Sammy Sosa said in an interview with Chicago Magazine his number should be retired in the Chicago Cubs organization.

"That number should be untouchable because of the things that I did for that organization," Sosa said. "That right there shows me that they don't care about me and they don't want to have a good relationship with me.

"My numbers don't lie," Sosa continued. "Everything that I did was so big — my career was so good — that even if people want to scratch it from the board, it's not going to happen. Those numbers are going to stay there forever."

It is funny how Sosa's English only seems to work when he's trying to promote himself. Apparently, his English dictionary goes out the window when summoned to appear in court to answer questions regarding steroids.

In the interview, Sosa seems to also forget corking his bat in 2003, leaving a game early in 2004, being an awful teammate who would blast his music in the clubhouse, and the report that he was one of the 104 players who failed a drug test in 2003.

"I don't want to talk about that," Sosa said regarding the steroid report. "Let's talk about something else."

Needle got your tongue, Sammy?

And here I thought steroid users were supposed to hide from the spotlight.

Okay, nothing has been proven yet regarding Sosa and steroids, but anyone with eyes, and even some without, could see he wasn't just taking Flintstones vitamins, as he claimed.

Currently, Tyler Colvin is sporting the No. 21 for the Cubs and pitcher Jason Marquis had it before him.

From 1993 to 2004, Sosa hit 545 home runs for the Cubs and is one of only seven players with more than 600 career home runs. He is the only player in history to have three seasons of 60 or more home runs.

All this would mean something, if there wasn't a steroid cloud raining needles on all of his numbers.

Sorry, Sammy, you don't go from hitting 36 home runs to hitting 66 home runs, no matter what color Flintstone vitamins you're taking.

The Cubs traded Sosa in 2004 to the Baltimore Orioles after he left the final game of the 2004 season early, angering management and players. Sosa hit .221 with 14 home runs, 45 RBI, 84 strikeouts and a .295 OBP in 102 games with the Orioles in 2005 and ended up sitting out the 2006 season.

Sosa retired after hitting .252 with 21 home runs and 92 RBI for the Texas Rangers in 2007.

Strangely enough, every single offensive number for Sosa fell from 2001 on. People may lie, but numbers do not. 

Ernie Banks (14), Ron Santo (10), Ryne Sandberg (23), Greg Maddux (31), Billy Williams (26) and Fergie Jenkins (31) are the owners of the six current Cubs retired jerseys and I don't recall any of them expecting their numbers to be retired either, but rather being honored by the fact they were.

Until hell freezes over and the Hall of Fame comes knocking, Sosa won't stop talking. But someone tell Roger Clemens to remind him not to do his talking, no matter what language, in a courtroom.

Edihttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/442018-chicago-cubs-sammy-sosa-angry-no-21-is-not-retired-in-chicagoo

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In mid-July, Piniella had announced that this would be his final season in the big leagues, after 18 seasons as a player and 22 as a manager.

Third base coach Mike Quade will serve manager the rest of the Cubs' season.

This will be Quade's first managing gig in the majors as he has managed in the minor league systems of the Cubs, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.

According to the team, the rest of the coaching staff will stay for now.

Piniella made five trips to the World Series, winning three rings, but in Chicago he will be added to a list of managers who could not end the championship-less streak.

Piniella won Rookie of the Year in 1969 with the Royals, was traded to the New York Yankees in 1973 where he stayed until his retirement from playing in 1984. Piniella was in fact the Royals first batter in the history of the franchise, leading off the bottom of the first with a double.

And another first: With the Royals, Piniella was the first player in MLB to be thrown out at first, second, third and home in a single game.

He played 18 years, made one All-Star team, winning five AL East titles, four pennants and two World Series championships all with the Yankees, finishing as a career .291 hitter with 102 home runs, 766 RBI, 1,705 hits, 651 runs and an OBP of .333.

Piniella began coaching in 1986 with the Yankees and lasted three years, which included a job as the general manager. He then managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1990 to 1992, leading them to a World Series in his first season.

