Summary
Sammy Sosa not only was a Chicago icon for 15 years, he dined with kings and presidents after electrifying and rejuvenating baseball with a home run barrage in 1998. Joining the White Sox in 1990 as a skinny prospect after a trade from Texas, a bulging Sosa was shipped out in disgrace by the Cubs following a 2004 season in which he left the final game early. But in between, Sosa was a towering figure, as popular at Wrigley Field as any player in history. Bleacher fans would respectfully salute him he sprinted to his position in right field and demand a curtain call after each home run, always followed by a heart tap, a kiss and gesture toward the heavens. Sosa became the first player to hit 60 home runs in...
Sammy Sosa not only was a Chicago icon for 15 years, he dined with kings and presidents after electrifying and rejuvenating baseball with a home run barrage in 1998. Joining the White Sox in 1990 as a skinny prospect after a trade from Texas, a bulging Sosa was shipped out in disgrace by the Cubs following a 2004 season in which he left the final game early. But in between, Sosa was a towering figure, as popular at Wrigley Field as any player in history. Bleacher fans would respectfully salute him he sprinted to his position in right field and demand a curtain call after each home run, always followed by a heart tap, a kiss and gesture toward the heavens. Sosa became the first player to hit 60 home runs in three different seasons, although he never led the league in any of them. In 1998, when he was MVP, he lost the historic home run battle to St. Louis' Mark McGwire (70-66) as both surpassed Roger Maris' record of 61 set in 1961. In 2001, he finished behind Barry Bonds, who broke McGwire's record with 73 homers. McGwire, Bonds and Sosa all are alleged to have used performance-enhancing substances during those homer-happy seasons. McGwire and Sosa were among the players who testified before a Senate committee investigating drugs in baseball and Sosa denied using them. In fact, he kept a bottle of Flintstone vitamins in his locker at Wrigley Field, smiling and pointing to them when allegations first surfaced. His career in Chicago began to spiral downward in 2003. He spent time on the disabled list that season and was hit in the head by a pitch that cracked his helmet. Then on June 3, Sosa was caught using a corked bat and suspended for seven games. Other bats he had given to the Hall of Fame were X-rayed but none was found to contain cork. In 2004, his last in Chicago, he also was on the disabled list after straining his back after sneezing while talking to reporters. He was dealt to Baltimore following the season after the Cubs claimed security cameras caught him leaving the season's last game early.
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Newsday's 100: The super elite Hall of Fame
When Goose Gossage is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame next Sunday, he'll become the 234th player so honored. Does he belong there? Well, 85.8 of the 543 voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America said he does in the most...Tags: Bob Lemon, Babe Ruth, Eddie Mathews, Barry Bonds, Buck Leonard
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Eric Karros made home videos of Cubs in 2003, but no one has seen them
Chicago Tribune reporterHOUSTON—They have been transferred to DVDs, placed in a safety deposit box and hidden from the outside world for the last five years. Former Cub Eric Karros' home movies of the '03 stretch run are a sports collector's dream, though they're...Tags: Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs, Lou Piniella, Aramis Ramirez, National League
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GAME OF THE DAY: Reds smack 7 HRs
CHICAGO - With the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field yesterday, David Ross and the Cincinnati Reds felt right at home. Ross hit two of Cincinnati's seven homers, a long-ball barrage that included Ken Griffey Jr.'s 605th, and the Reds avoided a sweep with...Tags: Ted Lilly, Michael Wuertz, Major League Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Baseball
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Home Run Derby: Past winners
2007 Vladimir Guerrero, L.A. (AL) 17 AT&T Park, San Fransico 2006 Ryan Howard, Phil. 23 PNC Park, Pittsburgh 2005 Bobby Abreu Phil. 41 Comerica Park, Detroit 2004 Miguel Tejada, Balt. 27 Minute Maid Park, Houston 2003 Garret Anderson, Ana. 22 U.S....Tags: Fenway Park, Bobby Abreu, Eric Davis, Luis Gonzalez, Garret Anderson
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Hamilton does everything but win Home Run Derby
mark.herrmann@newsday.comJosh Hamilton didn't quite call his shot. The Rangers outfielder mused in the afternoon about hitting the first fair ball out of Yankee Stadium, but he didn't come close to predicting how he would touch 'em all in the Home Run Derby. He didn't hit a ball...Tags: Albert Pujols, Philadelphia Phillies, Bobby Abreu, Drug Trafficking, Crimes
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Taking a look back, back, back at Home Run Derby
anthony.rieber@newsday.comThe All-Star Game Home Run Derby is such a staple of baseball's showcase event that it's hard to imagine that there was a time when it didn't exist. The current Derby - not to be confused with the one that was a TV show in 1959-61 and featured Hank...Tags: Addiction, Philadelphia Phillies, Eric Davis, Jim Rice, Ken Griffey
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Out loud with Kurt Busch
I'm a true Cubs fan. In 2003, when they made the run through the playoffs, I found my pocketbook getting a little slim. I was flying to all these games back and forth and still doing my schedule. I landed one time at 4 in the morning after one of those...Tags: Schools, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Jeff Gordon, Elementary Schools
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Steroid Summer? A decade later, the feats of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa just don't feel the same to many in and around baseball
Sentinel Staff WriterBig Mac and Slammin' Sammy. Ten years ago, they captivated a nation with an unprecedented combination of brute force, grace under pressure and sheer joy. For one glorious summer, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chased Roger Maris' single-season home run...Tags: Addiction, New York Yankees, Washington Post Company, Government, Babe Ruth
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Nolasco shuts down Padres
Sun-Sentinel.comThe 0-2 curve was so good, Ricky Nolasco hopped off the mound and took a couple of steps toward the dugout thinking he was out of the inning. When he wasn't fooling home plate umpire Ed Hickox Monday, Nolasco was keeping the Padres guessing. Behind a...Tags: Ryan Dempster, Greg Maddux, Dontrelle Willis, Basketball, San Diego Padres
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Morneau tops in derby
Josh Hamilton dreamed it. Now he's done it.
With a dazzling display of power Monday night, the Texas Rangers slugger hit a record 28 homers in the first round of the All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium before he was beaten out by Minnesota's Justin...Tags: Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Bobby Abreu, Alcohol Addiction, Major League Baseball
Jul 18, 2008
|Column| Newsday
Jul 20, 2008
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Jul 11, 2008
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Jul 12, 2008
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Jul 15, 2008
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Jul 14, 2008
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Jul 10, 2008
|Story| Chicago Tribune
Jul 13, 2008
|Story| Orlando Sentinel
Jul 7, 2008
|Story| South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Jul 15, 2008
|Story| Allentown Morning Call
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