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player ready...This must be the curse of the Cubs.
The first time Sammy Sosa touched the ball in his debut Wednesday he made an error.
General Manager Larry Himes said earlier this week that the main reason he wanted Sosa in the trade for veteran slugger George Bell was to improve the Cubs` outfield defense. Sosa is known for his speed and having one of the best arms in baseball.
He got a chance to show off the arm in the sixth inning when catcher Rick Wilkins threw a ball into center trying to cut down Seattle`s Harold Reynolds, who was trying to steal second.
Reynolds kept going to third and Sosa would have had him except his throw was wild, allowing Reynolds to come home.
Seattle won 5-1 in what could be the last game in Arizona. The rains that delayed Wednesday`s game are expected to worsen Thursday and the Cubs have to be on a charter flight Thursday evening to get to Milwaukee in time for a Friday night exhibition game.
So-so debut: Aside from his uncharacteristic error, Sosa had an acceptable game, going 1 for 4 with a double. The first thing he did in camp was take hitting practice with Manager Jim Lefebvre on on the mound. Lefebvre threw Sosa 123 pitches in 20 minutes. Sosa sent seven out the park.
Numbers game: Sosa will wear George Bell`s old No. 11, while left-handed reliever Kenny Patterson, acquired in the same trade, will wear 34, the same number he had with the Sox.
Sliding: The loss to Seattle was the Cubs` fourth in a row and fifth in their last six games. They are 11-17 in Cactus League play, but the biggest loss would be a rainout Thursday followed by snow or cold-weather postponements in Milwaukee and Chicago this weekend. All three are real possibilities and could mean the Cubs would go into the season opener in Philadelphia Tuesday without having played another team in nearly a week.
Hot Grace: Mark Grace continues to tear up the Cactus League. He was 3 for 4 against Seattle Wednesday, lifting his spring batting average to .419 with nine RBIs.
Cold Ryno: On the other extreme is second-baseman Ryne Sandberg, who was 0 for 4 against Seattle, lowering his spring average to .206. Sandberg started the spring 5 for 14 after signing his new contract and is 8 for 49 since.