Sammy Sosa denied that there is a rift between him and Miguel Tejada, refuting comments made by bullpen catcher Elrod Hendricks. "In the time that I was there I respected everyone," Sosa told The Washington Post. "I'm hurt that someone would say that. I ask myself why someone would say I had a problem with Miguel? I've always respected him. I'm not a person that likes to create controversy. For [Hendricks] to say that I was the reason Miguel had problems this year is wrong." Hendricks said the two players had stopped speaking to each other and that it affected Tejada. "Sometimes there were days we didn't speak but that doesn't mean we're not friends," Sosa told the paper. "Sometimes in a long season you're just not in the mood to speak."