Based on the coverage of Sammy Sosa’s long-awaited return to Wrigley Field yesterday, there are still a gamut of emotions and opinions on the slugger’s place in Cubs history and folklore.

I have no desire to relitigate his place in ML history nor if what he did warrants exclusion. Nothing he did or said this week will have changed my opinion on cheating or his place as a great teammate.

I almost understand that the media felt the need to interview Sammy and give him a friendly audience. I’ve never been a fan of “gotcha” interviews, nor do I find him an especially interesting guy partially because he’s never been the easiest guy for me to understand. The relaxed atmosphere of the Marquis Network booth might have been the best outlet though and he could offer spontaneous answers.

One of the reasons that I chose feature writing, or it chose me is the nature of the interview. I never gleaned any information in group settings, as part of a pack of beat reporters. I never had to share any of my terribly brilliant questions and thought processes with far more gifted writers.

And while I’m not losing sleep over this, I wonder if Sammy ever thought about coaching or mentoring ballplayers back in the Dominican or if he’s in contact with any current players. I had hoped one of the interviews had headed in this direction.

I know that thousands of Cub fans are happy he is back in good graces with the team and ownership-even if it doesn’t sit well with many others. Craig Counsell sort of skirted the big issue questions adroitly. “Sammy was a true entertainer and is a true entertainer. If you play a lot, you’re trying to succeed at the game and learn the intricacies of the game. But we’re also her to entertain. Sammy was great at that, he understood that and was phenomenal at it, I admire him for that.”

While Sosa did not orchestrate anything that happened at Wrigley yesterday, fans who actually watched him play (and not merely jumped on the recent bandwagon) might find it amusing that on an afternoon that was all about him, the Cubs lost in grand fashion.

It’s also funny that the reporter whose account I shared, said that it’s too bad that Sammy wasn’t part of the family when the Cubs won it all in 2016. I’d argue that he would have hijacked the story. If one remembers the role that former Cub greats played that season, they were never the story. Sammy may have been a great entertainer, but he was never keen on sharing the spotlight.