FanHouse RobinVentura

From the Windup is FanHouse's extended look at a particular portion of America's pastime.

The Hall of Fame talk has begun to die down and baseball fans are starting to look forward to that oh-so-exciting date -- February 15th, when pitchers and catchers report -- but before we get there, let's look ahead at the players who will be eligible for enshrinement in Cooperstown for the first time in 2010.

A few days after complaining about the way Indians fans treat Jim Thome when he returns to Cleveland, Ozzie Guillen is asking White Sox fans to treat Sammy Sosa with respect when he and the Rangers come to US Cellular Field on Tuesday night.

''Sammy did a good thing for the city,'' Guillen said. ''I'm not going to say Sammy put the city back on the map, but he might have. Every time we wear a uniform, the Cubs or the White Sox, we represent Chicago. We don't represent the North Side, the South Side or the West Side. We represent the city.''

''Sammy do more good stuff in baseball than bad stuff, and we have to respect that. The Cubs should be proud of him. I'm not going to say they treat him bad, but a lot of people turn their back on him when he need it. Maybe that's his own fault.''

There's just one problem ,Oz, Sosa was a Cub. After White Sox favorites like Robin Ventura and Frank Thomas left via free agency, they were welcomed with open arms upon returning to the South Side. Hell, Frank Thomas was so touched by the standing ovation he received in his first game back as an Athletic, he hit two home runs.

Then he heard the boos.

But Sammy Sosa was hated by White Sox fans while he was still in Chicago, and he's going to be hated when he returns with the Rangers tonight. I say boo the hell out of him. Make him cry if you have to.

Anything else, and it just wouldn't seem right.


Previously at the Fanhouse:
Ozzie Guillen Stands Up For Booed Jim Thome
So Maybe Sammy Isn't A Messiah After All
Sammy Sosa Is A Lot Like Jesus