Cubs dock Sosa for Sunday’s tardy arrival, early departure
Sammy Sosa was fined $87,400 — one day’s salary — for arriving late to the Chicago Cubs’ regular-season finale at Wrigley Field and leaving the game early. The slugger’s agent said Thursday that Sosa most likely will file a grievance.
Sosa arrived 70 minutes before Sunday’s first pitch, and he apparently left 15 minutes after the game started without putting on his uniform, according to security cameras in the team’s parking lot at Wrigley Field. Sosa told the Chicago Sun-Times he was in the clubhouse until the seventh inning.
After hearing that manager Dusty Baker told reporters he wanted Sosa to be in top shape next season, an angry Sosa told the newspaper he was tired of Baker blaming him for the Cubs’ failures.
“It’s certainly inexcusable for him not be at the ballpark and not dressed with his teammates,” general manager Jim Hendry said.
Sosa’s agent, Adam Katz, called the fine too steep. Katz acknowledged Sosa made a mistake by not being in uniform, but said the entire matter has been overblown.
Bradley incident will be probed
Major League Baseball officials planned to review a clubhouse confrontation between Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley and a reporter he called an “Uncle Tom” after being asked about his treatment by St. Louis fans following his season-ending suspension.
The flare-up occurred in a clubhouse in Busch Stadium after batting practice Wednesday, a day after the Cardinals defeated the Dodgers 8-3 in the opener of their best-of-5 divisional series.
Bradley fielded a question from Los Angeles Times reporter Jason Reid regarding Cardinals’ fans actions Tuesday — Bradley’s first game since he was suspended by the league for the regular season’s final five games after a bottle-throwing tantrum during a win over Colorado in Los Angeles.
Bill Dwyre, the Times’ sports editor, said various reporters in the Dodgers clubhouse said Bradley didn’t like Reid’s question. According to eyewitnesses and Reid’s tape, Bradley said, “You’re an Uncle Tom. You’re a sellout.”
Reid, who is black, took offense and began yelling at Bradley, who also is black, Dwyre said.
Bradley claimed Reid kept pushing the issue.
“He was just one of those guys who wants to keep harping on it,” Bradley told Los Angeles’ KCBS-TV. “I told him what I felt about the situation and I told him how I felt about how he was choosing to handle it.”
Mariners VP Jongewaard bows out
Roger Jongewaard, Seattle Mariners vice president and special assistant to the general manager, is retiring after 19 years.
Jongewaard joined the Mariners in 1985 as scouting director. He served as vice president of scouting and player development from 1989-2003, and was part of drafting or acquiring Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Bret Boone, Mike Hampton, Jason Varitek and David Ortiz.
He said he has enjoyed his time in Seattle “but it’s time to move on.”
The Mariners also said that former general manager Woody Woodward would not return in 2005. Woodward had been working on special assignment for the organization for the last five years.
Woodward was Seattle’s general manager from 1988-1999.
Braves protest extended delay
The Atlanta Braves played Game 2 of their National League playoff series against Houston under protest.
The protest was announced following a long delay in the seventh inning, with Houston starter Roy Oswalt still in the game but trying to contain a Braves rally.
The delay came as the Astros claimed their bullpen phone was not working. The Braves protested the delay was only a means to get reliever Brad Lidge warmed up in the bullpen.
Clearing the bases
Jacob Cruz refused the Cincinnati Reds’ attempt to assign him outright to the minors leagues, opting to become a free agent. Cruz hit .224 overall with three homers and 28 RBIs. … The Philadelphia Phillies are wasting no time trying to replace fired manager Larry Bowa, setting up interviews with former managers Don Baylor, Charlie Manuel and Grady Little for next week. … The Chicago White Sox are optimistic Frank Thomas’ latest surgery will clear up chronic problems with his feet, but said the slugger faces a long, slow rehabilitation. Thomas had a bone graft and two screws inserted in his left ankle Wednesday. He’ll be in a cast for at least eight weeks and is expected to be out up to six months, including the start of spring training.