Nothing is more amusing than watching the Cubs lead in the
Central Division be tarnished by something as stupid as what Sammy Sosa did
this week. Why on earth would a guy that hits the ball 500 feet need to gain
an advantage of what amounts only to five to 10 feet? Sosa has not only
tarnished his accomplishments, he tarnished all the numbers that have been put
up around the league. If Sosa has been corking his bat, then there has to be
others. Right?
Baseball itself did not need this -- especially from its most marketable player. As it is, the offensive explosion of the last decade is attributed more to the small new ballparks, the lack of pitching depth, the juiced baseball and the juiced players. It is rarely mentioned of how the baseball player has revolutionized over the past 25 years.
Guys no longer play themselves into baseball shape during the spring. Baseball has turned into a year-round job. This has been the one positive from skyrocketing salaries -- multi-millions are out there, and the players work for them. Even if steroids are a part of the growing size and speed of the average major leaguer, the work still needs to be done in the cage and weight room for results to come.
It is impossible to believe that Sosa could not tell the difference between bats with a two ounce difference. Players are constantly inspecting their bats for the slightest nicks or splinters. Most players won't even let people look at their bats, to avoid any foul play or superstitious curse. The bat is an extension of the player's hands. Any difference in weight or aesthetics would be easily noticeable -- especially if you know that you have created a corked bat.
It is also impossible to believe that, if Sosa went 4-4 with three bombs on Tuesday, we wouldn't be praising him for heroism after recently coming back from an injury and taking a pitch in the ear. There is no way that anything about a corked bat comes out in the media if the bat doesn't break.
A question needs to be raised about cheating in baseball. Cheating is almost a tradition in baseball going back to its earliest days. Stealing signs, for example, is an art form and occurs on a daily basis.
There have been other Hall of Fame caliber players that have been busted for various reasons. Ty Cobb was notorious for sharpening his spikes, Don Sutton was caught for cutting baseballs, Gaylord Perry was busted for throwing spitballs and Joe Niekro was caught with an emery board in his pocket. None of this still, given the timing, reaches the magnitude of Sosa corking his bat. {INSERT_RELATED}
Sosa showed some of his true character in accepting responsibility with his trademark wink and smile. He stated that he corked bats to put on a show for the fans during BP, so it was not exactly his fault because he was just trying to promote the game and bring back the fans. He succeeded with that in the 1998 home run chase with Mark McGwire, but those home runs are now tainted. Dusty Baker also added to the circus by saying that he had never seen a corked bat in 40 years in the game and doesn't even know how to make one. People seem ready to give Sosa the benefit of the doubt, but Baker is beyond belief.
Sosa's other 76 bats were x-rayed by MLB to see if any others were corked. The problem with the results is that it would not be in baseball's interest to report that they have found other corked bats. MLB does want to kill its golden goose. Finding other corked bats would only make the problem worse and destroy any of Sosa's previous accomplishments. Baseball is already struggling -- there could be a thousand corked bats before they admitted Sosa's guilt.
Skip Bayless of the San Jose Mercury News has gone on the record numerous times writing that Sosa is the most phony player in the game. The champion smile in front of the cameras precedes his surly personality in the locker room. Passed domestic violence and fraud also mark his well-hidden past. This just adds another chapter in the lore of the Dominican Republic's national hero.
Sosa's blatant cheating not only diminishes his accomplishments but also those of other players. It attacks the integrity if the game is played and the records on which it is measured. Sosa is not the first one to cork his bat and he will not be the last. He is just the biggest star to ever get be caught doing something this dirty. The poster child for MLB marketing just gave the game another black eye to heal.
On second thought there has to be a way to blame Bud Selig for this, isn't there?