Piniella then took a job with the Seattle Mariners, where he won at least 90 games four times. Arguably his best team, the 2001 Mariners went 116-46, losing in the American League Championship Series to the Yankees. He also lost in the ALCS in 1995 and 2000 with the Mariners.

Piniella coached in Seattle until 2002 and made his way to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Tensions with ownership made Piniella stand down in September of 2005, which led him to the Chicago Cubs in 2006, agreeing to a three-year deal worth $10 million dollars with a $5 million option for a fourth.

He is 14th all-time in managerial wins.

Ironically, Piniella will retire after facing long-time Braves manager Bobby Cox, who is set to retire after this season as well.

General Manager Jim Hendry said a new coach would be hired before the end of the season a month ago, but now he hopes to have a manager before the organization meetings in late October or early November.

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And with the Cubs always looking for the big name rather than the right choice, it wouldn't surprise anyone if they were to get him as the skipper for 2011.

There is just one problem.

Girardi is one of the most overrated managers in all of baseball. He will not only cost the Cubs a pretty penny, but wins as well.

But he won manager of the year four years ago

He finished fourth in the division with a 78-84 overall record. Not only that, he left his bruises on a lot of young pitchers.

Scott Olson (Girardi year in italics)

2006 (22-year-old rookie a year after having an elbow injury) -180.2 IP, 4.04 era, 1.30 WHIP

2007 - 176.2 IP, 5.81 ERA, 1.76 WHIP
2008 - 201.2 IP, 4.20 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
2009 (Left shoulder surgery to end the season) - 62.2 IP, 6.03 ERA, 1.72 WHIP
2010 (Out in late May with left shoulder tightness) - 43 IP, 3.77 ERA, 1.37 WHIP

Josh Johnson (Girardi year in italics)

2006 (22-year-old rookie) - 157 IP, 3.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP

2007 (Tommy John Surgery) - 15.2 IP, 7.47 ERA, 2.43 WHIP
2008 (returns from Tommy John midseason) - 87.1 IP, 3.61 ERA, 1.35 WHIP
2009 - 209 IP, 3.23 ERA, 1.16 WHIP
2010 - 134.1 IP, 1.61 ERA, 0.97 WHIP

Ricky Nolasco (Girardi year in italics)

2006 (23-year-old rookie) - 140 IP, 4.82 ERA, 1.41 WHIP

2007 (out 75 days with right elbow inflammation) - 21.1 IP, 5.48 ERA, 1.64 WHIP
2008 - 212.1 IP, 3.52 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
2009 - 185 IP, 5.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP
2010 - 130.1 IP, 4.35 ERA, 1.24 WHIP

Anibal Sanchez (Girardi year in italics)

2006 (22-year-old rookie) - 114.1 IP, 2.83 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

2007 (shoulder problems during spring training, demoted to AAA on May 4, surgery to repair tear in his labrum June 21) - 30 IP, 4.80 ERA, 2.07 WHIP
2008 - (returns midseason) - 51. 2 IP, 5.57 ERA, 1.57 WHIP
2009 - 86 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.51 WHIP
2010 - 115.1 IP, 3.59 ERA, 1.44 WHIP

Dontrelle Willis (Girardi year in italics)

2003 (Rookie of the Year) - 160.2 IP, 3.30 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
2004 - 197 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
2005 - 236.1 IP, 2.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP

2006 (24 years old) -  223.1 IP, 3.87 ERA, 1.42 WHIP

2007 - 205.1 IP, 5.17 ERA, 1.60 WHIP
2008 - 24 IP, 9.38 ERA, 2.21 WHIP
2009 - 33.2 IP, 7.49 ERA, 1.93 WHIP
2010 - 65.2 IP, 5.62 ERA, 1.95 WHIP

As a Rookie of the Year winner on a World Series winner, Dontrelle Willis pitched 160.2 innings. 

If Willis was pitching 160.2 innings, then why were Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen, and Ricky Nolasco, as 22 and 23-year-olds, pitching more or around that same level on a team that was clearly not going to win the World Series?

