifetime mark for futility intact for Mr. Swinganamiss Reggie Jackson, for a long, long time.

[BristolBoy]

Dude only hit 14 in Baltimore last year, and he's on the decline. I fail to see how he's going to hit 12 anywhere, let alone in RFK.

[KCGHOST]

When it's over it's over. Time to hang'em up and pray the HoF voters get anymore sophisticated than they are.

[Ontarioguy]

What I find really amazing was how fast his decline has been. He's gone from being a force to an average player in one year.

[Lipsander]

I'm a huge Cubs fan. I've watched Sammy most of his whole career. After the steroids issue, he lost a big deal of weight. I really think Sammy's decline came due to this equation: Sammy - Steroids = Average Player

[Tigerfan1974]

Do the right thing Sammy, call it a career and hope for the Hall like Raffy will.


Should Sosa make the hall???

I say yes, despite the cork and 'roids. Raffy, maybe not so much, even though 3000 hits and 500 plus dingers.

[DodgerBlue8188]

He had a big drop from 35 homeruns to 14 but maybe he just had an off year? If you remember the Orioles started off strong and just went to the gutter. There could have been a lot of things going wrong in the clubhouse that could have effected his peformance. I'm not sure what the break down on his homeruns were. But it might reflect the poor second half the team had.

[Mattingly]

If he retires, what, pray tell, should I do? ...





^^ *hopes nobody notices it was me who posted that* ^^

[Tigerfan1974]

If he retires, what, pray tell, should I do? ...





^^ *hopes nobody notices it was me who posted that* ^^

ROFLMAO!!!

[Zito75]

Too funny. When you take away all the cheating, I guess he is just an average player. Good riddance, Sammy. :grouchy

[Evangelion]

Do the right thing Sammy, call it a career and hope for the Hall like Raffy will.

Raffy been caught taking steriods, Sosa hasn't. Big difference. There's just a speculation Sosa and many other players took steriods, but in the end, it's just speculation, not fact like Raffy's case.

Two words for Sammy.

Coors Field.

[The Big C]

I would sooner retire than play in RFK were I Sammy. The way he is going he might not crack double digits there, this coming from a guy who was and still is a huge Sosa fan.

[DownUnderDodger]

Maybe if someone offered him a corked bat as part of the contract