06-05-2009, 12:47 PM
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->But first baseman Derrek Lee believes the Cubs organization should pay tribute to Sosa with a day in his honor after the retirement becomes official, as it did with Greg Maddux.
"I think he carried this franchise a long time," Lee said. "I think it would be fitting. Obviously he has had the [steroid] allegations against him, but nothing has been proven. I think you have to do something for him. "The guy was the franchise for a long time, put up Hall of Fame numbers, and put fans in the seats."
The Cubs have no current plans to honor Sosa. He left on a bad note after the 2004 season and was traded to Baltimore for Mike Fontenot and Jerry Hairston in 2005. Former Cubs President John McDonough ended the cold war between Sosa and the Cubs during spring training of '07, but Sosa went back to being an invisible man upon McDonough's exit, and he has had no recent contact with anyone in the organization. He didn't play last season.
Lee believes Sosa will be brought back to Wrigley to be honored, though he's not sure if it will occur while he's still around.
Should Sosa be elected to the Hall of Fame in spite of the suspicions?
"His numbers [say so]," Lee said. "Nothing has been proven. I don't think you can keep him out just on the assumption. I guess you have the corked bat stuff [from 2003], but that's all you have that's proven against him. I think if you look at the numbers, he's easily a Hall of Famer."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
From the Trib.
"I think he carried this franchise a long time," Lee said. "I think it would be fitting. Obviously he has had the [steroid] allegations against him, but nothing has been proven. I think you have to do something for him. "The guy was the franchise for a long time, put up Hall of Fame numbers, and put fans in the seats."
The Cubs have no current plans to honor Sosa. He left on a bad note after the 2004 season and was traded to Baltimore for Mike Fontenot and Jerry Hairston in 2005. Former Cubs President John McDonough ended the cold war between Sosa and the Cubs during spring training of '07, but Sosa went back to being an invisible man upon McDonough's exit, and he has had no recent contact with anyone in the organization. He didn't play last season.
Lee believes Sosa will be brought back to Wrigley to be honored, though he's not sure if it will occur while he's still around.
Should Sosa be elected to the Hall of Fame in spite of the suspicions?
"His numbers [say so]," Lee said. "Nothing has been proven. I don't think you can keep him out just on the assumption. I guess you have the corked bat stuff [from 2003], but that's all you have that's proven against him. I think if you look at the numbers, he's easily a Hall of Famer."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
From the Trib.