Notice the setbacks and injuries each of these pitchers have had in their careers and in the case of Willis and Olsen, the essential endings of their careers after Girardi wham-bam-thank-you-ma'amed them in a quest to finish fourth in the division.

The Cubs need look no further than Kerry Wood or Mark Prior to know the effects of overworking pitchers under the age of 25.

Do you want to rebuild a team with young pitching via Giradi's managing tactics?

But he won a World Series

Is it hard to put together a lineup featuring Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, and Nick Swisher? 

Can you close your eyes and point?  You could literally be blind and make a good lineup out of that cast.

The New York Yankees went out and got Girardi not just the best talent in free agency, but in the game in the forms of Teixeira, CC Sabathia, and A.J. Burnett, while trading for Nick Swisher.

Yes, I'm sure it was hard putting up with the Alex Rodriguez mess, so Girardi put his thinking cap on and played Cody Ransom and Ramiro Pena? 

Really? 

The Yankees went 13-15 during that stint. 

I guess the Yankees forgot to buy Girardi a backup third baseman.

With all the problems that usually come with Alex Rodriguez, Girardi received a gift in the fact in 2009 Rodriguez stayed out of the spotlight and just played baseball. 

Is it really that hard to hand the ball to a healthy Sabathia, Burnett, and Andy Pettitte over and over again?  The only real decision Girardi had during the 2009 season he made a mess of, deciding between the fourth and fifth starter for the Yankees.

Girardi threw around Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, Phillip Hughes, Sergio Mitre, and Chad Gaudin when in reality, for the future of the Yankees, and for the best pitching staff, it clearly should have been Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. 

You do not give up on a 23-year-old like Phillip Hughes and stick him in the bullpen.  Yes, he did a fantastic job in the bullpen, but after starting 13 games three years previous in his rookie season, you give up on him after eight starts?

Seemed as though Girardi finally learned his lesson, starting Hughes in 2010 where he is 12-3 with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP and made the All-Star team, but beware of Girardi breaking his arm as he is on pace for 200 innings in his first year as an everyday starter. 

Hughes has never pitched more than 86 innings.

Chamberlain has never recovered with Girardi's managing as he's sporting a 5.95 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP in 42.1 innings out of the bullpen.

What did the Yankees do? Went out and got Girardi Javier Vazquez, since he couldn't handle the fourth and fifth spots.

Don't give Girardi credit for finally giving Brett Gardner playing time either. He was forced into that situation as the Yankees did not re-sign Hideki Matsui and traded Melky Cabrera for Vazquez.

Yankees made it easy for Giradi, however, by signing Curtis Granderson.

Best analyzing one can do when looking at the managing of Girardi is what he did two years ago with the New York Yankees.

What happened when the Yankees were hit with injuries to Jeter, Rodriguez, Posada, and the main horses for Girardi's pitching staff were Mike Mussina and Pettitte?  What happened when Girardi had to do some actual managing? 

The Yankees didn't make the playoffs for the first time since 1993, finishing with 89 wins.

In the last two seasons, he was given the perfect team under perfectly healthy circumstances and he will most likely finish with perfect results.

What managing did he actually have to do?

Girardi is just a finger that can point to the bullpen when Mariano Rivera needs to come to the rescue, and with one of the worst bullpens in baseball this season, he hasn't been pointing to the right guys. 

That finger, however, may have another ring on it soon thanks to the All-Star Team New York Yankees.

The Cubs shouldn't put money in his hand, however, for those purchased rings on his finger.

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On Monday, Zambrano apologized for his dugout tirade a month ago after the first inning versus the Chicago White Sox in which Zambrano felt runs were given up because of shaky defense. Gold Glover Derrek Lee took some of the heat, even though no one had a chance to catch Carlos Quentin's home run in the left field stands.

Zambrano has been on the restricted list following a three-game suspension after the outburst.

