Great Sosa article by Mike Downey today

[pitchcs]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-070418downey,1,3972656.column?coll=cs-home-utility

 

Great article about Sosa today. As a Cub fan I lost a bit of respect for Sosa after the '05 season, but that's in the past.

 

I'm also confused as to why people hate Sosa, especially Sox fans. The only thing I can really think of is because they traded him to of all teams, the Cubs. He really was great for baseball and the city of Chicago. Not to mention he revolutionized the way we think of players from the Latin American countries. I had the chance to go to the DR and he truly was an icon there, they heard Chicago and it was "Sammy!"

 

He is a class act guy for the most part, giving millions to his home country. Sure he is full of himself but I probably would be too if I had 600 HR's, 3 60+ HR seasons and an MVP. That is just his nature.

 

The man is a beast and one of the greatest hitters I have ever seen. He is no Bonds, but does anybody really want to be?

[Schwarber Fan]

If I were to tell you before the season that on April 20th, Sammy would have more homers than Aramis, Lee, Soriano, and Jones combined, you'd call me crazy... or in the words of Skip Caray: "call for the men in the white coats".

[Soul]

Ooooh, the Sosa haters on this board are busily preparing their responses to this one.

[pitchcs]

Ooooh, the Sosa haters on this board are busily preparing their responses to this one.

 

That's fine. If someone wants to hate one of the two best players in this franchises history, it's their choice to do so.

[Magnetic Curses]

sammy needs to have his number on one of the foul poles, and soon.

[pitchcs]

sammy needs to have his number on one of the foul poles, and soon.

 

But they wouldn't do that before he retired, would they?

[soapy]

sammy needs to have his number on one of the foul poles, and soon.

 

But they wouldn't do that before he retired, would they?

 

Probably not, but it will be up there some day.

[Magnetic Curses]

sammy needs to have his number on one of the foul poles, and soon.

 

But they wouldn't do that before he retired, would they?

 

no, but soon after is what i meant. :D

[pitchcs]

sammy needs to have his number on one of the foul poles, and soon.

 

But they wouldn't do that before he retired, would they?

 

no, but soon after is what i meant. :D

 

Oh for sure...I think most people are already over his departure.

[jersey cubs fan]

sammy needs to have his number on one of the foul poles, and soon.

 

But they wouldn't do that before he retired, would they?

 

no, but soon after is what i meant. :D

 

Oh for sure...I think most people are already over his departure.

 

It's probably best that he came back to baseball, if only to delay the time when that question would become relavent. It'll give time for tempers to cool.

[soapy]

When all (or most) of the management people from 2005 are gone, I'm sure the reaching-out process will begin.

[KingCubsFan]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

[pitchcs]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

 

Because he is a pitcher and pitchers don't hit HR's. People who are only mediocre baseball fans (and by that I mean root for a team, know the game, but aren't completely in tune) only associate steoids with hitters.

[UK1679666180]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

 

He hasn't escaped suspicion at all, there have been plenty of questions about him.

[Wheelimus]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

 

He hasn't escaped suspicion at all, there have been plenty of questions about him.

 

That's what I was thinking. Hell, I'm sort of suspicious that his "partial season" thing is because of steroids. As in, for some reason his "cycle" forces him to not pitch until June so that he tests clean by then.

[NewUserName]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

 

He hasn't escaped suspicion at all, there have been plenty of questions about him.

 

 

The funny thing about Clemens is he is kind of a jerk also. He holds his team hostage the last couple of years with is he going to play or not? If he is going to play who for? If Bonds or Sosa was doing this kind of stuff could you imagine the disdain they would be getting from fans and ESPN. Somehow with Clemens its ok.

 

As for White Sox fans hating Sosa, they are just bitter baseball fans for some reason. Even in winning the WS they still have serious North Side envy. Sosa was the face of North Side baseball for over ten years. Couple that with steriod suspicion and cork bat usage they feel justified in their disdain. Somehow they overlook the fact that their DH and RF probably have just as much evidence for steriod use as Sammy.

[Elrhino]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

 

He hasn't escaped suspicion at all, there have been plenty of questions about him.

 

Maybe its talked about, but no where near the degree of Sammy and the other hitters. Do you hear any conversation that Clemon's shouldn't be a first ballot Hall of Famer based on the speculation that he could have used steroids? I don't.

