As the Cubs are "sifting through ... potential offers"
to trade Sammy Sosa, they are "weighing" Sosa's "monstrous
popularity and [his] impact on the Tribune Company's
television programming versus the potential rebuilding" of
the team, according to Peter Gammons of ESPN.com (6/17). In
DC, Richard Justice wrote that Sosa, who "almost surpassed"
Michael Jordan as "Chicago's most popular athlete," is
"almost certain to be traded in the next few days." But
"for all his popularity in Chicago, the Cubs long ago
realized their number one drawing card will always be
Wrigley Field, not any single player" (WASHINGTON POST,
6/18). CBS SportsLine's Scott Miller, on the implications
of the Cubs trading Sosa: "Fans are going to come [to
Wrigley Field] anyway. The Cubs could put Christina
Aguilera instead of Rick Aguilera as their closer, and it's
not going to affect attendance. People are still going to
come out, it's Wrigley Field" (FSN, 6/16).
WHO'S THE BOSS? In N.Y., Bob Raissman wrote that MSG
Network execs "must be having mixed emotions" about Sosa
"possibly joining" the Yankees. While MSG's Yankees ratings
"would get a nice bump in the short-term" if Sosa does join
the team, "there's also been a lot of talk" that his arrival
"would help cement George Steinbrenner's plan for his own"
RSN. Raissman adds, "Frankly, I'm not so sure all this talk
about Sosa's being such a valuable property for
[Steinbrenner's] network has any basis in fact. While a
player like Sosa may help ticket and merchandise sales, I'm
not sure he will have a long-term effect on TV ratings. The
last time I looked the Cubs' TV ratings were not going
through the roof" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/18). But in Chicago,
Dave Van Dyck wrote that signing Sosa "will never cost
[Steinbrenner] a dime," as he will "recover it all when he
does a new TV contract after the season, with Sosa's
baseball-wide popularity bringing in enough extra revenue to
pay the entire contract" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/18).
UNLOADING SAMMY MERCH: In Chicago, Carlos Sadovi
reports that since last Tuesday, when the "Sosa trade rumors
swirled," Earl Shaevitz, Owner of the Sports World
memorabilia shop, has been "running a clearance sale, trying
to unload everything that carries" Sosa's likeness or
number. Sosa has accounted for 25% of Shaevitz' business
over "the last few years" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/19).
