MLB ALL-STAR GAME

July 8, 2002

Sammy Sosa

SAMMY SOSA: She's doing great. Thank God everything went perfect. She got surgery already and she's home.

SAMMY SOSA: Right.

SAMMY SOSA: She fell and she had a glass in her hand and it caught her right thumb, but deeply. They got a couple of stitches, and then today they had surgery, so everything is perfect, thank God.

SAMMY SOSA: Well, after he took the job the first day, he come out as manager of our team. It was a little inconvenient but after that, everything went well. He was a great manager for me. He would do everything that he's supposed to do. Kind of surprised me when I heard the news. Really, was like it didn't happen; I don't know what was the reason why. Also, the team that we had was a great team. We was supposed to be 10 or 15 games out of first place before when we put our team together. So probably that was one of the reasons why. I feel bad for him. For me, he was a great guy. You know, things happen, and he called me, said goodbye to me before he left that day.

SAMMY SOSA: Well, I don't know the detail, but every game that we played, really, sometimes we lost by one or two run, and it's not because of the manager. It's not because of the pitching. Good pitching is going to stop good hitters. I think that was a decision that they had to make. The decision was made. Nothing else we can do about it. Got to move on.

SAMMY SOSA: I have great fun, to come here and have the opportunity to be with all of the other great players, and especially participate in the Home Run Derby tonight, it's going to be a thrill. I know I have a lot of people here from Chicago, which is only an hour and a half, two hours from Chicago. I hope that I can go out and put on a great show for the fans and all of my friends and all of my family that are here today.

SAMMY SOSA: I don't know. Let's find out. (Laughs).

SAMMY SOSA: No. He called me. He called me and he really spoke, I didn't have time to spend time together with the new manager. I think he knows the kind of player that I am. I don't think he needs that much of a report about me. Hopefully when we have a practice Thursday, I'm going to go to his office and sit down with him one-on-one and find out what they want me to do for the team.

SAMMY SOSA: No question. I'm very happy for Jim Hendry. He's been working so hard for that moment to come true. He's very happy. He's a great person to deal with. For him to become a GM is a great move for a lot of guys that was hoping he was the one that took the job. He's very happy, and he will do a great job down the road.

SAMMY SOSA: I don't know. I wish I had that answer. I really know that I'm here tonight and I'm going to go out there and do the best that I can.

SAMMY SOSA: Myself.

SAMMY SOSA: If it's meant to be for me to win, I'm going to win. Like I say, I haven't been swinging the bat for three days, three and a half days, but that's no big deal. Hopefully with a little bit of luck, I'll put on a show anyway. If I don't win, somebody will.

SAMMY SOSA: Benny. Benny Calajere (ph). I don't want to make another mistake. (Laughs). I've got my own pitching. I've got my own.

SAMMY SOSA: No question about it. We've got a great team, a great ballclub, a great group of guys. We need to put it together and pick it up a little bit more. I think that was a good break, now that we are going to have, and make sure that all of the players recharge their batteries and come back for the second half. We'll go out there and try to finish something that we start. It's kind of sad, talking about in spring training when we put this thing together, we said that everything will be -- by that time right now, we would be in first place. Always in spring training, no matter how good of a team, we still have to go out and show that we have a great team. Hopefully in the second half, everybody will go out there and pick it up and finish the way that we are supposed to be finishing.

SAMMY SOSA: Well, that's a great question. Everything that's going to happen is not in my hands. I think that what happened in Chicago or what they have on the table right now is something that they are going out there right now and trying to discuss what needs to be done. Hopefully they can come out with the right resource. From my side, if it's going to happen, I've got to go with the union. Whatever they decide to do, that's what we are going to do. I don't regret what's going to happen. Hopefully nothing happens. Hopefully we can come out to the conclusion that everybody will be happy, both sides.