Just heard on the radio Sammy Sosa's dirty bat was discovered after a broken-bat foul ball. He was ejected immediately.

If this is true, it can't be the first time he's done it. Think this will affect his HOF eligibility?

A MAJOR scandal's a-brewing.

I just heard this a little while ago. Wow. Let's see what the excuse is...it wasn't my bat, it's someone else's, blah blah blah. This stuff is mind-boggling.

You are one of the premier hitters in all of baseball. Why violate the rules? I mean, why can't we just play the game the way it was intended. Not to say that nobody every cheats, I just wish they did not. Something so simple as a ball game should be kept simple.

WoW!! eek! Talk about shocking! It's a shame that all his goodness may be lost forever. :mad:

Spin control has already begun. Word on Baseball Tonight is that bat was just for warm-ups (for getting the fans riled up), and he just grabbed the wrong bat for the game.

Whatever.

I just heard his excuse is that the corked bats are used for, get this, home run derbys...

Oh, so I get it, he only cheats at the all-star games but NOT at in-season games (that matter)...Wow Sammy Sammy Sammy

What was with all the sentimental drivel during his address to the media? Just claim it was a mistake instead of going on and on and embarressing yourself!

CORRECTION:

Just heard Sammy' interview...Sammy mentioned nothing about home run derbies...I guess that New York sportscaster got something wrong...oh well

I didn't hear him say Home Run Derbies, but he did mention batting practice. He said hitting HR's pleases the fans that come out before the game.

Sosa will be vindicated if, and only if, all the other bats confiscated by MLB are cork-free. If he has a number of other corked bats, he'll be in major trouble.

hey all, got a question....i've been a major fan of baseball for a long time and have watched tons of games over the last 5-6 years and i have never heard that players cork the bat for "showing off" or whatever for the fans, etc....i want to give sammy the benefit, and do....but this gives me pause.

so...does this statement about the players all doing it for show for the fans and all hold any water? do these guys really do that?

I'm prepared to believe Sammy. If they find no other corked bats, I'll buy that he used a corked bat for BP. It's stupid, to be sure, and I don't think it even works, but I can buy that Sammy Sosa of all people wants to give a show to fans who come out to watch during the game.

My big concern is that big C that is rumored to be painted on the bat. If it is a reminder that thaty is the corked bat, why wouldn't he see it during his warm up regiment before his plate appearance? If it's not, how does he know which is the corked bat and how does he avoid using it all the time?

Still, lets not be too cynical guys, Sammy has proved himself to be a good guy for a decade now, lets not start dumping on him until all the facts are in.

What terrible luck Sammy must have. The one and only time he uses a corked bat he gets busted for it. Right.

I'm still amazed that one of the league's premier hitters felt the need to cheat in a game against the Devil Rays...

Its bad enough that he's pretty obviously used performance enhancing drugs. Now you do have to wonder how many times he went up to the plate with a corked bat \"accidentally\" in hand.

LOL SFHoya! How hard up must you be to need to cheat against the Rays?

I think it's a bad idea to use cork bats period. Even if he didn't mean to do it, (and I'd like to think so)now during home run derbies or any other kind of exhibition, everyone will wonder what kind of bat was used after a home run is hit. I feel sorry for the kids the most. They're probably very disappointed.

Hope they can iron this all out soon. :confused:

I heard this story on the radio this morning as well...I heard Sammy saying it was a mistake that he thought it was the bat he used during batting practice and the only thing I thought was why wouldn't you put the bat away after practice. You knew you were using a corked bat during practice, you must possess the smarts to go, oh this isn't allowed, I should put this away before I get caught. To me it tarnishes the whole image. If it was an honest mistake and he grabbed the wrong bat, it makes me wonder who put it there, how many players knew there were corked bats in use, and why no one thought to remove them. Sure Sammy was the unfortunate one to have to the bat crack on him, but it makes me wonder if that is what he and the others find unfortunate, that the bat was discovered, not that he was using a corked bat, but that he got caught. Someone, Sammy included, knew corked bats were in use at some point, and no one had the brains to remove them.

