Close to two thousand hits. Over one thousand runs batted-in. A lifetime
.278 hitter with a .349 on-base percentage. Seventh on the career list with
505 career home runs...and counting.
Who could forget the epic battle between Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa,
fighting for the title of homerun king on their way to breaking Roger Maris'
homerun record. Images of the two giants slugging it out, hugging and
congratulating each other fills my mind.
Or what better image than Sammy running across Wrigley Field with a flag
in hand, following the tragedies of September 11th.
But neither his careers statistics nor images of his illustrious past can
take centerstage over the current controversy regarding his use of a
corked bat.
Will corking tarnish Sosa's image and legacy?
Well, this is the scenerio: People will now question whether Sammy
cheated his way to 500-homerun club membership. Was this the only
time he has used a corked bat or is this the only time he was caught.
Personally, I'd like to give him the
benefit of the doubt. His team is
rallying behind him. ``In our society,
you're supposed to be innocent
until you're proven guilty,'' said former
Giants manager and current Cubs
manager Dusty Baker. But others in
the league have not been so kind.
``Unfortunately, it's a dirty mark,
when you consider all he's
accomplished,'' Yankees manager
Joe Torre said. ``It's really
unfortunate for the game.
Everybody's scratching their
heads right now. ... It's
embarrassing. He's too good
of a player. It's too bad.''
And that is where we stand. Sosa's new reputation as a cheater is
threating to take over his previous one, as one of the most dangerous
hitters in the game of baseball. And that is why it seems natural that
this incident will tarnish his image as well as his legacy. In reality, his
image has already been dealt a knockout blow and only time will tell
if he can recover. An ESPN Sportnation poll revealed that 60-65% of
people polled felt that Sammy use of a corked bat was not accidental.
And about 40% of those polled felt that 1-100 of his homeruns were
probably hit with the help of a corked bat. It is obvious that his image
has already taken a hit.
Regarding his legacy, it has also taken a hit although it too can experience
redemption. His future numbers will matter just as much, if not more, than
the ones preceding this controversy. If he can post solid numbers in the
post-controversy era, he may be able to redeem himself. But that is still
yet to be determined and only time will tell how we will view Sosa's legacy.
But from this point on, Sammy will have to deal with constant questioning
regarding his baseball past and constant scrutiny in his baseball future.
We'll see what happens, the jury is still out.
Link: Jerome Defends Sammy
- June 4, 2003
Pinolero
Jeromey