Highlights
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...
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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Duquette tells Orioles fans that reaching .500 is just starting point
Saturday was Dan Duquette's official welcome to Baltimore baseball fans.
Amid the hoopla and carnival atmosphere that filled the Baltimore Convention Center for the team's annual FanFest event, it was the executive vice president of baseball operation'...Tags: Adam Jones (baseball), Chris Davis, Nolan Reimold, Montreal Expos, Nick Markakis
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Rafael Palmeiro to the Hall of Fame: Let voters handle steroid issue
The Baltimore SunThe person who perhaps could be helped or hurt most if the National Baseball Hall of Fame offered specific instruction to its voters on whether candidates with a history of using performance-enhancing drugs should be enshrined has his own opinion as to...Tags: Concerts, Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens
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Coffee Companion (8/9): Ravens sign Ricky; O's cough one up
Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine.
Running it back:...Tags: Ed Dickson, J.J. Hardy, YouTube, Athletes, Jo-Jo Reyes
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Easier to reach: 600 homers or 3,000 hits?
PEDs make a difference Mark Emery The Morning Call Eliminating admitted or suspected performance-enhancing drug users Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez from the list, only four "clean" players have hit 600 home runs. Since baseball has cracked...Tags: Ryan Howard, Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Rafael Palmeiro, Athletes
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Does the Derby hurt home run hitters such as Robinson Cano?
Ah, the Home Run Derby. It’s hard for me to think of many American traditions that top watching baseball’s best sluggers (cameos made by Vernon Wells in 2010 and Brandon Inge the year before) while listening to Chris Berman shriek NFL...Tags: Ryan Howard, Vernon Wells, American League East, Miguel Tejada, Ivan Rodriguez
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Video: An Orioles fan's version of 'Hurt' by Nine Inch Nails
Orioles fans, you can probably relate to this.
I was sent a link to an excellent video summing up what it has been like to be an Orioles fan over the past 13 years, and it comes in the form of an acoustic parody of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails.
In the...Tags: Nine Inch Nails (music group), Rafael Palmeiro
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Horses and Orioles
Roch Around the ClockI’d like to change my prediction for the Belmont Stakes, if it isn’t too late. Anyone out there hit the trifecta? Anyone have Big Brown finishing last? I picked Buster Douglas to win because I always go for the upset.......Tags: Bodies of Water, Big Brown, Eddie Murray, Belmont Stakes, Brooks Robinson
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Griffey's 600th homer prompts 'What if'?
O, by the WayIt's a little strange to say of a guy who just joined one of the most exclusive groups in baseball history, 'What if,' but that's exactly the case concerning Ken Griffey Jr., who hit his 600th career home run yesterday......Tags: Barry Bonds, Armed Forces, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Defense
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What they're saying about the Orioles
Baltimoresun.com staffHere's a roundup of what the national media are saying about the Orioles: • Steve Henson of Yahoo Sports gives the Orioles a B-minus in his list of midseason grades: Such a shame the Orioles are in a division with those powerhouse Rays, and, oh...Tags: Melvin Mora, George Sherrill, Cal Ripken, Jr., Sports Illustrated, Erik Bedard
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O's make right calls with Markakis
The wait is over. The Orioles got it right with Nick Markakis. Yet before offering a "Hallelujah" and ending an 11-season novena that has endured presumably since the last time this club didn't embarrass you, know this:The Orioles have almost always done...Tags: Major League Baseball, Omar Daal, Nick Markakis, Dining and Drinking, Marty Cordova
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He may not fit the bill, but he will pay price
THE IMAGE still lingers. Rafael Palmeiro, called to testify before a congressional committee on March 17, pointed his finger at committee chairman Tom Davis and denied that he had ever used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. There was no tortured legal...Tags: Major League Baseball, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Arts, Willie Mays
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High tension at the table, media circus in the House
Sun StaffWASHINGTON - The line started to form at 6 a.m. outside the hearing room at the Rayburn Office Building, reaffirming the drawing power of Major League Baseball, even in one of its darkest hours. There were fans and Capitol Hill interns and visiting...Tags: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Major League Baseball, Lawyers, St. Louis Cardinals, Sports Illustrated
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