Tuesday night I saw one of the more disturbing images I have ever seen on a baseball field. Each and every time it was replayed, I cringed and wondered if this player’s career would ever be the same?
This was not a bone-jarring collision between a shortstop and center fielder going after the same ball. This was not my favorite player Ken Griffey Jr. blowing out his hamstring merely rounding third base. Nor was it Roger Clemens plunking somebody with a 98 mph fastball in the back of the helmet.
This was the game’s great ambassador getting caught using a corked bat.
Tuesday night, in the first inning of the Cubs’ first inter-league game of the season, Sammy Sosa came to bat with runners in scoring position and only one out. He had been struggling mightily since returning from the disabled list, going 2-for-15 with just one RBI and eight strikeouts.
On a full count Sosa swung at an off-speed pitch. His bat split as the ball grounded weakly to the Tampa Bay second baseman, allowing Mark Grudzielanek to score.
Upon further inspection, it was found that Sosa had used a corked bat at the plate. He was immediately ejected and Grudzielanek’s run was taken off the scoreboard, as was Sosa’s RBI.
So what are we baseball fans to make of all this?
One of the greatest sluggers in the history of the game was caught cheating. A man with 505 home runs has been caught with a corked bat. The same man, who along with Mark McGwire brought fans back to the game of baseball during their chase for Roger Maris’ home run record in 1998, was ejected for using illegal lumber.
Does Sosa even have a reason to have a corked bat? I mean seriously, he’s huge. In a post game press conference, Sammy said he used it for batting practice and other hitting exhibitions, both here and in his home country of the Dominican Republic. He uses it to put on a “show,” and said he does it for the fans.
Sosa said he brought it to the plate by accident and that “it was a mistake” because it was mixed in with his regular game bats. No kidding it was a mistake. It is a mistake that might tarnish and void everything he has done is his career.
A poll on ESPN.com asked if Sosa’s reputation has been harmed as a result of this incident. Just an hour after it happened, with 13,000 fans logging in, 82 percent said yes. By yesterday morning, over 125,000 fans had already logged in – the most I’ve ever seen that quickly – and 74 percent said yes.
The beer-swilling, pessimistic fan will say “he’s probably been doing it for years,” and will always associate Sosa with this incident.
The jury is still out in my opinion. Major league officials took all of Sosa’s bats in the hope of finding out if any more of them are corked. To me, if they find no more of his bats are corked, he should be suspended seven games – the standard punishment for using a corked bat. There should be no further talk of Sosa being a cheater.
Sosa did address the media and apologized sincerely to teammates, fans and the game as soon as the Cubs won. He admitted his wrongdoing as he should have. He has done nothing but good things for the game up to this point. If he is cleared of having more illegal bats he should eventually be detached from the stigma of being a cheater.
In the mean time, say it ain’t so Sammy. Say it ain’t so.
Marty Homan is graduating in journalism next week. He hopes Sammy can return to being the superstar he really is soon. He also can be e-mailed and offered jobs at [email protected].