Zambrano additionally professed his love for Chicago and for the Chicago Cubs for helping him receive therapy in the interview.

The Cubs have heard it all before.

Zambrano claimed he was trying to "fire the team up." I'm not exactly sure how a man with a five-year, $91 million contract calling his team "horsesh*t" is really going to fire a team up, but that's just me. 

Zambrano sat down with ESPN, aka LeBron James Sportsnet, for what I'm assuming was titled "The Tantrum." He claimed, which Lee confirmed, that he texted Lee two days later apologizing for the incident.

I'm sure Lee took Zambrano's "Whaadup, D-LEE? Sorry bout dat yelling thang, LOL," very seriously.

Apparently phones are no longer used for speaking via voice to people or arranging a face-to-face of some kind.

Zambrano will have a chance to apologize to the rest of his Cubs teammates as he will return to the team Friday in Colorado. 

What Zambrano should really apologize for is completely destroying any trade value he had. In a year when the Cubs' window has closed on the Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Lee, and Zambrano era, and rebuilding must begin, any teams even somewhat interested in Zambrano will now have the upper hand.

Now teams know the Cubs want Zambrano out, and even though he is just 29 years old and has a career ERA of 3.58—never having had an ERA above 4.00 in a season, including last year when he had a 3.77 ERA with a 1.38 WHIP, striking out 152 batters in 169.1 innings pitched—teams will do nothing but low-ball the Cubs for him.

Teams can now argue that he is a headcase, he has a huge contract, he was moved to the bullpen this year, and the Cubs want him out.

When a team knows another team wants a player out, why would they give them a fair trade?

It's too late to apologize, Carlos.

The trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the Cubs tried to show other teams Zambrano could be a starter again. But yet another tantrum in the life of Carlos Zambrano has cost the Cubs.

With Roy Oswalt currently the best option as a starting pitcher for playoff teams, imagine if Zambrano had turned things around.

You think the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, White Sox, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, or Philadelphia Phillies couldn't have used him?

He's only 29 years old. If he only acted older than five, perhaps the Cubs could have gotten something for him.

Trading Zambrano has become just another "wait til next year" for the Chicago Cubs.

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Zambrano gave up four runs in the first inning, but as usual found someone else to blame.

The inning began with a Juan Pierre double just out of reach of Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee. Lee was drawn in by the chance Pierre could lay down a bunt and the bouncer down the line was clearly out of reach for the Gold Glove first baseman.

Zambrano then was able to get Omar Vizquel to pop out, so there was a man on second base with one out. Very feasible for a sane pitcher to get out of the inning.

Alex Rios then hit a ball down the third base line scoring Pierre, which Aramis Ramirez had no chance at getting. Zambrano begged to differ as he felt a guy who just came off the DL should be able to fly.

Paul Konerko hit a base hit and Carlos Quentin hit a ball that no one outside the bleachers had a chance at catching making it 4-0 White Sox after one.

Then this happened.

Lee's lips say exactly what most people have been wanting to say to Zambrano for years. 

Yet another water cooler hurt at the hands of a five-year-old trapped in an overpaid 29-year-old's body.

Pinella mentioned that Zambrano had words for Hendry in the tunnel. One would think he asked to be traded or something along the lines of not being able to handle the team anymore.

Either that or Zambrano felt Hendry should have caught Quentin's home run.

The Cubs are out of options.

They've been patient, hoping the talent would outweigh the immaturity.

The team has tried to move him to the pen, which I'm sure he'll use as reasoning for his current struggles, as a timeout chair to perhaps light a fire underneath him.

Forget about the bullpen, someone needs to find this immature waste of talent a playpen, so he can play with people his age.

The Cubs have to get rid of Zambrano someway, somehow. With the talent seemingly fading away, he brings nothing to the table, but someone who will throw his plate of food.

Drop him, trade him or replace him with a bag of balls because all he is right now is an expensive cry baby.

How about trading him for a new water cooler?

