Sosa Shows Some Versatility When Talking About Future

Sammy Sosa wants to stay in Chicago for the rest of his career.

Or through 2001.

Or maybe through only this year.

A day after telling the Chicago Cubs he would veto any trade attempt, the star outfielder gave various positions on his future.

“I want to stay in Chicago,” Sosa said Monday. “They’re beautiful fans. . . . They love baseball. I’m looking forward to staying in Chicago.”

A few minutes later, thinking about the contract extension he wants, his position shifted.

“If they don’t take care of me after this year is over, I’ll probably finish next year and go to another place,” Sosa said. “If they have a future with me, they’ll close the deal. If not, I’ll probably go to another place.”

Sosa, whose $42.5-million, four-year contract expires after the 2001 season, had wanted the Cubs to either give him a contract extension now or trade him.

After the collapse of trade talks with the New York Yankees, Sosa’s agents told Cub President Andy MacPhail on Sunday that their client would block any deals. As a 10-year veteran who’s been on the same club for the last five years, he has that right.

Sosa then would become eligible for free agency after the 2001 season.

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Manny Ramirez might need another week of rehabilitation with the triple-A Buffalo Bisons for a hamstring injury that has left him out of the Cleveland Indian lineup for more than a month.

“I think I need some more time,” the All-Star outfielder told the Buffalo News.

Ramirez said his pulled left hamstring is about 70%.

“I don’t want to rush. . . . I don’t know,” he said. “A week? It all depends. My leg is going to tell me when I’m ready.”

Ramirez, elected to Tuesday’s All-Star game, talked with the Buffalo News before leaving to attend the festivities in Atlanta even though he won’t play.

Ramirez has been out of the Indian lineup since May 30, and has been on rehab assignment with the Bisons since Thursday. In four games, all as a designated hitter, Ramirez has gone four for nine with three homers and five RBIs.

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Baseball owners scheduled a meeting for Friday in New York to receive a long-awaited report from their latest economic study committee.

The last independent report, issued in December 1992, concluded that a salary cap wasn’t needed but recommended the elimination of salary arbitration and lowering the service time needed for free agency to three years from six. It also recommended increased revenue sharing, which owners began in 1996, but some teams say even more is necessary.

Realignment is not scheduled to be brought to a vote, several owners said.

Also up for discussion is baseball’s national television contracts. Fox refused to triple its annual payment for broadcast rights to $345 million and NBC refused to triple its outlay to $240 million, throwing negotiations to the open market.