oriolesfan23
02-02-2005, 06:56 PM
It looks like Tejada is also excited to play with Sammy Sosa. This is great. All of the Orioles players have nothing but good things to say about Sammy coming to Baltimore!!! :D
02/02/2005 6:38 PM ET
Sosa's arrival excites Tejada
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
MAZATLAN, Mexico -- After its much-publicized delay, the Dominican Republic's Aguilas arrived in time for their Caribbean Series opener on Wednesday afternoon.
But much of the talk was about a Dominican player not here in Mexico, Sammy Sosa, now a member of the Baltimore Orioles.
Miguel Tejada, one of Sosa's new teammates, certainly can't wait for Sosa's addition to the lineup. Tejada is coming off of a huge year in which he hit .311, hit 34 homers and drove in 150 runs, and he will be more than happy to share the load offensively with his new right fielder.
"I'm really excited. Sammy Sosa is the kind of player everybody wants to have on his team because of all the history he has," Tejada said. "He's one of the guys who broke the home run record. To me, it'll be a great honor to play on the same team as him."
The Orioles were an offensive juggernaut during the 2004 season, finishing third in the American League in batting average (.281), fourth in on-base percentage (.345) and sixth in runs scored (842). Obviously, Sosa's addition to the lineup should make it even more potent, though Tejada points out the O's will have to do a lot more than hit more to improve their standing in the AL East.
"I hope we're going to score a lot of runs," Tejada said. "But this game is not just about hitting. It's about pitching, too. We've got some young pitching and with all the hitting that we have, the pitchers will give a great effort to give us a good team."
It's not just those directly affected by Sosa's move east who have been watching this deal develop with interest. Veteran catcher Alberto Castillo knows his Aguilas teammate should enjoy having Sosa aboard.
"Tejada should be happy right now because it's going to be more productive for him," Castillo said. "Tejada's a big star and if Sammy Sosa goes there to help him, it will be a big prize for them.
"We talk [about the trade]. We say to Tejada now he should feel much better, you're going to be more comfortable. Now pitchers are going to pitch to you better."
In Castillo's eyes, this is a win-win move for both the Orioles and Sosa. He thinks the change will be good for Sosa, giving him a chance to win back some fans after some tumultuous times at the end of his stint in Chicago.
"Sammy Sosa is a big star," Castillo said. "Hopefully, everything that happened to Sosa in Chicago, he'll turn around and show people he has respect for the game so fans will know that Sammy Sosa is still Sammy Sosa."
02/02/2005 6:38 PM ET
Sosa's arrival excites Tejada
By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com
MAZATLAN, Mexico -- After its much-publicized delay, the Dominican Republic's Aguilas arrived in time for their Caribbean Series opener on Wednesday afternoon.
But much of the talk was about a Dominican player not here in Mexico, Sammy Sosa, now a member of the Baltimore Orioles.
Miguel Tejada, one of Sosa's new teammates, certainly can't wait for Sosa's addition to the lineup. Tejada is coming off of a huge year in which he hit .311, hit 34 homers and drove in 150 runs, and he will be more than happy to share the load offensively with his new right fielder.
"I'm really excited. Sammy Sosa is the kind of player everybody wants to have on his team because of all the history he has," Tejada said. "He's one of the guys who broke the home run record. To me, it'll be a great honor to play on the same team as him."
The Orioles were an offensive juggernaut during the 2004 season, finishing third in the American League in batting average (.281), fourth in on-base percentage (.345) and sixth in runs scored (842). Obviously, Sosa's addition to the lineup should make it even more potent, though Tejada points out the O's will have to do a lot more than hit more to improve their standing in the AL East.
"I hope we're going to score a lot of runs," Tejada said. "But this game is not just about hitting. It's about pitching, too. We've got some young pitching and with all the hitting that we have, the pitchers will give a great effort to give us a good team."
It's not just those directly affected by Sosa's move east who have been watching this deal develop with interest. Veteran catcher Alberto Castillo knows his Aguilas teammate should enjoy having Sosa aboard.
"Tejada should be happy right now because it's going to be more productive for him," Castillo said. "Tejada's a big star and if Sammy Sosa goes there to help him, it will be a big prize for them.
"We talk [about the trade]. We say to Tejada now he should feel much better, you're going to be more comfortable. Now pitchers are going to pitch to you better."
In Castillo's eyes, this is a win-win move for both the Orioles and Sosa. He thinks the change will be good for Sosa, giving him a chance to win back some fans after some tumultuous times at the end of his stint in Chicago.
"Sammy Sosa is a big star," Castillo said. "Hopefully, everything that happened to Sosa in Chicago, he'll turn around and show people he has respect for the game so fans will know that Sammy Sosa is still Sammy Sosa."