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It brought baseball fans to what seemed like a different decade or even a different century to see a day game with an organ playing and no flashy scoreboard or advertisements to divert the eyes of those of whom have no attention span.

Granted, the crowd still has cell phones to do that, but the field itself would have no part in helping take away from the experience of the old generation of baseball.

Now you have a giant Toyota sign above the left field bleachers, space underneath the right-field bleachers for corporate pregame events and flat screen televisions, in case the fans want to leave the beloved bleachers to watch a game as if they were sitting at home, Under Armour signs on the outfield walls, and $24,300-per-season ticket suites in left field.

The organ has been silenced for players to walk to the plate to whatever garbage is the flavor of the week.

And what classic statue do Cub fans get to see upon leaving the ballpark money has cheapened? A noodle with "You know you love it" for Kraft macaroni and cheese, which was recently put in.

Not cheesy in the least bit.

Perhaps if you mix it with the Chicago Bean , you could have a nice lunch.

Wrigley Field still has just 20 signs as opposed to Fenway's 67, but it certainly looks as though the field that promised never to grow up or give in to new trends is doing just that.

Next stop: The Ricketts family changes the name of the stadium.

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Rowengartner, or Rosenbagger/Gardenhoser as he likes to be called, played some outfield for the Pirates of the Little League, but has confidence he can make the switch to pitcher as new teammate Randy Wells has.

"I recently broke my doctor's nose doing a pitching motion, so I'm thinking I can pitch," Rowengartner said. "I'm hoping, like my testicles, I don't drop the ball."

Billy Heywood, 12-year-old manager of the Minnesota Twins, couldn't see any reasoning behind moving Zambrano to the bullpen. In his 12 years of memorizing lineups and claiming to know exactly what a manager should have done in situations, which is complete opinion, Heywood has never seen anything like this.

"I can't figure out any kind of strategy where this makes sense," Heywood said.

Heywood is currently still under investigation for ordering the pornographic film Night Nurses from Jersey numerous times on a Twins' road trip a season ago, along with benching the team's best player, Lou Collins, for dating his mom.

Roger Bomman, the "lucky charm" for the Los Angeles Angels, who can change the momentum of a game with a couple flaps of his arms, felt the Cubs would need much more than help from above to break their World Series curse with this management running things.

"What a stupid f@#%ing move that was," Bomman said. "The guy upstairs, along with his/her/its angels, hates the Cubs. They should look to Satan if they want help."

Bomman is under investigation for illegally supplying the Angels with steroids.

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How one comes to the conclusion that Zambrano is the weakest link of a starting rotation featuring Carlos Silva and Tom Gorzelanny is a question no baseball follower can answer.

Zambrano has made six straight Opening Day starts for the Chicago Cubs and has been the proclaimed ace of this staff for the same amount of years, but the one negative tattooed on his positive stuff is his mental capacity to accept even the tiniest of irritations.

What better way to get Zambrano's head on right than to demote him to the bullpen?

How about paying him $17.875 million for it?

What boggles the mind even further is the fact Zambrano seemed to be getting things together after his Opening Day debacle in which he gave up eight earned runs on six hits in 1.1 innings pitched.

Zambrano followed up Opening Day with a seven inning, nine strikeout performance giving up only three earned runs on six hits and two walks to get the win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Zambrano then had a mediocre outing, giving up three earned runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings of work against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Zambrano was able to bounce back last night against the New York Mets, giving up two earned runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out nine in six innings of work.

The Cubs decided to award Zambrano by giving him no offense and then sending him to the bullpen.

It isn't as if Zambrano is coming off three starts in which he gave up five or more runs, then proceeded to throw a temper tantrum.

Zambrano seemed to be turning things around and in true Cub management fashion, the team decided to completely screw it up.

There will be no chance at a turnaround now for the veteran, as he will sit in the bullpen awaiting the awkward question "Um, Carlos, would you please go back to the rotation because (insert either Silva or Gorzelanny) is awful (or hurt)?"

At which point Zambrano should smile and say, "Can you please bring me my paycheck and a plane ticket to another team?"

