HOF or not: Sammy Sosa
June 21st, 2007
Sammy Sosa jacked career home run No. 600 last night, and the response from baseball fans can only be described as apathetic. Here’s a feat that’s only been accomplished five times in baseball history, and yet nobody seems to care. Of course, there’s a reason for that, as I’m sure most people are pretty convinced that Sammy’s a juicer. He’s most definitely a bat corker.
Sosa has a career .273 batting average, with 2,361 hits, 1,628 RBIs and 234 SB. He’s a seven-time All-Star and won the MVP in 1998.
Sammy Sosa: HOF or not?
Discussed previously:
Tommy John
Jim Rice
Curt Schilling
Gary Sheffield
Jeff Bagwell
Mike Mussina
Pedro Martinez
Jim Edmonds
Fred McGriff
Juan Gonzalez
No. Other than home runs, his batting stats are on the low end, and the home run numbers are highly questionable due to the corking incident.
He’ll get in. Don’t know if that’s right or wrong. I mean, 600 runs is pretty noteworthy. And his role in that roid-infused ‘98 home run race with McGuire sure was significant to bringing fans back to baseball. (We weren’t alert to the steroids then).
But, yeah, there’s the corked bat and the steroids and the lack of other stats….
I think if he has a decent year this year and next, to shed some of the steroid stigma off, I would not have problem with him being in the HOF. This is the subjective part of voting, I wouldn’t vote for Bonds w/o the steroid controversy just because he’s a jerk, Sosa has not been, so he would get more forgiveness when it comes to HOF voting, if I could vote.
One thing I’ve always loved about Sammy is that when I watched him play (for the Cubs), he always seemed to be enjoying the game. So many players act as if it’s such a grind, that it’s just killing them to be out there (for some reason, Ken Griffey Jr. always seemed to fall into this category — though I’ve actually started to like Junior over the past year or so, I guess because he’s getting “old”).
Still, how INCREDIBLY STUPID of Sammy to use a corked bat! And his “I only use it during BP” was an equally stupid “defense.” As for the alleged steroid use: Again, this problem puts a taint on every player that’s suspected of using (or is known to have used) steroids, as well as on the game itself.
Alex, regarding the “We weren’t alert to the steroids then” (during the Sosa-McGwire home run race) statement: The whole world knew McGwire was using androstenedione. As much as I enjoyed watching Mac and Sammy slug it out, I knew that at least one of them was using steroids.
Back to the topic: 600 home runs IS a noteworthy statistic, but, truthfully, Sammy always seemed like a strikeout waiting to happen, too. He and McGwire truly did have an impact on the game, though, so maybe they should both be in there. I know, I know, it’s all tainted and what-not, but when we look back on the Summer of 1998, what are we going to remember? A very noteworthy “competition” between those two sluggers. Definitely memorable. Who knows.
I think he will get in. Based mostly on the home run race with Mcguire. That was a big part in getting baseball back on track with america. I do feel though that he will have a mark beside his name due to the corked bat and steriod issues.
*Cough*Cough* -Corky- *Cough*Cough*
Sure, the home run chase in ‘98 was memorable, but one memorable season doesn’t make you a Hall of Famer. Just ask Roger Maris. It’s about having outstanding numbers over the course of a long career.
Cheating questions aside, 600 home runs is outstanding. Three years of at least 60 home runs is outstanding. Throw in two 30-30 years, nothing to scoff at. In the end Sosa’s hits, avg. and RBI will probably be about the same as Tony Perez. Unfortunately, with medical technology always improving, eventually pretty much all athletic achievement will be suspect.
He’s in the Pepsi commercial HOF for sure.
I am not in favor or retrospectively applying morals to any situation - So I think on stats alone he is in -
He does have some decent hitting statistics, he will come close to finishing with 2500 hits or so, avg around .270 and could come close to 1900 rbis, thats better that more hall of famers than you would think -
As for the one memorable season — In a 10 year span noone have ever hit more Hr’s than Sammy
The problem is that “stats alone” isn’t the standard. The Hall of Fame’s own rules say that a player’s integrity, sportsmanship, and character should be a factor in their selection. That means the bat corking and the juicing allegations are in play.
Yet Ty Cobb was a charter member.
Cobb was an enormous jerk. How many corked bats did they catch him with?
Ty Cobb was a bigot
Mickey Mantle was a drunk
Babe Ruth was a womanizer
Gaylord Perry admitted to doctoring balls
Ill give you the bat incident, but I am not sure that I can let “allegations” - especially decade old ones -Keep me for saying someone is in — Until someone says definitivly X player did it - You cant throw around accusations —
Where was everyone beating there steroid drums then? Granted I think that they are awful, especially because I saw it filter into high school ball when I was playing, but who didnt have some idea back then?
Di, you have to be kidding me?! The “Kid” seemed liked he wasn’t having fun playing baseball? Clearly there have been periods in his career were he wasn’t having a lot of fun, but spending extensive time on the DL for seven years would strain any player. Before McGwire and Sosa broke the 61 mark most people had their money on Jr. I admit that he could be less than enthusiastic with the media during that time, but I’ve never heard anyone say that Junior looked grumpy playing baseball - except for Jim Rome.
Oh, and yeah, Sosa will be in the HOF. Steriods will cloud nearly every homerun hitter from this generation - except for Junior Griffey!
I would argue that Cobb, Mantle, and Ruth are in a different category than Perry and Sosa. In my book, overwhelming career stats can offset the fact that the player was a jerk. They don’t offset cheating.
Perry was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1991, is there different levels of cheating?
I would not have voted for Perry.
In. Hitting a Big Fly with any kind of bat (corked, ash, maple) is a lot of work. Not to mention 600 of them!
Anyone who attended a game at Wrigley from 1998-2004 knows that Sammy kept baseball alive almost single-handedly on the Northside here. He was an exciting and enthusiastic player and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame (knuckle-headed decisions notwithstanding).
Travis: OK, maybe Griffey Jr. didn’t exactly look “grumpy” whilst playing ball, but I saw him play a couple of games in St. Louis over the last 3 or 4 years, and he definitely looked like he was not enjoying his time in center field. (He did appear to be having fun when he hit No. 500, though!) And, true, some of his not appearing to be having fun seemed to come across when he was being interviewed — so, perhaps it actually did have something to do with certain members of the media.
Like I said, though, I have begun to appreciate Junior in the last couple of seasons. And I’ve always thought he has one of the best swings ever!
: )
* Giggling over Luke H.’s “any kind of bat (corked, ash, maple)” statement *
The fact that Sosa’s eligibility to be in the HOF is even being questioned, just shows how far reching the steroids scandal has reached. Would we even be discussing this if it weren’t for the juicing and the corked bat?
If Sosa is allowed into the HOF, then Pete Rose should definitely be reinstated.
What the heck does Sosa have to do with Pete Rose? Sosa hasn’t been banned for life from baseball.
“Meeno Undestnad Da Quuastion. becauas me no speka english.” (Before the congress of the United States of America.)