Sammy Sosa

Even when others were vocal in their criticism of Sammy Sosa—some calling him "Sammy So-So"—charging that he was more interested in personal statistics than being a team player, one man remained steadfast in his faith that Sosa had the stuff to make an all-round baseball star. That man was Ed Lynch, general manager/vice president of the Chicago Cubs. It was Lynch who engineered Sosa's lucrative four-year, $42.5 million contract extension in 1997. He didn't have to wait long to be proved right. The following year, Sosa tallied an incredible 66 home runs, powering the Cubs into the playoffs for the first time since 1989.

On September 20, 1998, as the Cubs celebrated Sosa's accomplishments in Wrigley Field, Lynch presented the Dominican superstar with several gifts, including a purple Chrysler Prowler. To Sosa, Lynch said: "I am proud and honored to have you as my friend. I don't think there's any way that we can properly show the depths of our appreciation and respect for all that you've accomplished in 1998 and throughout your entire career."

Lynch, who pitched in the major leagues for eight seasons from 1980 through 1987, was born in Brooklyn, New York, February 25, 1956. After studying at the University of Miami, he made his professional debut as a pitcher for the New York Mets in 1980. He was traded to the Cubs in 1986 and pitched in Chicago for most of 1986 and all of the 1987 season. He was brought on as general manager of the Cubs in October 1994 and resigned in July 1999 after five seasons in which the Cubs finished above .500 only twice.