Have fun shopping a guy you publicly demoted to the bullpen, Cubs.

If you get him to pinch-hit a couple times, perhaps an AL team will take him as a DH and give you a bucket of balls for him.

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Sosa immediately denounced that this was an odd reaction to any of the "Flinstone vitamins" he took during his home run days.  

"I must first and foremost say my skin color is not due to the steroids I took for so many years," Sosa said.  "I was hoping as a white man, I'd have a better shot at the Hall of Fame."

After the comment, Sosa consulted his translator only to forget how to speak English all over again.  The only words he remembered were "Pepsi", "It's so real", and "Hall of Fame".

When asked if his Michael Jackson dedication meant he'd be pursuing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well, Sosa remembered English again and had this to say: 

"I think I deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even though I do not play my own instruments, write my lyrics, and I lipsync."

Sosa claimed with his new skin that he would be haunting both the baseball and Rock and Roll Hall of Fames until gaining entry to both.

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With all of the talks circulating around the injury woes that the Cubs have had, no one has brought up the fact that from these injuries, the most consistent Cubs' starter has been created. Out of nowhere, the best rookie pitcher in baseball, next to J.A. Happ, has spawned.

In 2008, Wells went 10-4 with a 4.08 ERA and had 102 strikeouts in 118.67 innings pitched at Triple-A Iowa. In 2009, however, before being called up, Wells was 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. 

Before starting against Milwaukee in early May for the injured Carlos Zambrano, the already 27-year-old Bellville, IL native had just four-and-a-third innings pitched under his belt for the Toronto Blue Jays. Those innings were all scoreless.  

Wells went on to pitch 11 more scoreless innings in his first two starts, although unable to pick up a win, for the Cubs.

While Wells continued to press on through the season, Cubs pitchers continued to go down. Two weeks after Zambrano hit the 15-day disabled list, Rich Harden was next to find himself on the disabled list. 

Eleven days after the Harden injury, Zambrano decided to be a true staff ace and leader and got suspended for a start after arguing a correct call, which the umpire was in perfect position to make.    

Cubs management literally had no choice but to keep Wells in the starting rotation with water coolers being beaten and Sean Marshall struggling. Cubs management tends to work well when they have fewer decisions to make.

Wells gave up eight runs in his first 38.67 innings pitched, striking out 31 and walking eight. 

In 15 games started this season, Wells has given up four earned runs in three starts, three earned runs in three starts, two earned runs in four starts, one earned run in two starts, and no earned runs in three starts. Only once this season has Wells given up more or the same runs as innings pitched, and that was against the Minnesota Twins.

Wells is currently 7-4 with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.

To put this in perspective, let's look at the first 15 starts of the two aces of the St. Louis Cardinals.  

In his first 15 starts (three innings more than Wells), Adam Wainwright had a 3.58 ERA.  In his first 15 starts (three-and-two-thirds innings more than Wells), Chris Carpenter had a 2.25 ERA. Wells falls nicely between both pitchers.

Before making his first career start, a fantasy baseball source had this to say about Wells:

"Wells is worth monitoring, but it's hard to imagine him making much of a fantasy splash once Zambrano returns. That is, unless he is lights-out against the Brewers, which would earn at least another start or two. He'd have to be equally effective in two more starts, and Sean Marshall would have to fail miserably in the meantime. That's a lot to ask for."

The Cubs asked for a lot from Wells and he gave them a big answer. Zambrano, Harden, Ryan Dempster, and Ted Lilly have all gone on the disabled list this year and Wells has been there to pick up the slack every time; he has been the savior of the 2009 season.

With his eight shutout innings against the Astros in his last start, Wells became the first Cubs rookie pitcher to win seven games since Kerry Wood. With no Dusty Baker around to ruin him, Wells could unexpectedly fill those shoes. 

Whether he can become only the second Cubs pitcher to win Rookie of the Year is yet to be seen.

Wells goes for his eighth win tonight against the Cincinnati Reds.