A house warming party

It is official that Sammy Sosa is no longer a Chicago Cub. For thirteen years he graced the friendly confines and he accomplished some great personal feats. He was the undisputed king of the locker room. Not only had he been there the longest, but he produced the most -- the highest numbers, the most publicity, the most tickets sold. It certainly went to his head. Remember when the Cubs off-loaded Mark Grace? There was always talk about the locker room feud between the two captains. And, there was the feud between Don Baylor and Sosa in 2000. The war of words between Sosa and Dusty Baker saw finally a Sosa defeat. To be sure, the Cubs made a choice for Baker over Sosa.

But I wonder what really awaits Sosa in Baltimore. Sosa said in his press conference that Camden Yards was "his new house." His old house was Wrigley Field and he really did own it. He decided what went on in there. He was the master of his domain. So, I can't figure out how much ownership he thinks he now has in Baltimore. He was sure to point out that Miguel Tejada was still the captain, that Camden Yards was still Tejada's "house."

If Sosa puts up big numbers, and there are reasons to believe that he could, can that ballpark survive joint ownership?