If it's true, as ESPN claimed, that corking only adds 1% distance, shouldn't that be taken into account? Should we just knock 5 homers off his lifetime total?

Sorry, this isn't gonna affect Sosa's HOF entry anymore than regularly throwing a spitter affected Gaylord Perry's.

I don't know what Sammy's fan/charity relations have been like, but is he "a good guy" just cuz he smiles for the camera -- a necessary part of earning millions in endorsements? Isn't that condescending?

I'm prepared to give Sammy the benefit of the doubt -- for now. As some of you guys have said before, he really has been one of the real good guys in MLB for so long now, it's hard for me not to give him the benefit of the doubt. But, again, the rest of his bats must be clean for me to totally believe him. If they are not, then that does tarnish him in my eyes, even if corking the bat doesn't really help him that much. I hope -- and honestly think -- that he will be cleared, but if he isn't, let him chase Hank Aaron with the Yankees for all I care.

Is someone willing to elaborate on what makes him "one of the good guys in MLB"? Is it because he sucks up to the media (in contrast to, say, Barry Bonds)? I find Sosa a bit phony -- Bonds may be a surly bastard (and I'm not excusing him) but at least we know it's the real Barry. Anyone else feel this way?

Yeah I don't think this will have any impact on his HOF qualifications. Not sure about the 1% stat though. If the increase were that small, why would he and others use these bats to smash homers during BP?

As for his charity work, I seem to rememeber Sosa had his own foundation at one point but that it came under quite a bit of scrutiny for having less of their donations actually go to the cause, but rather to overhead and employee salaries. Somebody feel free to elaborate or correct me if I'm mistaken.

Anyway, too bad this incident didn't happen this Saturday. That way Sosa could have been ejected for the corked bat and Clemens would have been denied another shot at 300 because he would have been ejected for throwing the bat back at Sosa!

George_vf -- Looks like Sosa's foundation was on the up-and-up. I remember he did some work on behalf of the Dominican Republic after the devestation of Hurricane Georges.

I think Sosa made a honest mistake. I don't know how they store the bats. Or even if they separate them somehow. But with all those bats in the rack it would seem easy for someone to misplace one. Maybe the batboy accidently put the practice bat in the wrong place.
I've heard they are going to suspend Sosa for 10 games. Is this still the plan? It seems a little harsh to me. Perhaps a more suitable punishment could be to suspend him for 3 games and make him laundre the jockstraps for the other 7 games. He won't make this mistake again anytime soon.

I am not sure I buy the line that Sammy grabbed the wrong bat. If your using it for Bp and that often then you know to put it where your not going to use it for a game, like in your locker. And Bp is to prepare you for a game, get you loose and warmed up. You think a hitter of sammys caliber takes BP so that all hes worried about is pleasing the crowd?? Come on someone like sammy works hard at his batting stroke and he uses every BP to the fullest to prepare for the game. I am sure he analyzes every aspect of his batting. This line about a BP bat doesnt hold any weight with me.

"Perhaps a more suitable punishment could be to suspend him for 3 games and make him laundre the jockstraps for the other 7 games. He won't make this mistake again anytime soon."

Well, if he's into jockstraps he might.

[ June 04, 2003, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: Torgauer ]

I'm willing to say, if the guy makes one mistake, let's not hang him out to dry so soon. But I have to join in with the crowd who's pretty skeptical about the excuse of accidentally grabbing the wrong bat. If the whole idea is that a cork bat is lighter so that you have more power to your swing, then wouldn't Sammy notice that the bat feels lighter when he's warming up on deck? Or does he not warm up on deck anymore and just goes right up and bats? Hmmm....

I do. Wasn't Sammy in trouble once for domestic violence?

The item I recall was when he was asked to make some appearance for charity and he or his "people" replied with a list of demands, like a huge appearance fee, transportation, etc. I think it was just after the year he and McGwire both passed the Maris mark. Since then I've felt that the private person didn't live up to the public persona (and I think the same of McGwire as well).

Okay, all of his other bats were checked and none of them were corked. Now, of course, he's whining about the media treating him like a criminal, and it hurts him as a man. Sheesh. Take your punishment like the man you claim to be.