 

Also, I'm not sure that its a matter of pitchers vs. catchers either. The writer gave the example of Piazza, and he's definitely got some red flags. You're talking about a guy who went from a 62nd round draft pick to the greatest hitting catcher of all time. Then he came out and publicly opposed steroid testing for MLB players, comparing it steroid testing chess players. Then he coincidentally showed up much smaller for the 2003 season, attributing it to his new non-red meat diet and his new age health guru. Yet, I don't think the steroids issue will even be brought up when he's up for the Hall of Fame. I think its just a matter that he happened to fly under the radar because he didn't put up a monster 55+ home run season like McGuire, Sammy or Bonds did.

[UK1679666180]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

 

He hasn't escaped suspicion at all, there have been plenty of questions about him.

 

Maybe its talked about, but no where near the degree of Sammy and the other hitters. Do you hear any conversation that Clemon's shouldn't be a first ballot Hall of Famer based on the speculation that he could have used steroids? I don't.

 

 

Sure production as well as massive size increases will focus attention on Sosa moreso than Piazza, his draft slot doesn't matter either way, you can throw Marcus Giles and every low pick that made it under that bus.

 

With Clemens, his workout program is well noted but I don't think his body mimics that program (espec. his rear end).

[Backtobanks]

The bottom line is that there are probably so many users of steroids or HGH that it wouldn't be fair to single out anyone unless there was positive test results. When you look at some of the minor league players that were found, they weren't all big, muscular players and more than a few were pitchers. Call it the "Steroid Era" or whatever you want, but when you look at the numbers, players like Bonds and Sosa certainly belong in the HOF. Do you realize that blackballing the "suspected" steroid users could result in a Hall of Fame without the all-time HR leader, the single-season HR record holder, the only 4 guys who hit more than 60 HRs in a season, along with the all-time hits leader. Throw Clemens into the mix and you have excluded one of the top 2-3 right-handed pitchers in history.

[pitchcs]

The bottom line is that there are probably so many users of steroids or HGH that it wouldn't be fair to single out anyone unless there was positive test results. When you look at some of the minor league players that were found, they weren't all big, muscular players and more than a few were pitchers. Call it the "Steroid Era" or whatever you want, but when you look at the numbers, players like Bonds and Sosa certainly belong in the HOF. Do you realize that blackballing the "suspected" steroid users could result in a Hall of Fame without the all-time HR leader, the single-season HR record holder, the only 4 guys who hit more than 60 HRs in a season, along with the all-time hits leader. Throw Clemens into the mix and you have excluded one of the top 2-3 right-handed pitchers in history.

 

Yeah, a person's size is definitely overvalued when talking about steroids IMO.

[jiml60]

He makes a good point about Clemens. I don't know he's been able to escape suspicion for so long. Most of baseball thought he was done about 10 years ago, and then he proceeds to become an all-time great with great seasons in his late 30's.

 

He hasn't escaped suspicion at all, there have been plenty of questions about him.

 

 

The funny thing about Clemens is he is kind of a jerk also. He holds his team hostage the last couple of years with is he going to play or not? If he is going to play who for? If Bonds or Sosa was doing this kind of stuff could you imagine the disdain they would be getting from fans and ESPN. Somehow with Clemens its ok.

 

As for White Sox fans hating Sosa, they are just bitter baseball fans for some reason. Even in winning the WS they still have serious North Side envy. Sosa was the face of North Side baseball for over ten years. Couple that with steriod suspicion and cork bat usage they feel justified in their disdain. Somehow they overlook the fact that their DH and RF probably have just as much evidence for steriod use as Sammy.

 

Not only that but racism plays a factor in Sox fans hatred of Sammy. Especially from the white south side neighborhoods and suburbs. Most of the same people hating on Sammy would hate Frank Thomas also.

[dakuda]

Not only that but racism plays a factor in Sox fans hatred of Sammy. Especially from the white south side neighborhoods and suburbs. Most of the same people hating on Sammy would hate Frank Thomas also.

 

I have been reading this board a long time. That being said, this is probably one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever read here. Actually, here or on any of many other baseball boards I read.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

That was a great article about Sammy.

[NewUserName]

Not only that but racism plays a factor in Sox fans hatred of Sammy. Especially from the white south side neighborhoods and suburbs. Most of the same people hating on Sammy would hate Frank Thomas also.

 

I have been reading this board a long time. That being said, this is probably one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever read here. Actually, here or on any of many other baseball boards I read.

 

Yeah I really didnt want to even respond to this comment. I don't live in the Chicago area so I really dont know if there is a lot of racism in the South side and suburbs. I think most Sox fans just equate Sammy to the Cubs and hate him because of their Cub envy.

[Wilson A2000]

Downey made it seem like Sammy didn't forget how to understand and speak English on Capitol Hill