Follow My Lead: Sammy Sosa's Path To Cooperstown Runs Through Mark McGwire

Confession is good for the soul, or so the tired sayings go.

If that's true, then Mark McGwire's soul is in slightly better shape today, after he publicly admitted steroid use throughout the 1990s, "including the 1998 season." McGwire got just over 23 percent of the vote in the recent Hall of Fame balloting, as the cloud of his alleged use of steroids hung over his head. 

If McGwire hopes for real absolution, he does not have it yet. Public opinion has warmed toward McGwire already, but he will not be embraced by Hall of Fame voters as easily. In his statement, McGwire insisted that he took the substances "for health use. There's no way I did this for any kind of strength use."

That may be true, but no one is buying it. Nor should they: the health benefits of steroids are far outweighed by the risks, and for a man with McGwire's physical strength, no responsible doctor would have prescribed a steroid regimen.

Despite this and other clear mitigation of McGwire's remorse, however, he gave his Cooperstown credentials a meaningful boost by coming forward. That opens a crucial question about a figure so closely tied to McGwire that the two are commonly painted with the same brush: Is Sammy Sosa now on the spot?

Sosa, who famously dueled McGwire in the great home run race of 1998, went on to hit 63 home runs in 1999 and 64 in 2001. He is the only player to register three seasons with 60 or more blasts. He also had four more seasons with 40 or more home runs, including 50 in 2000. 

Thus far, Sosa has been only speciously connected to steroid use. Public opinion, however, convicted him long ago, along with McGwire and Sosa's latter-day home-run rival, Barry Bonds. Sosa has been adamant in his denial of steroid use, but because he was careful (as was McGwire) not to do so before Congress in 2005, he still has wiggle room within which to operate.

Sosa could even top McGwire, so to speak, if he were willing and able to come forward with total humility. Sosa has certain advantages over McGwire to begin with, as he was (at one time, at least) the media darling of the baseball world. He also has 609 home runs to his credit, a hard figure to ignore regardless of circumstance.

Much will be revealed when McGwire's name appears again on Hall of Fame ballots next winter, and we all get to see just what kind of bump his admission lends.

In the meantime, however, Sosa should learn a valuable lesson from his one-time compatriot and colleague: you won't get forgiveness until you ask for it.