Come on, the man made a mistake! He's a great hitter and he publicly apologized and asked for forgiveness.

I used to think he was a suck-up, but I realize part of that was an attempt to build up a fan base over here, because he was challenging a very popular superstar (McGwire), and it didn't help that Sosa is a black Latino immigrant who for a long time did not speak English well. Now he's beloved in Chicago--and elsewhere. And he can hit!

Also, now that he's shown a bit of super-star-itis (the three weeks off for that toe thing, etc.), I realize he's just like the rest of them--a real, complex human being.

(I kind of like his new goatteed look. He's gotten cuter since he got into trouble.)

[ June 04, 2003, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]

I don't buy the "I only use it for BP displays" argument at all. However, I think the fact that none of his other bats was found to be corked supports the contention that this was an isolated incident. But the "woe is me" and "I'm being persecuted" nonsense is just that - nonsense. If Sammy really wants to stand up like a man - as he says he does - he needs to drop the victim routine.

What I want to know is were x-rays really necessary? Or was that all for show in a CSI sort of way? Couldn't they just check the density and center of mass of the bats?

Archimedes would be disapointed.
I don't buy Sosa's story either. There is no reason to have a corked bat at all. Ever.

My second semi-random yet somewhat relevant thought is the totally different viewpoints on corking and steroids. When talking about steroids, MLB players play down the significance, they say that being strong doesn't help make contact with the ball blah blah blah. Duh, a corked bat won't help make contact with the ball either, that's not the point!
My point is (and I think I have one hiding somewhere around here) there is all this hubbub about a corked bat, yet with all the chatter and outright statements of former players that steriods are used... nothing.

An amusing array of quips on the subject:

\"Corky\" Sosa

Mitch Albon was on the Today show this morning, and admitted he had never heard of a player using a corked bat to impress fans during batting practice. His comment when something like "he could use a rocket launcher to send balls into the stadium from home, but the fans want to see him hit homers with his own power." Always thought that Albon was a smart guy - apparently he's also a smart ass!

I really don't know what to think - there have apparently been very few incidents with corked bats and they always result in a multi-game suspension. Hopefully, Sosa will take his suspension, "pay his debt to society(baseball)" and go on with his career - if nothing else happens, that shouldn't be too difficult.

Letterman's Top Ten Sammy Sosa Explanations:

10. My mind was clouded by the anabolic steroids.
9. Damn al Qaeda.
8. I may be a strong guy, but those bats is heavy.
7. I wanted to catch the premiere of "American Juniors" -- man, those kids can sing!
6. Hans Blix checked my bat for three months without finding any cork.
5. Wanted to do something to take the heat off my girlfriend, Martha Stewart.
4. Threat of rain necessitated a more buoyant bat.
3. If you hit home runs you get paid $20 million a year, dumb ass.
2. I was Punk'd.
1. Pete Rose bet me I wouldn't do it.

An interesting take from someone who's never liked Sosa:

Skip Bayless in the SJ Mercury

You'd think that if only 1 of his 70+ bats were corked that he would have some kind of distinguishing marks on it, else how would he know which bat to use for batting practice? And did Sammy ever tell anyone else about this bat, or did he keep it a secret (implying that he knew he was doing something 'bad')?

And who made this bat? Did Sammy make it himself or did someone make it for him? Did this person make only 1 corked bat? Has this person made corked bats for others?

Perhaps there should be random bat testing (like random drug testing in the Olympics).

Jay Leno made a hilarious joke about this last night --commenting on Sosa's explanation that he "picked up the wrong wood in the locker room" -- Leno said something like -- hey, I thought that was Mike Piazza's line.

An even more interesting and sage take, not by a media or "sports journalist" babbler, but by a former MLB player, the (in)famous Space Cadet and former pothead himself, Bill Lee (of the Boston Red Sucks no less):

Baseball's Greatest Hits

Spaceman's former teammate Dennis Eckersley said the same thing on last night's post-game show, that cheating -- sandpaper, pine tar, stealing signals, corked bats -- are a part of baseball. But you know that if you get caught at it, you'll be penalized.

