Sammy Sosa Compares Himself to Jesus Christ in Response to PED Speculation

Seven-time All-Star Sammy Sosa remains steadfast in his assertion he never used performance-enhancing drugs during his MLB career.

In a Skype interview with Chuck Wasserstrom, who used to work in the Chicago Cubs' media relations department, the 48-year-old Sosa compared the speculation over his PED usage to the persecution of Jesus Christ: "Chuck, it's like Jesus Christ when he came to Jerusalem. Everybody thought Jesus Christ was a witch, and he was our savior. So if they talk [poop] about Jesus Christ, what about me? Are you kidding me?"

Sosa is among the sluggers synonymous with the "steroid era" in MLB. He finished his career with 609 home runs, 402 of which came after he turned 29. While Sosa had established himself as a competent power hitter before his historic 1998 campaign, that year kicked off a noticeable spike in his production:

Years	PA	HR	RBI	SLG	OPS	OPS+
1989-1997	4,374	207	642	.469	.777	107
1998-2007	4,792	402	1,025	.588	.960	145

The New York Times' Michael S. Schmidt reported in 2009 Sosa tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003.

The report came four years after Sosa testified in front of Congress that he had never used "illegal performance-enhancing drugs." The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform declined to pursue perjury charges against Sosa in 2010.

Like many others connected to the steroid era, Sosa will almost certainly be shut out of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He earned 38 votes on the 2017 ballot, which equaled 8.6 percent of the total ballots cast.

While Sosa will remain on the ballot in 2018, he has a steep mountain to climb to reach the 75 percent threshold.