SOSA-RETURNABLES TRADE TALKS STALL!
Thursday, June 29, 2000

CHICAGO - The rumored trade that would send Chicago Cubs superstar Sammy Sosa to flop-pop kingpins the Returnables, which seemed like a done deal only a week ago, has now reached an impasse.

At issue are a number of financial and personnel concerns.

Some question whether or not a small market franchise like the Returnables can meet Sosa's demand for an $18 million per year contract extension, but Returnables GM Bobby James Lee-Ray denied such speculation. "With Sammy on board, we might even begin to ask for guarantees instead of accepting a handful of drink tickets and 20% of the door."

Insiders suggest the real issue may be with Sammy's role on Team Returnables. "They have legitimate concerns about Sammy's musical abilities," said one source, on the condition of anonymity. "I mean, they like his home run production, but can he play a major scale? The obvious solution is to just use him as the designated bassist, but Reggie Lee-Ray just signed a multi-year contract and has refused to wave his no-trade clause."