Eck's other point: Hitters, especially high-profile guys, are careful about the bats they choose every time they go to the plate. Due to his recent troubles, Sosa felt like he needed an edge, and knew exactly which bat he had grabbed. Like Bayless says, Sosa cheated, got caught and lied about it.

So suck it up, Sammy, drop the role of self-righteous victim and take your medicine. And don't dare do it again.

Eckersley agrees, btw, that this single incident shouldn't affect Sosa's HOF opportunities.


[Btw, Eck will sit in for Jerry Remy as color analyst for this weekend's series in Milwaukee. Dennis Eckersley, still with the 70's haircut and still wicked cute.]

The penalty has come down: 8 game suspension. Sosa will appeal, will play this weekend ( no surprise) and will probably sit out starting next weekend.

~Adam

What a farce. What's to appeal? He did the "crime" for all to see. Mistake or no, and I doubt it was, there's nothing to appeal. They should have a rule that if an appeal isn't upheld a player should have an additional 3 or 4 games tacked on as a penalty.

Edited to add quotations around "crime" because poor poor Sammy is sooooooooooo sensitive. And on the radio this morning I heard a bit of a Jose "House Arrest" Canseco interview where he said Sosa was being treated so badly because of racism. The radio hosts decided that Jose was in a bad mood because his electronic monitoring bracelet was too tight on his leg!

[ June 06, 2003, 11:04 AM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

I saw the TV interview with Canseco playing the race card. Pedro Martinez is doing the same:

""If it was (Mark) McGwire, it would still be a big deal, but not like this," Martinez said. "We might be Latin and minorities, but we're not dumb. We see everything that happens."

If anything, I think Sammy is being treated the way he is because he's a superstar and not because he's a minority. Frankly, I think he's been treated quite well, as so many players have rallied to his aide. How many rallied behind Albert Belle?

And I still want to know who made the bat?! It didn't just magically appear. Why is nobody asking this question?!

And has Sosa ever explained when he got it or how long he's been using it... for practice?

So by Canseco's logic, if Pete Rose were a minority, he would have received what, a lethal injection? McGwire was pretty much raked over the coals during the whole andro-gate. I'm pretty sure he's white.

Canseco is just bitter because he feels he was "blackballed" from MLB. He wasn't blackballed; he just couldn't hit the little white ball anymore!

So Sammy decides to appeal. On what grounds? The entire world saw that he had a corked bat. Accept the penalty and move on. No. He decides to appeal simply so he can play in this historic series with the Yankee's (Go Guys!!!). Then after the series and before the issue goes to appeal he and the coach will retract the appeal and he'll accept his sentence. This action is done by every player who decides to appeal any suspension. The appeal and suspension really have no weight any more. What does Sammy think he is possibly going to come up with in terms of a case? Someone planted it? I have lost more respect for him trying to deflect the issue with this appeal. To me the man came off the disabled list and was not up to par in terms of hitting, and hoped that by using a corked bat he might be able to regain his edge. It backfired and he got caught. Bend over and take it. You screwed yourself and your team now pay the consequence. Show everyone this truly was an accident and take yourself out of this series. Say to everyone I made an honest mistake but I will pay the ultimate price and sit out of one of the historic series in Cubs history. Maybe that would just be too much of a "good guy in baseball" thing to do. This whole corked bat situation doesn't exactly keep the sheen on the whole "one of the good guy" images that I ever bought into. Sure his smile is charismatic, but that doesn't make him no Clinton. wink

San Jose Mercury News writer Skip Bayless (whose article slamming Sammy is linked in my previous post above) was on the radio here yesterday. He worked for the Chicago Tribune in the late '90s (the Trib owns the Cubs), and was there for the whole Sosa/McGwire home run rivalry. He considers Sosa one of the biggest phonies of all time. Among other things, he says that the "it was only to make the fans happy during batting practice" story is nonsense because the Cubs (when at home) take early BP -- before the fans are allowed in. He also says that Sosa speaks excellent English but goes into his "Chico Escuela" I-no-unnerstan-de-question routine when the cameras are on in order to play the role of humble put-upon immigrant. Those are quite some charges... anyone from Chicago care to
confirm or deny either one?

