Sammy Sosa: The Tale Of A Fallen Baseball Hero

In 1998, America and the rest of the baseball world all watched together as veteran slugger Mark McGwire and up-and-coming superstar Sammy Sosa battled it out in a home-run race that would captivate the nation for six exciting months.

Not only did this intriguing race accomplish all of this, but it also helped put baseball back in in its place again, as America's national past-time. There were people following baseball who had never even cared to turn on a TV set to watch a game in their lives. It was a real turning point in sports. I was 10 years old when it happened, and to that time, it was my favorite thing about baseball, and like many other kids, I looked up to McGwire and Sosa, I saw them as heroes, legends, and baseball greats.

Then, came the corked-bat incident from Sosa. During a Cubs game in 2003, Sosa put a good swing on a pitch and suddenly his bat split into several pieces. The bat was confiscated and the umpires eventually ruled that the bat was corked. He was immediately ejected. It was almost like the entire baseball world who had adored and watched Sosa just 5 years earlier, took a deep breath.

I remember telling myself that it was just a corked bat and there was a chance that he just did it for that particular at-bat. Either way, it wasn't good for Sammy's reputation.

Next, came Mark McGwire's famous words when asked about his steroid usage in front of Congress in 2005. "I'm not here to talk about the past", he said. Now as a baseball  or a McGwire fan you can take then statement anyway you want. I take it as he took steroids and just wanted to forget about it, almost like he never cheated to get all of those glamorous and earth-shattering home-run records.

With McGwire, there was an overwhelming amount of suspicion and rumours linking "Big Mac" to steroids. It was there since the second he stepped off the baseball field for good in October of 2001.

However, with Slammin' Sammy, there was some suspicion about the former Cubs slugger "cheating" with steroids or human growth performance drugs. It was never really widespread suspicion with Sosa, but it was always there, due to the fact that more and more former and current baseball stars are being connected to steroids.

Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, and the list goes on and on, and might continue to in the future.

However out of all these names, no Sammy Sosa.

Not until this past Tuesday, when it was reported that Sosa had tested positive for growth-enhancing drugs in 2003. His home-run records tainted. His former teammates shocked and embarrassed. His followers will never look at him the same. His legacy forever tarnished.

I found it ironic that not the report stated that he tested positive for steroids in 2003, which was also the same year that he was caught with using an illegal corked bat. I guess Sammy didn't learn his lesson. He also lied about his steroid usage to Congress in 2005. Oops. Slammin' Sammy just slammed his way out of the Hall of Fame and out of the hearts of many people that he took on a magnificent ride just 10 short years ago.

The fall from grace for Sosa started in 2003 with the corked bad incident, and in 2005, he hit only 14 homers while hitting .221 with the Orioles. Prior to the 2008 season, Sosa reportedly told ESPN Deportes that Royals GM Dayton Moore was planning on signing him. Moore immediately denied the reports.

Wow, turned down by the Kansas City Royals. I am a Royals fan, so personally know how degrading that most have been for him. However, none of these events hold a candle to the news that broke earlier this week about Sosa's "cheating".

It's too bad that a guy that seemingly had a gift, and had certain intangible skills needed to play the game, had to cheat to accomplish his goals.

I can hear the jokes now, " Steroid Sammy", "SamRoids", he will be known as steroid user more than a solid major-leaguer.

The next question will be if Sosa will be elected in the Baseball Hall of Fame. If voters look at him like they have McGwire, he will have no chance. However, if voters look past his steroid usage, he could squeak in.

Best of luck Sammy, from a former fan of yours.