Bush got bum rap for Sosa deal

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Originally published 12:19 a.m., July 27, 2005, updated 12:00 a.m., July 27, 2005

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Politicians often try to be comedians, so it was no surprise that GOP presidential nominee George W. Bush responded with a one-liner in the fall of 2000 when asked his biggest mistake as an adult.

"Well, I signed off on that wonderful transaction, Sammy Sosa for Harold Baines ...," Bush said, undoubtedly drawing a laugh from his audience.

Down in Texas Rangers country, though, it's doubtful many folks were snickering. Sixteen years ago this week, on July29, 1989, the Rangers made one of the worst deals in baseball history when they sent two rookie "prospects" -- outfielder Sosa and left-hander Wilson Alvarez -- to Chicago for gimpy hitmeister Harold Baines. Other players were involved, but these were the principals.

Sosa wore a Rangers uniform for all of 43 days, and when he went to Chicago, it was as a skinny player for the White Sox, not the Cubs. He moved over to the North Side and Wrigley Field on March30, 1992, when the White Sox -- just as clueless as the Rangers had been -- sent him and pitcher Ken Patterson to the Cubs for outfielder George Bell. But again there were statistically extenuating circumstances. In 2 seasons with the South Siders, Sammy batted just .227 with 28 homers.

Though political adversaries like to cite the first Sosa trade as evidence that Bush lacks savvy, the president seems in the clear. For one thing, the unfortunate deal was cooked up by Rangers president Tom Schieffer, now U.S. ambassador to Japan, and general manager Tom Grieve. All Bush did, as the club's new managing general partner, was affix his "George W." to a piece of paper.

Nobody remembers that, of course, because neither Schieffer nor Grieve became president.

Sosa smacked his 586th home run last night, tying him for fifth on the all-time list with Frank Robinson, but there were no indications in 1989 that a future superstar was lurking in his uniform.

Sure he had potential, but so does every young player who makes it to the major leagues. Sosa played only 25 games for Texas during the first half of the 1989 season, batting .238 with one homer and three RBI. When the Rangers had a chance to get the sweet-swinging Baines, who ultimately collected 2,866 hits and batted .289 over 22 seasons with five clubs, it seemed a no-brainer.

Unfortunately, the Rangers were singed twice in the deal. Alvarez pitched a no-hitter against Baltimore on Aug.11, 1991, after a year in the minors and has a record of 102-91 and a creditable ERA of 3.95 as he winds down his career this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ironically, Baines played only 153 games over two seasons with the Rangers, batting .285 for the rest of 1989 and . 290 in '90 before being traded to Oakland. Always a line drive hitter, the St. Michaels, Md., native had just 16 homers in a Texas uniform.

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