Also, our many Mark Grace fans here will be interested to hear that Bayless says the reason Grace went to Arizona was because he absolutely HATED Sosa and that one of them had to go, and so the Cubs decided it would be Grace.

I don't idolize people. I haven't since 1982 when The Clash, who I was convinced were going to smash the record industry and help insall a New Artist's Paradise toured football stadiums with one of the bands they'd derided as dinosaurs, The Who. As time goes on, I want to know less and less about the people I watch as musicians and athletes.

The press reaction to this has been hysterical, in both senses of the word. It was on the front page of the Los Angeles Times the other day; with all the shit going on in the world, THAT makes the front page? What nonsense. And, of course, when phrases like "America loses its innocence about one of its beloved sporting icons" I just want to hit things. If people have an idealized, romantic version of people who are making millions playing a game, then they're idiots. Grow up.

From the letters to the sports page in today's Los Angeles Times: Whoever Skip Usen is, *sniff* I love you man! *sniff*

[ June 07, 2003, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: Jim Allen ]

Jim Allen: I had the same reaction to the letter from Skip Usen & agree with you about the "lost innocence" take. Hasn't EVERYONE learned that heroes have feet of clay? And does anyone still place sports stars on pedestals? Other than media folks, I mean...

~Adam

[ June 07, 2003, 04:59 PM: Message edited by: Adam ]

I think the public at large still puts athletes on pedestals. However, they're also much more fickle. If an athlete doesn't handle a situation just right, the public is ready to tear them apart.

More pussy backing down by the Powers-That-Don't-Seem-To-Be in MLB as they reduced Shammy's punishment to 7 games. I don't care how many games he got, but that MLB backs down each and every f**king time somebody appeals. Stick to your guns, guys. After all, Shammy did say he'd take whatever punishment you doled out.

And ESPN.com reports that former President Bill Clinton is supporting Sammy:

As for Clinton's support, I'm figuring he wasn't clear on the definition of "corking one's bat". And Sammy sounds more and more paranoid with each interview. All this stuff about "My enemies...stabbing me in the back"-Who the f**k does he think he is Julius Caesar?

[ June 11, 2003, 02:29 PM: Message edited by: George_vikingfan ]

I'd like to know where all the righteous indignation was when Wilton Guerrero used a corked bat, when Albert Belle corked (all) his bats, when Billy Hatcher corked his bat. I read somewhere, and it certainly seems to me that when the guy's a massive jerk (like Belle,) that's just a jerk being a jerk, but when a guy is a nice guy (or puts up that front) he's torn apart. Jesus, the man made a mistake, he's apologized for it, and whether you believe his explanation or not, I don't care, but lay off. I for one don't believe his explanation fully, but I recognize that this happens, it's a part of the game. He got caught, and he's paying his penalty, it's over.

Yes, what is this lost innocence bullcrap? I mean, come on??? Ty Cobb was a stone-cold racist; Mickey Mantle was a drunk; Pete Rose gambled like there was no tomorrow; Steve Garvey, like many other ballplayers, was an adulterer; Ken Caminiti was caught smoking crack; Keith Hernandez was a cokehead; McGwire and many others used steroids; and on and on. The romantic nonsense really nauseates me--what freaking innocence? Isn't baseball the very sport that banned a whole RACE of ballplayers for nearly half a century?

That said, I think Sosa IS getting hammered way too much. Where was the outrage about Caminiti's crack use and steroid allegations? Yes, he was effectively out of baseball, but does anyone think he was the only one who was on crack? Or using recreational drugs of some sort? Or using steroids?

Also, the attacks on McGwire hardly dented his reputation NOR did they lead to suspensions of any sort. In fact, has the rule been changed yet on steroids?

I go back to saying that Sosa was trying to jumpstart his hitting. He made a mistake, punish him, and move on to the next outrage or scandal...or just be realistic and accept that players are human too.

[ June 11, 2003, 05:19 PM: Message edited by: fantomas ]