More on our old friend, Sammy Sosa
Well, I am writing this while I have ten other things to do, so rather than summarize the entire conducted by Pedro Gomez of ESPN, just read the Yahoo article below...
Of course, I cannot leave without offering some commentary.
Was Sosa a great player, yes. Not as one-dimensional as Mark McGwire, but nevertheless, a great player who brought unbridled joy to those in Chicago and throughout the nation, especially during the Home Run chase of '98. I particularly enjoyed when he felt the need to sprint out to the outfield to his position. I don't know how he was perceived in Chicago, but in Baltimore he did not do much to endear the fans, such as signing autographs or acknowledging their existence.
Do I think he did steroids? Maybe. We'll never know for sure, but he sure had one hell of a phyisque when he played. He hit 60 homers three times, although he had never hit more than 40 before his record-breaking feat, so I have no idea if his success could be attributed to the drugs or just skills developed over time.
Now, is he a Hall of Famer. Yes. Will steroids keep him out? I think time will only tell, and McGwire is the case study, and I think a lot will depend on what the Hall of Fame voters think. Sammy didn't come off as bad, but he having an interpreter was a very bad move.
I also remember when SI write Rick O'Reilly asked him point blank to take a drug test, and Sammy was less than open to doing so. Also, he declined an invitation to the Dominican Replublic team to play in the World Baseball Classic. Add to that he was so bad with the Orioles and such a divisive force that they chose to send him home rather than have him on the team for the rest of the year.
In the end, will he play in '07? One can never be sure, but most likely no, I think. I see him not getting an invite, and he'll just be another footnote in the history of the sport.
The only way he gets onto a roster is a through a spring invite or a minor league deal.
If that happens...
I'll see if I can get a video from my favorite place, Youtube.
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